Overworld RNG Guide (RETAIL)

A guide to using owoow by LegoFigure11, written by Billo, Anubis & LegoFigure11.
Introduction

Sword/Shield overworld RNG manipulation is used to control the details of upcoming wild encounters. It is possible to predict values such as IVs, Nature, Marks, Shiny Status, Size (Jumbo/Teensy Mark in SV), Gender and more. The table below contains information about the types of encounters, provides example images, and provides details of each encounter type.

Encounter Description Difficulty
Static Symbol Encounters in grass/water/caves that are guaranteed to produce a specific species, provided weather conditions are unchanged. Beginner
Random Symbol Encounters in grass/water/caves where the species is determined randomly by an encounter slot value (0-99) and current weather. Beginner
Hidden Random encounters in grass that do not have an overworld model. Species is determined randomly by an encounter slot value (0-99) and current weather. Advanced
Fishing Encounters in fishing pools where the species is determined randomly by an encounter slot value (0-99). Beginner
Roaming Galarian Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. These wander specific Wild Areas and are generated when the map is loaded, regardless of where the player first arrives. Intermediate

Setup and Overview

This section provides setup and installation instructions and an overview of the RNG tool.
Required Software
Tools and Applications
Installation Instructions
  1. Download .NET 9.0 and run the setup wizard until complete. This is a required program dependency.
  2. Download and extract owoow.zip into a fresh, empty folder.
  3. Run owoow.exe to ensure the program opens without errors.

RNG Tool Overview

This section provides program information and usage tips.

Figure 1 - Owoow Overview

owrng-setup-retail-1
RNG Tool Overview

Upon launching owoow for the first time, you should see something similar to the above image. This tool calculates the details of upcoming Pokémon, then outputs the results in the table at the bottom based on user-defined search parameters.

Feature Overview
  • First Column - Shows seed information and save details, such as Trainer ID, Secret ID and Game Version.
  • Second Column - Select any relevant encounter settings, enter encounter specific configurations, input search range, and calibrate NPC count.
  • Third Column - Enter current Pokédex Recommendations and input advanced settings for rain and roaming encounters.
  • Fourth Column - Enter search filters. The stricter the search filters, the more advances you will have to search to find a suitable target.
  • Fifth Column - Custom Firmware specific features, can be ignored for users on retail hardware.
  • Bottom-Right Box - Retail specific features to find and monitor your current seed using animations.

The Basics

Learn about common and advanced techniques used to advance the RNG state and hit target frames.
Finding Your TID/SID

Knowing your 5 Digit TID/SID combination is required for RNG manipulating shiny Pokémon. If you do not yet know your TID/SID and wish to manipulate shiny Pokémon, review the material on this page before doing anything else.

Continue to finding your 5 digit TID/SID
Seed Finding and Seed Monitoring:

Learn how to find your current seed on retail hardware, and understand how to identify your current RNG state at any given point. Understanding these concepts is crucial for players on retail hardware.

Continue to finding your seed
Advancing the RNG State

Explore the various techniques used to advance the RNG state. Some actions advance the RNG state slowly, some will advance in a predictable manner, and others will cause the state to advance in a rapid and unpredictable manner.

Continue to advancing the RNG state

Using menu close prediction to advance the RNG state in a predictable manner. This essentially guarantees success in hitting the correct target frame. Menu close prediction is the preferred method and will be used extensively throughout the guide, so make sure you have a good understanding of how it works.

Continue to NPC calibration

Picking an Encounter Type

Learn how to search for a desirable encounter type using owoow's Encounter Lookup feature.

Figure 2 - Encounter Lookup

owrng-setup-retail-2
Encounter Lookup

Clicking the Encounter Lookup button on the top-left of the main window will open a subwindow. Here, you can search for every possible encounter in the game for a specific species and select an encounter type based on your desired target.

Encounter Tips
  • Use the encounter type table at the top of this page to understand the difficulty and benefits of each encounter type.
  • If you are completely new to the process, we suggest you first try an overworld static encounter in the Crown Tundra by the Max Lair. This area has very few NPCs so you can practice the basics.
  • Beginner players should avoid picking encounters in the Isle of Armor as this area is very cramped and can be difficult due to NPC noise. They should avoid Hidden encounters as well since this is the most difficult and inconsistent type of encounter.
  • For high IV targets, it is recommended to pick a Brilliant Aura encounter ("Symbol" or "Fishing"). These encounters have guaranteed IVs.
  • Check the EncounterRate percentage. In most cases you will want to pick an encounter with the highest percentage for easier searches.
  • Avoid Rain/Thunderstorm encounters where possible unless you have no other option or are specifically targeting rain-based weather marks.

After selecting an encounter type, click the button below that applies to you for detailed step-by-step instructions. For newer players still learning key concepts/techniques, we recommended to start with a "Static" or "Symbol" encounter.


STATIC ENCOUNTER! SYMBOL ENCOUNTER! HIDDEN ENCOUNTER! FISHING ENCOUNTER! GALARIAN ARTICUNO, ZAPDOS & MOLTRES