The key to a good hack?

What would you say is the most important aspect of making a crisp, playable hack? Some people want novelty (a gripping new plot) whereas others want tradition (the classic 8 badges). On the technical side we have mapping, scripting, pokemon data, sprite editing, text edits, new features, etc.

For me the most important thing is a balance between progress and security. In other words, I like to see how new a hack can feel without too many major errors or inconsistencies popping up unintentionally.

But now I'd like to get a feel for the general views of the forum. What do you think is the key to a good hack?

Basically the key to a good hack is one word.
"originality"
You need a daamn good idea which no-one has used or thought of before.
Otherwise i see it as a regular hack following the orginal 8-badge 10 year kid with a dream game.

What makes a good hack eh? I'll go with practice. Nobody's first hack is superb. As you hack more you start to get better. Eventually you'll get to the point where you're comfortable with your hacking ability. Once you get to the point where you're very comfortable with your hacking skills you tend to want to go above and beyond what you are used to doing. And that's how I think you create a good hack.

Listening to advice, but don't let them make it no more fun for you.

Quilava's Master said:

What makes a good hack eh? I'll go with practice. Nobody's first hack is superb. As you hack more you start to get better. Eventually you'll get to the point where you're comfortable with your hacking ability. Once you get to the point where you're very comfortable with your hacking skills you tend to want to go above and beyond what you are used to doing. And that's how I think you create a good hack.

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Well put. And I might venture to expand that by saying that practice and research go hand in hand, too. If it weren't for the tutorials and R&D threads here, I for one would've been sunk.

What makes good ROM Hack, eh? Hmmm... I would have to say features that make other hackers go "How the poop did they do that?" which ultimately roots back to practice and research as stated by the previous posts.

Dedication, and for the hacker to enjoy what he's making.

Btw, OP, you're signature is wrong - Emerald is NOT unstable. It just has less/more unstable tool compatibility (i.e the tools are unstable).

In my opinion, it is dedication and the like. It may not need to be original, but well-planned and fit exactly what the creator intended to make, backed with the appropriate research and care to make what they want a reality. Within reason.

At the end of the day, video games are a form of entertainment. Thus, the best hacks are the ones that are the most entertaining. Yes, that's a generalization but it has some merit. Most people on this forum have played more than one hack. Because of this, they're not going to be swept off their feet by a yet-another-run-of-the-mill hack. The best hacks challenged standards and broke conventions. Rescue Rangers comes to mind (it is my favorite hack, after all) because it gave the player the ability to play as a pokémon, something that hadn't really been done before. And that new feel is what made the game so fun and entertaining which, in my opinion, is why it's one of the best hacks to this day.

Originality and knowledge; those two should take you kinda far.

aperso said:

the tools used. the hackers abilities. the effot. the determination to finish it. is that list good enough?

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That isnt neccesarily true.
Many people use the same tools as others but their hacks are better than others.
For example two people would use Advance map one of the two's hacks could possibly be better for the story they use the features they have and orginality ;D

Inspiration and dedication. Inspiration to give you ideas; the story; characters; scripts. Dedication to let you pull it off.

As ColColStyles said, the key is entertainment. What makes a game fun is an original storyline and a good plot. Rescue Rangers was also a favorite of mine, and that is probably one of the most original hacks to this day!

Originality. Whenever I look at the progressing hacks and see another average, 8 badges, pokemon league, team rocket hack I lose interest. A good hack should have something like a gripping plot to make it competely new, and original. A hack is no fun if it's the same boring thing repeated over.

the key to good hack it: new graphics and storyline, and most importantly originality!

I know it's been said, but originality is key. And the drive to finish the hack. I know I'm no one to speak about that, I've been gone for a long time, but if you don't finish, or at least show progress, people will lose interest quickly. It's not all about having the newest tiles or having the neatest Fakemon, it's the story and the originality that matter. As a rule of thumb, if you include Team Rocket as we know it, have 8 badges, or need to do other generic, boring Nintendo gameplay techniques, you won't be successful. Show some spark and branch out. If it's a flop, fix it. If it's not, well done. At least, that's what I think.

It needs originality, creative flare...
If a fire red hack has 8 gyms team, team rocket, and the E4 BUT some new maps!!!!!!!
No one is going to play that...