Luka S.J.

I knew you would reply and I knew you would reply with that, you're too predictable brah

Thank-you I appreciate your positivity.

I get what you are saying. I disappeared for a while for similar reasons. I am pretty passionate about community, regardless of what forum I am on. It is a shame that PC does not actually have one, and it bothers me even though I understand why.

Heavily based on my own website haha. Oh god, what is that? Lmfao

People are certainly welcome to contribute. The problem is, around here, the "contributions" will usually be along the lines of "I can make a tileset for you" which doesn't really help. Maybe it'll be different because it's an engine (endorsed by me, for all that means), and the coders will appear from the darkness and help out. Maybe.

This project really needs to start off well. I'm thinking a new forum, an editable-by-anyone design document (Google Docs? I've not used that kind of thing before), and plenty of advertising (although I'm rubbish at that last point). That's the first major hurdle. The point is to get coders in, or at least people who know many things about game engines who can flesh out the design document and come up with solutions to problems and data file layouts and features and such. That alone is a lot of fun to work on, at least for me. I'm just concerned it'll only attract the "keep it up" guys and other spectators.

Yeah, I just said I don't really want a border. :P It'd feel inconsistent if it was only there for overworld stuff.

I'm sure there'd be improved camera options in the engine for 2D (scroll, zoom, tint, etc.) compared to RMXP and Essentials. I suppose there could be some camera controls in 3D mode too. If you wanted to go crazy, there could also be a modern free movement system with chase camera mode.

This is still all hypothetical, of course. I for one am not going to invest any time in 3D without much more experience of C#, a team to collaborate and figure out what to do with, and an existing 2D engine (which is what the engine was originally intended to be: a free copy of Essentials with a custom map maker). It's a big step.

Redesigning the GUI to work with a mouse and to suit a larger screen wouldn't be a problem. As you say, the problem is the maps. While a person's mapping style can change to accommodate the larger viewable area, it may not be the best solution to simply increase the screen size. I considered stepping the tile size up to 48x48 pixels, which would result in a screen size of 768x576 (or 800x600, rounding off), but I'm not sure if that would be best either. I really don't want a border or a dual screen-type arrangement just to try to hide the extra visibility.

The engine wouldn't bother allowing anything other than the standard camera angle and FOV, so I don't think it'd be worth having such complex tree models. My suggestion meant that you could probably get away with very simple models (either the DPPt angled plane, or a box sandwich), and if you could, then it probably wouldn't be that hard to let the map-maker create them as part of the map geometry (there could even be preset geometries for use in making trees and things). It was just a suggestion of what I thought would be a more user-friendly option (insofar as the user wouldn't need any models of their own, just tiles, and it'd be easier to create custom-shaped buildings). Your model suggestion is just as valid.

Of course, 3D mode is a pipe dream anyway, and toggling between 2D and 3D even more so. Maybe that'll be in Essentials 3, if that's ever going to exist.

The engine being free (and open source) would be a definite goal for the engine, not least because it wouldn't be as customisable as Essentials is (e.g. being able to add extra settings into pokemon.txt) if the source wasn't accessible... although I would push for more flexibility and options than what Essentials has (e.g. being able to define any number of abilities for a species rather than just up to 2). I definitely approve of the free part of it.

I'm sure it would be possible to have a 2D/3D toggle, although I'm not sure if it's worth trying. The first thing is to decide how the 3D would work, and for the easy-to-use method I'm thinking about (where you just paint tiles on distorted terrain rather than actually import models) the 2D/3D toggle wouldn't really work.

I do like my "distort the ground then paint tiles on it" idea (which now that I think about it is much like H-Mode7), because it'd be simple to use, and only uses tiles and no models (making it easier to have custom graphics). It also means you could skip the ground distortion part of map-making and simply paint tiles onto the ground instead, thus resulting in 2D maps (the rendering of these maps can then be set to orthogonal bird's-eye rather than the 3D camera, which shouldn't be too difficult).

The ground distortion wouldn't just be changing the heights of a 2D landscape like H-Mode7, though. You can also add in additional polygons, such as ones at a 45 degree slope which you can paint tree tiles onto (thus they work like how DPPt trees do), and overhangs on rooftops, and snow layers. All level geometry would be grid-based for convenience. Perhaps defining a set of tiles as an object could be a thing if it was necessary.

The complexity of this 3D idea is spiralling way up as I think about it more and more, and try to figure out how to make it work with 2D as well (like 3D map-making is just 2D map-making but with a few more options, even if you couldn't easy toggle between one and the other). I do think geometry and tiles are the way to go, though, at least for the casual user. There could also be support for models for those who want to use them. Again, complexity :S

I'd actually like for this new engine to veer away from perfectly mimicking the official games, in favour of making it work better as a PC game. For example, mouse support, larger screen size (without making Pokémon sprites correspondingly larger, to give more room in battles, etc.), WASD+mouse controls option, things like that.

I'm unlikely to play XY anyway, but it's interesting to hear what new features there are and to form sweeping opinions of them based on no experience at all. Like Pokémon-Amie, which is clearly rubbish. :P

Mapping is the downfall of Mode 7 and the like. There's definitely no way to make it convenient to use - you'd have to force the user to be really careful with their tile placements and settings, and with only three tile layers to work with, it's way more hassle than it's worth both for the Mode 7 developers and the users. I can't imagine the version that Essentials has is any good to work with; I've not looked at it, so I don't know how it works.

3D support would definitely be attractive. However, it'd most likely make it harder to use custom graphics, such as map tiles and especially fakemon. I wouldn't ever consider 3D battles anyway because they'd be just so complicated and unmodifiable. However, using just a few simple 3D shapes in mapping would make it easier to do - almost as simple as it currently is with tiles (create a 3D map mesh out of the simple shapes, then paint tiles onto them). Custom graphics would also be easier to handle there, since they're only tiles. My main concern is always to make it easy to use, often at the expense of making it awesome.

I'm learning C# at the moment, and I chose it rather than C++/Java/Python/whatever because it seemed popular and powerful without being overly fiddly (no pointers and whatnot). It's quite similar to the other languages too, and makes for a good entry language. The only argument against using it for the hypothetical Essentials 2.0, as far as I can see, is that it's Windows-only. Of course, so is RMXP so it's not like any of the current userbase would be denied; plus there's probably more stuff out there to make C# usable in Linux than there is for RMXP.

The bits I've seen of the battle system do look nice. Horde encounters is actually different and therefore could be interesting, as opposed to triple battles and rotation battles which were "the same BUT MORE" and pretty rubbish. Sky battles, on the other hand, look quite rubbish (assuming there isn't a special quirk to them other than restricted Pokémon/move use). Certainly the transition to 3D means that the battle screen can look half-decent now, rather than have it completely filled by Pokémon sprites to the point where you can't tell what's going on.

Mode 7 is probably harder to achieve than true 3D, assuming the same amount of basic support for 2D/3D graphics, particularly in generalising it for anyone to use in a variety of situations. I can't say I've thought much about it, but for a simple 3D map all you'd need is a 2D ground, a height-map and some models to throw around the place. In 2D you'd need to define sets of tiles as "a thing", and then draw all the "things" appropriately. I suppose it's harder for Mode 7 because tiles are easier to mix'n'match than parts of models. Making models, on the other hand, is more difficult than drawing tiles.

I'll stop rambling. Yes, it's probably easier to go straight from 2D to 3D without mucking about with Mode 7.

I'd want the Essentials port to be its own thing and moving ahead, and maybe 3D support could be shoved into it somehow in time. I'm sure there are useful libraries for whatever language it ends up using. Distant dream, though.

Well, every single element of the game engine will be up for discussion, and you can at least say what features you'd like to see or whether you think one should be changed.

I've not seen much of whatever XY media is floating around. I lost interest in the games ages ago. I'm more interested in the game-making process and particularly the tools involved (I like letting other people do things). Pokémon just happens to be a convenient and familiar setting for me.

You could try a layered sprite thing to give the illusion of 3D (I don't know if that's called Mode 7 or whatever). You know, making them move different amounts as the player moves around them. This would work better with cartoony graphics, actually, since it wouldn't be as obvious that a certain layer wasn't rotating as expected of a 3D model (plus even if it was noticeable, it suits the style of cartoony graphics). A few basic layouts for these layers (e.g. sandwich, box, slope) plus some creativity could go a long way.

The ideas behind programming are pretty universal. It's just the syntax that differs (some moreso than others). I agree that there's a lot of finicky stuff in C#, like semi-colons and static public const bool all over the place, and curly brackets and regular brackets just for the sake of being absolutely tidy. Ruby's much easier to write in because it's so flexible (not to mention duck typed).

C# is one option for the porting project, and PokéSharp is one option from there (there's also the Dawn engine and the Tiled map-making program available to use). If and when something ever starts up with it, that'll be one of the first big decisions to make. I would ask if you'd be interested in joining the team, as you seem to know a few things, but I suppose you'd be busy with your game. Still, comments on the project design choices would be welcome.

You're finally using RMXP to make an R, I see. {XD} Okay, Pokémon is an RPG too, but it seems different somehow. How open world do you want it to be? Will you be trying to get a connected maps script in, or have teleports everywhere? Your bright tile colours look nice; maybe I just watch too much anime, but more cartoony graphics look more appealing to me than gritty (aka brown) realism. They also have more scope for mood-setting too. I'm useless at making graphics myself.

Not so bad. Learning C# by following a lengthy tutorial, and then I'll try making some simple games with it (the classic arcade games). I still really like the idea of porting Essentials to a free custom engine which can be made to work better than RMXP does, but it would definitely need to be a team effort with people who know what they're on about. I'll try to stir the idea up some more soon.

How're you? What're you up to now that you've finally given up on Blue Chrome?

It was pretty spammy, plus you'd sniped me with a quicker response which pretty much said the same thing (only in more words).

Eh, I'm a mod. I'll overlook its spammyness and undelete it. It's a funny quote.

Thank you for your critique. I am an optimist so any advise is useful to me! No need to proceed with caution on my wall! =)

I am as of now doing exactly what you advise. I am scripting my events, mapping and spriting the game maps, managing my different social media sites, working with the composers, adding information to my main Google Site, and etc. I have only just started this whole game-making community. I am not much of a leader either, but I am willing to learn and adapt and grow! Right now, finding time is the hardest part, but I am trying my hardest. I know that it appears that I am lazy or laid-back, but I will foresight that it will appear with more that I contribute. I don't want to reveal anything before its too early, because I do like the idea of perfection. However, just for your comment I will start to put more up while it is in progress. The thread here on PC also doesn't have much information mainly because I don't want it too. Its purpose is for social media, like my Facebook & Twitter. My Google Site is where I put the finer details and where I will put the best graphics.

I apologize that this topic concerned you so harshly and it influenced your opinions of this game concept. I still thank you so much for your advise though! I will take it sincerely to heart. =)

you still working on blue chrome?

Thanks a lot man. You're a big help!

It's a berserker mode for Shadow Pokémon. It provides an increased critical hit rate, but the Pokémon may disobey orders like high-level foreign Pokémon, and it hurts itself with confusion damage at the end of each turn. Calling at it (a command which replaces "Run" during trainer battles if the Shadow type exists) snaps it out of Hyper Mode.

It's called Hyper Mode in Colosseum, and Reverse Mode in XD. There are slight differences between the two, and in Essentials, it works like Reverse Mode plus an increased critical hit rate.

Hi luka i was just wondering where i would go about placing all the Frameupdate functions to get the GIFS to work correctly inn battle so they dont stop up under messages etc inn your post http://www.pokecommunity.com/showpost.php?p=7608796&postcount=4 and what parts of the ActualScene i would put inn code for @sprites["pokemon#{i}"].update.

struggling a little as most of the Essentials code is poorly commented :)
and as always have a good day.

It's no problem at all, that's what my purpose was. I think I am going to reopen the Acanthite thread and start updating PC on the progress we've been making. You're more than welcome to join the forum as well :)