Survey: Opinions on starter options?

So, in the hack I am creating, I'm a bit conflicted about what starters to use. I could go the route by deciding on a set generation of starters to choose from, or I could mix them up a bit.

I need your input. Which sounds coolest?

• Generation 1 Starters (Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle)
• Generation 2 Starters (Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile)
• Generation 3 Starters (Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip)
• Or A Blend Of The Starters (One from G1, One from G2, One from G3)

All opinions are welcomed, unless they are mean. Please don't be mean.
(And I'm sorry if this isn't in the right thread... :3c)

Personally, I don't like the option of a blend of starters from different generations, I'd probably be okay with starters from any generation.

I think it'd be interesting to see a starter set with the Psychic/Dark/Fighting triangle, I haven't seen many of those in hacks. Or you could just have one starter and make up for that by having events where you can catch other rare Pokémon early in the game.

You have a lot of options, and I don't think there's a good or bad choice, just go with what you think is best for your hack. I'd rather you didn't have starters from previous generations and have something different, but I really wouldn't mind it anyway.

Spheal said:

Personally, I don't like the option of a blend of starters from different generations, I'd probably be okay with starters from any generation.

I think it'd be interesting to see a starter set with the Psychic/Dark/Fighting triangle, I haven't seen many of those in hacks. Or you could just have one starter and make up for that by having events where you can catch other rare Pokémon early in the game.

You have a lot of options, and I don't think there's a good or bad choice, just go with what you think is best for your hack. I'd rather you didn't have starters from previous generations and have something different, but I really wouldn't mind it anyway.

Click to expand...

Those are all really interesting ideas! Thanks for your suggestions!

If you are going with a blend of starters, I would advise choosing the best among them with considerations to how they perform in battle early on in your hack. In example, with the default third generation level up moves, I name Mudkip, Charmander, and ... Chikorita (fills the triangle, I guess, but still pretty decent.) As we do not have TMs/Move Tutors in the beginning of the game, the player will mostly rely on the level up moves of the Pokemon. As such, in order to have a decent amount of options in the beginning as to how one battles, I think it is necessary to choose Pokemon with a good availability of level up moves early on. The Hoenn starters do this quite well! I think it is better to make the beginning smooth because the player is just beginning -- they are just starting to form their team.

Or maybe you could deviate. Many hackers go with Eevee, and it seems to go pretty well for them. I would advise, though, making it slightly better in battle. It's pretty awful with its third generation level up moves early on. It does not learn another attack move until level 23 (and that's Quick Attack)! Some go with Elekid, Magby, and Smoochum/Mime Jr (equal because no type advantage/disadvantage), all of which is pretty good early on and I would totally suggest. As long as the hack has viable starters, I think it's fine.

If you prefer to stick with the regular starter trio sets, I would go with Hoenn's. I think it is the lesser used generation and are the funnest in battle (great level up moves and dual typing).

I really do like the idea of a Psychic/Dark/Fighting trio. Does anyone remember when it rumoured that was the lineup of D/P/Pt?

Ehhh the Psychic/Dark/Fight trio always annoyed me, if only because it doesn't work backwards. Though I guess GF did it with Gen 6 anyway, though as subtypes.

But imo Hoenn starters are dabes

Mystery Man said:

If you are going with a blend of starters, I would advise choosing the best among them. People don't like being limited to a trio of awful Pokemon.

Click to expand...

I don't really agree. The starter is the first Pokémon you get, and it's given to you rather than being caught in the wild. If it's a legitimately strong choice in its own right then every other Pokémon in the game of the same type is sort of invalidated.

I'd rather go with starter Pokémon which are average but not great - that way people who stick with their starter no matter what aren't too badly put out, but there's still an incentive to use other Pokémon in the game.

ThomasWinwood said:

I don't really agree. The starter is the first Pokémon you get, and it's given to you rather than being caught in the wild. If it's a legitimately strong choice in its own right then every other Pokémon in the game of the same type is sort of invalidated.

I'd rather go with starter Pokémon which are average but not great - that way people who stick with their starter no matter what aren't too badly put out, but there's still an incentive to use other Pokémon in the game.

Click to expand...

I second this. I'd rather have these OP pokemon as rewards or even have them be catcheable later in the game.

People are often obsessed with using triangles - but really that is only necessary if a rival is taking another of the pokemon. I've always been in favour of allocating 'ordinary' pokemon as starters (with stat/move tweaks) but if I had to vote for any generation starters it would probably be Hoenn's.

Well you could also use fossil pokemon if you want.
cradlily, armaldo and any of the rock/water from gen 1
i have an idea for a rom hack but i need to learn the basics first but they seem like a good choice if you ask me
you just need to edit their stats and movepool and you have good starter choices

For my own rom hack, I'm working on a way to allow a choice from all 9 of the Gen I-III starters. In theory it should be doable with a little effort. Using Birch's backpack would open a dialogue asking you to pick from three pockets to look in, and the chosen pocket determines the generation of starters available to you. Your rival would then pick from the same generation set. Still in progress, but I'll let you know how it goes.

As for a mixed set of three I would go with a pure type from each generation i.e. Squirtle/Cyndaquil/Treeko. Each remains a pure type to preserve the triangle, each final evolution is within +/- 4 base stat total of the others (essentially equal stat totals), and offers a choice between Sp.Atk, Defense, and Speed play-styles.

It has been done consecutively in the official games. Game Freak's starters have always been stronger than the average Pokemon. Their final evolutions end up having, at the lowest, 525 base stat totals I think, which is high relative to other Pokemon (excluding pseudo legendaries and legendary Pokemon, though they are legendaries). They tend to finish as some of the strongest regular Pokemon in the game. At least I wouldn't trade them off for another Pokemon in the wild, as starters have always been special -- in the official games, you never find them in the wild and are only received once every playthrough (with an exception to X & Y). So, picking some of the strongest (in the end) has been consistently done by Game Freak (though it can be argued that BSTs aren't everything in battle; they are still pretty relevant.) Basing off of the thread, the topic creator seems to prefer to use some of Game Freak's starters, which are all pretty strong and share around the same BSTs, but in the third generation, some of them have awful level up moves early on (i.e. Johto starters (which also are of one type), worse without a good availability of TMs) and would be extremely inconvenient if the hack is rather difficult.

Thinking about it a little more, I was basing that completely on the hacks I have played recently, of which tend to be on the higher side of difficulty, especially in the beginning. What I am thinking now: if you seek to make it difficult, I would go with the better starters rather than awful ones. If you do not aim to make it a difficult hack, any triangle is acceptable to me (Pokemon Bronze is the epitome if I say so myself -- the starters are average, but unique -- the hack stays at a nice difficulty all through out, making it so that it is beatable with more possibilities rather than only pseudo legendaries and Pokemon with immense defenses). But perhaps choosing awful starters can be a factor in making a hack more difficult as well, so completely up to the hacker. Personally, I am not the type who likes to level grind very often (I prefer progressing difficulty, where everything in the beginning isn't more difficult than the final challenges.)

Sinnoh starters are pretty fun as well, though you would have to insert them into the third generation games.

Eh, I don't like using actual starters as starters. I like making a pair of Pokemon (I'm using Sneasel and Gligar, you can try Magby and Elekid, etc.), or a unique Pokemon, such as Tyrogue who has 3 evolutions, or Clampearl that has two.
But to answer your question, I prefer the third gen starters the most. 1's have been used too much, and two's suck in my opinion.

Bagon/Dratini/Larvitar/Trapinch or Pokemon that dont evolve.

I would prefer one pokemon actually at least it should evolve twice.

I would like to see a hack with a new grass water fire trio which excludes the starters. A good example would be budew,magby and spheal, all have three stage evolutions and 500-540 bst in the final evolutions.

Gen 1 starters in new region will be good, but as others are saying, it depends on the story! But i'd suggest Kanto starters if you are not sure.