[Discussion] Following Pokémon in essentials: Yay or Nay?

First off, this isn't a feature that is even planned as far as I know. However, there have been no new thread at all yet, and the essentials forum is a day or two old now, so I figure it's time to get the ball rolling and put up something for discussion, whether it's something that's not planned at all, in the works or whatever, even if it's also something relatively meaningless.

So, this is a question to the community as a whole: How important is this feature, introduced in Pokémon Yellow, and expanded upon in HG/SS, to you as an individual? Do you think it should be implemented into the base kit for Essentials? What priority do you consider it?

In my own opinion, I would love to see the feature, and would eagerly use it in my own project - However, in terms of priority and significance, I would score it pretty low: 3-4 out of 10. As I said, I think it's a nice feature and could have some interesting uses, but it is very much unnecessary, and essentials has much more necessary additions to be made as things stand now.

I think this is one of those features that stands out a lot. It seems to be one of those that is considered by many, a feature that a game has to earn to an extent.

I agree with it being excluded from essentials to be honest.

That being said, I think others writing it and releasing it is probably better simply because it forces the developer to implement it themselves from there.

I think yes but you could put it to have a choice to have pokemon following.

I think it should be implemented into the base kit for Essentials. Each version of essentials has a lot of changes, it is not good to make each script for each version (can be confusing for newbie or contain bugs)

I think this a good feature but now is over rated. There some problems that is one more resource to editing (thinking on adding custom pokémon), increase the file size, no all Gen 5 overworlds and the problems that dependable events causes. I also agree that this can be a choice, I like to give many choices and liberty to developer
But because of high demand I think that this must be implemented. Maruno is a great programmer, but is considerably hardheaded in some apects. If you making a project for a public, if the vast majority agree unless this is VERY hard you need to put in, especially a wiki project. This one is considerable hard because of the "problems" that I mentioned before.

help-14 said:

I think it should be implemented into the base kit for Essentials. Each version of essentials has a lot of changes, it is not good to make each script for each version (can be confusing for newbie or contain bugs)

Click to expand...

This really make making tutorials and scripts for essentials very hard now because it is constantly changing, but this can be hard to solve.
Now the tutorials creators need to keep and eye and test it in the recent versions and made a change in new versions if this necessary. Maybe is a good thing to say the version that they were tested.
Maybe someone like that Eclipse Foundation did can be thought for launching progammed new version (In Eclipse case in June between 21-30)

FL . said:

I think this a good feature but now is over rated. There some problems that is one more resource to editing (thinking on adding custom pokémon), increase the file size, no all Gen 5 overworlds and the problems that dependable events causes. I also agree that this can be a choice, I like to give many choices and liberty to developer
But because of high demand I think that this must be implemented. Maruno is a great programmer, but is considerably hardheaded in some apects. If you making a project for a public, if the vast majority agree unless this is VERY hard you need to put in, especially a wiki project. This one is considerable hard because of the "problems" that I mentioned before.
This really make making tutorials and scripts for essentials very hard now because it is constantly changing, but this can be hard to solve.
Now the tutorials creators need to keep and eye and test it in the recent versions and made a change in new versions if this necessary. Maybe is a good thing to say the version that they were tested.
Maybe someone like that Eclipse Foundation did can be thought for launching progammed new version (In Eclipse case in June between 21-30)

Click to expand...

Gen V overworlds aren't a problem anymore, Pokegirl4ever has completed this: http://pokegirl4ever.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3ijrd2

I do agree with Fl . , this is a feature so many people love, so why not give it them? This is, however, a low-priority script, as this feature barely adds something to a game made with this at all. I'd say include it.

Gen 5 overworld is not problem at all, i have already done that a few time ago: http://help-14.deviantart.com/art/All-Unova-Pokemon-Overworlds-for-RMXP-274041359
Making a tutorial for all version is impossible because most of them can't understand the script. If they do, they won't need tutorial.

No poll?

I'll chime in at this point with my comments and opinions. In short, I don't plan on adding this feature.

I was never thrilled about the feature. Yes, it was interesting in Yellow because it was new, but when it showed up again in HGSS it was clearly nothing more than a frill designed to make an otherwise rather bare game more interesting. Aside from the novelty factor of having a Pokémon walking behind you, I don't think it adds anything at all. That's all my opinion.

From a technical standpoint, it'd be very complicated to implement. One way I've seen of getting it to work is to have one or more events put aside on each map for the Pokémon, which requires a lot more care on the user's part when they create hundreds of maps. Some large Pokémon won't be visible in certain places (e.g. indoors), and it can be quite arbitrary deciding which places these are and which Pokémon count as "too large". They won't show when cycling or surfing either. There's also making the following Pokémon appear properly in battle (i.e. stepping forward rather than being called from a Poké Ball), and having previously fainted following Pokémon come out again after healing up. And then there's the whole issue of interacting with them, as there will be hundreds of location-dependent messages to show. The dependent event system doesn't even work perfectly. As for making the thing optional, that's even harder.

If someone wanted to include following Pokémon, they would have an awful lot of work to do themselves, even after it was programmed in in the first place (which is another awful lot of work). It's not something they could just "switch on". Then there's the question of who would use it: everyone. Everyone wants to be just like HGSS, after all (I exaggerate, but probably not by much). If everyone uses it, it won't be a special feature for any of them.

As mentioned by others, it's low priority (nil priority in my eyes), as it doesn't even add anything but the novelty. The kit is called Pokémon Essentials, and this really isn't. It's only been in two games (HGSS is one game, and Yellow barely had it), which is hardly a baseline.

In summary, it's a lot of work for everyone, it's not at all necessary, it'd spoil the uniqueness of some games, and I don't like it. So no, I personally have no plans of including this feature in Essentials. I think there's at least one tutorial out there for implementing it, and as far as I know it's unlikely to become incompatible with the latest releases. Use that instead. Alternatively, as Essentials is a community project, someone else can come up with a decent following system instead.

help-14 said:

Gen 5 overworld is not problem at all, i have already done that a few time ago: http://help-14.deviantart.com/art/All-Unova-Pokemon-Overworlds-for-RMXP-274041359
Making a tutorial for all version is impossible because most of them can't understand the script. If they do, they won't need tutorial.

Click to expand...

I didn't know that the Gen V overworlds has already been completed, my mistake.
Making a tutorial not for work on every version, but make a correction when something make the script incompatible.
Example: In version 6 the name of one variable is changed so change in tutorial, in version 8 is other variables, so we have 3 versions implementations: below-5, 6-7 and 8-above

IceGod64 said:

First off, this isn't a feature that is even planned as far as I know. However, there have been no new thread at all yet, and the essentials forum is a day or two old now, so I figure it's time to get the ball rolling and put up something for discussion, whether it's something that's not planned at all, in the works or whatever, even if it's also something relatively meaningless.

So, this is a question to the community as a whole: How important is this feature, introduced in Pokémon Yellow, and expanded upon in HG/SS, to you as an individual? Do you think it should be implemented into the base kit for Essentials? What priority do you consider it?

In my own opinion, I would love to see the feature, and would eagerly use it in my own project - However, in terms of priority and significance, I would score it pretty low: 3-4 out of 10. As I said, I think it's a nice feature and could have some interesting uses, but it is very much unnecessary, and essentials has much more necessary additions to be made as things stand now.

Click to expand...

No offense but I think it's already in....

pbAddDependency2(@event_id,"Brawly",2)
pbRegisterPartner(PBTrainers::LEADER_Brawly,
"BRAWLY")
(found that in the Cave map....) but if you meant HGSS Style, no there isn't....

Ho-oh 112 said:

No offense but I think it's already in....

pbAddDependency2(@event_id,"Brawly",2)
pbRegisterPartner(PBTrainers::LEADER_Brawly,
"BRAWLY")
(found that in the Cave map....) but if you meant HGSS Style, no there isn't....

Click to expand...

That's to get NPCs to follow you around and team up for double battles, not for the Pokémon in your party to follow you.

Wow - I posted this around 11 last night and wake up to find 10 replies - That's awesome. Glad to know I made a discussion worth discussing. It also seems like most of us agree it should have tittle to no priority.

Each version of essentials has a lot of changes, it is not good to make each script for each version (can be confusing for newbie or contain bugs)

Click to expand...

The basic functions in essentials haven't really changed, and as far as I know, Maruno has mo intention of really "adding" anything that would break such a feature. As far as I remember, you had a pretty decent following script yourself, aside from needing a few bugs ironed out.

Maruno said:

I was never thrilled about the feature. Yes, it was interesting in Yellow because it was new, but when it showed up again in HGSS it was clearly nothing more than a frill designed to make an otherwise rather bare game more interesting. Aside from the novelty factor of having a Pokémon walking behind you, I don't think it adds anything at all. That's all my opinion.

From a technical standpoint, it'd be very complicated to implement. One way I've seen of getting it to work is to have one or more events put aside on each map for the Pokémon, which requires a lot more care on the user's part when they create hundreds of maps. Some large Pokémon won't be visible in certain places (e.g. indoors), and it can be quite arbitrary deciding which places these are and which Pokémon count as "too large". They won't show when cycling or surfing either. There's also making the following Pokémon appear properly in battle (i.e. stepping forward rather than being called from a Poké Ball), and having previously fainted following Pokémon come out again after healing up. And then there's the whole issue of interacting with them, as there will be hundreds of location-dependent messages to show. The dependent event system doesn't even work perfectly. As for making the thing optional, that's even harder.

As mentioned by others, it's low priority (nil priority in my eyes), as it doesn't even add anything but the novelty. The kit is called Pokémon Essentials, and this really isn't. It's only been in two games (HGSS is one game, and Yellow barely had it), which is hardly a baseline.

Click to expand...

As usual, you come in with a series of good points. And I agree with it mostly. The only reason I'd like to see a Pokemon-yellow styled following system is because I intend to have something like that in my game. However, it is just a frill as you said, and even more importantly, it's too much work to be throwing into such a thing.

Despite me having an interest in this feature (And admittedly, I always liked the extra stuff like contests until Black/White... The musical is garbage.) I did only post this thread to get the ball rolling and give us something to discuss. Pokémon following was just the first semi-reasonable idea I had for a discussion - Mostly because as you said, everyone wants to try to imitate HG/SS.

I say that I am pro on not having it included, even though Help - 14 made one already, it still has bugs that need to be exterminated. I say for who ever wants to add it they should fix and expand on help - 14 script, to make it keep its uniqueness.