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[Discussion] Why does ROM Hacking outshine us?

Riansky

Purr
197
Posts
12
Years
Throw out GameMaker and XNA and anything else you can think of, as it does not have a fully fledged engine for Pokemon already.

Hopefully people are listening. As I have said before, we need to create new tools. This is what all new engine needs to have in mind. GameMaker, XNA, Python, Java, etc is not meant to create RPGs, so you can only guess that it is harder to produce something with it.

What kind of tools are you actually refering too ?
 

Riansky

Purr
197
Posts
12
Years
To make it easier to edit and add. To increase productivity to the point where it's as easy as ROM Hacking.

Good Idea. Rom hacking have lots of tools like that. And It will make Game Dev much more fun in my opinion. Editing PBS files is pain in the ass for me, so it will be nice to have some kind of tool for that. Speaking about rpgxp and essentials.

Anyway I think that rom hacking outshine us just because its limitations. We don't need to care about let say color limitations be rom hackers have to. In my opinion game dev is much more fun, and if you know scripting, the only limitation is your own imagination.
 

Catman

Testosterone Incarnate
62
Posts
11
Years
I am surprised no one mentioned the fact that, with rom hacking you can play your game on a real game engine. :)
That's not a good way to preserve the lifetime of the hardware.

I've seen a fair few hacks from Sonic Retro and they test a lot of them for Cartridge based compatibility and even the slightest of changes can render a ROM unplayable on the console as well as many emulators. I don't know how much different it would be for GB line games but I can assume going overboard would not be kind on hardware or emulators alike.
 

Crystal Noel

RPG Maker VX Ace Scripter
222
Posts
11
Years
I agree a lot of people play ROM Hacks via Emulator. I have never once a ROM Hack in cartridge form. I have seen some fakes, but those were for legit games.
 

DaSpirit

Mad Programmer
240
Posts
16
Years
That's not a good way to preserve the lifetime of the hardware.

I've seen a fair few hacks from Sonic Retro and they test a lot of them for Cartridge based compatibility and even the slightest of changes can render a ROM unplayable on the console as well as many emulators. I don't know how much different it would be for GB line games but I can assume going overboard would not be kind on hardware or emulators alike.
Yes and with GameMaker, I can make Windows, PC, Windows 8, Windows 8 Phone, Android, iPhone and HTML5 games using a single codebase. Now this doesn't say much because there isn't an existing complete Pokemon engine on it, but it's better than playing on a Gameboy.
 

Catman

Testosterone Incarnate
62
Posts
11
Years
Yes and with GameMaker, I can make Windows, PC, Windows 8, Windows 8 Phone, Android, iPhone and HTML5 games using a single codebase. Now this doesn't say much because there isn't an existing complete Pokemon engine on it, but it's better than playing on a Gameboy.
Never did I mention Pokemon in my post. As Varion said 'Everyone assumes Pokemon'.

If you talk to the guys at Sonic Retro they'd more likely tell you that they'd prefer playing on original hardware. Whether you prefer doing something via PC because there is a single code base for it or not that disregards the consistency of code in hacking.
 

Yuoaman

I don't know who I am either.
4,582
Posts
18
Years
Because this forum is the center of the Pokemon ROM Hacking community, at least for English speakers. While PC could also be claimed as the home of Pokemon Essentials, the ROM Hacking community existed long before Essentials, and it's taken years to build up this much of a community at all. At one point this forum was buried deep and it got very little exposure to PC's member base at large - and that remains a problem to this day. Plus, proper game development requires a much greater investment, and a lot of those who find themselves involved in PC's ROM Hacking community are kids looking for a hobby that they don't have to spend much time on.

So, if anything, I blame the school system.
 

~JV~

Dev of Pokémon Uranium
684
Posts
16
Years
Because this forum is the center of the Pokemon ROM Hacking community, at least for English speakers. While PC could also be claimed as the home of Pokemon Essentials, the ROM Hacking community existed long before Essentials, and it's taken years to build up this much of a community at all. At one point this forum was buried deep and it got very little exposure to PC's member base at large - and that remains a problem to this day. Plus, proper game development requires a much greater investment, and a lot of those who find themselves involved in PC's ROM Hacking community are kids looking for a hobby that they don't have to spend much time on.

So, if anything, I blame the school system.

That plus the fact that (on my opinion) people here are too perfectionist and pretty much never release even a small demo per say. No games to play equals no popularity, that equals less and less people interested in joining the Game Dev community since it looks like people can't get anything out of it.
 

Catman

Testosterone Incarnate
62
Posts
11
Years
That plus the fact that (on my opinion) people here are too perfectionist and pretty much never release even a small demo per say. No games to play equals no popularity, that equals less and less people interested in joining the Game Dev community since it looks like people can't get anything out of it.
Such irony, many projects I've seen (Although actually Sonic hacks) have been cancelled or died due to the person who started it not wanting to continue anymore...
 

Crystal Noel

RPG Maker VX Ace Scripter
222
Posts
11
Years
That plus the fact that (on my opinion) people here are too perfectionist and pretty much never release even a small demo per say. No games to play equals no popularity, that equals less and less people interested in joining the Game Dev community since it looks like people can't get anything out of it.

You have to fairly serious in Game Dev, it takes time. It is a fairly committed hobby and you really don't have much room for other things. I used to play consol video games a lot until I discover RPG Maker VX.
 

Lord Varion

Guess who's back?
2,642
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 29
  • Seen Jan 6, 2015
You have to fairly serious in Game Dev, it takes time. It is a fairly committed hobby and you really don't have much room for other things. I used to play consol video games a lot until I discover RPG Maker VX.

I go to college, a part time job, casual gaming club, yugioh club, go to hospital every friday for my diabetes, and have time for the casual console game, and Game Dev.

You don't have to spend 24 hours on Game Dev. :l
 

Crystal Noel

RPG Maker VX Ace Scripter
222
Posts
11
Years
I go to college, a part time job, casual gaming club, yugioh club, go to hospital every friday for my diabetes, and have time for the casual console game, and Game Dev.

You don't have to spend 24 hours on Game Dev. :l
I just want to get my starter kit out ASAP. So, I focus on the kit. I will probably find more time after I get my demo done (and I am one script away).
 

Lord Varion

Guess who's back?
2,642
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 29
  • Seen Jan 6, 2015
I just want to get my starter kit out ASAP. So, I focus on the kit. I will probably find more time after I get my demo done (and I am one script away).

Still, I used to do it non stop, but it made me grow bored way too easily of it.
So I stopped, thus Pokécommunity is now filled with millions of my dead projects. :I
 
26
Posts
11
Years
  • Seen Apr 29, 2014
I think game development is growing, but there are hacks which go beyond what the rom should be capable of so people get interested with that...
 

Maruno

Lead Dev of Pokémon Essentials
5,285
Posts
16
Years
Maybe it's because you barely have to learn anything to start making a game with RMXP, whereas you need to learn stuff before you even get started with ROM hacking. It therefore comes as more of a hurdle when you want to do something more than the absolute basics in RMXP, and it puts people off who had just gotten the idea that it was easy. With ROM hacking, you have the mindset that you'll need to learn things from the very beginning, so learning a bit more isn't such a shock.

That plus the utter lack of completed games to inspire people. The fact that Essentials is only an approximation of the Pokémon games may be another factor.
 

Arma

The Hyena
1,688
Posts
14
Years
Let me tell you all a little story:

Years ago, I was looking to find a way to play Pokemon games on my pc.
When I found out about rom-hacking that way. At first I wanted just to edit a few small things. Like making certain Pokemon more powerful, or allowing to find wild Totodile on route 1. I then realized it was possible not just edit a few little things, but to create completely new game altogether. And that's how I found out about ROM hacking.

I think my story applies a lot of other people out there too... Some people may not have the intention to make Pokemon games at first, they just stumble upon it like I did.
 

FL

Pokémon Island Creator
2,434
Posts
13
Years
  • Seen today
Several reasons:

The RPG Maker XP price ($30).

The ROM hacks have a very better compatibility (of corse, not all ROMs can be fully played in all emulators)

Game Hacking have some features that the main starter kit (Essentials) doesn't have (yet) like Contest/Animations, but in Essentials is very easy to do some events/custom systens and even add 500 big maps with a huge number of tilesets, put 1000 custom pokémon/trainers.

And...
Because this forum is the center of the Pokemon ROM Hacking community, at least for English speakers. While PC could also be claimed as the home of Pokemon Essentials, the ROM Hacking community existed long before Essentials, and it's taken years to build up this much of a community at all. At one point this forum was buried deep and it got very little exposure to PC's member base at large - and that remains a problem to this day. Plus, proper game development requires a much greater investment, and a lot of those who find themselves involved in PC's ROM Hacking community are kids looking for a hobby that they don't have to spend much time on.

So, if anything, I blame the school system.
Exact. I think that the main point is: The gamers know about hacks (like Mario, Sonic, Megaman, Pokémon, etc...) very more that the existing starter kits (specially Essentials who doesn't has a divulgation that it deserves) and theirs features.

That plus the fact that (on my opinion) people here are too perfectionist and pretty much never release even a small demo per say. No games to play equals no popularity, that equals less and less people interested in joining the Game Dev community since it looks like people can't get anything out of it.
This is a generally non-profit game development problem. If you aren't too perfectionist, few people will support you and you end up giving up. If you are too perfectionist, you game will take years and you/someone in your team eventually become bored and give up.

Let me tell you all a little story:

Years ago, I was looking to find a way to play Pokemon games on my pc.
When I found out about rom-hacking that way. At first I wanted just to edit a few small things. Like making certain Pokemon more powerful, or allowing to find wild Totodile on route 1. I then realized it was possible not just edit a few little things, but to create completely new game altogether. And that's how I found out about ROM hacking.

I think my story applies a lot of other people out there too... Some people may not have the intention to make Pokemon games at first, they just stumble upon it like I did.
This is important too. In ROM Hacking is fast to edit a game to include all pokémon only changing the encounters and putting some overworld that can be battled pokémon and NPCs that give the pokémon or even change trainers parties, but in Game Dev you need to create a entire game that may sounds intimidating. Theses small change are really effective for beginners.

Maybe it's because you barely have to learn anything to start making a game with RMXP, whereas you need to learn stuff before you even get started with ROM hacking. It therefore comes as more of a hurdle when you want to do something more than the absolute basics in RMXP, and it puts people off who had just gotten the idea that it was easy. With ROM hacking, you have the mindset that you'll need to learn things from the very beginning, so learning a bit more isn't such a shock.

That plus the utter lack of completed games to inspire people. The fact that Essentials is only an approximation of the Pokémon games may be another factor.
I'm uncertain about the first paragraph, but the lack of successful projects/games I believe that is a reason. Good games/devs lures people, similar to good singers/actors, and these people may will make/be good games/devs. Success is like a snow ball.
 
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