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ROM Hacking Discussions

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Flowerchild

fleeting assembly
8,709
Posts
13
Years
I prefer games with the "silent protagonist" concept. Even using "Player: ... ... ..." is pushing it, in my opinion. In R/S/E, the programmers used only dots (i.e., no "Player:") once which was passable but whenever I see "[player]:" followed by text, I usually close VBA. There are plenty of fantastic games that have silent protagonists so it shouldn't be too hard.
I feel the same way. Not much I can say here besides that, really.
 

Satoshi Ookami

Memento Mori
14,254
Posts
15
Years
Well I prefer talking character. I mean... it's really weird to have a silent character... I know player character is you in game, but wouldn't it be weird if people were talking to you and you wouldn't reply and stay silent?
If you are really good narrator you can pretty much give player speech which the real player would really say.
So as for me I prefer talking character.
 

DrFuji

[I]Heiki Hecchara‌‌[/I]
1,691
Posts
14
Years
The silent protagonist has been a feature for the Pokemon series in general, so I don't see any reason to break that long-standing tradition. The player and main character may not shared the same feelings about the world they are in, so the creator is essentially forcing their own view on the player.

I hate it when others speak for me, so why should I do the same for anybody else?
 

Banjora Marxvile

hOI!!!!!! i'm tEMMIE!!
3,494
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Mar 16, 2024
Now, I have a view on this that doesn't seem to have been said. If there was a personality thing in the game to decide how some events say and what your character says, or a choice (as that is speaking. Yes and No... the character says it in game, in a way), then I say OK. If it is random things that I know I wouldn't say, then I tend to get annoyed, but I don't really care too much.
 

NiKaNoRoU

we are but particles
658
Posts
14
Years
I say that it depends. I really like how the character in Identity talks, it actually makes the whole story more varnished.

In other situations where the hack is Nin-esqued, I say no. It really depends on my view.
 

Ninja Caterpie

AAAAAAAAAAAAA
5,979
Posts
15
Years
Mind blown. Then again, BW mostly runs on the same engine as DP, so crack that and you crack the other. The only reason it took so long with DP was, mostly because of a lack of hackers willing to work on something like this, so it's nice. I think I'll still stick to ma third gen, though. :D
 

dragoniteuser

The dragon master
1,696
Posts
13
Years
Well IMO BW hacks will not apear so soon as we think!
It's general structure is somewhat different than those of DPPt...
But then again, it was shown that a perfect hack, with as goo, or even better graphics can be made on a 3rd GEN ROM, so...
 

Ninja Caterpie

AAAAAAAAAAAAA
5,979
Posts
15
Years
Hey, I just realised. Gen 4 now has mapping + scripting + text + misc. editors, but still nobody hacks it. lol nobody likes scripting with numbers, tch.
 

NiKaNoRoU

we are but particles
658
Posts
14
Years
Hey, I just realised. Gen 4 now has mapping + scripting + text + misc. editors, but still nobody hacks it. lol nobody likes scripting with numbers, tch.
Well sorry, but tbh I never liked the 4th gen games. Therefore, I'm not going to move onto hacking them as well. Who knows why others don't do it, though...
 

Ninja Caterpie

AAAAAAAAAAAAA
5,979
Posts
15
Years
Hey, you and me both, brother. I dislike the 4th gen, for some weird reason. I cbf arguing with it though, and will just hype myself for Super Scribblenauts + Black + Kirby's Epic Yarn + Ace Attorney V Professor Layton.

On topic, what do you guys think about the 4th generation hacking scene? I mean, most of the stuff people were complaining about has arrived, so do you think people will start hacking it? Or is the ROM Hacking community so wired around Advance (which, believe me, is happening to a lot of places which have GBA -> DS transitions) that it won't shift for a while yet?
 
119
Posts
14
Years
About a different subject: The ROM Hacking forums. Why are all threads closed in 'Beginners Lounge' with questions. I mean, the whole point of a subforum for beginners is that beginners can ask questions. However, the moderators abviously think all questions should go in the stickied threads. >=( But in those threads not all questions are answered (due to the massive overload of questions) and in individual threads one's problems are better helped.
Does anyone agree with me that the Beginners lounge should be open for individual threads?
 

Banjora Marxvile

hOI!!!!!! i'm tEMMIE!!
3,494
Posts
15
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen Mar 16, 2024
About a different subject: The ROM Hacking forums. Why are all threads closed in 'Beginners Lounge' with questions. I mean, the whole point of a subforum for beginners is that beginners can ask questions. However, the moderators abviously think all questions should go in the stickied threads. >=( But in those threads not all questions are answered (due to the massive overload of questions) and in individual threads one's problems are better helped.
Does anyone agree with me that the Beginners lounge should be open for individual threads?

Actually, the point of the beginning forums isn't for that. I think it is for new hackers to get help on their ideas that they brainstorm. The Simple Questions is for questions, and Team Discussions for "I NEED A TEAM!"

I think the Simple Questions thread is effective, as most people do find their answer. I believe it is fine how it is. After all, it would get annoying as threads would be pushed back and unanswered (even more so than the Simple Questions thread is, as loads of people look at that who need help, but also have answers for other things), and easier to spam and make multiple threads on the same questions.
 

Crimson Stardust

Anime Addiction
1,319
Posts
14
Years
hey, i want to continue the hero speaking convo part since i still have not decide whether to let my hero talked in-game or whether to have him silent.
One of my friend who fixed up the grammar in the hack suggested to have the hero talked since it will be awkward to have him silent when everybody is talking to him but i don't think it is a good idea since i don't like it.
Some people like the hero to talk while others don't. So maybe i can know more people opinions here and then decide..xD
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Crimson Stardust
 

colcolstyles

Yours truly
1,588
Posts
15
Years
hey, i want to continue the hero speaking convo part since i still have not decide whether to let my hero talked in-game or whether to have him silent.
One of my friend who fixed up the grammar in the hack suggested to have the hero talked since it will be awkward to have him silent when everybody is talking to him but i don't think it is a good idea since i don't like it.
Some people like the hero to talk while others don't. So maybe i can know more people opinions here and then decide..xD
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Crimson Stardust

Well, whether or not the silence is "awkward" or not really depends on the type of hack that you're making. If you're making a canon, 8-gym type of hack, then you should be able to pull off a silent protagonist. Hey, Game Freak did it so it's definitely possible. However, if you're making a more plot-driven hack or one that draws on themes like corruption and crime and death, then it might be a little harder. The thing is, a ROM hack is not a movie. Yes, a silent protagonist in a movie would be a little awkward (though I imagine it would be an amazing movie if it was well done) but there is a huge gap between video games and movies. If you want your hack to be like a movie, one that the player gets to actually play through firsthand, then you can probably get away with a talking protagonist. It's really a tradeoff. You can either have the silent protagonist (which I think players, on the whole, enjoy more) with more "awkward" scenes or you can have a talking protagonist (which will probably annoy a lot of people) but the scenes won't be as weird. It's up to you, really.
 

Ninja Caterpie

AAAAAAAAAAAAA
5,979
Posts
15
Years
Honestly; I'm playing through Black/White now and there are quite a few scenes where, in most cases, a person would talk; particularly as the Team Plasma storyline escalates. However, the silent protagonist...it doesn't feel weird, because that's a player-character. It's a video-game representation of yourself, not some story-designated character you might role-play as. There's quite a difference, really. It sort of lets you mold other people's personalities better, because you don't have a person (ie. you) butting in and stopping someone going where they were going to go.

In the end, it's your choice. In my opinion, though, if a game lets you name the main character, then the protagonist should usually remain silent (eg. Pokemon). If not, then it should be fine (eg. Final Fantasy). There are games with the opposite (eg. Mario and Luigi has the titular character not really talk, and FFTA2 has your "player-character", talk), so, really, it's all about execution.
 

astar_01

Creator of Pokémon Grey
106
Posts
16
Years
I'm with most of the other comments, It feels weird to have a talking hero.
I felt that it worked to an advantage in Pokémon Identity yet it doesn't work with most other hacks.
Personally in my hack the player is only seen talking in flashbacks*. These events are obviously from the past so whats been said has already been said, whereas in the present the player remains silent so he can be what the person playing wants him to be.

*A flashback example: Player and Sister arguing.
It wouldn't be right for the Player to be silent in a past event.

What are your opinions on that then?
 
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