Pokemon: Shimmering Tempest

[DrFuji]

Pokémon: Shimmering Tempest

…The Sun may be beaming over the hilltops, but there is a Storm brewing beyond the waves…

Hack Base: Pokémon FireRed

There have always been monsters in the world. As they roamed the Pre-Historic Earth man learnt to live with a multitude of beasts, fulfilling both medial daily chores and spilling the blood of adversaries in horrific and gruesome combat. Side-by-side, man and monster have stood fast in the face of countless hardships, making the best of the land and oceans to achieve greatness and unbreakable bonds forged in iron and friendship.

However, there have always been Pokémon who shun man, refusing to be domesticated and have their wills broken by what is always considered to being the dominating force in the affiliation. Hiding away, any attempt to reach such monsters has always been in vain, whether it is due to the circulated stories of ancient and uncontrollable power, or the sheer inability to traverse the realms of the most powerful monsters ever seen.

They used to crouch in wait, apprehensively expecting the spawn of benevolent men to snatch the coveted freedom, power and courage they possess, harnessing it as their own.

…Now they scamper in fear…

As day dawns on the fertile lands of Lowen, the Winds are shifting in the cool autumn breeze, and the Heavens are fading behind the dreaded clouds of ill fortune’s discontent.

Having been bestowed upon them centuries ago, they are truly worthy of the title ‘Legendary’.

…And they are being invaded…

Story / Background Information:

Spoiler:

Oak:
Having fled from the Team Rocket devastated region of Kanto, Professor Oak now resides in the relatively peaceful lands of Lowen, continuing his research into the many fields of Pokémon physiology, psychology and behavior in the friendly Stilwal Town. Out on a day trip to the nearby Haplon Cave with an experienced hiker, the ground suddenly shakes violently whilst the Professor is underground, sending him to spiral down into the deep and dark depths of the Lowen underworld.

Team Rocket:
Fresh from achieving a long sought-after dynastic monopoly over the Kanto region, Team Rocket has set its sight on Lowen, eager to rip the land apart in order to obtain an Empire of dominance over people and Pokémon alike. Starting off slow and laying the groundwork for a region-wide authority, Team Rocket has built up its contacts and bases of operations, in preparation for a decisive strike. With a new weapon in their arsenal and a strategy tailor-made to force Lowen to capitulate her bounty, the Rockets will have no trouble in achieving their aims at the expense of justice, equality and free will for all.

Miscellania:
An adolescent seeking Professor Oak to begin their Pokémon journey feels the ground shaking and is alerted to the fact that the Professor is in dire need of rescuing from the now unstable Haplon Cave system. Armed with nothing but his bare hands and messages of hope from a flabbergasted Aide, the teenager bravely descends into the pit unknowing of what will happen to him, or what caused the violent earthquake that swallowed the Professor whole...

Emerging from Haplon Cave after reviving the dazed Professor Oak, the two find themselves in nearby Bolderville where the young hero is rewarded with his own Pokémon to protect him by an associate of the Professor. Following the man to his workshop, the teenager is given the choice between three Pokémon, joining in the choosing ceremony which first caused him to seek out Professor Oak. The instant a he chooses his partner is chosen, a rash and hot-headed boy jumps from the assembled crowd, eager to avenge the fact that the hero took the Pokémon that he wanted...

What happens from thereafter? Who knows? It’s all up to you…

Features:

Ø Explore the brand new region of Lowen!
Ø Heaps of the Pokémon from FR that you know and love!
Ø Team Rocket makes a spectacular reappearance on the small-screen!
Ø Begin with the Johto starters in your efforts to be proclaimed as a Pokémon Master!
Ø Brand new Gyms and Elite Four to battle your way to the top!
Ø Two rivals that will push you to your limits every step of the way!
Ø New Movesets / Base Stats for some previously forgettable Pokémon!
Ø Pokémon that were once only obtainable via trading (with or without items) have new ways to reach that crucial final-evolution!
Ø A new Safari Zone where only the most exotic of Pokémon can be caught!
Ø New TMs to use as you please!
Ø Areas specifically designed for the swapping of Pokémon – Introducing Trade Houses!

Creator’s Biography:

Ø I’m relatively new to Hacking, but I’m ancient in Pokémon playing terms.
Ø Not a master at scripting, but I’m learning diligently, putting in the effort and can generally get scripts to go the way I want them to.
Ø Sprites and OWs are my kryptonite…

Help:

Ø I’m not openly looking for any full-time help with this project at this point. If you wish to present something, by all means feel free to do so, and if I like what I see, I may bring you onboard the project.
Ø I am, however, searching for someone who can insert a World Map. I've tried everyithing I possibly can, but it doesn't like me D:
Ø I’m always open for crit, but please, no mindless spamming of stuff like “Yoo suk! 0/10 >=(” which has no examples as to how to improve, nor any basis of sanity. Posts such as this shall be ignored unless it mindless drivel praise.

Banners / UserBars:

Spoiler:

(Made by me - Credits to Pokesho.com for the sprites)

(Made by Cloud 9)

(Made by Cloud 9)

(Made by Cloud 9)

(Made by Cloud 9)

(Made by Cloud 9)

Please link to Thread ._.

Screen Shots:

Spoiler:

World Map:

Spoiler:

Progress:

Spoiler:

ØStilwal Town
ØHaplon Cave
ØRoute 1
ØBolderville
ØRoute 2
ØFrigid Cavern
ØSuplure City
ØRoute 3
ØFleetwood
ØFrickle Forest
ØPoliberg
ØRoute 4
ØScape Fields
ØMt Trope

BETA 1.0

Credits:

Lu-Ho: AdvanceMap
HackMew: Xtreme Script Editor, unLZ GBA and Free Space Finder
Darthatron: Pokémon Editor Pro, Evolution Editor Pro, TM Professional Editor and Learnable TM Editor
NiKaRoNoU: Awesome Male OW sprite
Cloud 9: For the awesome banners
Nintendo / Game Freak: for getting me hooked in the first place and keeping my interest up for all these years


Thank you for your time, and I'm hoping to have fun and eventually complete this project.

[Cello]

Wow, you're well underway with this hack. You could have skipped the scrapbox with this one!

I like how well organized everything is, as well as the abundant amount of information on your games back story and features.

I look forward to seeing more to come from your hack, DrFuji!


EDIT: Wow, three wow's in a row. vvv

EDIT 2: 4 wows.*

[masterhacker445]

Wow, I agree with Cello! You've got yourself organised, features, screenies, userbars, and an appealing storyline!

I bid you best of luck. Good thing is, I'm assured this won't need luck, it'll be a success ;-)

Keep it up!

[Neo-Wolf]

Wow ! This hack is well organised and everything.
Good luck!

[DrFuji]

Originally Posted by Cello

Wow, you're well underway with this hack. You could have skipped the scrapbox with this one!

Nah, I'm nowhere near ready to go to progressing Hacks, I have only done up to Route 2 and have the barest of scripts in some places - but thanks for thinking that I could - it means alot.

I like how well organized everything is, as well as the abundant amount of information on your games back story and features.

I've been sitting on it and thinking about it for a while, allowing me to fully grasp what I was trying to achieve and get a decent backstory going. As for organisation, I just don't like to clutter stuff =P

Originally Posted by masterhacker445

I bid you best of luck. Good thing is, I'm assured this won't need luck, it'll be a success ;-)

Thanks for the vote of confidence!

Originally Posted by Neo-Щolf

Wow ! This hack is well organised and everything.
Good luck!

Once again, thankyou!

[mugenhavok]

YAY Awsome its finnaly here!

[DrFuji]

Well, it took a while after coming up with the basic concept of a region shape, but I've finally put mouse to computer and made a basic region of Lowen. And just to give an idea of where you begin, the home town is the one in the top left hand corner with a stretch of land going down south. I know that its not perfect, and I have the feeling that I'm going to be editing it in the future (Possibly drastically, but nothing is set).

The main issue that I can see is that there appear to be too many 'arms' branching out from the centre of the map. This is making it so that there are two or three central towns / cities which you will have to walk through if you want to get from place to the other. It just doesn't seem to have an aspect of linear progression, especially when compared to maps such as Kanto or Hoenn. It just seems to be messy and... off.

If anyone feels like commenting on, feel free to do so.

Note: I only have the first couple of town names set out at this point in time, other flashes of inspiration / bad puns of little significance will come when they come.


In addition, I finally got over a block of scripting that was seriously annoying me. Things weren't going they way they were suppossed to, I got fed up and urrgh... It works now.

[Neo-Wolf]

This is a nice hack.. but why's it not getting enough response?

[shortdan1998]

The hack idea is very organized and such but it may need to have more screenies and such and the actual map should be edited into the original post. I really love how the whole thing is so organized though and good luck!

[DrFuji]

Originally Posted by Neo-Щolf

This is a nice hack.. but why's it not getting enough response?

I have no idea whatsoever...

Originally Posted by shortdan1998

The hack idea is very organized and such but it may need to have more screenies and such and the actual map should be edited into the original post. I really love how the whole thing is so organized though and good luck!

The map was edited into the original post... Its right below the screenshots @_@

As for the screenshots themselves, they're essentially upto where I'm up to. I'm kind of going on a scripting rampage right now and haven't been able to progress mapwise or take shorts of anything too significant.

...Though now that I think about it, I probably should have added a shot of the player getting his first Pokemon... Maybe later.

[DrFuji]

Originally Posted by Neo-Щolf

How did you insert the frames round the Screenies?

I just saved the screenshot to my computer and opened it up in paint, gave it a one/two pixel border and painted the free-space black. Its as simple as that.

[DrFuji]

Originally Posted by Neo-Щolf

Lolz! Me dumb. I forgot that.
Waiting for new screens.

Good to hear not the dumb part but right now I've got about six exams to prepare for. While I'll still be working on this during study breaks and stuff, don't expect anything to drastic for the next one and a half weeks...

After that however... KABLAMO!

[Haku.]

Originally Posted by Neo-Щolf
Lolz! Me dumb. I forgot that.
Waiting for new screens.

Same as Neo-Wolf.Waiting for more screenies

[DrFuji]

Originally Posted by Neo-Щolf

Waiting for new screens.

Originally Posted by xmouvelianz

Same as Neo-Wolf.Waiting for more screenies

Then who am I to refuse? :P

The screenshot on the left is actually from the same cave that used to be in my original screenshots. I decided that this scheme seemed to work much better than 'generic cave' - So I just used the Digglet's Cave tiles. You couldn't see the Rocket in the other shot, but I felt that it would be more intriguing if I included him in this one.

The shot on the right is the character and his (soon to be) rival getting their first Pokemon. It doesn't look like the bog-standard Lab scenario, does it? Where could it be? And who is that darkenned fellow standing to the right of the boys?...

Comment if you wish.

[Pogeygothaxed]

Originally Posted by DrFuji

Then who am I to refuse?

The screenshot on the left is actually from the same cave that used to be in my original screenshots. I decided that this scheme seemed to work much better than 'generic cave' - So I just used the Digglet's Cave tiles. You couldn't see the Rocket in the other shot, but I felt that it would be more intriguing if I included him in this one.

The shot on the right is the character and his (soon to be) rival getting their first Pokemon. It doesn't look like the bog-standard Lab scenario, does it? Where could it be? And who is that darkenned fellow standing to the right of the boys?...

Comment if you wish.

Hey this just keeps getting better, huh? ^^ Keep it up.

[Zetlian2-kinra]

Wow...
the story's amazing.

[DrFuji]

Originally Posted by Pogeygothaxed

Hey this just keeps getting better, huh? ^^ Keep it up.

Hey, thanks for the support. It means alot.

Looking back at that screenshot from the newly renovated cave though, I just realised that there is nothing but exclamation marks from Oak when he should have been trying to be a stealthy ninja >_> (!)

Originally Posted by Zetlian2-kinra

Wow...
the story's amazing.

What I've written up isn't that spectacular, I just added some razzle-dazzle description over an essentially hollow framework. In addition, whats there is only the surface - You haven't seen all that I have stored up in my noggin'.

[Curged]

Nice hack, hope to see this to the end.

[DrFuji]

Originally Posted by Curged

Nice hack, hope to see this to the end.

Thanks!

I hope I can do the same =P

EDIT: Just to re-itterate, I'm currently studying for a brief period of exams this week, so there won't be any progress until next weekend. Sorry to anyone who wants more stuff, but after Friday, I should have a decent three week period of vactioning and doing stuff.

[DrFuji]

Bumppity Bump Bump, Double Post Bump.

Huzzah! Exams are over! Now I can back to doing god-knows-what with my hack.

Over the past week I've been having thoughts about the first Gym in the game. Previously I had decided that it was going to be Normal-type based but I'm begining to have second thoughts about that. I've been pondering about making it an Ice-type gym, but that might be a bit strong for that early in the game and take a really good type from later on. The reason that I've been thinking about an Ice-type Gym is because its not to far away from Shiver Cavern (which you can probably imagine as being a cold place - its even in one of the screenshots).

So my question to anyone who is reading this thread is: should I make the first a gym a Normal or Ice based Gym. I'd just like to see the general mood of the people here, but I'll leave my decision a suprise until I actually release the game itself - I'm sure that nobody would mind that.

So, go on, which shall it be?

[DrFuji]

Bumppity Bump Bump, Triple Post Bump.

Over the past week or so I've made some great headway with Shimmering Tempest. I've completed one and a half towns, a route, and redesigned the first floor of Frigid Cavern so that it is now decent and does not require you to gouge out your eyes before viewing. Some scripts need to be polished, but I have most of them done to a state where I am satisfied.

Since nobody replied or elaborated on my post above, I have come to the decision of what type the first Gym shall specialise in, though none but I shall know for the moment. Rest assured that it will be a challenge, especially since I am considering limiting you to only using three or less Pokemon to even begin the match (Good idea? Yes? No? Comment pl0x).

I haven't done anything major enough to warrent screenshots, but more shall come as I push ever deeper into Shimmering Tempest.

[●•ΛΣЯӨЩ•●]

The screenies are very good and so is the plot.

[NiKaNoRoU]

That's a pretty good idea, and some of your features caught my attention.

>>New Movesets / Base Stats for some previously forgettable Pokémon!
I really want details on that =)


>>Areas specifically designed for the swapping of Pokémon – Introducing Trade Houses!
That's even better! Instead of just rupturing your head on "where that Pokemon might be", you might instead have a great variety of pokemon trades! hence the EXP boost.


Moving on, your World Map is also neatly organised.
The plot is a new color, too. Well thought out and suspensive (the Gray colour hurts my eyes a bit, though, eheheh)


>>it will be a challenge, especially since I am considering limiting you to only using three or less Pokemon to even begin the match
By that, do you mean that you must have caught only 3 Pokemon or just have 3 or more empty slots in your party in order to battle?
If I'm guessing the bold part, then it has both Pros and Cons.

Spoiler:

Pros
You use strategy to win, since you are having limitations (except of course if your Pokemon's levels are uber high by the time you challenge the Leader)
Cons
If the Pokemon you choose are type-disadvantage, then you have no hope of winning (except for the reason above, though)

Still, you might as well not have advanced a lot on catching Pokemon by that point, so I personally don't mind.


Finally, concerning the first Gym, it's good that you came to a final decision, but I'll state my opinion nonetheless:

Spoiler:

I always considered BUG type to be the best as a first Gym; it's not too easy, not too difficult, and BUG Pokemon have early evolutions, too (because i'm tired of seeing haxxed evos on first gyms, like 15 lvl Pigeotto etc.)
Again, it is my personal opinion. Don't mind my BUG obssession, though. =P

[DrFuji]

Originally Posted by ●•ΛΣЯӨЩ•●

The screenies are very good and so is the plot.

Thanks for those kind words.

Originally Posted by NiKaNoRoU

>>New Movesets / Base Stats for some previously forgettable Pokémon!
I really want details on that =)

Ohohoh... Thats for me to know (for now), and you to find out ;D

It will mainly concern Pokemon which are seen to be a bit 'flat' in the battling stakes. Things like early Bugs (Caterpie, Weedle etc.) and common Normals (Rattata, Sentret etc.) will be reaping the the benefits of my modulation, while other Pokemon may recieved the odd move change or stat boost/ drop. At the moment I seem to be in the habit of sacrificing a stat for the benefit of the others, e.g. Furret has a beastly attack, but its Special Defence has been reduced to compensate - So most Pokemon will have more defined roles (Special Sweeper, Physical Wall) than being a rounded Pokemon.

>>Areas specifically designed for the swapping of Pokémon – Introducing Trade Houses!

That's even better! Instead of just rupturing your head on "where that Pokemon might be", you might instead have a great variety of pokemon trades! hence the EXP boost.

Indeed. I've always been a fan of Trading, so I thought I might as well make it more prominent while deteriming how future events turn out depending on certain trades made... :3

Moving on, your World Map is also neatly organised.

Thank you.

The plot is a new color, too. Well thought out and suspensive (the Gray colour hurts my eyes a bit, though, eheheh)

Once again, thanks - Sorry about the eye damage, though :S

>>it will be a challenge, especially since I am considering limiting you to only using three or less Pokemon to even begin the match
By that, do you mean that you must have caught only 3 Pokemon or just have 3 or more empty slots in your party in order to battle?
If I'm guessing the bold part, then it has both Pros and Cons.

Yeah, its the bolded part I'm focusing on, but I'm thinking about Implementing the system used by the Battle Frontier (Namely, walking up with as many Pokemon as you want, and choosing three to fight with - If its possible, I've struck gold). The Cons aren't really cons in the long run. If anything it will make a player re-think their team, see how their Pokemon stack up against the cream of the crop and employ strategies to overcome the Leaders.

I always considered BUG type to be the best as a first Gym; it's not too easy, not too difficult, and BUG Pokemon have early evolutions, too (because i'm tired of seeing haxxed evos on first gyms, like 15 lvl Pigeotto etc.)
Again, it is my personal opinion. Don't mind my BUG obssession, though. =P

Bug was a type that was on the shortlist to head the Gym, but it eventually fellout to the current (mysterious) victor. On top of that, I hate those cheating Gym Leaders aswell, You'll never see any of them hanging aroud - Lv9 Pidgeotto my ass!

Thankyou very much, NiKaNoRou, for your attention to the first post and stating your opinions on Shimmering Tempest, I find it to be very sincere and pleasing. I hope you comment in the future as more and more is revealed...


And I forgot to mention in my last post: I shall be instituting a couple of trainers on a number of routes that are stronger than most others at their rank. Egg moves, items and high AI values will not be off limits, so you'd better be prepared for each battle - you'll never know who is a cheater master in disguise!

[●•ΛΣЯӨЩ•●]

Well having High AI values for trainers in the beginning of the Game is not a pretty sight.
But yeah High AI is a good Thought.