Game Ending With Elite Four

[AustinWolff]

Hi, I would like to know everyone's opinion on pokemon games ending with the elite four/champion fights. In the past, some ended with you defeating the bad guys (coliseum/XD/B/W). But, wouldn't people like the game to end a different way?


And by ending, I mean making the credits role for the first time. Of course, a pokemon game never truly ends, so this forum is to post on how YOU would like the main storyline to end. Whether its a Rival Fight or something else, feel free to post anything related to the topic

[Starchomp]

Pokemon games don't really end when you beat the elite four, Game Freak usually adds a little post-game after you defeat the elite four.

[Darthatron]

Depends on what the main plot is. If the main idea of the same is to become the best trainer, then it should be to defeat the current Champion. But if it's to save the world, it should be the player saving the world. And if it's to catch 'em all, it should end when you've caught them all.

[Tropical Sunlight]

The hack maker should not bother doing anything after the E4 until the storyline has been completed up to there. But there can always be a super-strong character in the game (e.g. Red, Steven,...) that you defeat. And a short post-E4 storyline is always nice

[dragon456]

I think games are pretty fine as it is now. No additions/subtractions should be made from the ending, IMO.

[The 100 Mega Shock]

As said before, you should write the games' climax to fit with which part of the narrative is the strongest element.

While Black and White versions weave the two parts together, your League Challenge comes to a halt when the more important issue of stopping Team Plasma from fulfilling their goals. This is a much better way of writing a situation like this compared to the original plot of Red and Blue, or a more recent example in Platinum - where Cynthia literally walks up to the player after defeating Cyrus to tell them to get the rest of their Gym Badges with little fanfare.

If you're emphasising the goal of becoming Pokémon Champion, wrap up the major loose ends with other parts of the game before the player ends up at the Pokémon League. If you want to emphasise a fight against a team of antagonists, write the game as such the final confrontation is not revealed until the player has bested the League and built that up as the stories' climax - although it can be argued that a better standard of writing is to tie all parts of the games' story together instead of keeping them as separate plotlines that don't mix.

[HackDeoxys]

The game never really ends after you beat the Elite Four + Champion. Am I the only one who remembers stuff like Fight Area, Sevii Islands, Battle Frontier...etc?

[Tcoppy]

Originally Posted by HackDeoxys

The game never really ends after you beat the Elite Four + Champion. Am I the only one who remembers stuff like Fight Area, Sevii Islands, Battle Frontier...etc?

To be honest, most people, thinking it was the end, as soon as they became champion, left the game forever, not careing for any post-game events.

I think a Pokemon game ending should have the player capture or fight the head legendary pokemon or something in that matter, like how FR/LG ended as a whole. Finished the Sevii Isles, got the birds, got a # amount of pokemon then fight the final boss, in that case, Mewtwo.

[AustinWolff]

I updated my post to be more clear

[Truality]

My taste, personally, is to end the plot at the Elite four and only add certain bonuses (the so-called unlockables) or small stuff to do around the region after it. Games like pokemon (even as a hack) shouldn't drag you for too long-with their plot, not talking about pokedex completion.

Then again, that is only how I see it.

[Ray Maverick]

No, I'd definitely not like the game if it just ended with the E4 or w/ the final battle between the player and the bad guys. It just has to have some more content, preferably not battling/training your Pokemon.

[droomph]

You need to think like an actual screenwriter/designer in these situations, since you can do anything to your own property in Amurrica (and Europe and most of other places if you live there). You be creative, and it's going to be fine, trust me. Just end the game after the most intense part has passed for a couple of minutes, and you'll be fine (as to not leave cliffhangers). It's called "pacing".

Also, something to note is that the cinematics engine of Pokémon IS actually the game itself (and vice-versa if you wish) There are many ways to end these stories, the least being an example from BW.

PS Watch the internet show "Extra Credits", and you'll find lots of good ways to start and end thine wonderful hacke.

[The 100 Mega Shock]

An interesting topic is to look at why so many people expect these rudimentary post-game things, when they're often such an accessory to the real content of the game and serve to take development time away from the main storyline?

Is it because Pokémon ends on such a open note with very little changing in the status quo? 'Just because' the real games have always done it (Even if that's as little as unlocking a new dungeon)?

[aviranzerioniac]

The end should be something suitable to the main theme of the game. Personally, it'd be the ellite four and the champion if the theme is to be the greatest trainer, or maybe world championships XD.
For other themes, it'd be something situational. A side quest or side storyline after the main theme that just would brighten the main storyline is even a good thing to have in a game.

[DrFuji]

I've rarely seen seen any major post-story quest in a Pokemon game that couldn't be completed within the actual main storyline itself. Dragging out the player's adventure beyond becoming the most powerful trainer in the region just makes me think that the hack creator was unable to think through their story's pacing beforehand. I'm not saying that new areas or people can't be accessed after the Elite 4 (I encourage that), but by that point in the game I find it hard to justify that any more story-related events should take place.

Think about it, by the time you had beaten the E4 in FR/LG Team Rocket had decayed into virtually nothing, there was no fire or drive to keep you interested in completing the post-game story and only led to them going out with a whimper. B/W on the other hand, they tied up their main story nicely by dealing with Team Plasma and N at the Pokemon League with a huge crescendo and then let the player explore the end-game content to their heart's content with no mandatory post-E4 storyline meddling.

[Fireworks]

If it's a game with a significant amount of plot, then the ending would be better if it was based around that plot. However, if you're going for the standard "beat Gym Leaders, get money badges", then an Elite Four ending would be better. What I'd like to see, personally, is fr both to be combined. Like the evil team have taken control of the Pokémon League, so instead of battling the Elite Four, you battle admins and then the boss from Team Whatever.

[alancer]

I like the concept of a tournament, the elite four is classic of course, but the games have clearly shown capable of putting on a "tournament."

[GoGoShinyDunsparce]

I can't tell if this is just my nostalgia talking, but I wouldn't be altogether comfortable with the credits rolling before the E4 Champion is beaten (unless the E4 is literally a sidequest in a particular hack). Afterwards, I don't mind if the story continues for a bit, especially if the E4 become higher leveled by the end of it and they change their Pokemon around a bit.

Speaking of intertwining the Villains and the Pokemon League, how about if the Team leadership and the Gym Leaders/E4 were in direct opposition to each other, and by beating the Champion you'd be playing right into the villains' hands? I'm planning that for my hack, to some extent at least.

[Outkin]

It depends for me.....for the offical games, I expect the 8 gyms E4 and some evil plot, in any order. In a hacked game....you can go with that too, but I also like seeing the hacker's creative side shine through with a fresh plot/ending.

[SwiftSign]

Personally I don't like hacks driven by getting all the badges and beating the league, as I could just play a normal FR Rom for that, so I would rather a hack is driven by the plot and the game ends after solving the mystery/beating the bad guy/saving the world.

[Moridin]

It's important to remember that the credits, for many people, are the 'end' of the game. Therefore, you shouldn't put credits after the League if the rest of the plot isn't finished (and vice versa). What I'd recommend is making the completion of the League and the rest of the major events necessary for a final 'ending' section of the game-a final arc, basically. After that is over, run the credits.

This can be the final confrontation with the villain, a rival battle, gaining access to a Legendary (like Mewtwo in R/B) or Final Boss Trainer (Red in S/G), plot conclusion scene, or anything else you want. What's most important is that the credits don't roll until all major parts of the game are finished. Anything else, and you risk having players leave after the credits without finishing the other parts of the game.

Of course, it's fine to have things unlock after the game is over (Make sure you clue the player in somehow. This can be a post-credits cutscene or simple message appearing on screen.). It's also fine to leave side quests unfinished. Just don't let them miss the key components.

[Ss4gogeta0]

I prefer the game ending in the style of G/S/C... where the Elite Four isnt the last obstical you must overcome... because it just seems so anti climatic to end after you beat a handful of strong people after just finally leveling up your pokemon...

[TheAgentBrandon]

In normal Pokemon games I prefer the game to end with the Elite Four. In rom hacks it depends on whether or not the objective is for the trainer to become the champion of the Pokemon League!

[Black Temple Gaurdian]

Personally I'd like to see (and am going to try and create) a game where the story arc ends before you beat the E4, and then another major story arc starts upon becoming the "champion". (In my case it's going to be a powerful secret organisation whom you reject... etc.)

[Adamina]

It depends on what the main focus of the plot has been. If it was the gym battles, then defeating the Champion, and/or perhaps going off to find them in another place to fight them (again), a la Red in G/S/C, I think is a good ending. If the game has a different plot and the gyms are just there because it is too bothersome to remove them or they are more like a sidequest to be done, then the ending of the game should be at the end of the plot line, with or without cliffhangers depending on personal choice.