• Our software update is now concluded. You will need to reset your password to log in. In order to do this, you will have to click "Log in" in the top right corner and then "Forgot your password?".
  • Welcome to PokéCommunity! Register now and join one of the best fan communities on the 'net to talk Pokémon and more! We are not affiliated with The Pokémon Company or Nintendo.

Crystal hack: Pokemon: Cubic Crystal (first hack, complete and playtested)

  • 20
    Posts
    4
    Years
    • Seen Apr 3, 2024
    Hi y'all!

    My weird hobby since college has been making spreadsheets detailing conceptual games, getting into the real nitty gritty of stats and theoretical balance. I have no programming experience, so I was content with what was essentially game design fanfic, but I realized in early 2023 that with enough patience I could probably figure out how to convert these ideas into an actual mod!

    While this began as a relatively vanilla improvement, early into the process I became aware of Pokemon Crystal Legacy, a mod with the same mission and many of the same concepts I'd thought developed. Keeping the original type-based Physical/Special system but swapping Ghost and Dark? Expanding Gym Leaders' type coverage? Giving Red a Mewtwo and letting you catch Mewtwo afterwards? Well rats, another guy beat me to the punch with the same ideas, making the same kind of game. By this point I'd already started expanding on my core concept, but Legacy inspired me to expand even further; no point in keeping my original scope when someone else was already laser focused on doing that!

    POKEMON: CUBIC CRYSTAL is a remix of Crystal that's recognizable but distinct, a sort of "what if Crystal's story was as different from Gold/Silver as future same-gen sequels?" approach. The gym leaders have a greater role in your adventure, the order of events and map progression is slightly altered, and sideplots like the Rocket, Suicune, and Ruins of Alph bits are more tightly woven into the main story (don't worry, the Radio Tower Takeover is actually streamlined!). Kanto is expanded as well, with a sidequest that sees you hunting for the Legendary Birds and further integration of gym leaders to the plot.
    Quality of Life upgrades abound, from a move relearner in Violet City to the ability for mons to use HM moves in the field without wasting move slots on them. TMs remain single-use, but all of them can be repurchased at various points in the game; this makes the initial choice important, but doesn't limit teambuilding forever. The level curve is improved for both trainers and wild mons, berries and apricorns are dropped two at a time, Kurt works instantly, Morning-only Pokemon appear in Daytime as well to avoid inconvenience, it's all generally smoothed out.

    Pokemon have been adjusted to generally create a baseline of 400 BST at the weakest for fully evolved mons, 450 for early game weakmons, and 500 BST as the standard. Typings have been adjusted for more diversity, and movesets as well as moves themselves have been greatly improved. Trainers have better teams, including my favorite idea: a rival that steals *both* of Elm's other starters instead of doing all that work breaking into the lab and only nabbing one.

    Remember how this all started with me loving to make spreadsheets? Documentation is what I live for, so every major change to mons, locations, moves, and major battles have been catalogued in an easy-to-navigate spreadsheet.

    While Cubic Crystal has been playtested, I'm sure there are issues that have gone unnoticed. If anyone plays it and notices something off, whether a glitch, a typo, or just general feedback on taste, let me know! This is very much a first project, but I only wanted to publish it as a polished, complete game, so I'm happy to learn even more through strangers playing through it.

    Enjoy!

    [PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Cubic Crystal (first hack, complete and playtested)[PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Cubic Crystal (first hack, complete and playtested)[PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Cubic Crystal (first hack, complete and playtested)[PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Cubic Crystal (first hack, complete and playtested)[PokeCommunity.com] Pokemon: Cubic Crystal (first hack, complete and playtested)

    FEATURES:

    Spoiler:

    CREDITS:

    Spoiler:
     
    Last edited:
    I love the fact that you've decided to put in effort to improve or add kore variety to the main storyline of Crystal. I thought I'd ask, is the instant text feature present in the game, cause the base fast text is actually quite slow
     
    I love the fact that you've decided to put in effort to improve or add kore variety to the main storyline of Crystal. I thought I'd ask, is the instant text feature present in the game, cause the base fast text is actually quite slow
    Thank you! I haven't implemented instant text, but am looking at tutorials and will see what I can do!
     
    Yass! Please let us know if you do implement the feature! It would save so much time for those who've replayed crystal several times.
     
    Great hack. Makes gen 2 feel like a new game without changing the core too much. The badge order is also great. One bug or bad gamedesign? I've encountered is the fight with Karen in Cianwood.
     
    Great hack. Makes gen 2 feel like a new game without changing the core too much. The badge order is also great. One bug or bad gamedesign? I've encountered is the fight with Karen in Cianwood.
    Thanks a ton! What's the bug/bad design with Cianwood Karen, in your view?
     
    Well you can fight her right after arriving there but her team team will be lv 57+ while u just finished ur 4th badge. I ran into her thinking its a normal fight she wiped me and I lost half my money haha
     
    Well you can fight her right after arriving there but her team team will be lv 57+ while u just finished ur 4th badge. I ran into her thinking its a normal fight she wiped me and I lost half my money haha
    Yeah she's intended to be a major power spike to demonstrate how scary the Elite Four are. You almost certainly get crushed, and it makes it all the more satisfying to see her again in her home turf and win.

    I wonder if there's a way to code it so that you don't lose money when you fight her...might look into that! But yeah this game has a lot more Nuggets lying around so odds are you're gonna end up richer than normal regardless.
     
    Unfortunate u.u I am enjoying the hack so far even if I cant grab spinirak until its actually night lmao

    edit; NVM lmao im used to crystal hacks that use G/S's simple clock reset
     
    Been playing through this and enjoying it a lot! Two weird glitches I've run into. Sometimes beaten trainers will turn into a green shaded version of the playable girl sprite. Most notably, I left South of Lavender Town, defeated the three trainers between there and the route that goes left towards Vermillion, fought one trainer on that route, went back through the building to heal in Lavender and the three trainers on the docks route were suddenly green Crystals.

    The other glitch is when leaving the house next to the Pokecenter in Fuchsia City you come out of the Warden's house.

    Edit: Should note, I'm playing 1.0 still.

    Overall really enjoying this! I don't really get the Euscine -> Karen change, her solo Tyranitar fight, or why Clair only has Kingdra, but if my only issues are some small nitpicks you've done good!
     
    Been playing through this and enjoying it a lot! Two weird glitches I've run into. Sometimes beaten trainers will turn into a green shaded version of the playable girl sprite. Most notably, I left South of Lavender Town, defeated the three trainers between there and the route that goes left towards Vermillion, fought one trainer on that route, went back through the building to heal in Lavender and the three trainers on the docks route were suddenly green Crystals.

    The other glitch is when leaving the house next to the Pokecenter in Fuchsia City you come out of the Warden's house.

    Edit: Should note, I'm playing 1.0 still.

    Overall really enjoying this! I don't really get the Euscine -> Karen change, her solo Tyranitar fight, or why Clair only has Kingdra, but if my only issues are some small nitpicks you've done good!
    Thanks! Will look into glitches! I at least know the latter is from removing a building in Fuchsia, thought I'd worked out the kinks but apparently not.

    Did you find Clair too easy? I want her to have one big tough mon as her gimmick, but playtesting at level 55 felt real bad.
     
    Thanks! Will look into glitches! I at least know the latter is from removing a building in Fuchsia, thought I'd worked out the kinks but apparently not.

    Did you find Clair too easy? I want her to have one big tough mon as her gimmick, but playtesting at level 55 felt real bad.
    I don't remember the set up to the other instance of the NPCs turning into a green version of the player sprite, but I was either leaving the Saffron store, or approaching it from the North and the guy outside of it was a green Crystal. Sorry I didn't get any screenshots or footage. I thought you'd swapped some sprites around and didn't think about it til I came back and noticed the sprites were back to normal.

    Naw, the Clair fight is fine for what you're going for, I just don't like the direction you took her team subjectively. It's your vision, it's fine if I don't agree with everything, it's what makes playing through these kinds of hacks worth it!
     
    I love the fact that you've decided to put in effort to improve or add kore variety to the main storyline of Crystal. I thought I'd ask, is the instant text feature present in the game, cause the base fast text is actually quite slow
    Latest version just dropped, complete with instatext! Instead of making Instant Text an option, Slow is the old Medium, Medium is the old fast, and Fast is instant.
    Great hack. Makes gen 2 feel like a new game without changing the core too much. The badge order is also great. One bug or bad gamedesign? I've encountered is the fight with Karen in Cianwood.
    Karen's still there, but I gave her new text when she beats you to assure you that it's okay that you lost. You still lose money, but them's the breaks! And again, you get tons of Nuggets in this game, so you oughtta survive. Thanks for inspiring me to tighten up the scripting here!
    Did you get rid of the clock reset :,(
    Streamlined clock reset has been implemented!
    Been playing through this and enjoying it a lot! Two weird glitches I've run into. Sometimes beaten trainers will turn into a green shaded version of the playable girl sprite. Most notably, I left South of Lavender Town, defeated the three trainers between there and the route that goes left towards Vermillion, fought one trainer on that route, went back through the building to heal in Lavender and the three trainers on the docks route were suddenly green Crystals.
    All issues resolved, but this turned out to be trickiest. Thankfully the pret discord solved it; I was using a modified Outdoor Sprites file to streamline the game and make it easier to add more NPCs in the overworld, but that version messed up Route 12 and was coincidentally fixed a few weeks ago. Everything's all set in Version 1.2 (now live, top post links to it), thanks a ton for the heads up on bugs!
     
    Last edited:
    All issues resolved, but this turned out to be trickiest. Thankfully the pret discord solved it; I was using a modified Outdoor Sprites file to streamline the game and make it easier to add more NPCs in the overworld, but that version messed up Route 12 and was coincidentally fixed a few weeks ago. Everything's all set in Version 1.2 (now live, top post links to it), thanks a ton for the heads up on bugs!
    Glad you were able to find and fix the issues. All I have left is Red to fight, so I probably won't update. Good luck ironing out whatever other kinks are left, had a really good time with the project overall!
     
    Back
    Top