Monster Ranch

Always wanted to make a ROM hack. Finally getting geared up to work on one. Doing some reading up and learning the ropes.

Anyways, just gonna throw concepts and such here. Lemme know what you think.


New 'Mons

-Arachnita (Poison/Fairy)
Effect Spore, Cursed Body, Infiltrator

-Sulfyre (Fire/Poison)
Sap Sipper, Flame Body, Storm Drain

-Glamerveil (Water/Fairy)
Pressure, Own Tempo, Clear Body

-Spartaug (Fighting)
Guts, Sand Rush, Scrappy

-Sphecrypt ♂(Ground/Psychic)
Lightning Rod, Sand Force, Spirit Link (Physical Attacks use his Special Attack stat).

-Sphecrypt ♀ (Ground/Dark)
Mold Breaker, Sand Rush, Contrary

-Brawliath (Dragon/Fighting)
Anger Point, Vital Blast*, No Guard

-Dragaeon (Dragon/Fairy) (Alternate Dragonair evolution)
Cloud Nine, Magic Bounce

They're a bit too abstract, for me. If you get what I'm saying?

Arachnita is pretty clear (flower arms, humanoid figure for the torso and head [sorta]), but I have no idea what's happening with Sulfyre. Maybe it's because there's no actual ground, so I can't tell if it's a wave of lava with a tail or if they're two arms dragging it across the ground.

The art itself, however, is brilliant. But yeah, they'd be a little bit hard to convey as sprite images.

These drawings look great, it's just that they don't look very, well, pokemon. The designs are great though, The legs on Arachnita have a great consistency in their design, which makes the drawing look very good.

Sulfyre looks great, I can make out how it's anatomy is supposed to work, but I feel bad for the person that has to put these design into sprites.

MorallyIncorrect said:

Sulfyre looks great, I can make out how it's anatomy is supposed to work, but I feel bad for the person that has to put these design into sprites.

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I think, THINK, that Sulfyre is an unintended mixture of Grimer and Slugma. I THINK.

VeranithasVI said:

I think, THINK, that Sulfyre is an unintended mixture of Grimer and Slugma. I THINK.

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Well, I can definitely see where you're going. A combination of those two is also a really good way to symbolize a Napalm strike. But as this topic is called Monster Ranch, it does look more like a monster then a pokemon.

VeranithasVI said:

They're a bit too abstract, for me. If you get what I'm saying?

Arachnita is pretty clear (flower arms, humanoid figure for the torso and head [sorta]), but I have no idea what's happening with Sulfyre. Maybe it's because there's no actual ground, so I can't tell if it's a wave of lava with a tail or if they're two arms dragging it across the ground.

The art itself, however, is brilliant. But yeah, they'd be a little bit hard to convey as sprite images.

Click to expand...

MorallyIncorrect said:

These drawings look great, it's just that they don't look very, well, pokemon. The designs are great though, The legs on Arachnita have a great consistency in their design, which makes the drawing look very good.

Sulfyre looks great, I can make out how it's anatomy is supposed to work, but I feel bad for the person that has to put these design into sprites.

Click to expand...

MorallyIncorrect said:

Well, I can definitely see where you're going. A combination of those two is also a really good way to symbolize a Napalm strike. But as this topic is called Monster Ranch, it does look more like a monster then a pokemon.

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Yeah, I kinda figured that that'd be the problem; getting that right Pokémon feel. It's a fine note, yet incredibly vague all the same.

After all, what defines a Pokémon as a "proper" Pokémon is highly subjective. Many thought of the Gen 3 and 4 legendaries looking far too much like Digimon, or cold and robotic.

Many of the Gen 4 evolutions (Rypherior, Magnezone, Tangrowth, etc) and Vanilluxe and Klang got lots of flak, too.

I think the main issue with these two is the lack of facial features. But I don't think they'd have the same impact if they did. Doesn't worry me too much, actually- since it kinda fits the overall feel that I'm going for in the hack- less kiddy. A little more complex and involved.

Something that would speak on the same level as those who have been with the series for some time.


As for Sulfyre, it's mainly a fiery slug with two arms.

And I'll be doing the sprites as well. But that won't be for awhiles, yet.


Thanks for the feedback, though. 'Preciated.

Don't forget that you actually need three pieces to open a gallery. :) I'll leave this open for you since closing it would be silly, but remember to add one more!

(Because I'm sure we'd love to see some of your other concept sketches.)

Otherwise, honestly, the art is very well done! As an observer, I find that what defines a good Pokemon or a good Fakemon is mainly how close it emulates Sugimori's own, unique style; lending faux-credibility to what is an already successful piece from an already accomplished artist. It hinges on how the audience can relate to that feeling of seeing a Pokemon and evoking that same nostalgia/response rather than actual artistic technique (not to say technique isn't required, but you're trying to appeal to some picky customers when talking about pokemon lol) you know? I wouldn't worry so much about the "believability" of a fakemon so much as what it meant to illustrate it in general. While that "Sugimori" style is something I praise in artists, it certainly isn't the only thing!

Sulfyre is awesome! It reminds me of those flying water rays from the Legend of Zelda combined with a Slugma, haha.

Fairy said:

Don't forget that you actually need three pieces to open a gallery. :) I'll leave this open for you since closing it would be silly, but remember to add one more!

(Because I'm sure we'd love to see some of your other concept sketches.)

Otherwise, honestly, the art is very well done! As an observer, I find that what defines a good Pokemon or a good Fakemon is mainly how close it emulates Sugimori's own, unique style; lending faux-credibility to what is an already successful piece from an already accomplished artist. It hinges on how the audience can relate to that feeling of seeing a Pokemon and evoking that same nostalgia/response rather than actual artistic technique (not to say technique isn't required, but you're trying to appeal to some picky customers when talking about pokemon lol) you know? I wouldn't worry so much about the "believability" of a fakemon so much as what it meant to illustrate it in general. While that "Sugimori" style is something I praise in artists, it certainly isn't the only thing!

Sulfyre is awesome! It reminds me of those flying water rays from the Legend of Zelda combined with a Slugma, haha.

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Ah, thanks for the heads-up about the number limit. I'll be posting more this week, anyways.

And yeah- there is that definite Sugimori factor- but he, like all artists, has tweaked and developed his style over time; one simply has to look at the artwork now, as compared to the Gen 1 stuff.

What I try to do is see if I can picture my designs in the Pokémon world- both games and anime. If I can picture a scene in which they don't look too out of place, I'll settle for that- otherwise, I'll keep reworking the design.

Arachnita in particular has tonnes of preliminary stuff. The Drider idea only came to me rather late in the process, and just kinda clicked. That's really what took it from "Amoongus/Breloom knock-off" to something distinctive as its own entity.


Glad to see that people seem to like Sulfyre. I had the idea for him brimming around for some years, now.

Two new 'Mons added to roster; a sea Nymph and a wild boar.

-Glamerveil (Water/Fairy)
Pressure, Own Tempo, Clear Body

-Spartaug (Fighting)
Guts, Sand Rush, Scrappy


I might make future posts containing the stats and preliminary movesets, at risk of segueing into ROM Hack discussion, just to get some opinions on whether they might be overpowered and whatnot.


EDIT: Lookin' at Spartaug, I just realised that I essentially welded Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and Donphan together.

Hunh.

Glamerveil is so ethereal. I love the execution and design of the Victorian dress and glowing scales.

Archnita is so sinister, an a bit ethereal as well.

I really do love the concepts and the take from historical and mythical inspirations.

Do you plan to make a game, and therefore sprites? If so, these designs are great, but too complex for pixel art, unless you make some alterations.

The Dark Avenger said:

Glamerveil is so ethereal. I love the execution and design of the Victorian dress and glowing scales.

Archnita is so sinister, an a bit ethereal as well.

I really do love the concepts and the take from historical and mythical inspirations.

Do you plan to make a game, and therefore sprites? If so, these designs are great, but too complex for pixel art, unless you make some alterations.

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Thank you.

Yeah, as is evident, I'm taking Fairies in a drastically different direction from the current ones. More otherworldly and mysterious, rather than the- frankly patronising- ones such as Slurpuff and Spritzee.

And, yeah- I'm in the very early stages of working on a game.

Given that it's a hack, it'll be played on computers, which have a much higher graphical capacity than handheld systems.

So while they will be converted to sprites, they can afford to be higher resolution, and thus, allow for more detail.

The main series itself has reflected this in their own designs. Compare Gen 1 to Gen 4.

PumpJack said:

Thank you.


Given that it's a hack, it'll be played on computers, which have a much higher graphical capacity than handheld systems.

So while they will be converted to sprites, they can afford to be higher resolution, and thus, allow for more detail.

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Do Hacks have that though? Hacks are still playable on a handheld system, I think your thinking of a just a fangame, difference being that a hack is a modification of the real games.

The designs look great! I really like them as monsters. Again, they don't really have a pokémon look to them. The designs are too complicated. In my honest opinion, these designs would be really good for an JRPG kind of game, with a little more detail, an adulter feel. I just feel like they would clash with existing pokemon, the overall tilesets and such.

MorallyIncorrect said:

Do Hacks have that though? Hacks are still playable on a handheld system, I think your thinking of a just a fangame, difference being that a hack is a modification of the real games.

The designs look great! I really like them as monsters. Again, they don't really have a pokémon look to them. The designs are too complicated. In my honest opinion, these designs would be really good for an JRPG kind of game, with a little more detail, an adulter feel. I just feel like they would clash with existing pokemon, the overall tilesets and such.

Click to expand...

Gonna try. I think I've got some way to alter it.

And yeah, the designs are more complex, but I don't think they're necessarily more so than some existing 'mons.

A large part of why the earlier gens had simpler designs was neccesssity- the hardware simply couldn't handle much. But later gens show a notable increase in detail and additional elements; take a look at practically any Legendary from Gen 3 onwards. Even Ho-oh from Gen 2 is rather detailed. Plenty of the regular 'mons have a lot going on in their designs as well; Aggron, Tyranitar, Armaldo, Claydol, Drapion, Rypherior- pretty much all the Megas.

And yeah- most of these are more adult. All of my Fairies are gonna be, anyway- help balance out the ones explicitly designed for children.

This hack is gonna acknowledge the fact that a huge part of the fanbase are adults. Starting with a single player story that's actually worth paying attention to rather than repeatedly mashing the A button just to get on with it.

You mentioned JRPG. Well- yeah- I'm kinda steering this game towards one in overall feel. The Pokémon universe has such a rich world now, full of mythos and lore- this game aims towards exploring it. As far as scope goes- beating the Elite Four and Champ only gets you about halfway to what I have planned.

Thanks again, though- I really appreciate the input.

I found, in my spriting work, that pokemon usually have very defining faces, and rounder details. As I said, I think your designs would work just fine, just don't put them next to real pokémon. I way I check if my design would fit in the pokemon world is if they would fit in pokémon Amie.
I really love your designs, they're amazing, just wanted to end on that note, because I don't want to make you think I dislike them.

Two more.

-Sphecrypt ♂(Ground/Psychic)
Lightning Rod, Sand Force, Spirit Link (Physical Attacks use his Special Attack stat).


-Sphecrypt ♀ (Ground/Dark)
Mold Breaker, Sand Rush, Contrary


The female looks maybe a little too much like the real thing. Think it might be the face- I started off with a Yamask sorta deal, but I think there's perhaps a little too much definition around the eyes.

I love those designs! They're really imaginative and original!
I'm a little conflicted on the male female split, as the maybe look at to different, but I also really kinda dig it, 'cause they look like they belong together. What I'm saying is, I ship it.

I'm absolutely in love with Spartaug. I think that the design is beautiful and it just looks so... Clean. Definitely a Pokemon/Monster I'd be looking to catch in a game!

MorallyIncorrect said:

I love those designs! They're really imaginative and original!
I'm a little conflicted on the male female split, as the maybe look at to different, but I also really kinda dig it, 'cause they look like they belong together. What I'm saying is, I ship it.

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VeranithasVI said:

I'm absolutely in love with Spartaug. I think that the design is beautiful and it just looks so... Clean. Definitely a Pokemon/Monster I'd be looking to catch in a game!

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Thanks again for the feedback, guys. I'm glad you like 'em.

And two more 'Mons. Also- the first versions of my League. The characters were created long ago (I first got the idea for this back around Gen 3), but got around to doodling them about two years ago- hence why they have some Gen 5 'Mons in their teams. They have since been retconned and switched around a bit. I'll have more of them later.

-Brawliath (Dragon/Fighting)
Anger Point, Vital Blast*, No Guard

-Dragaeon (Dragon/Fairy) (Alternate Dragonair evolution)
Cloud Nine, Magic Bounce

Coming up with a name for Dragaeon was surprisingly difficult, in terms of keeping with the Dratini family's naming convention. Still not particularly fond of it, but it's really the best I could figure.

Gym Leaders

Elite Four

Oh wow. Your character designs are so cool. They're so distinct and so completely of your own style that they come across with so much personality! I especially like Adam, Saydrilene (?), and Sane. They're all put together so well, and I find there's real cohesion between the designs. I like that a lot!

I also love love love your Dragaeon (though, that sounds like an awesome name for a Dragon type Eevee evolution!). The fakemon itself reminds me a lot of the Slowpoke line, how it's second evolution can further evolve into Slowking, but also diverge into its own mega. The design though, that's was really catches me. It's so pretty and so beautiful and I'd really like to know how Dragonair would evolve into this Pokemon. Through an evolution stone? Through happiness and affection? Please tell!

I'm so glad you decided to keep posting more of your art here. It's all so exciting!