Pokemon Sogen [GOLD HACK]

SubstituteCreature · Jan 14, 2016

Pokemon Faded Memory (Working Title Pokemon Sogen. Suggestions Welcome!)

[Background]
Faded Memory is an extensive pokeCrystal Hack I'm working on at the moment. It incorporates a brand new story, region, characters, and Fakemon into the game, adding complex themes of loss, consequence, and the confrontation of the past. This hack will be an amalgamation of my entire history as a Pokefanatic, essentially 20 years worth of inspiration coming together into one project.

In this thread, I will elaborate on the details I've planned out for the game, making it hub for any relevant progress and ideas. I will post new threads on some of the larger subcategories and link to them from here if necessary.

[Features]
- Original, complex story
- Character driven
- 176+ original Fakemon inspired by Generations 1 and 2
- New moves
- New evolution methods
- New region
- New Gym Leaders and Elite 4
- Secret Pokemon (much like the rumored PokeGods from Gen 1)

[Progress]
- Main story draft and NPC dialogue in progress
- 176+ Pokemon sprited with completed Dex Entries, Learnsets, Base Stats
- 100% Front sprites complete
- Gym and Elite 4 dialogue drafted
- Town overworld maps drafted

[Need Help With]
- Map Connection
- Level Design
- Dialogue writing
- Custom Tilesets
- General pokeCrystal disassembly scripting (for narrative, new evolutions, and new moves)
- New evolution methods such as low Happiness, using max revive, and defeating a certain Pokemon.
- Base stat balancing
- Another spriter for backsprites
- Old Sugimori style official art

[Characters]

Spoiler:

[Region]

Sogen is a lush region teeming with life. From blooming fields to sprawling forests, from frigid mountains to a sun-kissed coast - with so much vitality, it's no wonder that the people name their settlements after something like flowers. Aside from its geography, Sogen is also filled with history. In contrast to the towering skyscrapers of the metropolis, Sogen's pagodas, temples, and ancient Pokemon burial sites are a testament to days long gone. Sogen, in all of its mystery and splendor, in all of its beauty (and perhaps even danger)
awaits you.

Major Towns and Cities

Spoiler:

Routes

Spoiler:

[Gyms]

Spoiler:

[Pokedex]

(100/163)

Spoiler:

[Contributors]

Scripting Advice: _Crystal, Coolboyman
Sprite Cleanup: Solo993
Fakemon redesigns: IceyPinkLemons,
Route Design (NEW!): jummbl (Payton) from DeviantArt

SubstituteCreature · Jan 15, 2016

Title + Opening Act Feedback

Pokemon Sogen
While I'm focusing on the map editing aspect of my ROM Hack at the moment, I'd like to first of all come up with a better name for it, one that captures the themes of loss, facing the past, life, death, and resurrection.

Secondly, I'd also like feedback on the early NPC dialogue. At the moment it seems pretty lengthy, and I don't want to lose the player's interest this early on.

TITLES
Please leave some more suggestions down below!
Pokemon: Eternia
Pokemon: Memoria
Pokemon: Fade Version
Pokemon: Wake Version
Pokemon: Second Birth
Pokemon: Forgotten Past
Pokemon: Remembrance
Pokemon: Faded Memories

SCRIPT
[00 - Title Screen]

Spoiler:

[01 - Introduction]

Spoiler:

[02 - A Vision of the Past pt. 1]

Spoiler:

[03 - Our Hero Awakens]

Spoiler:

[04 - Meet Morta]

Spoiler:

[05 - Introductions All Around]

Spoiler:

[06 - Rival Battle]

Spoiler:

[07 - Stranger Danger]

Spoiler:

[08 - Professor's Proposition]

Spoiler:

[09 - Parting, Such Sweet Sorrow]

Spoiler:

[10 - And They're Off!]

Spoiler:

Le pug · Jan 16, 2016

My question is ... why hack GS when you could work on FR or EM, which are more popular, easier to work with, have more features, and look and sound better?

SubstituteCreature · Jan 16, 2016

Le pug said:
My question is ... why hack GS when you could work on FR or EM, which are more popular, easier to work with, have more features, and look and sound better?

Those reasons aren't why I'm making this hack, unfortunately. Aside from the field being very oversaturated with these titles, I'm simply making this a Gen 2 hack because those are the games that had the most impact on me as a fan. I've also invested a lot of time under the assumption that this will be based on Gold version already, so that's one thing that I'm for sure sticking with. Did you have any suggestions regarding my original post?

Le pug · Jan 16, 2016

SubstituteCreature said:
Those reasons aren't why I'm making this hack, unfortunately. Aside from the field being very oversaturated with these titles, I'm simply making this a Gen 2 hack because those are the games that had the most impact on me as a fan. I've also invested a lot of time under the assumption that this will be based on Gold version already, so that's one thing that I'm for sure sticking with. Did you have any suggestions regarding my original post?

The story seems great so far, I have no complaints about the text. Doesn't seem too long to me. You said you're going to have it more mature ... so would you implement things like later in the story, Brick finds out that his parents were robbed and you go home and maybe they aren't there and everything is messy and items stolen? Idk lol just an example. I'm trying to figure out what your story is about ... I get it's about the guy going on an adventure to see all the fakemon after having his vietnam flashbacks but like ... what's the story about? It'll help me understand what you're trying to get at and if you want a title for your hack, you should wait until you've got the major story milestones mapped out, which I imagine you do. I can't personally help you with the title until then so I'd say you should choose your own title. For my hacks, one of them you get shipwrecked on an island and before that, pokemon didn't exist ... so I named it Pokemon: Discovery. For the other, it's a comedic hack about you playing the fat kid that loves technology from every starter region in the pokemon games ... so I named it Pokemon: Fat Kid. You just need to take a big plot point and name it after that, I'd recommend. Good job so far

SubstituteCreature · Jan 16, 2016

Le pug said:
The story seems great so far, I have no complaints about the text. Doesn't seem too long to me. You said you're going to have it more mature ... so would you implement things like later in the story, Brick finds out that his parents were robbed and you go home and maybe they aren't there and everything is messy and items stolen? Idk lol just an example. I'm trying to figure out what your story is about ... I get it's about the guy going on an adventure to see all the fakemon after having his vietnam flashbacks but like ... what's the story about? It'll help me understand what you're trying to get at and if you want a title for your hack, you should wait until you've got the major story milestones mapped out, which I imagine you do. I can't personally help you with the title until then so I'd say you should choose your own title. For my hacks, one of them you get shipwrecked on an island and before that, pokemon didn't exist ... so I named it Pokemon: Discovery. For the other, it's a comedic hack about you playing the fat kid that loves technology from every starter region in the pokemon games ... so I named it Pokemon: Fat Kid. You just need to take a big plot point and name it after that, I'd recommend. Good job so far

Noted, and thanks! The later stuff is indeed outlined, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to spoil too much up front. (the spoiler tags I put don't actually contain spoilers....yet). Hopefully this is enough to go on.

Spoiler:

SubstituteCreature · Feb 1, 2016

Since my last update I've added about 30 more Pokemon to my Fakedex. I've also reformatted and reorded it to include names and types. Individual dex entries can be found in the link included in the original post.

Spoiler:

If there are any improvements you think can be made (type changes, sprite cleanup, color changes, etc.), please leave a suggestion!

eternaforest · Mar 13, 2016

This looks pretty good so far, im loving the designs of the starter fakemon :)
How did you go about getting the fakemon into the games? I'm trying to do a similar thing where all i want to be able to do is replace the starters with different sprites and change their names

SubstituteCreature · Mar 14, 2016

eternaforest said:
This looks pretty good so far, im loving the designs of the starter fakemon :)
How did you go about getting the fakemon into the games? I'm trying to do a similar thing where all i want to be able to do is replace the starters with different sprites and change their names

Thanks! I'm a little over 50% of front sprites right now so I should really do an update.

For inserting sprites, the tool I use is called AGIXP (it's free!). Here is a tutorial I used as reference here. Constraints:
- There may be some compatibility issues with your machine, in which case you'd look at this fix.
- You have to make sure that your sprite is the same size as the one you're replacing (assuming you don't touch the code).
- Standard sprite sizes are 40x40, 48x48, and 56x56 pixels.
- There are only 4 allowed colors per sprite: Black, GB/GBC's default "White" background, and two other colors of your choosing. The colors may not always be compatible with the game so I'd suggest sampling colors from existing sprites for the time being, otherwise AGIXP will try to do an approximation.

To change Pokemon data associated with the starters, you'll need to do some Hex Editing (which there are in-depth tutorials elsewhere). Here are some useful offsets once you got the basics down:
-Description of starter when you look at their Pokeballs: 1803f8-181556
-Starter Choices:
Starter 1 Choice 1800F6
Starter 2 Choice 180138
Starter 3 Choice 180174
-All Pokemon Names: 1b0b73
-All Pokedex Entries: 1A0006
-Basic Info (type, stats, default sprite size, etc.): 051B0C

I hope this is enough to start off on. Good luck on your hack!

SubstituteCreature · Mar 23, 2016

Update: I've recently passed the 100 mark for my Fakedex, which has been readded to the original post. Yay! As for the HACK name, I really haven't gotten many suggestions, so be sure to leave some replies. This page has a poll too on some names.

As far as design goes, I've also brought on a new collaborator, jummbl, from DeviantArt who will be helping me out with Route Design.

junding · Jun 4, 2016

It looks good I want to play!

When will be available for download?

8_BIT_SUPERSAIYAN · Sep 18, 2016

I love the idea for this! It's cool to have a fakemon hack that isn't gen 3, like most are.

SubstituteCreature · Sep 23, 2016

UPDATE:
Fakedex
After a few months hiatus from any kind of development, I think its long overdue that I give you guys some form of update! The majority of the time has been spent completing the Fakedex by churning out more sprites, tinkering with stats, and rewriting dialogue/story. For now, all non-legendary Fakemon have been sprited. Take a look!

Spoiler:

Development will resume shortly. I've also been made aware of Crystal Disassembly so I'll look into it. Very soon I'll start recruiting more people to help out with the project for the following roles:
- Scripting
- Story Editor
- Map/route design
- A back-up spriter for...back sprites? Fine tuning

If you're interested in getting in on this, message me what role you want along with a sample of your work and the name you want to be credited under. Til then, smell ya later ;0

bynine · Sep 24, 2016

holy heck, i really REALLY like your Fakemon! they're very stylish and charming; they do a great job looking like gen II sprites, but i can see your own unique art style in them too. great work!

some of my favorites are the hocus/pocus/presto line, the doom stone line, and cirious (baby parliament member!)

SubstituteCreature · Sep 24, 2016

bynine said:
holy heck, i really REALLY like your Fakemon! they're very stylish and charming; they do a great job looking like gen II sprites, but i can see your own unique art style in them too. great work!

some of my favorites are the hocus/pocus/presto line, the doom stone line, and cirious (baby parliament member!)

Thank you so much!

Ziko577 · Jul 2, 2017

How's this hack going? I'm actually impressed by this.

Symo · Jul 2, 2017

This looks very good. Good luck with your hack!

SubstituteCreature · Jul 3, 2017

Symo said:
This looks very good. Good luck with your hack!

Thank you!

Ziko577 said:
How's this hack going? I'm actually impressed by this.

I'm taking a break from it right now to work on the narrative (main events, dialogue, etc.)
So far I've made the most progress with the Fakedex, with only backsprites left to do.

Ziko577 · Jul 3, 2017

That's great. Will you release something playable soon?

Thrbbking123 · Jan 29, 2018

Man can't wait to see this hack completed it looks so good

Pokemon Sogen [GOLD HACK]

What should this hack be renamed to?

Pokemon: Faded Memories

Pokemon: Eternal Soul

Pokemon: Regeneration

Pokemon: Second Birth

Pokemon: Perpetuum

Pokemon: Aerturnum

Fakemon Novice

Fakemon Novice

Creator of Pokémon: Discovery / Fat Kid

Fakemon Novice

Creator of Pokémon: Discovery / Fat Kid

Fakemon Novice

Fakemon Novice

Fakemon Novice

Fakemon Novice

The world ends with you.

Fakemon Novice

Fakemon Novice

Fakemon Novice