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What do you look for in a Pokémon Hack??

MarineTyler

Gus
28
Posts
8
Years
    • doubtful said:
    First Chapter

    What always buged me in pokemon games is that there is a max amount of 4 skills you can learn!... So what? Whats the problem with that? The problem is that you are forced to delete skills not knowing what skills future lvls will bring. And this kills probably the most strategic aspect of the game for each pokemon.
    Ofc you can claim that one can google and find out which skills each pokemon learns, but this is a broken claim and ill tell you why. First and foremost those games are mainly offline which means in case somebody for some reason doesnt have internet connection he simply CANT know what skills will the future lvls bring.
    If a game is online only then i can justify this claim but its not, its an offline game and having to forget skills without knowing that future skills are is simply a bad game design. It kills the pokemon build aspect.
    But i have a solution to this.
    First of all dont use the generic pokemon menus for skills that everybody does. Because those menus are limited and there isnt enough room for proper skills' descriptions. Instead create a menu where we will be able by using the arrow keys go up and down reading skills in detail.
    Plus add detailed descrpitons for them. For example, the formulas for buffs/debuffs.

    Now the skills themselves.
    1)Let pokemons learn and keep ALL their abilities.
    2)Then introduce skill points. Skill points will be used to upgrade a specific amount of chosen skills (the amount of skill could be 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 etc. Whatever the number of abilities you have decided your pokemons will use in combat). Its a matter of preference and game balance.
    3)How many times a skill can be upgraded is also up to you. You can make it 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 or 7 etc. Again its a matter of YOUR game balance and preference. Just make sure that the upgrades are worth it.
    4)Once a skill has been upgraded cannot be changed. Its permanent. If you regret for your choice then you will have to catch that pokemon again.

    Now ill give you a complete EXAMPLE of this idea and what you need to pay attention too.

    Max number of abilities that can be upgrade: -> 4
    How many times an ability can be upgrade: -> 5
    Max level of pokemons: -> 100
    This means that every 5 levels your pokemons will get one skill point and at lvl 100 they will have 20 skill points. And with these 20 points you will be able to upgrade 4 abilities max.

    ----

    If you combine the skill idea along with the more detailed skills' descrpitons idea you wont even need to create a wiki with pokemons, their upgrades etc.

    Also. Keep in mind this is just an idea, you can take it and change make changes on it, you dont need to make it exactly like this. Just keep in mind that your goal is to provide detailed skills descriptions (like every modern offline game does) and build diversity for the pokemons.


    Second Chapter

    In my first comment on this topic i spoke of detailed pokemons/monsters and their importance but now ill go in a little more depth.

    Monsters/Pokemons with unique stats and quality over quantity
    A game that is ALL about monsters yet monsters themselves have very similar stats and abilities just for balance reasons and this belongs to the past and at the core of it its a lazy game design (just eazy $ ). Lazy designs, lack of monster uniqueness, stats and abilities.

    If you truly love monster raising games then i suggest to evolve:
    1)Add more than 1 passive ability for each creature as long as the ability fits the creature. The amount of passive abilities a creature can have can scale from 1 to 5, 6, 7 (whatever number of abilities you think could fit that creature).
    Also, its very prossible that many monsters could have the same ability, it makes absolute sense (maybe other weaker versions of it and other stronger, or with a minor differences).
    Abilities should make sense and fit the creature!

    2)Add different stats for each creature. Doesnt matter how strong or weak some stats might seem, because those stats along with the passive and active abilities are what going to make each monster feel unique, especially on the highest evolutions. Its a game based on creatures, its all about them so they should be unique.
    Dont think of balance! if you think of balance then you will not create anything special. First create your creatures as unque as possible then go for balance.
    Click to expand...
    I really love everything you shared here especially the idea of an advanced move list system more classic RPG based. I only have 2 questions... What do the rest of you guys think of this? And is it really my place to completely alter the way we have been battling pokemon for the last 20 years? Let me hear what you guys think! But I think this could be the future of not just Pokemon, but creature based RPG's.
     

    doubtful

    22
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • Seen Dec 14, 2016
    I say go for it if u have the time and the knoweldge.

    Btw another feature could be something like Digimon World 3 has, where you have limited amount of points which you spend to train the stats u want for your creature.
    The thing is that DW3 has a more in depth attribute system than pokemon games. So what im trying to say is that it would be good if a monster raising game has more stats but also more complex because then u can take advantage of a system like DW3 has.
    This feature combined with the skill options feature will offer a very very good amount of build diversity for your creatures.
    Note that the number of (lets call them Training Points) TP are totally based on how u want your game to be played and how u want to balance it.
     

    ArkanFaust

    9
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • Seen Mar 9, 2018
    Hello, things I am looking in ROM hacks are

    1) neat story line
    2) gender options for your character
    3) i don't mind the starters but i wish all pokemons from gen 1 - gen 6 is there for team variety (then that game will not make me bored)
    4) RALTS and BELDUM is a must
    5) challenging rematches
    6) bad guys to beat down
    7) a place where i can buy all or almost all TMs and all stones
    8) daycare for EGGS!!
    9) i am enjoying the day and night system
    10) fast pick up for loots

    i know those are nonsense but that what makes a game interesting for my point of view
     
    Zervais

    Zervais

    Island Kahuna
    258
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • I'm curious now. Do you guys prefer a complete pokedex or simply a selection of Pokemon from all Gens?

    What if there were different regions within the game where you can get other Pokemon?

    And what about legendaries? Do you want all of them available?

    Is completing your pokedex really important to you?
     

    ArkanFaust

    9
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • Seen Mar 9, 2018
    Zervais said:
    I'm curious now. Do you guys prefer a complete pokedex or simply a selection of Pokemon from all Gens?

    What if there were different regions within the game where you can get other Pokemon?

    And what about legendaries? Do you want all of them available?

    Is completing your pokedex really important to you?
    Click to expand...

    well if the pokedex is complete you have a huge selection and as for legendaries, i am not a fan on using them in my team but i use them like my latios in emerald i made his skills into fly, dive, flash, waterfall
     

    Pokébook1

    Marene
    114
    Posts
    8
    Years
    • MarineTyler said:
    I really love everything you shared here especially the idea of an advanced move list system more classic RPG based. I only have 2 questions... What do the rest of you guys think of this? And is it really my place to completely alter the way we have been battling pokemon for the last 20 years? Let me hear what you guys think! But I think this could be the future of not just Pokemon, but creature based RPG's.
    Click to expand...

    I was reading this 2 pages of your post and now I want to give you my list:

    (I agree with all of you who likes 6 gen, features and more than 4 skills is soo awesome, always had this in mind!)

    1. I wish there were a game like in 6th gen but for (3-5 gen)
      with Fairy added, Gain EXP after battle, spray repel like in BW2, Infinite TMs, NO-HMs :D, more than 4 skills if possible, Mega-Evolution of all 1-5 gen (like in Pokemon gaia) use the new Moves and TMs from gen 6.
    2. make it different from gen 6, I didn't play it I just watched the play through's on yt, It got me bored from the usual game freak tradition of "Team Rocket, Team Magma, Aqua, Galactic, Plasma, Flare etc." make it different like in our real world but just think how would be the Pokémon World? would you follow the old boring game freak tradition? or make it more real, like you're 5-7 or at least 9 years old and you're in a Trainer school, there you have to make test's and you can graduate like in a school, but when you're 10 you are adult and you can choose if you still wanna be in school or travel around the region.
    3. If you stay in school you get the chance to get a job and win money and buy a house!
    4. If you choose to travel, turn the "Trainer eyes" off, think it in another way, he/she asks me if I wanna battle them. If you choose to travel, before traveling put interesting starters, as I said before, I personally prefer gen 6, because it's still new to me, you can put gen 6 without changing types, moves at least with Honedge you can make new steel type moves for him, so your game would be more interesting than gen 6, as I saw a Doublade in a playthrough it was something with lv.40 and it had no steel type moves. make new steel types and ghost type moves for Honedge, think of Honedge as a Sword-Ghost! its half steel and ghost, make new moves that doesn't exist, take some new names for them! It's better than having fakemon!
    5. When still choosing traveling, after that school-scene, you can still buy a house, but it wont be easy! you have to beat all gym leaders (make as many as you want, don't follow the 8 gym-badge-rule!) in order to win prize money and just after you beat maybe the half of them you might get the amount of money to buy a house and decorate it like in Platinum (but make more choices of furniture, etc., its better this way)
    6. as you might want to make more than one region, create a new region kalled "Kalos" make it like in game but with the graphics of "Emerald / FRBG / DPPT / BW2" one of those game graphics would please me, make Kalos as the first region the player are in... you can think later on which regions you wanna remake or if you wanna make another region of our world to the Pokéworld just do that but then with self created monsters, they must look good to suit the land, read some mythology of that country you want to create a region with... For example if you're making China make dragons and those creatures they have in chinese zodiac. If you go with Brazil go with tropical fakemon, make a poll later on when you made the first region and all gyms, make your beta when you're done with 5/8 or 12/16 gyms done, depending on how many gyms you wanna have in the Kalos region, make then your first beta when you have like 3-5 playtime... then you can make a poll of "Which region shall be based of off our (in real life) country? I know you just can add 4 answers, think of "Mexico", Spain, Agypt, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Finland, Sweden there are soo many countries that could be based of, of a game region, like game freak did with America -> Unova and France -> Kalos back, you can do it with whatever country you like, just make a poll :-)
    7. Make the gym leaders of Kalos have Mega-Evolution (once per battle is fair)
    8. Make the Trainers of the gym different, they have to wear special outfits to be recognized as special "Trainers of the gym leaders" for example a Youngster in a gym won't look like a youngster, it would wear something different.
    9. DON'T make Elite 4, as they are usual traditional boring they exist like 20 years... make something different like a Tournament, Battle Frontier or even a Pokémon League, where all Trainer's you've battled before you have to battle again in that League, call it the way you like, make the player win an something really BIG!
    10. Please, please make Friendship system (if possible) like you could marry someone if you're boy you can marry some girl - vice versa the same when girl you can marry a man, would be awesome!
    11. And if you choose to stay in school instead of traveling, you can get some pretty jobs, you could create new jobs (Police officer, Nurse Joy, seller 'the guys from the pokemart', professor, aid, researcher, breeder etc.) you could make a job called researcher where you have to help the professor out and catch wild Pokémon to fill the dex, though you don't need the 8+ badges, it's optional, but you can receive some sorts of quests from the professor to help the people of the town or giving starter Pokémon to other young trainers...
    12. If, just if possible (in future) to make the player ride on a rhyhorn or gogoat would be awesome. Or rollerskates too like in X & Y they're awesome, or make something new like skateboards.
    13. Make other way to earn money as you can't win from defeating any trainer, so you won't lose money too, but make another way, like caves with random nuggets, though not too many as the player might want to play first to get that house later on his own, make the trainer be able to work as a part-time job would be neat!
     

    luisfelipe

    11
    Posts
    8
    Years
    • Seen Aug 9, 2020
    Hi! Is there a hack rom that includes physical/special split, fairy type, new moves (and moves like stealth rock, toxic spikes...), new abilities (like protean, justified, skill link...), new items (like choice specs, choice scarf...), mega evos. Or in other words, a hack rom that is like Gen 6 games?

    Thanks in advance!
     
    Cuprite (Kyu)

    Cuprite (Kyu)

    Formerly TheGoldenRiolu
    128
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • Things I'd like in a ROM Hack (Outdated):
    Spoiler:
     
    Last edited:
    Kabocha❤

    Kabocha❤

    Feeling sleepy...
    222
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • I don't really need a deep story to have fun, what I do need however, is an engaging story, it's a hack, it doesn't have to become the next Tolkien, what it needs to be is to be entertaining and most of the time, hackers aren't good enough at writing to tackle their plot ideas seriously and everything becomes a convoluted mess. P/S split+Fairy Type and such are almost a requirement, I hate outdated hacks that feel and most of the time, look, like something from 2011. Also, a hack should have a coherent and pretty tileset, it doesn't have to be pseudo 3D and such, just balanced and varied. That's why I despise hacks like Mega Power, it uses a bunch of different art styles without managing to be good at even one of them, the grass and tall grass tiles are simply abominations.
     
    NohBuddy2016

    NohBuddy2016

    LOL
    252
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • For me, it really comes down to having all 721 Pokemon (at least until Gen 7 gets completed).

    This is mostly because I have a very specific team and many hacks with mixed generations, don't have the Pokemon that I use.
     

    Leave This Blank

    [Leave this blank]
    5
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • Hi, I 'm new here. If you are to make a new PKMN ROM Hack, think about the trend. For example, Mega-evolution hacks are highly demanded. Since this new Pokemon Sun and Moon game is a hard one to remake for the console, you can put in some Alolan Pokemons instead like in Glazed when the Kalos starters were put just by the final Betas, more and more suggestions will come while you're still building it.

    Also, do not ever forget about these:
    •Mega Evolutions (In-battle, so they can still maintain theuir main firm right after)
    •Run Indoors
    •B/W Repel System
    •Decapitalization
    •New Sprite
    •Reusable TMs
    •No more HMs (Like in PKMN Ash Gray, instead of HMs, they are replaced with Key Items to save another move slot.)
    •Updated Movesets (I think some made up moves can be good too like in Glazed Reborn. You can refer with this app if you like 'Poketype Dex' at the Google Playstore.
    •New Sprites and Tiles
    •No Fakemons PLEASE!!!
    •I think it would turn out great if the player can choose the outcome. Be a hero or play the villain, like Team Rocket :)

    That's all for now, Leave It Blank.
     

    Mr.Pkmn

    Ordinary ASM Magician
    53
    Posts
    16
    Years
    • Seen Nov 17, 2023
    Leave This Blank said:
    If you are to make a new PKMN ROM Hack, think about the trend. For example, Mega-evolution hacks are highly demanded.
    Click to expand...
    I'm quoting this from you but i have seen several comments about this.
    Please don't do this. The "trend" is to clone features from the newer official games: this won't make you hack any better.

    As most people said, originality and story should be the main focus. Make a hack about things YOU would like in a pokemon game, not what OTHER people would like. Spamming mega-evolutions hacks or any "standard" new feature won't make your hack unique and more enjoyable.
    [/IMHO]

    Personally, i like hacks where common trainers are not treated like mincemeat. No way your typical youngster joey lv2 rattata can win against your lv6 overpowered starter mon.
    Fixing this would be a good start!
     

    Mystelex

    Guest
    0
    Posts
    1. The intro should be completely modified; A first impression is necessary
    2. Tilemaps which aren't that dull and not that bright either; FireRed's tilemaps, for instance
    3. Proper grammar in scripts makes your hack look more professional (A BIG downside of my hack, now on hiatus forever, I guess...)
    4. Sprites and OWs which have similar dimensions, color textures, e.t.c

    Last but not least, an interesting storyline.
     
    Cuprite (Kyu)

    Cuprite (Kyu)

    Formerly TheGoldenRiolu
    128
    Posts
    7
    Years
    • Things I'd want in a Rom Hack (Or fangame):

    • Have an interesting story.
    • Have characters that can be enjoyable. Give them a personality.
    • Mugshots for important characters. You could take advantage of this and be able to show emotion with facial expressions.
    • Have a somewhat long aftergame. Longer than X/Y's, but it doesn't have to be HG/SS long. It can be, but it doesn't have to be.
    • Have a new evil team.
    • Keep a realistic level curve.
    • Have a high variety of wild Pokemon to choose from in most routes, but make sure they make logical sense in the area they're in and are balanced.
    • Edit the title screen by the final release. I don't want to play a finished Rom Hack and have the title screen say "Pokemon FireRed" or "Pokemon Emerald" when it's supposed to be called "Pokemon [Insert Name Here]."
    • Reusable TMs (If possible).
    • Add Fairy type.
    • Physical/Special Split.
    • Retypings that aren't very drastic (Scyther losing the Flying type) and/or make a lot of logical sense (Butterfree becoming Bug/Psychic) (If any at all).
    • If you do retype, please make the generic Normal/Flying birds pure Flying.
    • Give the Ice type some resistances. It needs a buff.
    • Same can apply to the Bug type, but it's not as necessary.
    • Mega Evolutions.
    • If anyone ever figures out how to do it, add Z-Moves. Why not?
    • Shadow Pokemon from Colleseum and XD would be pretty cool, though I doubt it's even possible in a Rom Hack.
    • Pokemon from Gens 1-6 (Possibly from Gen 7, but you could leave them out and say that Gen 7 Pokemon are only found in Alola. It is based on Hawaii after all).
    • A small handful of Fakemon that are well done and don't feel out of place (If any at all).
    • Add the Evolution Stones from Gen 4+.
    • Add some sort of Trade Stone.
    • Change the way the Eeveelutions evolve. Leafeon: Leaf Stone. Glaceon: Ice Stone. Espeon: Sun Stone. Umbreon: Moon Stone. Sylveon: Friendship.
    • Add newer abilities.
    • Add a small handful of new abilities (Such as a Fire equivalent of Water/Volt Absorb) (If any at all).

    Sorry for the long list. I like going into detail about stuff like this, if you can't tell. :P
     
    Last edited:
    adelgirl

    adelgirl

    99
    Posts
    8
    Years
    • Seen Mar 15, 2022
    I tend to look for a new region. I'm not a big fan of the hacks that literally take same maps from the game they are hacking and just move them, or even worse leave the map the exact same.

    I really like custom trainer sprites, but I would rather have the original trainer sprites than have a really poorly made trainer sprite.

    It's nice to add the different pokemon from the different gens that are not available original for that game, but it is not needed.

    I actually really enjoy pokemon with fakemon, but would prefer that if a game has fakemon that there are solely fakemon, and no official pokemon.

    I really prefer the hacks that are playable through emulators.I have a mac (was a gift and don't have the money to buy a PC) and most of the games that don't use emulators don't run with macs unless you use wine, and wine makes them run very slowly and also causes them to freeze quite often. Also, you cannot add cheat codes to these game , which for some people may not be an issue, but for me if I am playing an unfinished hack I don't want to take a ton of time on it to just have to restart the game again after the next update.
     
    FSBS

    FSBS

    Defunct
    147
    Posts
    8
    Years
    • Seen Apr 19, 2019
    A large variety of Pokemon - not TOO large, especially not if you're in a smaller region, but I love variety and I love to catch them all. I think about 386 is a good upper limit. I don't mind replacements, either. Did I mention that I also like cross-gen evos? It adds a sense of completeness to the game.

    I don't like too many Legendaries. Cull it down to a generation's worth and be done with it. In my hack I use the Gen 1 Legendaries and 2 from Gen 2. How the hell do the Hoenn trio, Lati@s, the Regis, Jirachi, the Doggos, Lugia AND Ho-Oh organically fit into FR? You aren't catching them to complete the Dex and trade with friends or use them competitively, you're just collecting them. Replace them or remove them. Same goes for stuffing too many starter Pokemon in the hack. Pick one generation and replace or dummy out the rest.

    P/S split. It's essential, and frankly makes strategy much easier when you don't have to look up which types are what.

    Decent writing. You don't have to be Michael Crichton, but you can do better than "player is chosen one of destiny prophesy legendary bad guys lol." Give the villains motivation and background. I have several word documents detailing the story that won't even make it into my hack! You are the author, you need to have all the information. If you just make it up as you go, your hack will show, and consequently suffer for it.

    Trainer team variety and fullness. I want to fight teams of six, I like double battles, I like it when the enemy AI has access to the same sort of stuff I do. I DO NOT like enemies spamming Protect (Drayano's hacks have this problem, I've noticed) or using full restores willy nilly. Use a super potion, a full heal, but don't pull that Indigo league crap on me, Hiker Jeffrey.

    Good mapping. Mapping isn't easy, people seem to think so but it's just not. I've been on it for two years and only recently got to a point where I can churn out an acceptable map. Hacks with great maps are a big plus.

    I'm not into trends. Megas, Fairy type, Eeveolutions, forms, they don't impress me as much as good writing and good mapping. A good cave I can explore goes a lot further than disabling poison in the overworld, for example. Don't get me wrong, stuff like that is very convenient, but it's not going to make or break the hack for me.

    I also hate forced difficulty. If I have to grind 10-15 levels every time I face a new gym (AFTER I've gone through a route or two of trainers and you've stuck me with Furrets and Pidgeottos to practice, I'm done. Into the trash it goes.

    Document your stat and type changes. Sometimes it's necessary to change things; the level curve in GSC was BAD, so certain mons were nerfed before they could ever be viable; Ledyba and Hoothoot, for example; they NEED to be boosted, and if you do that (like, say, make Noctowl Dark/Flying and Ledian Fighting/Bug and give them 535 BST with a new level to evolve) then PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TELL SOMEBODY.

    Then again, don't do something obnoxiously dumb like make Charizard Dragon/Fire. I almost did that once, and I got very good critical feedback on why that's a bad idea. Tip: it's a fire-amphibian that happens to LOOK like a traditional dragon and that alone does not make it a dragon. Kind of like how salamander, while they look like lizards, are actually amphibians. (The irony is that amphibians tend to be on the aquatic side and Charmander is a fire-type!)

    Really, I just like a hack with good maps and good story with some convenient mechanic changes.
     

    jbwest31

    21
    Posts
    10
    Years
    • Seen Jan 3, 2017
    So I'm definitely not going to be in-depth as everybody else, but the one thign i have on everybody, is that I'm your average user on this site. So here are the things that I like/dislike in a game.

    Must have:
    -P/S split
    -Original Plot
    -You're own unique twist

    The physical special split is a must. I get severely pissed off any time a hack doesn't have it. Being able to fully evolve every pokemon is crucial. Unless there is a new interesting plot, my mind checks out while playing a hack. Without it, there's no reason to really pay attention. We've all exhausted the original stories by now. All of the best games seem to have some sort of feature which is exclusive for their game. Without that, there's nothing really to set your game apart.

    Should Have:
    -New Starters
    -New Region
    -Humor

    I've always been a fan of expanding my pokemon horizons. I've played every single starter by now 20 times. I've always found it interesting when a game had a random set of starter pokemon. Even if you need to raise the base stats of them. One of the cool things about pokemon is exploring the new region and discovering the new pokemon. That's why I'm not inherently against fakemon. I've found that while going through a familiar region is comfortable, it's usually used to make up for a sub-par plot. A new region forces you to pay attention and not go on autopilot throughout the game. Nothing breaks up the monotony better than a little humor. This isn't necessary though as forced humor is a major turn off.

    Must not have:
    -Harcore grinding

    This is the number one reason why I stop playing a game. Going to fight a gym leader and being 10 lvls under leveled is the most frustrating things of all time.
     
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