DJTiKi's MEGA-HUGE Guide To Planning Your Awesome Rom Hack! The Guide For Everything Pokemon!

DJTiki · Jul 8, 2014

Lady Prixy said:
So it would probably be better to create a second region. Yay, my mapping skills are sub-par at best lol.

Still, one more reason to improve! Thank you for the feedback. :3

You are very much welcomed. Not everyone can be good at everything :) teams usually covers everyone's weaknesses. Like I'm not the best scripter but I'm pretty good at Pokemon editing and mapping.

Bliss · Jul 8, 2014

DJTiKi said:
You are very much welcomed. Not everyone can be good at everything :) teams usually covers everyone's weaknesses. Like I'm not the best scripter but I'm pretty good at Pokemon editing and mapping.

I'm not really good at anything yet lol. I guess my only strong point is being able to think up decent stories and characters. Beyond that I have little skill in hacking, in any form. As such, I doubt any team would want me lol. But I'll keep learning, little by little.

Thanks again for the guide, it really is making a difference in my hack, even though the guide isn't even finished yet! :3

Renegade · Jul 8, 2014

I already gave my input to the beginning of this guide, so I might as well give my two-cents on the updates as well~

Hey, you know what's better than one region? Two regions? And you know what's better than two regions? Three.

Not necessarily. In fact, having multiple regions would be extremely hard to balance with what the player has at the time of changing regions. It might also come off as overwhelming to the player.

There really wasn't much that I disagreed with in your second post, so good job with that. It gave a good amount of information without suggesting much excess information.

Wheter

Figured I'd point this out here. Fix your spelling and grammar mistakes, they really get in the way and make your guide less comprehensible.

Pokémon Fire Red. In my opinion, this game was horrible in its encounters. Nothing was really planned together, with this.

I fail to see how the game was horrible with it's encounters. After reading your little guide about 'making encounters good', I feel that Fire Red did exactly what you said were good things to do.
But seeing as how you didn't even bother giving an explanation on what you are suggesting makes me think that you're biased towards other games.

Of course with Pokémon Red, it was excusable. There were only 151 Pokémon, and it was the first game(to an extension, it excuses their horrific glitches), so they didn't know.

I'm reading this for a third time, yet I still don't understand what you're trying to say.
You didn't give any good reasons why bad game design is excusable for Pokemon Red and not it's remake, Pokemon Fire Red. You also point out how, just because Pokemon Red is the 'first game' in the franchise (by the way, what about Blue and Green versions?), the glitches can be totally excused. To my knowledge, just because a particular game happens to be one of the first of it's kind, that doesn't mean it's glitches can be looked-over and not accounted for.
You also state that the devs 'didn't know' about their glitches. Trust me, they have game-testers for that kind of stuff.

But 2nd and 3rd generation hit you up like "OW, OH MY GOD, dammit, geez, that hurt"

???

and they had time to refine the formula, and they had alot more Pokémon this time.

Not sure what formula you're talking about, but it seems like you're talking about how the devs only included 151 Pokemon as opposed to 300+ (which isn't even a formula).
I'm pretty certain that 151 characters in their game is a huge amount already, so adding more in doesn't really help in any way.

Yet in FireRed, they didn't allow for 3rd generation Pokémon until you beat the game

It's a remake.

So what do you need to do, to make your game have better wild encounters?

Wah, wait, what? I literally forgot I was reading a guide on wild encounters. You might want to get to the point quicker instead of shoving a bunch of irrelevant information at me first.

Late game routes for evolved Pokémon.

I understand that this is really just a design opinion, but I believe that it makes more sense for a hack to have their wild Pokemon relative to their levels. In other words, if you have a Kakuna level 12 on Route 3, you might as well make it a Beedrill for consistency's sake.

That's what the problem was with Brock, if you chose Charmander. You barely had any Pokémon to counter his, and dealing with his Rock-types were a pain.

I understand the point you're making about there not being many Pokemon that you can catch that are good against Brock's Pokemon, but you can't really bring Charmander into the situation. Charmander was given Metal Claw specifically for the gym battle with Brock, so the devs were forgiving in that respect. I know that this doesn't have much to do with the guide, but I just wanted to throw that in for the sake of having more information on Fire Red's balancing.

Level 5 Ralts(5%)
Level 5 Sentret(5%)

This isn't the best example of 'rare encounter rates'. As you stated, your rare encounters shouldn't be overly generic Pokemon like Sentret (Ralts is a good choice, however).

You need Pokémon, in your Pokémon ROM Hack. Or else, you get a cruel, sick joke that everyone will be mad about.

Excess information.

You could've fooled me when you told me that Gyarados was part-flying, when I first got into Pokémon. So you get the point, Pokémon makes NO sense, sometimes

Actually, the devs gave Gyarados a secondary flying type instead of dragon for a good reason.
Not going to go into it, but it's out there if you don't already know.

DJTiki · Jul 8, 2014

Renegade said:
I already gave my input to the beginning of this guide, so I might as well give my two-cents on the updates as well~

Not necessarily. In fact, having multiple regions would be extremely hard to balance with what the player has at the time of changing regions. It might also come off as overwhelming to the player.

There really wasn't much that I disagreed with in your second post, so good job with that. It gave a good amount of information without suggesting much excess information.

Figured I'd point this out here. Fix your spelling and grammar mistakes, they really get in the way and make your guide less comprehensible.

I fail to see how the game was horrible with it's encounters. After reading your little guide about 'making encounters good', I feel that Fire Red did exactly what you said were good things to do.
But seeing as how you didn't even bother giving an explanation on what you are suggesting makes me think that you're biased towards other games.

I'm reading this for a third time, yet I still don't understand what you're trying to say.
You didn't give any good reasons why bad game design is excusable for Pokemon Red and not it's remake, Pokemon Fire Red. You also point out how, just because Pokemon Red is the 'first game' in the franchise (by the way, what about Blue and Green versions?), the glitches can be totally excused. To my knowledge, just because a particular game happens to be one of the first of it's kind, that doesn't mean it's glitches can be looked-over and not accounted for.
You also state that the devs 'didn't know' about their glitches. Trust me, they have game-testers for that kind of stuff.

???

Not sure what formula you're talking about, but it seems like you're talking about how the devs only included 151 Pokemon as opposed to 300+ (which isn't even a formula).
I'm pretty certain that 151 characters in their game is a huge amount already, so adding more in doesn't really help in any way.

It's a remake.

Wah, wait, what? I literally forgot I was reading a guide on wild encounters. You might want to get to the point quicker instead of shoving a bunch of irrelevant information at me first.

I understand that this is really just a design opinion, but I believe that it makes more sense for a hack to have their wild Pokemon relative to their levels. In other words, if you have a Kakuna level 12 on Route 3, you might as well make it a Beedrill for consistency's sake.

I understand the point you're making about there not being many Pokemon that you can catch that are good against Brock's Pokemon, but you can't really bring Charmander into the situation. Charmander was given Metal Claw specifically for the gym battle with Brock, so the devs were forgiving in that respect. I know that this doesn't have much to do with the guide, but I just wanted to throw that in for the sake of having more information on Fire Red's balancing.

This isn't the best example of 'rare encounter rates'. As you stated, your rare encounters shouldn't be overly generic Pokemon like Sentret (Ralts is a good choice, however).

Excess information.

Actually, the devs gave Gyarados a secondary flying type instead of dragon for a good reason.
Not going to go into it, but it's out there if you don't already know.

Thank you, can always count on you to actually give me some criticsm. I'll fix it. :) Also that one bit about Gen 2 and 3, I was very tired. But I know what you said about my biased opinions, but as respect for my own opinions, I'm not changing that. I felt strongly about Gen 1, and I stated before said biased opinions, that they were 100% opinionated, and was hoping that they be taken to a grain of salt. But all the things I will change, and agree with you.

EDIT: Can you please pinpoint exactly where the sentence were, for my typo.(anymore typos will be appreciated).

Renegade · Jul 8, 2014

DJTiKi said:
Thank you, can always count on you to actually give me some criticsm. I'll fix it. :) Also that one bit about Gen 2 and 3, I was very tired. But I know what you said about my biased opinions, but as respect for my own opinions, I'm not changing that. I felt strongly about Gen 1, and I stated before said biased opinions, that they were 100% opinionated, and was hoping that they be taken to a grain of salt. But all the things I will change, and agree with you.

Right, and I was going to add a little sentence at the end there about some of my points being opinion based, but I digress. Anyway, change what you will. Just trying to get my thoughts across on the guide because I see a lot of people coming here for some quality advice.

EDIT: Can you please pinpoint exactly where the sentence were, for my typo.(anymore typos will be appreciated).

The spelling/grammar mistakes don't make too much of a distraction, so I'm not going to put the time into finding them specifically. I'd just suggest skimming over your guide in 'edit mode' and the Internet will point most of them out for you~

DJTiki · Jul 8, 2014

Renegade said:
Right, and I was going to add a little sentence at the end there about some of my points being opinion based, but I digress. Anyway, change what you will. Just trying to get my thoughts across on the guide because I see a lot of people coming here for some quality advice.

Okay, I understand. Don't need to explain yourself. That's why I'm more pressured to make quality advice, because people are actually listening. A little help can go a long way. Probably would've ended the guide by now, had no one listened, and you not have critized me in the beginning.

Bliss · Jul 9, 2014

DJTiKi said:
That's why I'm more pressured to make quality advice, because people are actually listening. A little help can go a long way. Probably would've ended the guide by now, had no one listened, and you not have critized me in the beginning.

Coming back to the thread after a number of hours and finding a fossil of this discussion revamped my ambition and excites me in wonderment at what awaits in the next section of the guide! :)

Being able to take constructive criticism in such a positive way helps the readers to trust you more, and I think that is quite important as well. It shows that you are willing to admit your mistakes, and stand up for your own beliefs. Both of which you have done well in recent posts. :)

Thank you again for all the effort you put into this guide! I eagerly await the next section! :3

DJTiki · Jul 10, 2014

Hey, guys! :) The poll is closed, and as it turns out, I'll be covering Post-game after Gameplay & Balance. Thanks for voting guys n_n. So as for status on the next update:
Writer's Block. Sooo yeah :( It'll come eventually. Just can't think >.>

EDIT: I'm planning on reorganizing my updates, and will put alot of it on the first post and delete some things, don't worry, nothing on this guide is leaving.

Mcfadden d2 · Jul 12, 2014

this guide is amazing i will definitely be using this to try and make a rom hack!

DJTiki · Jul 12, 2014

Mcfadden d2 said:
this guide is amazing i will definitely be using this to try and make a rom hack!

Thank you n_n glad its working out for you.

Bliss · Jul 12, 2014

How long until an update? :)

No rush, just thought I'd ask, since I was around.

DJTiki · Jul 12, 2014

Lady Prixy said:
How long until an update? :)

No rush, just thought I'd ask, since I was around.

Not much longer, Writer's Block sucks sometimes. Thanks for asking n_n

EDIT: Well just updated, not much n_n as it be redundant to drag it on.

Bliss · Jul 12, 2014

DJTiKi said:
Not much longer, Writer's Block sucks sometimes. Thanks for asking n_n

EDIT: Well just updated, not much n_n as it be redundant to drag it on.

I hear ya. I've had writer's block more than a few times, and it's never easy to get rid of it. I usually listen to music and play some random games, within a few days it clears up typically.

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the guide though, keep up the great work :)

DJTiki · Jul 18, 2014

UPDATE on Fakémon! Expect alot more tommorow(by that I mean the rest). With Real life calming down, I can finally focus on the guide again :D. Btw, what are your thoughts on Plot. Maybe I'm hinting, but for now it's a genuine question(also so I don't have to keep deleting my posts to inform you guys on an update).

Sooo what's your feelings on Plot in ROM Hacks?

P.S: I'm planning a cool rom hack :3 so expect something in a month or so on it.

Bliss · Jul 18, 2014

DJTiKi said:
Sooo what's your feelings on Plot in ROM Hacks?

P.S: I'm planning a cool rom hack :3 so expect something in a month or so on it.

Plot is important, if it isn't a simple revamp hack. By revamp hack, I mean a hack in which you can catch all Pokemon, or adding starter Pokemon options, etc.

If someone is looking to completely immerse the player in their hack, story and plot are the absolute most important factor, in my opinion.

If the plot sucks, the hack sucks. That's the long and short of it lol.

I cant' wait! Keep us posted on this! I'm really looking forward to seeing a hack from the one who got me back into hacking~!

Morlak · Jul 18, 2014

This is awesome!!

Im not asking you to do this but if you know css or such things,i suggest you make a menu or table of contents so that the reader can find easily what he/she wants to read.Thanks and goodluck.

DJTiki · Jul 18, 2014

Morlak said:
This is awesome!!

Im not asking you to do this but if you know css or such things,i suggest you make a menu or table of contents so that the reader can find easily what he/she wants to read.Thanks and goodluck.

Thanks n_n glad this thread is working out for you. I actually wanted to do some css, after the thread writing is done. But it also means I need to learn it. :p

BrandoSheriff · Jul 19, 2014

DJTiKi said:
Sooo what's your feelings on Plot in ROM Hacks?

I love games with a good story and plot that can keep me engaged all the way through. Otherwise, I get bored with wanting to see what happens next. I'll accept some filler, but not too much, like a certain anime that comes to mind. xD

So in other words, plot should always be a priority when it comes to creating an overhaul rom hack. It doesn't have to be overly serious all the time, I love to laugh, so I like a little humor occasionally.

I also think characters are important to the plot as well, in the form of character development. If they're heavily involved in the story, but there's no character development, I won't really care about them too much, despite what happens, because there was never that connection. This can also make a plot fail in my opinion.

TL;DR: Plot good. xD

DJTiki · Jul 21, 2014

Fakemon
Raise your hands, if you had ideas for new Pokémon? You didn't raise your hand, which means you are most likely lying. So you decided to implement Fakémon in your ROM hack. Creating an entirely new Pokémon with your artistic abilities. Some can be very well-made, or made very poorly. It's important that you draw concept art for each of your Fakémon, and get a feel for how it's design. I'm pretty sure there will always be something, you are not happy with, in a drawing, and want to change. I'm no artist, so what I will be touching on, is essentially the data aspects of Fakémon.

When creating Fakémon, what you are essentially doing, is creating an entirely new Pokémon. I know, I know, some Fakémon can just be new designs for already established Pokémon. But what I will explain is making Fakémon, that has everything entirely new for itself, not redesigns(doesn't mean you shouldn't do it at all).

Well Pokémon has ALOT of data, in the spoiler is a basic list of what a Pokémon needs:

Spoiler:

Like I said, that is the basis of what a Pokémon needs, there is alot more to it. But this is what you need on a surface level, just don't think this is everything. There is alot to cover, so I'll briefly talk about the list in the spoiler below, and go more in-depth with everything else.

WHAT I'M NOT COVERING MUCH:

Spoiler:

In the spoiler below, us everything you need to know(at least to me), about what I'm not extensively covering. As I meant it, when I said that I wouldn't talk much of the ones directly above, so the basic information is down below.

Spoiler:

So with those out of the way, let's talk about the things you need to be very concerned about, when making a Fakémon. So let's go over what I want to extensively cover.

Spoiler:

Before I begin, there may be alot of referencing on previous sections of the guide, mainly, The Pokémon Themselves, so a lot of this knowledge should be in your head, and thus, I may not cover important points because they were referenced already. Okay let's begin.

These are, in my opinion, the most important things to keep in mind, when making a Pokémon. But there are some things, people do not need for me to cover. So there will be multiple spoilers, and whichever you need some explaining in, then read it. I know there are some things people don't need help in.

Typing:

Spoiler:

A Pokémon's typing determines a lot. Its offensive presence, its defensive presence, weaknesses, strengths, movepools, so many things. While it doesn't DIRECTLY affect the movepool, it has a large contribution. So first of all, you need to come up with a typing for your newly designed Fakémon. The basic rules of Pokémon state that each type has a weakness and a Pokémon can have up to two types at one time. For those who don't know the type chart, I'll briefly have each type's weaknesses in the spoiler:

Spoiler:

Okay, so a combination of types, can very much benefit a Pokémon, although, having a single-typed Pokémon is fine. While beneficial, dual-types, can also make a Pokémon weak to types, it normally wasn't weak to. For instance, alot of dual-Flying types tend to have a 4x weakness(taking 4x the damage from a certain type). But there are OUTSTANDING dual-typings, which only has a few weaknesses(Steel/Fairy, Dark/Ghost, and Water/Ground to name a few). Remember when I said, that a Pokémon's aesthetic appeal should hint at its typing? Well, same rule applies here. Your Pokémon's typing should correlate to its design. We don't want another Generation One Gengar, now do we? :p. Also be sure that it's typing paired with its ability, doesn't make it overpowered.

As I said, an example of this would be giving Quagsire Sap Sipper, or Swampert for that matter. But with Fairy type, it's now practically impossible, to make an overpowered Pokémon, unless we give an Electric type Levitate or something(looks at Eelektross *cringes*)

Well that's all for Typing.

Abilities:

Spoiler:

Learnset:

Spoiler:

Learnset is important, as in, you can't have a Pokémon, that doesn't have any moves for battling. Learnset is a very broad concept, in my opinion. Of course, I already tackled what moves a Pokémon can get Leveling Up, and how to appropiately mend that with a new typing, you may have given that Pokémon.

To reclarify, I said that if you are going to change the Pokémon's typing, then it is in the best decision, to also change the Pokémon's learnset, so that it would learn some moves from its new type. In that example. I used Altaria, and told you to we were making it Dragon/Fairy. I also said that since we were replacing its Flying type, we also replaced SOME of its Flying moves. Well, its time to go over what moves it gets via TM and HM's, and not too specifically Egg Moves, as I said that I wouldn't.

So let's start with HM's. HM's are kind of weird. They are moves that are NOT forgettable via normal methods, and are usually weak(with the exception of Surf, Waterfall, and Fly). But in turn allows you to traverse the Region, in new ways. Of course, these are all dependent on the Pokémon themselves, as it wouldn't make sense, to give Honedge, Surf. Or you could be a Bibarel, and learn almost every single one, besides Fly. Or be a Golurk, who can Fly, not even joking. So it's obvious, where I'm going with this. It'll only make sense to give your Fakémon HM's that makes sense with the Fakémon.

Now for TM's. TM's are also moves that also teaches a Pokémon, a new move. Instead, these moves give Pokémon, new moves, that they may otherwise, not learn. But of course, you knew this. But of course, following the theme with this section, and considering I said it a million times, I'll just say this. A few coverage moves will be nice. For those who don't know, Coverage moves are moves that are there, to combat other types, they may not have an upper hand with. For instance, almost ALL Water-types, get Ice Beam and Blizzard(don't tell I'm wrong). These moves were to combat Grass-types. On the other side of the spectrum, Hitmonchan gets all the "Punch" moves(Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, etc.), not because he needed it, mainly because his design called for it(I am not going over why this is important, you should know by now).

So with that said, this seems like a safe spot to end this off.

Catch-Rate:

Spoiler:

What makes Catch-Rate so flippin' important in Pokémon? Easy, do you want waste all of your Pokéballs on a Rattata? You see, that's why. Catch-Rate is essentially, what it is; the rate at which the Pokémon can be caught. Simple. So with this came with some undefined rules. My weird rules on the matter follows as so:

Spoiler:

Now since that's covered, I'm going to go through each rule and check it off, one by one, on my digital clipboard(but not really). Are we cool? Okay, let's do it.

Spoiler:

This more or less, doesn't apply that much here. Yeah, kinda contradicted myself there. As Feebas is extremely rare, yet it is has a high catch-rate. But of course, there is legendary Pokémon, who has extremely lower catch rates(excluding Zekrom and Reshiram, who actually have surprising higher catch-rates for Mascot legendaries of all things, even though its still 45, which is relatively low). So in this rule, it more or less applies. Applies with legendaries, but not really Wild Pokémon.

Spoiler:

Again, this more or less applies to Legendary Pokémon. Reason being, that legendary Pokémon, has base stat totals, exceeding 600 points. Of course, Pseudo Legendaries, has exactly 600 points in their Base Stat Total, and some other stuff, that I'm too lazy to write out, and its not relevant to the situation.

Basic logic goes as such: Do you really want a super-powerful Pokémon to be extremely accessible? (I guess by logic, ALL Pokémon are extremely powerful)

Spoiler:

Do I really, need to explain this? Better that I do. Like I said, the higher a value, the easier it is to catch. Legendaries usually clock in under a 50 catch-rate value, while "first route" Pokémon clock in about a 255 catch-rate value, which is high. 255 is 33.3% to catch at full health, so the number rises with battle conditions, such as damage and status effects.

So depending on your Fakémon, whether it's a legendary or not, will also depend it's catch-rate at the same time. That is all for Catch-Rate.

Base Stats and Physical/Special Split:

Spoiler:

So this is probably the most important thing, when you check to see if something, is too overpowered. The Base Stats, is just a number. But this number tells the Pokémon, how well, it performs in each stat. Of course, the lower, the number, the worse that stat performs. Until Generation 2, there was no Special Attack and Defensive Split, just one single Special stat. Also the type determined, if a move was Special or Physical, until Generation 4. But in these examples, I'll be talking about Generation 3 Physical/Special and Generation 4 Physical/Special. Depending on the one, you'll be adding to your game, please consult the spoilers below.

Generation 3

Spoiler:

Generation 4

Spoiler:

I also forgot to talk about which Stat, does what. So I'll briefly cover this:

Spoiler:

Also as a rule of thumb, for you, try to not give your Fakémon, an ability that raises a certain stat, if that corresponding stat, exceeds 100 points. For instance, Azumarill can get Huge Power. It doesn't have the best attack stat, only being 65 points. But because of Huge Power, now its 130. It's not too far off from powerful Physical attackers, like Machamp, meaning it isn't too overpowered. On the flip side, if you gave Huge Power to Machamp, a Physical attacker, with a base Attack of 130. Now its 260, which is too powerful.

Let's talk Base Stat Totals. The Base Stat Total, is the calculation of all the Base Stat points. This Base Stat Total, can tell alot about your Fakémon. Pseudo-legendaries have a base stat total of exact 600. Legendaries have a base-stat total that exceeds 600 points. Of course, anything lower than 600, is where most Pokémon fall. So make sure, that if your Fakémon isn't a legendary, of a sort, that its Base Stat total, does not exceed 600 points. It's a sign, that it has been given too many points. Use this to balance some of your Fakémon

That is all for Fakêmon and the basic data you need, in order to create any Pokémon.

Starters:

The starters, to put it blunt, is almost unavoidable. These are the Pokémon, that you can get at the very beginning. They are your first partners in the game. By now, I have been going on, about balance and how you shouldn't make it overpowered. Well...this also applies here(you should know by now). The amount of Pokémon, given to you, is not predetermined. In fact, you don't have to follow the three starter Pokémon tradition.

Starters tend to be the following: Water, Grass, and Fire(not exactly in that order, Pokédex wise). So usually, when making a hack, hackers tend to gravitate towards already established starters, according to the Main Series games. That means, you either get the starters from the First three generations or have a mix of more than one, assuming that no other Pokémon from 4th-6th Generation were added.

Planning, your starter Pokémon, isn't all that hard. All you need to know, is that, the set of starters have to make some sort of sense. You see, having starters like Sneasel and Gligar(Pokémon Flourite's starters), seem random, but in fact, they have the same Base Stat Total, and evolves via Razor item. Now it makes perfect sense to have the two, as your starters.

Of course, if you have a plot-eccentric game, it would make more sense, to have the Pokémon, somewhat relate to the story. If your story is about, let's say Flying Pokémon, then having Flying starters, seem only fair.

Making your starters, the traditional Fire, Grass, and Water Pokémon, is alright also. It's kind of hard to stray away from it, if your hack uses the 8 badge journey system. So I went on about how to plan your Starters, yet I have not said anything on balance. Well let's go over that. Go over the spoiler, yet again, and try to see what is wrong:

Spoiler:

This is actually pretty simple, the Mudkip, paired with the other two, are horribly unbalanced. Both Aron and Magby are weak to water, and eventually will be weak to Swampert's Ground typing. There is no check for Mudkip. Assuming, your ROM Hack, will have a predetermined Rival, who has the stronger starter; how unfair would it be, if you have to continually fight Mudkip, knowing you are at a disadvantage? With this starter set, you pretty much determined which Starter, should be chosen, because no one will intentionally make the game harder for themselves, on a casual playthrough. Of course, you could always make the game harder for people, who choose Mudkip, but all there is to check Mudkip is Grass(since Dragon and Flying are weak to Ice Punch and Beam, which it learns).

I will not give you a correct set set of starters, since there are a numerical amount of ways, to fix this. So with all that said, it's best to state that the point of Starters, is not only to give your first partner, one that you will have a special relationship with, but to also teach the fundamentals of the Type Chart. Since I'm a relatively nice guy, I'll save you the trouble, and give you a bunch of sets of three types, each with "Rock, Paper, Scissors" relationships, that could replace the Fire, Water, and Grass trio.

Spoiler:

These are just a few ideas, since they are SO many ways to go about this. With that said, this is the end of starters.

Filling The Dex:
It may not seem so important, but there is guidelines to follow, when adding Pokémon. There are a numerical amount of ways, you can fill your Pokédex in the Main Series games. This range from leveling evolution, event encounters, stone evolutions, more-diversity in encounters post-game, and trade. But the thing is....we are on an emulator. So there are alot of things, you can't do. Just know, that throughout, I'm referring to Regional Pokédex, which could very well be your National Dex.

Ever wondered how some hacks can cram so much Pokémon, as in they have all 649 Pokémon, i the game. Seems a bit FarFetch'd (jokes, I have them). Well it isn't as impossible as it seems. The only boundaries is free space and how well you can sneak in the Pokémon, in your game. These range from alot of factors, like NPC's, who give you a Pokémon, alot of in-game trades, and very diverse encounters, will little to no, repeating Pokémon.

So let's talk about what you should do, if you want to give the player, alot of choices, for partners.

1. NPC's and In-Game Trades

This seems like the easiest one. Why? Because it is. With a simple script command, now you have a Pokémon. You can easily have a couple NPC's in each town, give you some new Pokémon. It'll be a very simple solution to help, check off, what Pokémon you may need. In-game trades, are a bit more tricky, this is mainly due to the fact, you must give a Pokémon, to get one. The format to what the NPC want, usually is just to have a rare Pokémon, at a nearby area. Or at least, that is how they should be designed, in my opinion.

By this, I mean, if an NPC asks you to trade a Ralts for a Meditite, then Meditite should be somewhere nearby, as a rare encounter. That way, the player doesn't have to sit there "Uhhh, Meditite is like in the other side of the region, I don't feel like it, it's not worth it", but rather "You want a Meditite, well I can go do that right now, Meditite is just a few steps away, might as well". I know that you could argue my point, by stating that emulators, have a speed up button, but either way you spin it, the time to go 3 maps, and the time to go across a region, walking or flying, is much less. Humans are very lazy, and if something doesn't seem as convenient, at the time, it is called for, and it is optional, more likely than not, they'll put it off, constantly.

Why fly to Victory Road for Hyper Potions, when you can go to the Department Mall, and have access to all of them? A player will more appreciative, if you don't make something that is supposed to be fun, boring. Why do you think, people hate backtracking?

2. Trade Evolutions

This is a rather beneficial, for you to know. Running on emulators, haves its limits. Meaning that, in order, to get Pokémon that evolves by trading, instead, have them evolve by other means. This is very easily done, by having them evolve by leveling, or by an item. Fairly simple.

3. Some Organization Tips

How, in the WORLD, do you keep check of all the Pokémon, you included? There a ton of ways to keep track of who you add in the game. I, myself, use a mobile app to keep track. Everytime I add a Pokémon, in the wild, or make one accessible via a script, I cross it off. I'm going to go over some techniques, on how to keep track.

Make a Document
Keep Track on Paper
Use apps to keep track(like me)
Have amazing brain power

That is all you need to know about Filling The Dex.

Legendary and Event Encounters:

So finally, we reach the end of the Pokémon section, and what better way to talk about it, than the Legendaries, themselves. More likely, you'll have a Legendary as your hack's mascot. So let's talk about your mascot.

Mascots are generally the face of your hack, they usually symbolize something in your hack, or have a large point, in the game's plot. Mascots can say alot, of what hack is about, generally. That's why we hear the term, Mascot Legendaries. So the general rule of thumb, is that Mascot Legendaries, have some corrilation to the plot or to the general focus to the game.

Legendary Pokémon, is in short, the strongest Pokémon, out there, with a base stat total of over 600. They come equip, with signature moves and intimidating designs. They also have very low catch rates, which at this point, you should know well about. So far the Pokémon series have seen around 18 Legendary Pokémon, who fits my definition, but really, there are alot more. You could basically say that Legendary Pokémon, are just noteworthy Pokémon, which is fine too.

With that said, people love a game, with alot of Legendaries. The more, the merrier. So it is safe to assume, that people are expecting Legendary Pokémon, in your hack. But you can't just give it to them, you have to hide them. By this I mean, people find it fun, to look for Legendary Pokémon. If you just spoon feed it to them, then what's the point of looking for them?

Legendary Pokémon, often are hidden, in some cave, that is only accessible post-game. Cleverly hiding them, in a large event, is common also. Find what works best for you, and use their method for hiding your Legendary Pokémon.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

So what's the big whoop, about Event Pokémon. These Pokémon, are promotional Pokémon, only distributed in special events. How do you take advantage of this method, to have more people look at your hack?

There are ways, to promote your game, here on PC. We have Support Banners and Userbars. But what if that isn't enough for you, and you really want to get your game, out there? Well, then we have event Pokémon, exclusive to your game, for a limited time.

Event Pokémon, are mostly just given to you, via the Delivery Man, in the main series. Sometimes, you get a special item, that allows you to go to a special area, where you can catch them. While some may not be the largest fan, of this method of promotion, as those, who miss out, will be out of luck, using this right, can be a fun experience, and get you more traffic, on your hack.

So what do you give? That's up to you. Most event Pokémon, come in the form of Mew, who is the rarest Pokémon, in existence. But what you do give, shouldn't be in the game, to begin with, since it would be better, to just catch the Pokémon, in game.

When do you use this? You should probably use this, when you have moderate traffic, on your hack, and the next Beta release, isn't for a long time. That way, the players, can have a fresh experience, to tie them over, until the next Beta release.

Is there any other things, I could give? Of course! You can give a couple sidequests, or perhaps, a new game mode, in a battle facility. These events do not have to be restricted to just Pokémon.

How do I make sure, everyone gets to enjoy the Events? Perhaps, having that Pokémon, accessible, on a later Beta release. That way, people who missed it, can still have it, and people who did make it, in time, don't feel cheated, since they got it first.

And that is the end of Pokémon, hopefully, this will make Pokémon aspects, of your hack, more easily understandable.

Vanilla Trainers:

These are simply put it, your average enemies. There isn't much to say about these guys. Or, that is what I WOULD say, had there not been so many classes and aspects, carried over, in the main series games. Well, like I stated earlier, trainers are just there to be enemy obstacles, nothing else. But add in Trainer Classes, and now we start having interesting concepts and ideas, that can carried to your very own ROM hack.

Before we dive into Trainer Classes, let's talk about, what makes a regular trainer. Regular trainers have a poor to mediocre team, which mostly comprises of Pokémon, found in the Regional Pokédex. This excludes, Legendary Pokémon, Event Pokémon, and then some. Depending on your hack (but we will assume, your hack follows the main series), the trainers, will follow a difficulty curve, associated with the player's current progress, in the game. So more higher leveled trainers, should NEVER be in the first route.

Standard Trainers, are also one-dimensional, meaning that they don't have any character development, whatsoever. They simply have one-thing to say, before battle and dialogue, after the battle. So with those few things, out the way, let's go into Trainer Classes.

Trainer Classes are just different types of trainers. Or should I say, different varieties. The only thing is, that these Trainer Classes, have certain rules to them. What do I mean?

You see, there are certain things, that you would expect from a certain trainer. Usually, you'd expect a scientist to have Electric or Steel types, if not, related to technology, in some way. So in the spoiler below is a list for ALL the trainer classes.

Spoiler:

If you looked at the link, it is pretty obvious, that there are a bunch of trainer classes and going through each and everyone, would be fruitless. You see, trainer classes may diversitise the regiment of trainers, but on a surface level, are generally the exact same.

●They have a sight range, which tells them when to activate their script.
●They have something to say during and after battle.
●They have a pretty mediocre team.

They aren't as different, as trainer classes perceive them as. But of course, what sets them apart, is the styling of their teams, and/or if they do so something afterwards that may or may not, be as significant.

Since we are on the topic of a sight range; Little do people know, that the sight range for trainers, can be taken advantage of, in the overworld and mapping, in general. "What? How is that?", you ask. You see, the trainers must always walk up to the trainer, before a battle, correct? Well, let's look at Pokémon Glazed's Icebound Chasm, for instance.

You see, here we have the playable character, the skier, and this slope. This slope is passable. The thing about this slope is that depending on your position, you fully determine, if you are able to get an item at the top of the slope. If I walk to the right, then the trainer script would activate and I would be blocked because the skier won't move out the way. But if I were to walk down and then walk right, well, I did it. Now I can get the secret item for being a smarty pants. And if you didn't catch it, you can exit and re-enter the maps and rematch the skiers. You see, this is how you can integrate trainers in your map.

There is this general giddiness from solving it. It may seem all silly and minuscule, but the satisfaction is very real. It doesn't feel like you placed them is some weird spots, it now feels like it was planned. Now you just made your hack better by it. Well, it took me forever to post this, but updates, should come sooner. That is all you need to know about it.

Gym Leaders

Gym Leaders. A major roadblock in how you may progress the game. They seem to be everywhere. Games, Anime, Trading Card Games(oh wait...). What exactly are Gym Leaders, and how can you use them, to better your game?

Essentially, a Gym Leader is a boss trainer, and they are scattered around the region, for trainers to challenge them and must they lose against the trainer, they must give away a badge. And since we are talking Nintendo owned games here, of course, there are usually eight Gym Leaders, to one region.

The main part of what makes Gym Leaders, Gym Leaders, are that they specialize in a certain type or attribute, which can be reflected, in their team. Perhaps, you may want to expound upon their personalities, in the story. But they are more likely just stronger trainers.

So what are the things you need to look after when making a Gym Leader. Well it's actually very simple, while they may just seem paper-thin, they must have a sense of authority. They shouldn't be some regular, easily brushed away trainer. There is a reasoning why they have their own OW sprites. Here is a list of things, that you should look after for the Gym Leaders.

Spoiler:

Of so, when making a team for a Gym Leader, it's very obvious that they should reflect what attribute, they specialize in. Of course, you aren't going to find Blaine having a Marill or Koga with a Zangoose. It wouldn't fit the theme, of their Gym.

You also have to take in account, what Pokémon, the player has access before getting to the Gym. I covered this is Wild Encounters, so I'll only restate my position, rather than just re-explain myself. If you have a team of Pokémon that are weak to a certain attribute, chances are, they aren't going to win, when faced with it. So it is important that you place the Pokémon, according to any future challenges up ahead.

Speaking of which, theming is important to a Gym. Their Gym should reflect some sort of puzzle, or some sort of shtick that coincides with the attribute, that is being specialized. Let's take another look at Pokémon Glazed because using a popular example from a well-made game, will get my point across. Take a gander at the Gym that specializes in Fire-types:

As you can see, this Gym is all about, taking out Fires, to progress. Not only does it fit the "Fire" theme of the Gym, but it also reflects the Gym Leader. The Gym Leader is a firefighrer. Now, doesn't that make a whole lot of sense?! Achieving these connections, in your Gym will definitely be a one people will take a shine to. So look at other Gyms like Clair's and ALL the Gym's from 4th Generation, 5th Generation and 6th Generation for inspiration.

In all, Gym Leaders, are really, a different Trainer Class, which acts as a means for progression. They are stronger, than the average trainer, has a better AI, and all in all can be something better or something bland.

Elite Four
This part is going to be very short. Why? Simple.

For something that seems so GRAND and FINAL, the Elite Four, are by far, the easiest trainers to make, and are the most bland. How could that be? Think of it this way:

We have Gym Leaders, right? They specialize in a certain attribute of Pokémon. They also reside in Pokémon Gyms, creative maps, which hosts some sort of gimmick to progress. Now what are the Elite Four?

Simply put it, they are glorified Gym Leaders! They specialize in a certain attribute in Pokémon, that wasn't yet covered by the Gym Leaders. You barely see them outside the league. When you do encounter them, it isn't in some grand Gym, but a simple room, with no other trainers, and no other gimmick. Just battle.

I guess you can argue the point that it's there to heighten the game's epic feel, and since you battle them, one-after-another, that having multiple trainers, would be degrading the experience and make something that isn't complicated, to a complex mess. In that regard, sure. You are right. But it doesn't change the fact that the Elite Four is paper-thin and boring, if they aren't outside the league.

So how do you change that familiarity?

Well, there isn't alot you can do to fix it, other than include them, in some sort of way, in the plot. I mean, everyone can spit facts about the Gym Leaders, but chances are, there isn't enough evidence to give Elite Four, the spotlight(not including Manga and Anime).Of course, more screen time, out the league, will do them some justices.

So there you have it. If you treat the Elite Four, similar to Gym Leaders, you'll defiently will be better off.

Champion

Well here we are, the final of the final, the best of the best, this is the final battle, the Champion Battle. Needless to say, that this fight is actually very important. The Champion is supposed to tie up loose ends and give the player, a run for their money, literally. So what is about the Champion, that makes them so intriguing?

Naturally, they are one of the Elite Four members. They just soar above the rest in strength. I feel partially because often times, they are introduced in the story, in some format. Be it, they appear to the player, to help in game progression or an integral part of the story, itself. They are also one of, if not, the only boss trainer, to not follow in the monotony of specializing in a certain area of strength, rather their team is comprised of any Pokémon. [/B]

So what trends have players seen of the Champion?

Well for one, it is now a common thing to surprise the player, in some sort of plot-twist. This is partially because they are "the last person, you would expect". A perfect example of this would be Gary Oak, who actually took the Champion's title, before you. In that sense, it surprised many players because who would've thought about that. But now, it is something to be expected in Pokémon games, alike. It is almost second-nature to anticipate who the Champion, may be. So we are looking at all signs of who could be the Champion, such as:

● Helping you, in tight situations.
● Being involved in the plot
● Showing up for a minimal time, in the game.
● Little text-hints and clues from the Champion like "We should battle one day" or something of the like.

So people now have signs on who is the Champion. How in the world are you supposed to surprise the player, when the formula becomes too predictable, at this point? Easy, you mislead the player. I know that at times, misleading the player is bad, but in this case, you should definitely do it. Not only will the player be dumbfounded at their suspicions being wrong, they will also be impressed, how well you kept it under wraps.

So try to mislead the player, by building up a character to be the Champion, only to flip the tables, at the last minute. Or take someone, who's personality does not even come close to Champion status and turn the tables. It would definitely pay off, in the end.

Another common trend, which is as equally good as predictable and boring at times, is outright telling the player, who the Champion is. But throughout keypoints, in the plot, build them up, make them look better than the player. Have them feel some sort of grudge or eminity towards them. Another way is not have the Champion appear at all, in the story, but talk them up by NPC's in literal terms, like:

● "I heard the Champion is so strong, you'll never beat them!"
● "The Champion has a pretty strong team"
● "The Champion is such a hero"
● "You'll never amount to the Champion, you are a weakling"

If you heard those lines in the game, repeatedly, doesn't that make you wanna kick their ass? You see, if the player starts to feel eminity towards someone, they more, the desire to beat them grows. And when high time comes to beat them, the feeling becomes climatic and when it is over, the satisfaction levels are through the roof. SAY THE CHAMPION IS STRONG NOW, I DARE YOU. Why do you think Gary and Red did so well? You felt eminity towards them. Gary was a douche nugget and Red was talked up in literal terms, as the kid, you saved everyone in Kanto.

A common but awesome design aspect, you can add to your hack and make the Champion better. That's why they are so good and so satisfying,

● Their buildup is outstanding.
● They aren't guaranteed to have a specific team.
● The satisfaction from a climatic and final battle is very, very great.

Difficulty
Difficulty. It's about time, I decided to talk about this, but here we go. You will always hear the word difficulty being thrown around like some parade float. A word that anyone can relate to in a video game, a deciding factor of a really good game from a completely terrible and broken one. So what makes a difficult game? Before I start, I advise, you take a look at this video, regarding how hard a game can be and how it can get ruined. I didn't make it, but it will definitely give you a good idea, on it should work for a game designer.

The difficulty is really just a combination of the trials and tribulations, which is thrown at you, during the course of the game. EVERYTHING (and I mean EVERYTHING) can be tied back to the difficulty. Trainer AI? Difficulty. Available encounters in a route? Difficulty. You have to consider all the ends and outs of Gameplay and how you balance it out, in order for the audience to perceive your game as "fair".

When we talk about making a Difficulty Hack, we more often than not, forget about everything you need to overcome and things you need to consider, to balance the gameplay. A lot of people's ideas of "difficult" are just unfleshed out ideas, in order to create Fake Difficulty (more on this later).

The most common type of ROM Hack, so happens to be the easiest one to mess up. So are you aspiring to make a hack that amps up the difficulty of your favorite games? Or will you make your hack's difficulty fleshed out? Well, let's start off the end of Gameplay and Balance by creating the most common type of hack on Pokécommunity, the Difficulty Hack.

The Basics of Making A Difficulty Hack

So making a Difficulty Hack. It seems to be a running theme in the Sideshow Showcase section of the forums. People go about how a certain hack is extremely hard or they added this or that from newer generations and changed a few things. But that is essentially what they are, a reimaging, a newer version of the game you are playing. It has become way easier to make Difficulty hacks with all the resources we have now. So what do you to plan these?

Unlike creating your own fresh ideas and expounding upon those, you simply are revamping a game to have newer features and an increased difficulty. So the foundation of your work is already there, for you to manipulate and mold into something harder.

Following the trends of what is seen in the Sideshow Showcase, this is what practically makes a diffculty hack:

● Expanded region Pokédex. Allowing you to catch more Pokemon before the Elite Four.
● An increased AI Intelligence. Harder Trainers
● New additions to the metagame, like new moves and types.
● Added Bonuses, like rematches or small improvements that faltered in the original version.
● Changes to old Pokemon
● Changes to old moves.

If we follow according to those trends of a difficulty hack, realistically, I have already taught you everything you need to know to make this. So far in Gameplay and Balance, I have been doing nothing but relaying tips on improving a hack's Gameplay. But what would you know, the only thing difficult hacks accomplish is improve on the Gameplay aspects.

So instead of retreading old ground, I'll just give my opinions on improving on the traditions of Difficulty hacks. All difficulty hacks are mostly the same. Following the same trend and tropes of making a hack and giving it a different name. Also, they do not take too long to make. All you need to do is be weary of not to do anything overly hard for the player.

What you could focus on, however, is making your difficult hack stand out. Like I said, a million times, they are all but the same. Sure, some things are changing here and there, but they all result in a single end goal, to increase the difficulty levels of the game and to provide a challenge. Adding something extra and going an extra mile for the little things is an easy way to have your hack easily identifiable in the sea of others.

You could add:
● New Battle Facilities
● Changed NPC sprites and interaction text
● Improved Graphics
● Changed Music
● Fakemon

Anything can make your difficult hack special and not tiresome. Think of it this way, you could make your hack like everyone else, but in the end, the more well-made game will come out on top above those who barely did anything to renovate. That is basically the logistics of it. If you not only follow the advice I have been given in previous sections of the guide, while adding some of your own flare to it, there is no doubt that your difficulty hack will come out amongst the crowd of similar ones.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT PART

Updates to come :)

DJTiki · Jul 22, 2014

Update on FAKEMON, now with Abilities. Next up, will be Learnsets. Hope you guys are patient with me, becuase juggling so many things, is proving to be diffucult. So sorry, if these don't come put as fast, as you want them to.

DJTiKi's MEGA-HUGE Guide To Planning Your Awesome Rom Hack! The Guide For Everything Pokemon!

What topic should I cover after Gameplay & Balance?

Post-Game

Personality and Fun

A Different Genre, All-Together

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Time for real life...

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Time for real life...

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Part-time Pegasister, Part-time PokéFreak

top 3 most uninteresting microcelebrities

top 3 most uninteresting microcelebrities

Part-time Pegasister, Part-time PokéFreak

top 3 most uninteresting microcelebrities

Part-time Pegasister, Part-time PokéFreak

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Part-time Pegasister, Part-time PokéFreak

I am.

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Has a tendency to figure things out

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