Pokemon fangames that are not made in RPG Maker.

Some time ago a user named IIcolour Spectrum created a tool called Pokemon Unity, intended to create Pokemon fangames in Unity as an alternative to RPG Maker and Essentials.

However. Nobody was interested in using this framework to create Pokemon fangames and do things that in RPG Maker could not be done like using 3D graphics and moving the camera.

There is only a playable tech demo of the project itself and I was impressed by how smoothly it ran. Not like in Essentials that ran very slow and consumed too much RAM.

The source code of this framework is available on GitHub. But it didn't help either, because the Dittoware derivative project of Dimbus Maximus ended up abandoning its development and that was going to implement 3D models of Gen 6 and 7. And the Pokemon Unity Redux, another derivative project that is being done in Discord is progressing very slowly.

There is another project in Unity called Pokemon Battle Simulator by AJ20, but it is focused only on battles, like Pokemon Showdown, as its name suggests. But just like Pokemon Unity from IIcolour Spectrum. Its source code is available on GitHub.

So please. What Pokemon fangames do you recommend me that are not made in RPG Maker and not in Essentials and that use another engine more optimized and stable as Unity and that this in a very advanced development and that can be tested and not only show images and videos. And that by using Unity take advantage of many features that could not be done in RPG Maker as 3D graphics and BW style camera movements.

You can try out games made in PSDK - it's an alternative framework to essentials. Despite still being developed in RPG Maker, PSDK games are significantly more optimized and smoother than essentials games.

Pokemon Epsilon is being developed in Unity, however there's no download or release date yet.

Pokemon Uranium got it's first Godot beta released. It's still a 2d engine, I believe, but is still being developed in Godot.

The main reason people didn't use Pokemon Unity was because of the amount of unfinished features. As someone who's done some devving in Unity, it's got a fairly steep learning curve, especially coming from a program like RPG Maker.

The main problem with what you're asking is just the amount of work that needs to be put into a Unity game. With essentials or PSDK, the framework is pretty much already built. Most graphics, and additional scripts are plug-and-play. RPG Maker in general is extremely user friendly, and gives you the bare minimum. In an engine like Unity, you have to develop the code for everything, even stuff included in base RPG Maker. So, development takes.. much longer. Which is why you really don't see Unity fan games. And if you're going to put in the amount of time into building a game from scratch like that, you may as well make a custom game, without Pokemon.

The fan game community is also just so focused on RPG Maker already. With a plethora of custom scripts and active users, it's just the norm. And not many people venture out.

You may want to try looking into any HGSS/DP/BW/BW2 Rom Hacks. I'm not as familiar with roms, so I couldn't really point you in the right direction, but you may be able to find something.

You know I'm one of the people coming from NDS games and I would like to see something similar, but in fangames. Not only in story and gameplay, but also in graphics.

I remember playing Pokemon BW and I was impressed to go to Castelia City with that graphical detail and that camera changes that took advantage of the power of the NDS.

That left me wanting to see something similar, but in Unity or Godot. Because of the 3D graphics and camera movements, it makes me want to revisit Castelia City or a similar city, but in a Pokemon fangame.

But this community doesn't want to retire RPG Maker and neither Essentials for excuses like RPG Maker is easier or because you already have a pre-made base.

If you find it complicated and difficult to program a Pokemon game in another engine like Unity or Game Maker Studio. Why don't you start with something simpler and more basic. Something like recreating Gen 1 and 2 games and learn more about their mechanics. You have to start somewhere.

I see where you're coming from, actually. It would be nice to see more development in DS and 3DS rom hacks/fan games.

Jcaraballo96 said:

But this community doesn't want to retire RPG Maker and neither Essentials for excuses like RPG Maker is easier or because you already have a pre-made base.

If you find it complicated and difficult to program a Pokemon game in another engine like Unity or Game Maker Studio. Why don't you start with something simpler and more basic. Something like recreating Gen 1 and 2 games and learn more about their mechanics. You have to start somewhere.

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Both Essentials and PSDK are getting away from RPG Maker (because RPG Maker has proven its limits).
Regardless neither of them are getting to 3D graphics and there's logical reasons behind it:
- 3D graphics is not entry level thing in making video games. It requires a lot of tooling and knowledge, you can't make a full custom 3D game with just MS Paint and some base framework.
- The market of RPG Maker is shit tier computer. Computer that run on Intel HD Graphics. You can't decently run Unity or Godot on such computer.
- People overall don't have time to do 3D things if they're not getting paid for that. Pokémon fangame cannot provide this.

People tends to not do free work if nobody will use their work.

塗 ゆり said:

Both Essentials and PSDK are getting away from RPG Maker (because RPG Maker has proven its limits).
Regardless neither of them are getting to 3D graphics and there's logical reasons behind it:
- 3D graphics is not entry level thing in making video games. It requires a lot of tooling and knowledge, you can't make a full custom 3D game with just MS Paint and some base framework.
- The market of RPG Maker is shit tier computer. Computer that run on Intel HD Graphics. You can't decently run Unity or Godot on such computer.
- People overall don't have time to do 3D things if they're not getting paid for that. Pokémon fangame cannot provide this.

People tends to not do free work if nobody will use their work.

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Does it mean that I will never see a Pokemon fangame with 3D graphics that is either playable and finished or at a very advanced stage of development?

Please. Don't make me break that illusion. I've seen several indie games inspired by Pokemon and most of them don't use RPG Maker and neither Essentials. A clear example is Temtem, a Pokemon inspired game which uses the Unity engine and uses 3D graphics and it seems they had the passion and motivation to make this kind of game.

But when it comes to Pokemon fangames. They prefer to stick to 2D and pixel art for excuses like their PC is not powerful enough or they don't have the budget to do 3D modeling.

The main games already abandoned 2D graphics some time ago when they moved to Gen 6 to be fully 3D and today look how their latest games are nowadays. I was impressed when I saw the graphical advancement that Pokemon Sword and Shield had when going from the 3DS to the Switch.

If Pokemon had stagnated in 2D graphics, as fangames are currently doing, it would have passed without glory and even would have been the death of the franchise. For not innovating and staying stuck in the past.

I regret it very much. But I'm not going to play any hackrom and I'm not going to play any fangame that is in 2D. If that hackrom is from GBA or the fangame is made in Essentials. Then I'm not going to play them at all.

I will continue to play the original games, as well as spin-off games like Pokemon Colosseum, XD and Stadium 1 and 2.

I'll keep waiting to see if this community matures and stops using RPG Maker and Essentials for Pokemon fangames. And then move on to Unity, Game Maker Studio, Godot or any game engine that is superior to RPG Maker. Although that means waiting until 2030 maybe.

Jcaraballo96 said:

Does it mean that I will never see a Pokemon fangame with 3D graphics that is either playable and finished or at a very advanced stage of development?

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No, it just mean you'll probably never se a tool that is made for that.

I've seen several indie games inspired by Pokemon

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Well, those are the one who matured. They are not infringing copyright so they can sustain and go further.

They prefer to stick to 2D and pixel art for excuses like their PC is not powerful enough or they don't have the budget to do 3D modeling

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It's not really an excuse, it's more a fact. I've encountered countless of people who tried to use RM engines over a Windows 7 computer that doesn't even support OpenGL 2.0.

Regarding budgeting, I would say, it's hard to have money to pay a 3D artist when you're 14 yo or unemployed ^^
If you have the mean to pay a 3D artist, then you don't make a Pokémon fangame because it's a complete waste of money, you should make a game like Tem Tem.

1. Infinity Island
2. Generations
3. Generations Reboot
4. 3D
5. Wilds
6. Revolution Online

From top of my head. The first three use more 3D features.

塗 ゆり said:

The market of RPG Maker is **** tier computer. Computer that run on Intel HD Graphics. You can't decently run Unity or Godot on such computer.

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This isn't true. I ran Unity games and engine quite decently in PCs who have Intel HD Graphics and 2 Gb of RAM in the past. I even used on a PC with 256 Mb of RAM (but ran badly). All depends what game are made, how many triangles were rendered at same time and so on. Unity can be used to make different games like Match 3 games, Pokémon Unite and Pokémon BDSP.

I'm talking about the editor. It's not the same thing ;)

塗 ゆり said:

I'm talking about the editor. It's not the same thing ;)

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I know. I'm talking about both game and engine.

I am waiting for Pokemon Epsilon and is being developed in Unity 3D! I believe This game will change the future of Fangames.

I think the main reason fan games in full 3D in general are rare because 1: not all computers or laptops can smoothly run big applications like that, and 2: Copyright is still a thing. If something like a massive open world Pokémon fan game were to be made and the creator of said game let's a few people know about it, its bound to be spread around and get the attention of not only other Pokémon fans, but also Game Freak and they can shut down the project and waste like hundreds of hours of hard work.

I'd personally recommend that if you have the tools and knowledge to make a Pokémon fan game in a 3D engine, then just use your own characters, settings and monster designs.