Pokémon Crescent Dial

[DJTiki]

Welcome to the official Pokémon Crescent Dial thread!

Here, you'll find all the news regarding the game's progress, features, screenshots, questions, and ideas. This has been a work in progress ever since I joined the forums. Technically. This project has seen many different names and iterations. While this particular version of my grand plan hasn't existed for more than six months, the core idea has existed for years. I want you to know that this game will be developed with tender, love, and care. I want to make this thread in order to keep myself in line, make sure that I don't lose motivation, and share my own developments. If you clicked on this thread and read what I had to say, that's all I could ask for. I hope that you all stick with me in these upcoming months!

Thank you!

Table of Contents​

1. [alink id="Introduction"]Introduction[/alink id]
2. [alink id="Story"]Story[/alink id]
3. [alink id="Characters"]Characters[/alink id]
4. [alink id="Features"]Features[/alink id]
5. [alink id="Screenshots"]Screenshots[/alink id]
6. [alink id="Media"]Media[/alink id]
7. [alink id="Soundtrack"]Soundtrack[/alink id]
8. [alink id="Downloads"]Downloads[/alink id]
9. [alink id="FAQ"]FAQ[/alink id]
10. [alink id="Progress Report"]Progress Report[/alink id]
11. [alink id="Credits"]Credits[/alink id]



[A ID]Introduction[/A ID]

From Odd Beginnings

Spoiler:

Imagine.

Imagine a young child, age ten, sitting at their doorstep, closed Nintendo DSi in hand, having recently finished playing their Pokémon White Version for the fourth time. On this very night, a lukewarm evening, the young child slumps on their porch. Beyond their gaze, a crescent moon beams down. It's beautiful. So it has them thinking. They think of many things. They think of a story. A story involving little creatures known as Pokémon. A tale, at the moment, would only be about a boy and his journey across a new region.

Then this child would run into his room for a few hours. A pen in hand and a genius plan, the child would draw the region on scratch paper. Their wastebasket piling scraps of paper after scraps of paper. They finish.​

They are satisfied.​

They label the map. They pencil down each and every finite detail. They were careful. Analytical. Hopeful. Happy. Then they gave each of those little labels meaning a purpose. They thought "a town here would do" and "what if this building was here". They gave each label a catchy name. It wasn't inspired. But something the child may fall back on. As time went on, this idea blossomed. Sooner than later, real life would catch up with them and their ideas would lie dormant for years.​

The first step of this tale began. And all stories mature with time.​

The child is now an adolescent. One day, they scrummage through their belongings as their family moved and found a lonely drawing collecting dust on their shelf. A region map? They instantly remember. That sensation of gratitude. An idea that rested in the back of their mind. But an idea that they had never once forgotten.

This teenager moves. When the last tables are placed inside, the teenager gets back to work. They end up typing up a summary for the game. They created characters. They created protagonists. Antagonists. Allies. Enemies. They wrote lore, not developed, but lore nonetheless. They wondered. Why keep this idea to yourself?

So they joined an internet forum. They chose a unique nickname. Not a good one, but a unique one, nonetheless. They started picking up Game Design. They even joined a group of Pokémon Enthusiasts on a project. Afterward, they would pick up ROM Hacking. Pokémon Essentials. Each day, this idea would blossom more. They would eventually share their idea. Drop the idea. Come up with a new idea. Are they good enough? Would they ever be good enough?

Time passes.

Writes a tutorial. The tutorial is revered by some. The teenager is happy. They start getting into the groove of writing. Study. Study. Study. Meet friends. Meet more friends. Meet even more friends. Begin to write their game idea as a tale. Gain a small following. Learns Photoshop. Writes more. Realizes that they want more than writing. Health issues occur. Discontinues their stories.

They grow into an adult. They mature. They never forget. A story that they always wanted to tell. But most important, the child has learned. The child has learned from their mistakes and possesses all the assets to finally make their dream a reality. Now matured and hopeful, they set out to propose an idea to an audience. Does this audience care?​

Who knows? Do you care?​

A Word From DJTiki

Spoiler:

Ello! My name is DJTiki.

If you hadn't guessed it by now, this story is my story. As my time grew here on Pokécommunity, I always had the most outlandish ideas. Sometimes I would dream up something unfeasible to what is allowed by an arbitrary set of boundaries. However, time passes. And with time, you begin to develop perspective. I never would say that my tastes have become generic or tame.

Vision is what I preach to be the most important aspect of any part of media. I would say that my ideas and my executions have grown more stable— more refined. I no longer have a profile picture of a Gallade, nor is it even my favorite Pokémon for that matter. I put my adventures with ROM Hacking behind me, though I keep the community within close sight. I consider myself an idealist still, but in a different sense.

I'm of course talking about maturity. Don't get me wrong. I still curse with my friends and do questionable things. But I meant that my ideas have a layer of creativity and thought that I feel are absent in some Pokémon fan games.

If I create something, I just don't want it to be another Pokémon journey with another generic villain Team. I never rolled like that. I aim to build something fantastic. I want to construct characters, plotlines, game mechanics, and ideas that make you think. Not in the "Portal is a very hard puzzle game" type-of-think, but in the "Can I relate this fan game to something in my life" type-of-think.

Why do I tell you this?

Without attempting to sound pretentious, I think if you understand my end goal, you'll hopefully keep an open mind about the topics I want to cover in this fan game. I don't want this game to come off as "edgy" or "trying too hard". I want this game to make you THINK-think. Not the regular think. Anyways, thank you for reading this very long post. I'll stop talking and let my ideas do the yapping.

With that all said, I hope you all enjoy!​

[A ID]Story[/A ID]

CLOCKWORK​

They say that the world both ends and renews when the hand strikes twelve. Buried in the heart of the world rests a mechanism clad in steel and powered by holy Aura. This timepiece moves in a perpetual forward motion, never shifting backwards. Created by Father, it served as the origins of life's greatest mysteries: Life, Will, and Power. The three concepts that humanity has yet to solve. These three ideologies intertwine in what many dub the "Chronicles of Fate." But those are silly names for silly humans.

Personally, I like to call Life, Will, and Power by their true names: Luna, Sol, and Trinity.

The Divine Clockwork, as the humans eventually named, remains unfound. Oral communication shifts to writing communication. Stories that were once revered as the truths of this world devolved into mere fairy tales. And eventually, like The Divine Clockwork, the legend was buried where no Excadrill could ever aspire to excavate. Legends like that ought to remain dormant. As the humans say... sometimes, even ignorance is bliss.

But who knows? Maybe someone will find it one day.​

​

DIALS​

You might have heard about these so-called "keys to divinity." Allow me to put that question to rest.

Yes. Hidden on this planet are "keys to divinity." Shaped as gems of moon, sun, and unity, they represent the concept of the Divine Clockwork. They are a symbol of the flowing nature of time and space. Humans had seemingly stumbled upon these on occasion, reporting on the power that they would grant— the ability to link Pokémon and Human, tying their minds as one. This "Divinus Link" would allow the Pokémon to reach unimaginable strengths more powerful than Mega Evolution.

As word spreads, the Humans found it appropriate to give these artifacts a name. Something memorable. They decided on a simple, yet effective title: Dials. From the dials gathered, they concluded Dials to come in one of three varieties...

The Crescent Dial
The Solar Dial
The Unity Dial

All harnessing a new way to bond with Pokémon. A scary power indeed.​

TWELVE​

Twelve is a magic number. A number which means many things. There are five sets of twelve minutes in one hour. There are twelve hours on a clock. There are twelve months in a year. Twelve inches in a foot. Twelve houses in astrology. Twelve individuals in a dozen. Twelve protectors of the region Champion— eight Gym Leaders and four Elite Four Members. Twelve Dials. Twelve Birthstones. Twelve is a mighty number indeed.

This number weaved its way into every fabric of reality in one way or another. What this number means now is entirely up to speculation. Some wide-eyed mothers started speaking to their children and grandchildren a tale of twelve warriors wielding Dials to abolish evil from the world. It's all just an exaggerated tale of heroism, friendship, romance, and tragedy. Not worth the second read.

But what's a story without the fun?​

MASTERS​

There are special trainers, driven by their will to protect Estino and empowered by the Pokémon at their side. They are called Masters. In Estino, there are twelve Masters in total. They hide in secret areas called Temples, unlike Gym Leaders whom reside in their gyms. Some Temples are concealed within mountains and volcanos. Some Temples are simply mansions.

Masters may only be challenged in their Temples, fortresses ridden with grueling trials. The unpredictability and difficulty of where these Temples lie divided the weak from the strong. Needless to say, few pass all the trials. However, if a Pokémon trainer passes these trials and defeats the Master waiting at the end, they are recognized by their teamwork and power, being awarded an Emblem.

Twelve Emblems. Each emblem presenting the province the Master dwelled in. Can you receive all the Emblems and prove your capability?​

UMBRA​

Where there is light, there is bound to be a shadow created from it. There are those who wishes to have faith in Arceus and his creations, and then there's those who choose to follow his word. People who believe that humans have strayed from their righteous path. To reinstate order to Estino. Where there is light, there is bound to be a shadow created from it. This shadow goes by the name of the Umbra Assembly.

Umbra Assembly works behind closed temples to "purify" the Estino region. They attack without mercy and leave no traces of their names. Umbra Assembly preaches its beliefs that their faith is the only correct devotion. Trainers who have lost their way— Pokémon who have had enough of human oppression— followers of Arceus— all wear the black and golden robe of the Umbra Assembly. Evil has many faces. Not everyone in this group is evil. Perspectives change depending on what side you're on. They truly believe that in order to save the world from itself, it must be reformed in Arceus's vision.

In the name of purity, that is the truth.

​

The only truth.​

ESTINO​

In the epicenter of these threads of destiny is a large region known solely as Estino. Derived from the words meaning "destiny" and "hope," Estino dictates itself as the quote-on-quote "Region of Bonds." Estino is an expansive region with a varied climate, bustling towns, and powerful trainers. As Estino is a substantial region, it was subdivided into twelve provinces: Aivos, Draco, Floresta, Tochama, Chuvago, Irine, Telsa, Crystic, Silenne, Kyroob, Viper, and Skitter. Each province specializing more on one Pokemon type than another.

While these provinces drew borders between different cultures and lifestyles, they also drew borders between where allies and enemies fall. While Estino's trainers all follow the same path and defeat the same twelve Masters, it doesn't stop the borders from drawing comparisons.

Comparisons leads to conflict.
Conflict leads to bloodshed.
Bloodshed leads to loss.

As with all regions, Estino prides itself on its trainers and even more so on the bonds that create them. They are the heart and soul of this region. Never should they succumb to darkness temptations again.

​

May Estino's light forever shine.​

AWAKE​

You wake up.

Your head hurts. Something… happened… you don't know what happened exactly. You remember a voice and… a storm? Maybe. That's the last thing you remembered. Now here you are…

A seventeen-year-old adolescent ready to confront the perils of this harsh world. You meet a family who had "taken you in" after finding your unconscious body on the floor. Thanking their kindness, you decide to temporarily part ways with them. Upon exploring the area for a while, you then find yourself somewhere in a displaced town just adjacent to the Silenne province, home for many Flying-type Pokémon. With no Pokémon, no gear, ragged clothing, tattered memories, and a region that you know next to nothing about, what will you do?

Luckily, I know a certain Professor who can help you get started!​

[A ID]Characters[/A ID]

To be added in the near future...

[A ID]Features[/A ID]

Partake in a deep and enriching narrative.
Pokémon Crescent Dial prides itself on its good writing. Crescent Dial will be released in Acts, which are separated into smaller chapters. The main story will engage players into the world beyond the typical Pokémon formula. Enjoyable characters, expanding lore, awesome character interaction, and even more awaits you! What this game aims to do is to trample on the generic plotlines and tell a tale that is will make the player think as they are immersed in its world. An expansive cast of colorful characters, each with their own goals and aspirations within Crescent Dial. Some are trainers. Some are mentors. Some are coordinators. Some are misguided.

These Chronicles of Fate promises to intertwine your playable character deep within a coherent narrative structure. Play and watch as the mysteries behind Divinity and Dials unravel.

Bond System: An engaging way to interact with characters.
The "Bond System" is a tentative name for an important aspect of Pokémon Crescent Dial. Characters come in different colors, sizes, and backgrounds. Each soul has a different story which they themselves have to journey on their own. But what if you can get involved?

Unearth key details on a character to better understand them as the game progresses. Connect your thread of fate with theirs and see what happens. This Bond System can potentially alter important plotlines, such as which characters romantically pursue each other, if a character gets along with you, and if a said character may live or meet an untimely end during certain scenarios. While Crescent Dial is not a game focused on its choices, it's the bonds you develop with others that truly mean everything.

Voice Acting
You did not read that wrong, Pokémon Crescent Dial aims to provide a fully voice acted cast. With contact already made with aspiring Vocal Performers, this game will feature English acting for most of Crescent Dial's vast cast of characters. There will be special voice acted cutscenes, while the rest of the game features standard text dialogue. It adds another layer to immersion to this fan game that few have tried before! In the future, Crescent Dial also hopes to have character mugshots to further enhance the experience.

Explore the Region of Bonds itself: Estino.
Estino is a large region, which is why exploring every nook and cranny of it is the name of the game. Follow the story path or get lost in the many landscapes that Estino has to offer. It's an ever-changing region with twelve different provinces. Estino promises to be intensely detailed and well-designed. With dynamic changes between day, night, and the seasons, you will never get bored of just exploring for exploration sake. There's always something going on.

Get involved in sidequests, fetchquests, training, and challenging battle competitions. If that doesn't interest you, then Crescent Dial promises a multitude of secrets for the even the most daring! Blending exploration and narrative!

Customization Options
You will be able to change your character's appearance during any point of the game. This ranges from your skin color, gender, eye color, hair style, and the very clothes you wear. Customization allows for full player expressionism of their ideas. Just remember to wear for the occasion, different climates in Estino call for different outfits. Remember to stay safe and stay stylish!

Aura
The colorless metaphysical stream known only as Aura. It flows like water and is powered by the souls of Pokémon and Humans alike. It has many properties as a universal source of energy and the playable character may harness them with enough training. It has many uses for battling, exploring, healing, and communication. While I don't want to give away too much at the moment, Aura will play a large part in how you go about on your journey.

Divinus Evolution
A new type of evolution found only in the Estino Region. With a Dial on hand, it is said that the bond between Pokémon and Human is amplified if the right conditions are met. Divinus Evolution will alter only one key Pokémon into a different form. Every Pokémon has a unique form with their own ability, unique upgrades to their base stats, and a signature move that only their species can possess. Choose your partner wisely. Once you choose one Pokémon to undergo Divinus transformation, there's no going back!

PokéTab
The PokéTab is your best friend. It's a useful device given to you by the Professor, Autumn Redwood. What is it? It's a tablet. It serves many functions. Your PokéTab acts as your menu system, access to your bag and items, access to the region's map, access to the game's options, quest logs for the main story or side missions, a closer look at your Pokémon team, and much more. The PokéTab will there through thick and thin as you dive deep within the lore and story of Pokémon Crescent Dial. It's your best friend with many tricks up its sleeve.

Battle it out with over 700 Pokémon!
It's important that the player has options. That being said, Pokémon from Generations 1 through 6 will be available in some manner. Mix and match up wild Pokémon, event encounters, gift Pokémon, Mythical, and Legendary Pokémon to craft the perfect team. Then take part in any of the difficult battles as the game progresses. Or don't and beat up little trainers to your heart's content.

Updated and refined battle system!
The battling system is still the same Pokémon that you know and love. However, battles are going to be spiced up with the introduction of over fifty new moves, more abilities, new items, more TMs, new forms, re-typings, and modifications to pre-existing Pokémon. These changes are for the betterment of Crescent Dial, establishing a new metagame that you will have to adapt to in order to survive! It's bringing another meaning to the term "the very best like no one ever was."

[A ID]Screenshots[/A ID]

Most of the work done on Crescent Dial thus far was tweaking with the engine...
To be added in the near future.

[A ID]Media[/A ID]

Most of the work done on Crescent Dial thus far was tweaking with the engine...
To be added in the near future.

[A ID]Soundtrack[/A ID]

To be added in the near future...

[A ID]Downloads[/A ID]

There are no downloads, as of yet. :3

[A ID]FAQ[/A ID]

If you are "developing" this game, why stick it with an Idea tag?
Simple. I don't feel right about slapping a "Developing" tag when I do not have screenshots or substantial progress. It might as well be an idea until I prove otherwise.
When will you release it?
I believe there's a rule against asking that. To answer your question, it will be released once it is good and ready! Please be patient.
Is this a ROM Hack?
This is not a ROM Hack. You must have a personal computer (PC) in order to play. Until that day, you'll have to kick back, bear with me, and relax.

[A ID]Progress Report[/A ID]

Spoiler:

August 7, 2016: Memory

[A ID]Credits[/A ID]

​

Pokémon Essentials: Flameguru, Poccil and Maruno
RPG Maker XP: Enterbrain
Pokémon: Gamefreak, Nintendo, Pokemon Company

Credits will be regularly updated...

 

[Wayne18]

Cant wait to see screenshots of the game, this sounds ineresting with a new evolution and Voice acting could be a great addition that no fangame has.

 

[Jefries]

A lot of interesting things I hope this game goes well. Also my eyes the words seem to small for me but that's also because I'm tire have been using the PC too long.

 

[DJTiki]

Just fixed some personal issues regarding the CSS, making the Story and Feature sections a bit more readable and less crowded than they were before. :D Thanks! I will be posting some of my progress soon!

 

[Faendra]

Really promising, want to see more :P

 

[Zodkiel]

This is perhaps the most interesting fan game idea I've seen yet. I wish you luck with your project.

 

[Planetes.]

DJTiki, your game concept looks very promising. As a fan of Pokemon fangames, I appreciate the thought you've put towards designing the game. You don't see this very often. I really liked your personal aside as well, very relatable for me haha.

I do have some critique for what you've presented here, however. The first thing I'd like to mention is that you should consider bringing your storyline down to earth a bit. By this I mean that, while it can be enticing to readers, speaking in riddles isn't always the most effective way to communicate. It would be nice to give some more context to what you've already posted by adding a synopsis of what the early game plot is like. Give readers a better idea of what will actually occur in the game and allow them to speculate on how the more cryptic sections of your post relate to this.

This is a bit of a smaller suggestion but it might be worth altering the names of your provinces 'Feal', Emalf and Retaw'. Simply shifting the words 'leaf', 'flame' and 'water' backwards seems relatively uninspired and jumps out in a post that is otherwise very well thought out. Names with more obscure etymologies like "Caldra" for the fire province [caldera/scald/cauldron] or Marys [marine] would seem a lot more immersive as they aren't easily deciphered, but still carry the meanings of the province's type affiliations.

Finally, I'd like to provide a case against having voice acting in the game. While the prospect may certainly seem appealing, I don't think that it's necessary for telling your fangame's story; it may even be detrimental. There are plenty of cases where poor voice acting actually brought down the quality of otherwise-decent games; there many anime series with poor english dubs as well. And these are with professional actors doing the voice acting. The Pokemon series has also held its own without any voice acting used in the main series games [and many of the spinoffs]. Even if you're not hoping to stick to the series tradition', at the very least this shows that voice acting is not necessary for Pokemon games to convey their story effectively. The same can be said for even some of the most acclaimed, story-driven JRPGs out there. If you want to go ahead with having voice acting, then go for it, I just figured that I'd add a caveat on the subject since it's hard to execute well. Good luck with the game!

 

[DJTiki]

DJTiki, your game concept looks very promising. As a fan of Pokemon fangames, I appreciate the thought you've put towards designing the game. You don't see this very often. I really liked your personal aside as well, very relatable for me haha.

Why thank you! I was actually worried that my personal ramble would come off as disjointed, misplaced, and unneccessary.

I do have some critique for what you've presented here, however. The first thing I'd like to mention is that you should consider bringing your storyline down to earth a bit. By this I mean that, while it can be enticing to readers, speaking in riddles isn't always the most effective way to communicate. It would be nice to give some more context to what you've already posted by adding a synopsis of what the early game plot is like. Give readers a better idea of what will actually occur in the game and allow them to speculate on how the more cryptic sections of your post relate to this.

I'll have to agree with this issue. I think that I can provide an early game plot for you to better understand your situation as the protagonists of the story. Which means I will. :3

This is a bit of a smaller suggestion but it might be worth altering the names of your provinces 'Feal', Emalf and Retaw'. Simply shifting the words 'leaf', 'flame' and 'water' backwards seems relatively uninspired and jumps out in a post that is otherwise very well thought out. Names with more obscure etymologies like "Caldra" for the fire province [caldera/scald/cauldron] or Marys [marine] would seem a lot more immersive as they aren't easily deciphered, but still carry the meanings of the province's type affiliations.

Yeah, I got lazy with those names. I will change them. c:

Finally, I'd like to provide a case against having voice acting in the game. While the prospect may certainly seem appealing, I don't think that it's necessary for telling your fangame's story; it may even be detrimental.

I do believe that there are aspects of Voice Acting that further enhance the experience of the game. There are snippets of dialogue that can't be brought out both emotionally and informatively using visual cues alone. While it is possible to bring the most out without Voice Acting, I don't think that some story-driven games have the extra impact to sell on certain scenarios. Voice Acting prides itself on the delivery of scenes.

There are plenty of cases where poor voice acting actually brought down the quality of otherwise decent games; there're many anime series with poor english dubs as well. And these are with professional actors doing the voice acting. The Pokemon series has also held its own without any voice acting used in the main series games [and many of the spinoffs]. Even if you're not hoping to stick to the series tradition', at the very least this shows that voice acting is not necessary for Pokemon games to convey their story effectively.

That's an interesting article. Then I'll have to assure that the voice acting has quality work. Anime do have bad english dubs, but that's because of poor casting and poor directing, not so much the prospect of Voice Acting in the first place.

Pokemon has held its own fine in the main series titles well without Voice Acting, but that isn't to say that they would never benefit from having it. It's an odd case. Pokemon hasn't had voice acting before, but they never exactly tried either. (Note that my knowledge of Pokemon Voice Acting spans to the main series titles, not the spinoffs.)

The same can be said for even some of the most acclaimed, story-driven JRPGs out there. If you want to go ahead with having voice acting, then go for it, I just figured that I'd add a caveat on the subject since it's hard to execute well. Good luck with the game!

At the very least, I will not make Voice Acting a mandatory feature. After all, if it's only used during certain scenes, then from a Design standpoint, what's keeping the player from just disabling the feature if they do not find it good? This won't most likely change my mind about including Voice Actors/Actresses in the game, but I do appreciate the second opinion. Thank for you taking your time to write this post!

 

[DJTiki]

Apparently double posting is fine as long as you're the thread author...

Hello.
I have updated the story section of the thread, so please read! There is now three new subsections, each giving a brief explanation for what will be replacing Gym Leaders, our antagonists of the game, and your starting position within the game itself.

After careful thinking, the Feal, Emalf and Retaw provinces of Estino are now renamed to the Floresta, Tochama, and Chuvago provinces, respectively. Thank you all for reading the thread. Make sure to come back once I begin posting updates on the gameplay! :3

 

[MasterBallz]

I hope you throw a couple fakemons in this game to show off some unique pokemon from this new region you've made.

 

[Eleanor]

I might as well say that your post isn't displaying correctly - with all of the spoilers closed, the "FAQ" are still overlapping the following post, for some reason.
That aside...

As others have said, this game idea looks very promising indeed. A lot of effort has been put into it, and it shows!

That's a relatable introduction...
I can also relate with your own story, at least partially. I've just started to "work" on my own game after about two years of planning its story and its settings, mainly because I don't want those ideas to remain unused. I'm also one of the readers of what I assume to be your tutorial that has been mentioned here, and that I've found quite helpful.
Also, the fact that you've started thinking about your game after playing Pokémon White is the icing on the cake.

So many cool features!
I'll start with the features that caught my attention immediately, either because they were something unique, or because I considered them for my own game: voice acting, trainer customization, different plotlines, and seasons.
Personally, I don't know much about voice acting, but I can agree that poor voice acting can bring down the quality of this game. On the opposite, good voice acting could make this project even more immersive. And that is why I'm always cautious over adding new features - if the feature is implemented correctly, it'll certainly contribute to make the game even more enjoyable; otherwise, it could just be the only negative aspect of a great project...
Such a detailed trainer customization is another thing that caught my interest, mainly because it looks rather hard to implement in Essentials (unless there is a different way to add this feature, there would have to be an entire set of pictures for each combination of clothes, gender, eye colours...)
Different plotlines are a feature that is also on different games, but, looking at the first post, it seems that this system has the potential to change the story rather drastically. This is not a bad thing, of course - it's a very interesting feature that could incentive players to start multiple save files and spot the differences between each one! The only concern I have with this is that not everyone might be willing (or able) to start a bunch of different runs and finish them all. With that in mind, will this game have fairly similar endings, or should I expect drastically different plotlines?
Finally, seasons... I've considered adding them to my own game, not only for aesthetic purposes but also because I wanted them to influence things like Wild encounters or the accessibility of some areas - and I'd love to see something similar in other games as well. I'll probably make it so that seasons will change also the protagonist's outfit - something that in this game is already handled by the trainer Customization - but what about other characters?
While the other features didn't really stand out to me, this doesn't mean that I dislike them - and all in all, these are just my opinions. The concepts of Aura and Dials, this new big Region to explore, the many changes to the metagame and the Divinus evolutions all promise to be some interesting features!

We'll need explanations
Well, even the story looks interesting. It's also cool to see that it will not follow a traditional plot but rather expand on it. However, I'll have to admit that the beginning of the story didn't quite catch my attention as much as the lore that is behind the Estino region and behind the Dials.
I remember of a bunch of games that begin with the player stranded, or that finds himself in a place he or she had never seen before, struggling to remember what happened to him - of course, this is likely done to give the game a darker atmosphere, and as an incentive to know more about the protagonist's own past. So I can't help but think that, unless there is an interesting explanation to this event that we will only understand as the story goes on, this is a rather unoriginal beginning for such a game.
The Umbra Assembly, however, is a very interesting organization to add in this project. There seem to be some relations to the (real) world's present situation as well, too. Also, I immediately thought about Pokémon Insurgence when I read about them.

I'm almost done...
All in all, this is a very interesting game. I can't help but notice some influences from other projects and fangames, but there are also a lot of unique features and ideas. Good luck with this project - and thanks for reading, too!

 

[DoomDoom]

Wow! This really looks interesting!

...and voice acting? Now, I think thats the first time a Pokémon Fan Game has done that (Don't quote me on that...) really interested to see how it turns out!

 

[Shawn Heatherly]

Sounds like a very ambitious project, and I can't wait to see how development unfolds.

 

[DJTiki]

Progress Report
It took me a while to slap together, but I have recently dreamt up of some early concepts for the "Memory" Screen. This will act as your Load Screen for continuing progress on your game. Thanks to mej71's Multiple Save File script, you will be able to save your game and access these "memories" of your progress via twelve save slots. Do remember that these are early concepts and may not serve as the final design used in-game. These are incredibly early designs and will only serve as a concept to look back on once its script undergoes writing. Note that the placeholder text is simply that... placeholder text.

Thank you for taking your time with me. See you on the next update.