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Thing is I didn't even choose Insane :( I picked the difficulty that's not the hardest nor the easiest (don't remember how it's called), but allways playing with Battle Style Set and without using Trainer items. Because I know I could just cheese with potions/revives, or change battle style to switch, but my idea was to enjoy challenging yet fair battles.
I don't want to lower the difficulty either because the difficulty decrease is permanent, and I believe the difficulty of the "normal" in-game trainers is fine, so I don't want the whole game to become easier since my main issue so far were gym leaders' bizarre gimmicks.
I'm guessing you're playing on Expert/Hard then? You should read the FAQ. It says you're basically expected to switch up your team between boss fights for that difficulty.
Does anyone know where to find summer deerling? Pokedex said it's in Route 12 but it doesn't appear on the Dexnav?
Also, is there an IV Perfecter in this game?
Thing is I didn't even choose Insane :( I picked the difficulty that's not the hardest nor the easiest (don't remember how it's called), but allways playing with Battle Style Set and without using Trainer items. Because I know I could just cheese with potions/revives, or change battle style to switch, but my idea was to enjoy challenging yet fair battles.
I don't want to lower the difficulty either because the difficulty decrease is permanent, and I believe the difficulty of the "normal" in-game trainers is fine, so I don't want the whole game to become easier since my main issue so far were gym leaders' bizarre gimmicks.
The 7th gym for me was actually a cake walk, I steamrolled through it with cradilly with "water absorb" on a stockpile, giga drain, energy ball and ingrain w/ held item bigroot and my trusty ferrothorn with its rocky helmet/iron barbs combo with ingrain/curse(amazing move for this 'mon) powerwhip/iron head and she couldn't do F ALL about my typing matchups. Also, you can have a LOT of fun with this gym and create some really OP type matchups which I had LOADS of fun with, such as making "Araquanid" a "Water/Steel" type with "Water Bubble" ability for 10 Resistances OR "Water Absorb" if you want a min that has 11 RESISTENCES + 2 IMMUNITIES, using moves like Iron Defence and absolutely SMASHING the hell out of her mons with moves like Hyro Pump which has 220 BASE Damage before even factoring in SEA Incense or mystic water for another 20% damage haha, absolutely awesome fun Araquanid becomes a hulking tank with that typing lol.
It's fun, honestly, if you take a moment to just look at it an get a little creative with mons and moves, gym 6 and especially 7 are easy to annihilate :).
Skeli and people i think that i have found a bug in the game.
I think that the outcome of some actions in the game is pre-determined at the point you enter the battle.
To be exact i saved before having a den battle. After defeating the pokemon and throwing the ball to catch it, it would not be caught every time however many times i reset the game. And i noticed also that each and every time the ball would move two times exactly.
I tried it then with grass. I saved every step until the step i got an encounter. I reset the game and voila i had a first step encounter again. Any time i reset i got an encounter first step.
Then i tried it in battles. Let's stay that i start a battle and save state in my Myboy android emulator. If on turn one i got a critical hit, every time i reset i would get the critical hit. If an opponent's pokemon move did let's say 54 damage, every time i reset would do the exact 54... If let's say a nidorino used a 30% accuracy horn drill successfully, every time that i'd reset the horn drill move would hit making it act like a 100% accurate move. Like it was destined my pokemon to die once the battle started at the specific frame. It is like RNG have no meaning.
I feel that possibilities are set once you enter an event either it is a den , wild or NPC battle. Did anybody else notice it? And if so is it a bug or is it something on purpose done to reduce cheating the game?
Thing is I didn't even choose Insane :( I picked the difficulty that's not the hardest nor the easiest (don't remember how it's called), but allways playing with Battle Style Set and without using Trainer items. Because I know I could just cheese with potions/revives, or change battle style to switch, but my idea was to enjoy challenging yet fair battles.
I don't want to lower the difficulty either because the difficulty decrease is permanent, and I believe the difficulty of the "normal" in-game trainers is fine, so I don't want the whole game to become easier since my main issue so far were gym leaders' bizarre gimmicks.
I played in Casual, and everything was Fairly easy, and the extra advantages the Leader had were not a superb issue in Casual mode, I reccomend Casual , as the AI is pretty good, even in Casual, and obviously Gym Leaders and E4 have some Broken advantages in their side !
I played in Casual, and everything was Fairly easy, and the extra advantages the Leader had were not a superb issue in Casual mode, I reccomend Casual , as the AI is pretty good, even in Casual, and obviously Gym Leaders and E4 have some Broken advantages in their side !
Thanks for the suggestion, but rather than playing on Casual I'd just play something else that's challenging but fair. Like I said I don't want the entire game to become easier because my main issue is the gimmicky "boss fights", not the game's overall difficulty. Don't know how many people liked Inverse Battles but to me that was one of the dumbest ideas in Pokémon games ever, and this game has a gym that forces you to play around that mechanic.
Already checked on Youtube to see if the Elite Four also do these things, and yes they do (and also resort to spamming Legendaries on top of that). Fighting a Ghost-type E4? well surprise, there's some weather(?) that makes Ghosts take less damage...
That's not genuine challenge, that's basically designing the opponent's team around some 'illegal' advantage to destroy yours. It's like if I wanted to do a Fire-mono run and put a cheat code so that there's allways harsh sunlight.
I'm guessing you're playing on Expert/Hard then? You should read the FAQ. It says you're basically expected to switch up your team between boss fights for that difficulty.
Expected to switch up teams, yet the game isn't precisely friendly towards team building.
There are other rom hacks / fan games with features like: Free move relearner, easier EV training, things like IV perfecter and Nature changer not being post-game exclusive, etc.
Thing is I didn't even choose Insane :( I picked the difficulty that's not the hardest nor the easiest (don't remember how it's called), but allways playing with Battle Style Set and without using Trainer items. Because I know I could just cheese with potions/revives, or change battle style to switch, but my idea was to enjoy challenging yet fair battles.
I don't want to lower the difficulty either because the difficulty decrease is permanent, and I believe the difficulty of the "normal" in-game trainers is fine, so I don't want the whole game to become easier since my main issue so far were gym leaders' bizarre gimmicks.
Ok I think you are playing on expert mode (1 level below insane level). I was playing on the default which is slightly easier than expert mode (my entire team can have hold items). I think the gym battles were pretty well the same on both modes, I usually use offensive Pokemon but I think on the harder modes it's best to use a combination for both offensive and defensive Pokemon. I managed to complete the main game with my team however I did have to use a few revives/max revives and heal items. Luckily I kept a pretty steady stock of them (limited my purchases for the first little while).
Just stick with it, this game is meant to be challenging although some of the puzzles I need help with not because I don't know what to do but rather the physical limitations with my hands and the fact I'm using MyBoy emulator on my Samsung tablet. (My daughter has to help with some of those).
I must be losing my mind, but I cannot find a way to patch the rom. I've tried NUPS, tsukuyomi, and Lunar IPS, but none of them seem to be working. I know HOW to patch a game like this- I literally just did it with Pokemon Radical Red, but for some reason the file for Unbound is not showing up. I downloaded the file from the opening post, and I even got the right Fire Red rom, the Fire Red (U)(Independent) one.
I also didn't find a readme file in the download I got, so maybe I'm missing something, but I'm honestly really confused and would appreciate any help I can get, since I REALLY want to try this game out. Thanks in advance!
Hello Pokécommunity, my name is Skeli and this is my one and only ROM Hack. I began ROM Hacking seriously in 2016, and since then I've written various ASM routines, created the Dynamic Pokemon Expansion for FireRed, and created the Complete FireRed Upgrade alongside ghoulslash.
After much time, I am proud to announce that Pokemon Unbound is finally ready. There are now two fully-featured versions available:
The first is the main game, a story driven game with complex puzzles designed to test the limits of your patience and perseverance. Once you clear the main campaign, there is also a significant amount of post-game content to enjoy for weeks to come.
The second, known as the Battle Frontier Demo, showcases Unbound's battle engine by granting unrestricted access to the Battle Frontier. This version was created in the format of a mobile game; meaning daily rewards, monthly distributions, and unlimited playtime. If you enjoy battling, then you'll find no shortage of things to do with the over 100 different possible battle combinations. For a fair battling experience, I recommend this version over the main game's Insane difficulty - a difficulty designed around unfair challenges.
With that being said, enjoy Pokemon Unbound!
Story
Welcome to the Borrius Region, a region rich in history. Many years ago the Borrius region fought a brutal war with the Kalos region. The people of the Borrius region summoned a dark force to help them defeat their enemies; however, the war ended in defeat when the king of the Kalos region unleashed the ultimate weapon. With the war over, the dark force was sealed away never to be used again. Many years later, an organization known simply as "The Shadows" seems bent on releasing the dark force once again. It's up to you to stop them and save the Borrius region from ultimate destruction.
Features
A Powerful Engine: Pushing the Complete FireRed Upgrade to its maximum potential, Pokemon Unbound contains a custom battle engine on par with Gen 8, as well as many quality of life features that improve the gameplay experience just waiting to be found. Enjoy catching all of your favourite Pokemon, from Gen 1 up to Gen 7, while using all of your favourite moves and abilities from each of these generations!
Features Galore: Pokemon Unbound is also chock full of features to enjoy, such as Unlimited Bag Space, Auto-Run, DexNav, Daily Raids, Inverse Battles, and much more!
A New HM System: Have access to all of your favourite HMs without the hassle of carrying HM slaves! As long as your Pokemon can learn an HM, they will be able to use it in the overworld, and once you purchase the brand new key item - the ADM in the post-game, enjoy battling with all six Pokemon from your favourite team regardless of the HMs they can learn!
Updated Graphics: Sporting Gen 4 graphics in the overworld and Gen 5-esqe interfaces, in addition to a dynamic day and night system, Pokemon Unbound has a brand new, yet familiar feel! You're not in Kanto anymore!
Difficulty Modes: Choose from up to four different difficulty modes! Ranging from Easy to Insane, you can either sit back and relax or get your teeth kicked in by a completely brand new AI system!
A Unique Mission System: Pokemon Unbound contains over 75 unique Missions to complete! Mission progress can be tracked using the new Mission Log, in addition to extra details, such as which items have been found in collectathons!
Character Customization: Choose from up to 300 different combinations of skin tones, hair colours, and outfit colours! Unleash your fashion sense!
Daily Events: There are plenty of events all over Borrius, many of which can be experienced daily, and some can only be found at certain points in the day! Play throughout the day to experience them all!
Exciting Mini-Games: Play exciting mini-games such as Safari Sniper and Underground Mining!
Challenging Puzzles: Put your brain to the test, and find ways to solve many of the unique and complex puzzles littered throughout Borrius!
A Rich Post-Game: Spend hours after the main campaign battling in Pokemon Unbound's battle facilities, completing Missions, mining in the KBT Expressway, catching Legendary Pokemon, and so much more!
A Custom OST: Enjoy over 50 unique songs composed for Pokemon Unbound, each as brilliant as the last!
Screenshots
Videos
Special Thanks
• Golche for sprite work, feedback, music and bug testing, and all around good work.
• RowdyHD for the logo and support art.
• Theharth for many things such as testing, trainer text, menial labour, etc.
• Blanders, Humanly, Potatoboss, TimelessHeir, and PhazonRuler for astounding music composition.
• Nex for sprites and making the amazing title screen background.
• Criminon for plenty of sprites and UI designs.
• Dr. Fuji, Hillsy13, and U.Flame for their great mapping work.
• Kamina for great sprite redesigns.
• Lixdel for helping with a ton of stuff, including move animations, data insertion, and thorough bug testing.
• Gail for helping test the CFRU in its infancy and plenty of bug testing afterwards.
• Patrickz for in-depth bug testing and AI suggestions.
• HnzMtthw for a great job bug testing and designing concept art.
• Sevenk for a great job bug testing and offering suggestions for improvements.
• Strudelmuffin for coming up with some great late-game puzzles.
• Noodlewhiz for handling bug reports and his research into the correct mining implementation.
• Phantom Phoenix for his VS fix and other early ROM Hacking help.
• Achromatic for his CSS Template as a Base.
• PRET for their astounding work with the decomps, a large reason Unbound is where it's at today.
All of the bugs and changes from the official games are listed in the attached readme file. If you find a bug not mentioned, please report it in the hack's Discord channel.
FAQ
Spoiler:
Gen 8?
Just battle mechanics. There are more than enough Pokémon in the game without them.
Is there documentation regarding Pokémon locations?
I haven't formally written one up yet, so for now use the DexNav and Pokedex Area map to locate Pokémon.
Is there documentation regarding collectable locations?
Any collectables (such as Zygarde Cells, Legendary Portals, TMs, etc.) have their details recorded in the Mission Log when you find them. Talk to other people who've played the game, and they may be able to help you out with the ones you're missing.
Which difficulty mode should I play?
• Easy: More in line with official game difficulty. Play this if you like over leveling or just want to play a game without worrying too much about the battles.
• Default: You're looking for something slightly harder than default Pokémon games, and don't mind losing boss battles once or twice to force you to rethink your strategy with the same team.
• Hard: Not as difficult as some other hacks out there, but you'll need to think carefully about your team composition before boss battles. Only four items max can be used in Trainer battles in this mode. Bosses generally have Pokémon with a full set of EVs, although the movesets don't differ much from default.
• Insane: As hard as if not harder than other certain hacks out there. Items can't be used in Trainer battles, and bosses all have a team with competitive movesets and full EVs.
How does Exp. work in this game?
• The game uses the BW scaled experience system. Meaning, if your Pokémon is a higher level than the Pokémon it defeats it will earn less Exp., and if it's at a lower level it will earn more.
• The Exp. Share is enabled by default and can be disabled in the Options Menu.
• Because of the Exp. Share totally screws up the level curve, the game uses a dynamic levelling system (based on the relative strength of your entire team) for both Trainers and wild bosses (if you're playing on Easy, just wild bosses). This ensures that random Trainers always stay a few levels behind you (assuming you're ahead of the base level curve), and Gym Leaders' or Boss' strongest Pokémon will always be one level higher than your highest. However, there's a certain threshold from your strongest Pokémon that your team members are only taken account of if their level falls within this threshold. Because of this, it's unwise to try and power through with only one Pokémon, since that Pokémon alone will determine the level curve.
Where are all the Z-Crystals?
Most of the type-specific Z-Crystals are given out in the post-game by the Gym Leaders and Elite 4 at the Magnolia Café. The remaining 5 (Icium Z, Firium Z, Poisinium Z, Psychium Z, Rockium Z) are mostly obtained in the post-game through a variety of different methods. The Icium Z is the only one of these that can be obtained in the main game, it is just extremely difficult to obtain. The signature Z-Crystals are mainly found behind tablets, but the Pokémon they apply to either can't be obtained in the main game or are only obtained extremely late in the game. Any signature Z-Crystals not found behind tablets can be obtained from various NPCs in the post-game.
Why are most of the Z-Moves reserved until the post-game? Why not replace the Gems obtained in the Gyms with the Z-Crystals? Why can't you use Dynamax in Gym battles?
First of all, having Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, and Dynamax available in Gym battles is just a bad idea. There's way too much going on in one battle. Second, both mechanics just aren't properly balanced. Using Z-Crystals is basically the same thing as strapping a nuke to a Pokémon, while Dynamax was not balanced at all for single battles. For these reasons, they are relegated mainly for bonus content. In terms of the main game story, you don't ever need to worry about encountering these mechanics (although, the Gym Leaders do use Z-Moves if you're playing on Insane mode).
The Dowsing Machine keeps disappearing every time a textbox opens! How can I use it quicker?
For this exact reason, the L-Button Mode2nd Reg Item was included. The best thing to do would be to set the Motorcycle as the first registered item, set the Dowsing Machine as the second, and change your L-Button Mode in the Options Menu to the aforementioned.
How can I Dive underwater?
Once you clear the game, purchase an ADM from Captain Davy in Seaport City's shipyard. It costs $500000, so explore the Tomb of Borrius first to find the Relic Items. If you sell those Relic Items to the Billionaire Maniac in Gurun Town, you'll have more than enough money to purchase an ADM.
How can I mine for treasure?
You need an ADM (see above). Once you have one, set your R-Button Mode to Mining Scan, and press R while running up and down the KBT Expressway, exploring underwater, or exploring the side room on the left in Crystal Peak.
Am I actually expected to stand there and save 100 times?
No. Missions like these are meant to reward you for playing the game. I guarantee that if you turn on saveprompts and save with them often, you'll hit that 100 in no time at all, without even breaking a sweat.
Why is the DexNav not given out first thing? In ORAS it's given out almost right away.
In ORAS, the DexNav did not allow you to search for Pokémon before you caught them. Additionally, it was significantly harder to encounter Pokémon in those games. Because of the changes made to the DexNav for the CFRU, it is inherently bad game design to give it out first thing. For example, if the DexNav was given out earlier, you could use the DexNav to encounter a Pikipek with Brave Bird on Route 2, and then obliterate the first Gym with minimal effort. Usually, items like this (such as the Poke Radar) are reserved for the post-game, so I think just before the 3rd Gym is more than a fair compromise.
I have a question about the DexNav.
Everything you need to know about the DexNav is explained in-game. Talk to Nat Log's assistant in Blizzard City and he will explain it to you.
What's unobtainable as of now?
The following Pokémon are still missing:
• Mewtwo
• Latios (if you're a girl) or Latias (if you're a boy)
• Victini
• Genesect
• Marshadow
• Poipole & Naganadel
• Meltan & Melmetal
• Zorua & Zoroark
The following Mega Stones are still missing:
• Kangaskhite
• Mewtwonites
• Salamencite
• Hoenn starter Mega Stones
• Other Borrius starter Mega Stones
The following Z-Crystals are still missing:
• Incinium Z
The following Missions cannot currently be completed:
• Powerhouse of the Cell
• Basic Literacy
The following locations cannot be accessed:
• Most of Redwood Forest
• Cube Corp.
• Battleground
WHERE TO GET ASH-GRENINJA???
Haha, good luck ;)
Where are the Isle of Armor move tutors?
They haven't been implemented yet. See the README for Pokémon that learn these moves now through level-up.
Can I use Pokemon Unbound as a Rom Base?
Just use the CFRU.
What's the difference between the dark and light stories?
Dark is the same general story with more violence. Call it the "edgy" version if you will. There is no blood shown at all, but in general, it's not for younger audiences, so avoid this on lets plays.
Where can I change natures, IVs, and Abilities?
NPCs can do all of these for you at the Battle Frontier in the post-game.
- In the main game, you can earn a single nature change by completing a relatively easy Mission.
- If you bring Bottle Caps to a rich woman in Seaport City after 7 PM, you can have her change IVs for you. Bottle Caps will sometimes be given out as Mission Rewards, but higher star Raid Pokemon will drop them rarely.
- As for Abilities, the Ability Capsule isn't obtainable until the post-game, but there are a couple of opportunities to give your Pokemon Hidden Abilities in the main game.
Where are the rest of the options in the Options Menu?
Press L & R to see more options.
Is any emulator supported?
For the most part, all emulators except No$GBA should be supported. I know there have been issues with the Eclipse emulator and other CFRU hacks, so avoid that as well. The game works properly on real hardware, so feel free to use a virtual console inject! Do note that for now (this has been fixed for the next release) the game will not work with a bios loader (the GameBoy Advance start screen), so avoid emulators that use that.
Fog... really?
Yes, it's the Gym puzzle; it's there to get you to think. You can either solve it (ie. figure out how to work around it) and have a fairly easy time, or you can try to brute force it and suffer at the hands of the RNG in possibly the hardest Gym for you. This second option is obviously not the ideal way, and unless you're playing on easy, you probably won't be able to do it in one shot. There are plenty of NPCs in the early game that'll help you out, so take your time looking everywhere.
My emulator's controls make it hard to do the stealth puzzles.
If your emulator is giving you trouble, just use your emulator's built-in speed-down settings. You may not be used to using it, but it will increase the amount of time you're given to react.
Where are the Dawn, Shiny, and Dusk Stones?
Finite methods include exploring these areas (almost always with HMs or late-game):
• Dawn Stone: Routes 10, 14, & 17
• Shiny Stone: Route 7 (Hidden) Frost Mountain, Vivill Warehouse, Route 17, Crystal Peak
• Dusk Stone: Shadow Base, Cinder Volcano, Frost Mountain, Vivill Woods
Unbound 1.0.1 Original Release Date: December 1, 2020 Update Date: December 3, 2020 Completion: This is the completed version of Pokemon Unbound. A couple of areas from the post-game are still missing, but there is plenty to do in the meantime. Update: Plenty of clarifications and bug fixes.
Unbound Battle Frontier 1.4.5.1 Original Release Date: July 1, 2019 Update Date: August 3, 2020 Completion: This is a demo version that allows you to play exclusively in the Borrius region's Battle Frontier. It contains four battle facilities enjoy, as well as Raid Battles and a Safari Zone demo. Update: Gigantamax, Another PC Box, Bug Fixes, + More (See changelog)
Spoiler:
Unbound Alpha 1.2.5 Original Release Date: December 1, 2016 Update Date: September 10, 2017 Completion: This is a demo version that ends once you enter Valley Cave. It contains two gym badges. Update: New abilities, New Pokemon Selection and Summary Screens, Bug Fixes
Special Distributions
In honour of Pokemon Unbound's official release, December's special distribution for both the main game and the Battle Frontier Demo is a Shiny Floette Eternal! In the Battle Frontier Demo it's holding a Fairium Z, while in the main game it's holding Choice Specs. If you're playing the main game, talk to the green deliveryman on the second floor of any Pokemon Center to enter the password to receive this Pokemon! If you're playing the Battle Frontier Demo, talk to the green deliveryman in the Pokemon Center at the bottom of the Battle Frontier to enter the password to receive this Pokemon!
Password: 1YX5RA7UR9MF Start Date: December 1, 2020 End Date: December 31, 2020
Awards
• HOTY 2019: Most Graphical Appeal
• HOTY 2019: Best Gameplay
• HOTY 2019: Fan Favourite
Probably the best rom hack of all time.Surpassing even glazed and light platinum in my opinion.It would be really helpful if there was a pokemon locations guide.
honestly i disagree, something like Gaia feels more cohesive as a whole
i feel like Unbound is hobbled by poor difficulty scaling mechanics and a mediocre 2edge5me original plot that sits somewhere between Insurgence and Reborn on the "why" factor
but muh technically impressive romhacks must be the best thing ever!
i hope more people provide actual feedback at some point if Skeli decides to make any other romhacks
EDIT: just so i'm not ragging on it completely-i do appreciate what the expressway is trying to do as well as the general lack of HM usage. the missions feature is an interesting addition.
do the levels adjust to just the pokemon on your team? or does it check for every pokemon you own including boxed ones? maybe you can try boxing your starter for a bit and vs seeker grind the lower leveled guys?
i'm already well past dehara and into the next mission a few towns over and i haven't run into one either. we'll need to wait if the creator decides to make documentations. which pokemon do you need evolving?