rom hakin is srs bisns

[Spherical Ice]

Do you taking ROM Hacking seriously? How seriously? Do you think people are too serious? Perhaps not enough? Is your hack/are your hacks lighthearted or serious? Discuss etc.

As I've posted elsewhere, I think what's missing from the Hacking community is fun: people aren't trying to make their games fun, or even have fun making them, but are just trying "the very best, like no-one ever was", and I think that's what causes most hacks to fail. But yeah, what do you think?

2012nd post!

 

[hinkage]

I TRIED TO DO THAT BUT FAILED HORRIBLY AND EVERYONE HATES IT

But yes, too many hacks try to be "too badass" or something. Some games are good because of their dark storylines, but they're not Pokemon GBA graphics (cutscene creativity is pretty limited).

None of us are professional writers, so don't try to make your game be super awesome.

 

[Mana1]

The whole reason I hack is for the fun :3 coming up with ideas and then managing to implement them into a hack is both fun and rewarding.

Saying that I do sometimes get serious with it, normally when a tool explodes and messes things up. However I'm trying to persevere and carry on, although having to repeatedly do the same map does drain some of the fun out of it.

 

[Hacks0rus]

I hack just to put my ideas into something and have fun with my creative side. I go serious because I want it to feel like a genuine pokemon experience rather than a joke, but when I first found out about hacking it was light hearted, until I decided to make a complete game.

 

[Outkin]

I'm starting out hacking, but I take my work very seriously. I check for bugs after every new implant, run into all the walls to make sure they work.....but that's the only serious part.

In the end I want people to enjoy a fun gaming experince, there will be a bit of seriousness (is that a word?) in part of the plot, but (I hope) it won't get in the way of the fun.

 

[Alice]

Rom hacking has always been just for fun for me. I've never seriously tried to make a hack. I just map because I like doing it. lol


(That said, I haven't mapped in forever... I really need to do it again. lol)

 

[GoGoShinyDunsparce]

I'm new to this, but I've started mapping and designing a hack and I've gotta say it's loads of fun in itself. Just getting creative and thinking the whole thing through is really rewarding.
So far I know some of my creativity has had to be toned down a bit to even make the thing ROM-possible, but to be honest, I wouldn't be heartbroken if it turned out I couldn't actually implement and distribute it. That being said, if it ends up giving even one person other than myself a bit of enjoyment then I would be ecstatic.

The fun side is mixed with seriousness though, since I think a Pokemon Game has to be believable and have the right atmosphere or it gets in the way of the whole experience. When I'm playing a hack and I feel some of the dialog has been half-assed, that bothers me a little.

In short, planning it is fun, but especially when taken seriously. I want to surprise people, make them laugh, maybe scare or shock them a little, challenge them but most of all I want to make them think: I just completed a Pokemon adventure, and it was worth my time.

 

[Magius]

I just do it for fun. I never really did any serious hacks, just me messing around with some tools or making my own tools.

Here is something I am currently messing with.

Spoiler:

 

[Dreg]

I'm one of these people that likes to make the rom maps of the games, in hope that they can be made into level editors and other things. And yes, I do take it very seriously. Remember: hex editing is how it started off ;)

 

[blue]

I do mine for fun, no competitiveness.

 

[Cello]

ROM hacking was a lot of fun, and I would say I definitely took it seriously back when I did it, but eventually I just lost all interest in hacking.
I realized I hacked because I wanted to make my own Pokemon game, but it just didn't feel like it was really MY game. Just a game someone else made with slight modifications.
I'd rather work from the ground up rather than start with the foundations that someone else put together.

Not to mention I was very ambitious with my hacks, which is another reason why i'd say I took ROM hacking too seriously. At that point I should have just moved the project over to a game engine rather than hacking a ROM. That or made a small project to start, but that's too normal.

 

[shadowdragon17]

If you want your hack to be any good, or even interesting for yourself, you have to be a little serious, especially with he amount of time and effort it takes to make a new map or new Pokemon. I'm only just starting and it takes forever to make a decent map!

 

[Epitaph93]

I think having fun is more important than anything. If you don't enjoy making the hack, expanding on your hacking abilities, discussing your hack with others, etc. then your hack probably won't finish, and even if it gets release it probably won't be very entertaining. I mean if you don't enjoy the process of creating the hack, how is anyone going to enjoy your masterpiece?

That said, you have to be dedicated. Not necessarily serious, but you need the urge to actually see your creation through to the end. Sure you can have fun and mess around, but in order for everything to run and work smoothly you need to channel that fun creatively.

Food for thought lol.

 

[Biolizard13]

I hack for fun.
I go through and change maps and text to make the game somewhat humorous, but still I don't want any bugs or glitch in the game. It's something I want to show my friends for feedback so I can improve it, kinda like a never ending project.

 

[Mr]

I've just started re-creating my hack that I lost due to computer death! I do find it fun. That is why I do it. I'm not sure if I'll get anywhere with it. I'm not sure if anyone will ever play it, but I'll try to make it somewhat story-less and really fun to play. I can come up with good dialog, but I'm not going to make a plot or anything. My hack will be like this: Get starter pokemon, catch more, battle gyms, challenge the elites, get a little bit more bonus challenges. Thanks for playing!

It sounds boring when I say it like that, but funny dialogue and challenging battles, etc. ... it's not boring. :)

 

[YouListeningROMs]

I, as I do with all my projects, take my ROM hacking very seriously. I think you should apply yourself diligently if you want to get something done.

 

[shinyabsol1]

The only reason I hack is because I enjoy it. When I lose my interest, I won't hack anymore.

 

[newmexico]

I take myself seriously only in that I want to make something worth making if I'm going to spend hours making it. I want to get the most of out my time. But, I mean, come on. It's a pokemon game hack. How seriously CAN you take something like that? :)

Good point about making sure to enjoy what you're doing, though. It's important, and it's easy to forget sometimes. I sure we can all use the reminder every now and then. :)

 

[Eelektross]

My hack...
I remember when I started hacking, I was a train wreck. Everybody is...
So then I decided to make something worth playing.
My hack doesn't start from the ground up, it's not trying to be something other than Hoenn, but it's a new Hoenn while remaining the same.
My hack isn't a hack hack, but it's definitely extremely time-intensive.
The result so far has been what people have described as a quirky and hilarious, yet challenging hack.
Everything is unique while retaining the comfort of the original franchise.
It's how I like to hack, and how I will always hack.
I'm never going to be a Jambo or a Mr Fuji, but I enjoy it, right down to editing every single NPC script.
It's somewhere between a proper hack and a more extensive 386, and I like that, though I hold no illusions about my abilities. ;w;''

In general, people should just try and enjoy their hacking, and take it at a pace they can handle, without straining to meet deadlines or finish by x time, especially those making large-scale hacks. There's no point hacking if you don't, by and large, find it fun, after all, even if there'll inevitably and undoubtedly be boring parts. A game is made or edited to be enjoyed, and that enjoyment should extend to the hacker.

~

 

[Mr. Magius]

Some people take it waayyy to seriously, in that they'll go too far in changing everything without realizing that they're taking away from the quality of the hack. Graphics, for instance, are altered sooo much, and so much effort is put into them, yet the entire point of putting them in (to make the gameplay look better) is forgotten about.

But some people also take ROM hacking too lightheartedly, and will create a hack without any knowledge of how a game's supposed to be. For example, the basic structure of a Pokémon map is often overlooked, such as how trees are placed.

I'd say a fine line between the two (I would consider calling it a 'casual' developer) would be the best state for being a ROM hacker. Having a lot of knowledge about game mechanics, but not putting every ounce of effort and time into the game so that maps and scripts are rushed, should turn out to be a hack worthy of the Hall of Fame.