[Discussion] Using existing lore?

[TBM_Christopher]

So my artist and I recently got caught up in a rather heated discussion about Pokemon lore - not just legends and myths but also canonn, characters, and obscure trivia. For instance, we'vetalked about the presence of cameo characters. He is of the opinion that our fan game's story should not be influenced by existing characters but rather only our own(for instance, a character shouldn't be both a cameo and a gym leader). I've seen interesting things done with existing canon, such as the protagonist being yet another of the Oak grandkids, this time a cousin to Blue and Daisy, or the protagonist being the son or daughter of Volkner, to name a couple. However, where should the line be drawn between canon and "fanon?" Do some traditions need to be upheld, such as identical nurses in each Pokemon Center, or does the nature of the fangame demand that these tropes be subverted? What is truly canon in your game? The anime? The manga? Only the games? Not even them? A mix?

Obviously, there is no hard and fast standard that our games have to conform to, but what do you feel is appropriate? Does Professor Oak have to be the world's foremost expert on Pokemon? Have the events of Pokemon X.D. or Colosseum happened or will they happen? Is Holon a real place? Did Arceus truly create Pokemon, or did they crash to earth in a meteor eons ago? Only the first of these is meant not to be rhetorical, but it's all food for thought in a series that has outgrown a single medium. What lore changes have you made for your game's purposes and why?

 

[Radical Raptr]

Well personally, its best to keep things original, and after you've settled out the big things, you add little things here and there that throw back to the original game, or even others; I've seen little parts of games where they threw in a Triforce on a flag, or mentioned other games' worlds
Its nice and fun to an extent, but when it is the only discernible plot or doesn't even make sense I think its more of an insult to the character than a cameo. It should also make sense in the game; throwing in a character just to have it is a bad idea.

 

[audinowho]

As long as it fits into the artist's coherent vision, I would say there's no problem with it. I actually encourage fan games to go a little outside the norm, personally. It's through that in which a Pokemon fan game is able to do things that no one in the cautiously treading producers of the franchise would reasonably attempt.

 

[Varion Bluefire]

I game I'm currently not showcasing, is related to Pokemon Ruby.

I'm trying to be careful not to dun' goof it so much, in relative to canon events and people.
But so far, only a few old characters such as Maxie and Tabitha from Team Magma appear so far.
And even then they've not changed too much.

But, things I don't like is what you mentioned, Oak having extra Grandkids, or adding children to existing characters.

It's just iffy to me.

 

[FL]

Every game needs a different lore portion, some fit well with even the main aspect different like cost for using the Pokécenter or even an Inn in place of Pokécenters. Others fit well a story with all GYM leader that came to a Pokemon World Tournament like BW2. A random note: isn't strange than only the Kanto Leader that have a look change and even a member change in BW2?

I prefer unique ideas that work, I see no problem in your idea of Oak having extra Grandkids since they aren't introduced as a Blue (the rival) twin, regional champion or similar thing. Anyway I recommend to follow these 3 rules:

1. Don't make too Contrived Coincidences. I mean, not make a character to cross in the way with 30 super-ultra-rare-legendary pokémon plus a pokémon alien. Its strange to friends/rivals end up battling in the first rounds of a random generate tornaiment. One time or other is ok, but every time sounds unnatural. In the same say, Its strange to cross with the same characters (this is even worse if the characters are famous ones) several times without a good reason like they are searching for the same thing.

2. Don't break the characters personality without a very good reason. I've seen some games where the personalities don't match correctly like a Cyrus/N that only wants money, a very arrogant trainer that became a modest researcher.

3. Don't mix anime/game/manga/real world/other world aside for small cameos. I've seen several times people making the exact wolrd in the games but changing Red by Ash, they are VERY different! In the same way, in a world based to anime/game don't make real world/people citations like Lt. Surge, an american that fought in the war, what Game Freak had in mind? Use conterparts like Mt Silver to Mt Fuji.


And yes, the anime break the first two rules.