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[Discussion] What about fangames annoys you most? [Aspiring developers look here!]

What is the worst thing(s) about Pokemon fangames?

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Not finishing them.

Good God, not finishing them.

If you don't have a plan to get the entire game done, then don't go around and start something only to drop it at a hat.

Start something? Try as much as possible to get it finished, or hand it over to someone who can finish it.

Not finishing them.

Good God, not finishing them.

If you don't have a plan to get the entire game done, then don't go around and start something only to drop it at a hat.

Start something? Try as much as possible to get it finished, or hand it over to someone who can finish it.
 
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They never get completed.
It annoys me so much when I come across V3.5 (or something like that) of a fangame on the internet and I spend hours trying to find V3.6, only to find out that it doesn't exist and never will.
No original content
If you're making a fangame then at least include something new. The whole point of a fangame is that it is made by you and is new. If everything is the same as previous games then people are going to get bored. I also hate it when people come up with something that has the same features as a pokégear, the same layout as a pokégear, the same purpose as a pokégear, but isn't called a pokégear.
Boring/ overused storylines
Do not create a fangame that has the same basic plot as 86% of all the rest. Add a twist, or make it completely new, just don't keep the same get-a-pokémon-from-professor-tree-defeat-eight-gyms-and-save-the-world-from-evil-team plot.
 
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Stupid games, that have no real direction or story line.
It's like a 1 year old just grabs the computer and mashes it for a while then posts it.
 
Well, I don't like a game being in development for a year or more without even a beta for us to play (Like Blue Chrome). It may be a good game, but hey, we're human, and get bored of waiting.

I like Fakemon. Especially evolutions/pre-evos of existing ones. I'm not as big on Eevee evolutions, but I like the idea of Mettaleon.

I don't like crossovers. I see people making Pokemon with final fantasy characters in it. The only game I played that incorporates Final Fantasy into Pokemon perfectly is Super Pokemon Eevee Edition. I like some things, like Harvest Moon features =3

And last, but not least, Giving up on the project. My laptop crashed and I lost Mint Version. but I got off my @$$ and started from scratch, and guess what? It's better than ever now that I've matured a bit more! I actually planned everything out this time, and I won't lose interest.


I hope people read my comment and agree with me!
 
^ agreed. If you have atleast 30 mins of gameplay, theres no reason not to have a beta.
Not only does it build up hype and satisfy fans, but it also allows people to report bugs and give suggestions.


Minor peeve.

but when people do this on the main posts

Screenshots
Spoiler:


Why the need for the spoiler tag? If the thing is less than 2 lines it doesn't belong in a spoiler tag unless it's really a spoiler. Especially seeing the spoiler tag makes you think theres an image in there... then you become let down by the fact theres nothing. :(
 
lx_theo said:
I just read this entire thread... And, well I'm no longer sure if i learned anything. Actually there is one thing. Grammar, grammar, grammar and grammar some more. Get it right.

Wow do people on Pokecommunity love their grammar.
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I agree. Dont forget that there are many game developers/hackers from other countrys, many of them can not write/speak with proper grammar, including me. But as someone already said, you can get some people to check those things, it's better to aim for the best and make it look professional.
 
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As an aspiring game developer... I've been trying to take as much of this info into account as I can. This thread is very helpful :D!
 
The biggest error for developers/makers is try to do more that they can actually do!
Other thing is lack of commitment. Okay that some developers have contingency, but this aren't reason for even half of topics to be abandoned! You aren't making a game for only you, but for your possible fans, don't disappoint they!
 
FL . said:
The biggest error for developers/makers is try to do more that they can actually do!
Other thing is lack of commitment. Okay that some developers have contingency, but this aren't reason for even half of topics to be abandoned! You aren't making a game for only you, but for your possible fans, don't disappoint they!
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I agree with this, especially about developers who try to do too much which they cannot do. I find it a bit too overwhelming if game developers try to script so many new things into their game, I really feel that it'll end up being saturated in features and the game itself may not be as fun to play, or at least the developer may not think about the playability of the game. They end up adding too many features and the progress of the main part of the game goes nowhere, along with the originality of characters and sprites and things like that. I think some developers may think that one particular skill that they have can make their game popular, be it music, mapping, scripting or their artwork, it seems as if some games are made by developers with skill in one area but everything else does not live up to those skills in hind sight.

I think that lack of consistency in a game bothers me. When I play a demo which has unfinished products in it, I feel a little thrown off. What I mean is, if I expect to play up to the 2nd gym battle, I would hope that almost everything would be as is it is going to be in the final release. But if I see a gym leader with a sprite from another game that has not been finished or some overworlds that still need to be sprited, I wonder why they released the demo instead of getting these small things fixed.

Though sometimes, I think the biggest problem with fan games is the developers. Developers can, at times, feel a little self centered and absorbed in their own ways that they sometimes don't take necessary criticism on their game or have the foresight to see that they cannot make a game alone yet wont get very good help without some talent themselves. The progress of a project really depends on the dedication and the method of the project leader(s). No one should be more dedicated to the game than the person/people who are making it primarily. However, a very good project leader can produce great class in their fan game. But a very good project leader is someone with a lot of skills in the area of game development, and it can be frustrating when you like a project, but you know the leader isn't as dedicated to it as you would hope.
 
The worst thing for me is to redo the very cliché 8 GYM type based and E4 for game again, again, again and again! I think that nintendo should only do this at RBY (because GSC have 16 GYM). People are too occupied on mimic every aspect of nintendo games (even the errors) that go beyond. Makers with this thinking hardly can surpass the nintendo dogmas and make good and innovative games.
If you go to use this cliché at least put some diference like 4/6/10 GYMs or even 16 like Johto, GYM based on other things like weather, region or even real animals like one GYM Leader using primate pokémon like Mankey, Aipom and Monferno.
C'mon everybody, you can think on more creative game styles!
 
In some ways, the closer your game gets to playing like an official Nintendo game, the more likely someone will ask "Why am I playing this when I could be playing a real Pokemon game?"

To avoid this, you have to change things up. To be honest, incorporating 8 Gyms with no new spin should be heavily frowned upon.
 
udivision said:
In some ways, the closer your game gets to playing like an official Nintendo game, the more likely someone will ask "Why am I playing this when I could be playing a real Pokemon game?"

To avoid this, you have to change things up. To be honest, incorporating 8 Gyms with no new spin should be heavily frowned upon.
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Frankly, my opinion is that a "new spin" on things would include NOT making every smegging Gym part of the plot, and NOT having every Gym Leader and Champion getting all chummy with the player. That kind of thing is far too contrived, but sadly it's where the official games are up to nowadays.

Be different. Don't make the player the centre of the Universe.
 
Maruno said:
Frankly, my opinion is that a "new spin" on things would include NOT making every smegging Gym part of the plot, and NOT having every Gym Leader and Champion getting all chummy with the player. That kind of thing is far too contrived, but sadly it's where the official games are up to nowadays.

Be different. Don't make the player the centre of the Universe.
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I don't think the gym system has to go away completely, but I think giving it the same attention that the mainline series gives it would be a misstep. But it is a way of doing progression in terms of field abilities.

I agree though, the player doesn't need to save the world. If I made a pkmn game, it'd be like a mini-tv series revolving around a group of quirky trainers travelling the world and running into random situations and plots. The Gym challenge would be the reason for their travels, but like a tv show, there'd be a lot more going on between those.
 
Maruno said:
Frankly, my opinion is that a "new spin" on things would include NOT making every smegging Gym part of the plot, and NOT having every Gym Leader and Champion getting all chummy with the player. That kind of thing is far too contrived, but sadly it's where the official games are up to nowadays.

Be different. Don't make the player the centre of the Universe.
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Maruno didn't like predestination XD, but I agree and this is one of reasons that I didn't like the anime.
But the point is that the big list of unique legendary pokémon (53), is almost impossible to player met/caught at least half.
 
Budgie_boy said:
I totally aunderstannd how you feel but I mean, Pokemon games have copied the same storylines as well, I mean if you look at the storyline in D/P, - it's exactly the same as R/B/G/Y, it's nintendo you should be telling about it.

With the storylines though, to me they work well - It's a sturdy and very consistent story no matter which game you play and the fan games (In my opinion) should reflect Nintendo's work and maybe even make it better but I don't think it bad for games to be original like save whoever from darkness realm or whatever.

About the Player speaking, it's true as well - when you give someone a voice it gives them a linear attitude along the whole game. That's why I especially like games that allow the player to have choices and whatever choices you make lets the NPC's interact in different ways to the main character.

So guys who ar making games (sorry about the typos), it's YOUR game, YOU are the fan so you do what you want with it, just as long as you finish the game...
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Well I don't think a Pokemon fanmade game can ever be complete because if your game is successful then you will have years of players playing your game.Over time the game would get boring if you don't add stuff, for an example:"I beat the last gym, achieved all rare Pokemon, and got all the rare items.Now that there is nothing left but just PvP battles I will play other games.".A metaphor?: You slowly climb down a small 100Ft hole to find treasure, you can't bring the treasure back so you climb out of the whole with nothing and find other treasure.Maybe this is the reason why Nintendo has never made a Pokemon MMO game yet because less console game profits and people would get bored of Pokemon over the years of playing it.I think us Fangame makers could find 1000 ways to keep the players happy and satisfied for years.We just need to study life more since Pokemon is based off of life(Real life legends like Mawile, manectric, raikou ect.Bulbapedia and their infos check out them.)

Thank you people for your opinions.I have learned a lot reading all of your thoughts.This can help my future game a lot.Anyways i'm studying what catches a player's attention when playing a game.I am adding features to my game, examples:Makes you feel like you have more control, express your feelings more, get addicted to many things in this game, living, taking care of your Pokemon, lots and lots more.I studied Pokemon anime and I will be adding lots of stuff ha ha.I worked on a lot also but just giving out hints for more people creating Pokemon games.Good luck to you all, Ganbarimasu ne!
 
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Can I just add that most of the users on PC still have to go to school/college/university etc. Also the concept of game developing takes years of practice, including all the trial and error on the way.
No, you all may be right that not everyone is an amazing spriter and scripter - Me included - but that's why you have many people working on a project.
What I say is that no matter how annoyed you may be with these little flaws like 'Spelling Errors' and 'Screenshots' is that you have to take into account the amount of time per-week that people have, the pace at which their fangame is progressing. If you support them and give them helpful advice and critique, it may help them correct it.
 
I don't usually play GD games, but I can tell you that when you're using a standard font (Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica, etc.) in your text boxes it looks really bad. Now I'm not saying create a fancy font with fifty serifs every character but do try to make the font look original yet still vaguely Pokémon-ish. (or you could go the cheap way and just use the Pokémon font)

This might seem like a small complaint, but since the only way to convey a storyline in a decent Pokémon-style game is through text, the font plays a key part in giving the full Pokémon vibe, while still being an original and fun game.
 
I don't see the problem with Fakemon, to me basically everything after Generation 3 is a Fakemon, and many of the ones on this site have way more originality than the Gen IV and V Pokemon.
 
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