[Question] What are the "rules" for start to made a fangame?

[Vyniz]

Hi! I want to made a pokémon fangame with 4gen's graphics, I have ideas like doubts about rules... What are the "basic rules" for a fangame? something like the "escense of a Pokémon game".

I want to delete HM and remplace it with items or another thing, add side-quests, start with the Starter previously choices and don't go to a lab for it, remplace the Pokémon Professor's intro with another thing like a TV show of him/her or a personal visit, add choices that affect the course of story to unchain in different ends, add a (free) DLC system, and others things that I can't remember now.

Another thing that I would like to know about rules is story... What are the banned things? like "this ruin the story".

About music... It's okay add music from others game in a pokémon fangame? And music from others gen?

And now, the rules about graphics... Is weird mix 4gen's graphics with 5gen's? and, I can mix D/P/Pl's graphics with HG/SS's?, this because the graphics that I want are from 5gen (Relic Castle, for example) but is very difficult for me to rip the ROM for create the tiles I want, so I have the idea of mix some graphics from 5gen (like the Relic Castle) with some graphics from HG/SS and D/P/Pl.

And that's all for now, thanks for reading :)

 

[Henny4315]

As for graphics, I don't believe two generations can be mixed together, but D/P/PL and HG/SS can be mixed together.

 

[Zephdo]

For using resources/materials made by others (graphics, music, concept, script etc.), make sure that the creator permits use of their work. Some require credits, some don't let others use their materials if the project your working on is accepting money donations or you're making profit from it, some don't allow their work to be "modified".

As for proper credits, I still have no idea how to do that specially with CC4.0 Music I've found on the web. (Soundcloud and other related sites are a good start)

 

[Vyniz]

As for graphics, I don't believe two generations can be mixed together, but D/P/PL and HG/SS can be mixed together.

For using resources/materials made by others (graphics, music, concept, script etc.), make sure that the creator permits use of their work. Some require credits, some don't let others use their materials if the project your working on is accepting money donations or you're making profit from it, some don't allow their work to be "modified".

As for proper credits, I still have no idea how to do that specially with CC4.0 Music I've found on the web. (Soundcloud and other related sites are a good start)

Thanks guys! I'll be careful with that

 

[ItzSid]

When it comes to game mechanics I recommend that you do not instantly start on your game. Watch tutorials online and do some experimental games to get some ideas of what could work in the game you want to make.

Storywise I'd recommend that you write the story before you start working on the game. Make a script that the game follows. Making things along the way can make the story inconsistent.

When it comes to music you should be good using any of the music from the main games, considering it's a fan game of it. You should ask for permission from anyone else though.

Graphicswise you could either stick to one of the main game's graphics or hire someone from deviantart or something to make some for you.

This reply is a little bit rushed, so if you still have questions, just ask :)

 

[Vyniz]

When it comes to game mechanics I recommend that you do not instantly start on your game. Watch tutorials online and do some experimental games to get some ideas of what could work in the game you want to make.

Storywise I'd recommend that you write the story before you start working on the game. Make a script that the game follows. Making things along the way can make the story inconsistent.

When it comes to music you should be good using any of the music from the main games, considering it's a fan game of it. You should ask for permission from anyone else though.

Graphicswise you could either stick to one of the main game's graphics or hire someone from deviantart or something to make some for you.

This reply is a little bit rushed, so if you still have questions, just ask :)

Hi! and thank you!! I understand all, but I have a question about the experimental game thing, I can't start with my first project and leave it for later meanwhile I do different games? :o

 

[ItzSid]

Hi! I mean you can, it's all up to you in the end. Personally I find it dificult leaving a game and then going back to it. I think its better to make some small mini games where you try out some stuff and see if you like it, the more you try before the more stuff you can try and later use in the game. You can 100% start on the game first if that's what you want! You can figure thing out on the way as well.
So if you want to do that, then go for it! :P

 

[aveontrainer]

There are some people who are fantastics and will crucify you if you mix different generations. I for one could care less about it. I love the nostalgic look of gen 3 overworlds. But I love the freedom of gen 4+ tilesets. Especially using Essentials. So for my game all of my characters are gen 3 sized. My tilesets are gen 3 sized but not limited to those colors. My trainer battle sprites are Gen4+ to me they just look better that way. My icons are all Gen4+. Gen 3 didn't have battle backgrounds per say. But I'm making them for my game. I just love the look of battle backgrounds in game. So its really up to you as far as style goes. The one thing I will say is don't mix tiles with and without outlines and don't mix generic RPG Maker tiles with Pokemon style tiles. That looks terrible. As far as the game goes I would say make test maps first. Practice events on them. You can always copy those events into the actual game if you like how things come out. I had mapped and evented a pretty big portion of my game when I first started making it. It looked too generic for my taste. I ended up scrapping the whole game after accidentally permanently deleting the tileset I had been working with. But I'm okay with it because my tilesets have completely changed. Which changed everything about the game. Which is why I recommend making test maps first. Your ideas for the game may change.

 

[Keileon]

Done well and carefully, I daresay you can mix tiles from gens 3-5 without people noticing as much. In Sardonyx, we're mostly using gen 5 style tiles and overworlds (with gen 4-5 style battler sprites) but with some buildings and environment carefully chosen from gen 4, and a good number of decorations from gen 3. The issue usually comes in the color palette and resolution on the gen 3 assets: a lot of things are smaller because gen 3 had smaller character sprites. But take a sign, some floors and walls, the occasional truck or lightpost and recolor them to match the rest of your tiles? People won't notice, not to the point that it becomes jarring.

Gen 4 and 5 are easier to mix, but buildings in gen 4 have smaller doors for the same reason they do in gen 3.

 

[Vyniz]

Hi! I mean you can, it's all up to you in the end. Personally I find it dificult leaving a game and then going back to it. I think its better to make some small mini games where you try out some stuff and see if you like it, the more you try before the more stuff you can try and later use in the game. You can 100% start on the game first if that's what you want! You can figure thing out on the way as well.
So if you want to do that, then go for it! :P

Ok, I will try to do something like that, because I make sure don't make mistakes in my main fangame, thank you! :)

There are some people who are fantastics and will crucify you if you mix different generations. I for one could care less about it. I love the nostalgic look of gen 3 overworlds. But I love the freedom of gen 4+ tilesets. Especially using Essentials. So for my game all of my characters are gen 3 sized. My tilesets are gen 3 sized but not limited to those colors. My trainer battle sprites are Gen4+ to me they just look better that way. My icons are all Gen4+. Gen 3 didn't have battle backgrounds per say. But I'm making them for my game. I just love the look of battle backgrounds in game. So its really up to you as far as style goes. The one thing I will say is don't mix tiles with and without outlines and don't mix generic RPG Maker tiles with Pokemon style tiles. That looks terrible. As far as the game goes I would say make test maps first. Practice events on them. You can always copy those events into the actual game if you like how things come out. I had mapped and evented a pretty big portion of my game when I first started making it. It looked too generic for my taste. I ended up scrapping the whole game after accidentally permanently deleting the tileset I had been working with. But I'm okay with it because my tilesets have completely changed. Which changed everything about the game. Which is why I recommend making test maps first. Your ideas for the game may change.

Done well and carefully, I daresay you can mix tiles from gens 3-5 without people noticing as much. In Sardonyx, we're mostly using gen 5 style tiles and overworlds (with gen 4-5 style battler sprites) but with some buildings and environment carefully chosen from gen 4, and a good number of decorations from gen 3. The issue usually comes in the color palette and resolution on the gen 3 assets: a lot of things are smaller because gen 3 had smaller character sprites. But take a sign, some floors and walls, the occasional truck or lightpost and recolor them to match the rest of your tiles? People won't notice, not to the point that it becomes jarring.

Gen 4 and 5 are easier to mix, but buildings in gen 4 have smaller doors for the same reason they do in gen 3.

Thanks to both of you for the advices!, I will follow them :)

 

[silver-wind]

I'd join a team, to practice how to design a game/ use RMXP/hack ROMs.. and you'll have someone to ask if you get stuck.
you can join me if you'd like. I'm doing a quick game for practice, and releasing it in 2 weeks (from now).