[Does Playing a Game with the Same Formula Ever Bother You? [POLL]]

I think you mentioned my game, Blitzkrieg, which really doesn't stray from the Pokemon formula. It still has gym leaders, an elite 4, and an evil team, all core concepts of a Pokemon game. It also doesn't even have the more innovative ideas introduced in, say, Reborn, with its field effects.

I don't subscribe to the Yahtzee notion that following a formula=bad (and even then, it's only bad if it's a series Yahtzee dislikes -.-). The phrase "there's nothing new under the sun" comes to mind, and for the most part it's not about being original, it's about putting a spin on something that makes it feel fresh. Mario 3D world is a great example of this, taking the smooth platforming mechanics of Mario games and adding another dimension to it (plus cat suit). It's all about how you execute your idea, regardless of whether it's new or innovative or what have you.

[[Pokémon Blitzkrieg] Critique and Advice Appreciated]

Just figured I'd post so people know I'm not dead. Making a game is hard. I'm mostly working on mapping and reworking the gyms so that they're more viable. Cheers.

[Pokemon Loyalty Version 1.6b]

I can't use potions in battle, which is very aggravating when all your Beldum knows is Take Down.

[Pokemon Loyalty Version 1.6b]

I'm looking forward to trying out the game, but out of curiosity, have you considered making the Black Hats a sort of rallying point for the rich upper class? If the White Gloves are "for the people", this contrast could provide some interesting commentary on class warfare.

[[Pokémon Blitzkrieg] Critique and Advice Appreciated]

Please finish this game. I love the idea. I just love it. Just a small thing you'll have to take into account as the game may otherwise have some ludonarrative dissonance: you are supposed to be in a military society where people is heavily controlled by the army and the police, but, however, a student is allowed to travel freely across the country from a city to another defeating gym leaders. Maybe you should think about controlling where the player can go in order to build the atmosphere and make the player believe that he is there.

If you ever happen to need any help with coding, please don't hesitate to ask me for help. I don't usually help with fan games but I'm in love with your idea. I'll help in everything I can in order to help this project, and well, coding is my thing.

Actually, the Pokedex, PokeNav, and Pokeballs all track the soldiers wherever they go (kind of like cellphones, at least that's what I'm thinking). I'm also considering making it so that when you save it's kind of like reporting in to headquarters or something. And thanks for offering your services, when I feel a little more confident in my abilities I might take you up on it.

[[Pokémon Blitzkrieg] Critique and Advice Appreciated]

I really like this idea. There hasn't been anything quite like it yet in Pokemon fangames.

Anyways, for tutorials that might help, I highly recommend Atomic Reactor's How to Make a Pokemon Game series. I learned a lot of what I know from it.

Also, make sure to test the teams for important battles (leaders, higher ups, any battle that's supposed to be difficult, really) well. The AI in Pokemon Essentials isn't always the most intelligent when it comes to competitive sets.

I know you said you weren't recruiting, but if you don't understand something or can't get something to work, feel free to pm me and Ill answer what I can.

I actually have been watching Atomic Reactor's stuff, haha. He kind of loses focus from time to time, which is off putting, but still very informative. And thanks for the offer, I'll keep that in mind.

I'm glancing at this concept and I won't judge too harshly since I hastily skimmed it, but my eyes were distracted by the Gym leader designs. The first gym leader is horrendously built as it forces the player to run an Ice type and a grass type and I'm not even sure how levels work at that point or if its doubles or singles. Quag and Eviolite Gligar will just wall everything. Heck, Gligar doesn't even need anything to start walling which is saying something. The team also uses the sandstorm weather very weakly only turning Diglett into a Dugtrio in a nutshell. Ryhorn with weakness policy or a sash would be kind of interesting to play for example. Even an eviolite on that isn't bad if you want a brutal level difficulty like Hardcore. What you have there is too much.

I say this because the gym leader designs are very whacked up. If there was consistency I could give better advice but I just see not very practical things being placed on a team. The third gym (or whatever the rank the poison one is) is way easier than the first gym leader by a landslide. Half of those mons won't effect the battle at all and Scarf Nido for last really makes an almost guaranteed victory. Obviously these aren't the final teams, but I would have preferred to see way better difficulty scaling if you're going to post the leaders. With that out of my head, I'll look at the overall concept again:

First thing I noticed is that you say people who fail to pass the first round are to "fend for themselves." Err...isn't the point of a military to prevent that? It also can be interpreted as a fancy way of giving them the death sentence. Other than that, the rest seems sound, but a little scatterbrained. I just feel it needs to be reordered a bit to flow better, but you get your point across. While a concept like this is interesting, it requires quite a few new graphics as Pokemon in general is very peaceful often putting technology towards innovation and livelihood.

War and military is also a very interesting concept as dark and mature themes are very strong in them. There's quite a few way to handle a game like this including just making it an explore the world type deal instead of plot driven like most fan-games are. There's just so much I could say, but it's your game and you kind of have to make decisions where to go with it. A lot of good ideas, but realistically this is all theoretical stuff so it can only be discussed so far.

-salute- I'll see what I can to do to rework the teams. I did feel the ground leader would end up being problematic, but I decided to go with it in the moment. Will course correct appropriately.

"Fend for themselves" is a rather vague phrase, isn't it? I'll tighten it up and see if I can't also improve the general presentation of the post. The idea is more that joining the military is the pinnacle of Dalmani society, and if you're not good enough then you'll get dropped like a rock. Not sure what you mean by the point of the military being to prevent "that" (?), though. The military exists to protect the borders and ensure order, at least in Dalmani.

And yes, I am somewhat concerned about properly conveying the atmosphere of my game with what I currently have, haha. Just going to have to work hard and try to learn from my mistakes.

I too find war interesting, and I think it works well with Pokemon, where the gameplay revolves around pitting animals in fights against one another. Although to be more precise, this story is about two sides dancing on the precipice of war, and the psychological implications it has on its inhabitants. Thanks for the feedback, yo.

Edit: Oh, and I haven't quite decided on level yet, but all gym battles will be singles, not doubles.

[[Pokémon Blitzkrieg] Critique and Advice Appreciated]

All I can say is that this project seems very promising and unique! Just keep up the good work :]

Also, is Oakwood City based on Schwerin, by any chance?

Oakwood City was inspired by Potsdam, but Schwerin seems like a lovely place to visit.

[[Pokémon Blitzkrieg] Critique and Advice Appreciated]

Hello, everyone. My name is Anna, and I’ve decided I want to make a Pokémon fangame.

Sounds familiar, eh? To make matters worse, I must be brutally honest and admit that I know nothing about mapping, scripting, spriting, or any of the other essentials required to fashion a Pokémon fangame.

I intend to learn, however.

Even as we speak, I’ve been devouring the tutorials on both this site and Youtube. I intend to (but not happily) stop being a cheapskate and shell out the money required to install all the necessary programs. I doubt I’ll ever have full mastery over everything needed to be the greatest game dev the world has ever seen, but I intend to strive toward being a Jack-Of-All-Trades, or what have you. Until that point, I have no desire to attempt to recruit anyone to help me with my project, as I feel it’s an insult to their craft if I don’t even have the faintest idea as to what they’re trying to accomplish.

So you may be thinking, well that’s all and good, now care to explain why you’re wasting our time with this post? Simple, I enjoy the community here and would love any and all feedback people have the time to grant me. While my programming skills may be Youngster levels if we’re being kind, I do pride myself on my writing ability, particularly when it comes to world building. And so I have crafted a rough draft of my world for you all to see and critique as harshly as you wish. Trust me, I have a thick skin, so feel free to give me all the tough love in the world. So without further ado, let me present…

Pokémon Blitzkrieg.

One of my favorite fan games is Pokémon Sage. I normally am not one for Fakemon, but one of the things that Pokémon Sage does so well is provide a unified THEME. The concept art was all inspired/influenced by South America, and such a clear style translates to a fantastic, immersive experience.

Now, while I have no intention of adding Fakemon, due to my aforementioned distaste for the things, I DO intend on basing my region off of Germany. Specifically East Germany, following the years after World War II. The inspiration came about due to Pokémon’s rather socialist leanings, as well as a fanfiction I read years ago where the Pokémon League was written as a dystopian society.

Which brings us to our first problem. And that is the name of the game. Now, I like the word Blitzkrieg. It sounds awesome and badass and as a bonus is German. Unfortunately it is also infamous for being the name of Hitler’s war strategy during World War II. And this game is not about World War II, but the Cold War that followed. So I’m striving to find a better fitting name for my game, and if anyone has any suggestions, I would be greatly interested in hearing them. As a caveat, although my game is heavily based off of East Germany, I have no issue using artistic license as I see fit to craft a more interesting world and story.

With that bit out of the way, let’s get down to the meat and potatoes of it all.

Backstory

Long ago, there was the Great War. It was during that time that Pokémon were first utilized to ravage the land. Some believe Pokémon were created by humans, while others believe they were discovered. The reality has unfortunately been lost in the destruction of the Great War, although many strive to uncover the truth behind this mystery.

One of the major players in the Great War was a powerful country known as Dalmarich. It lost the Great War. Following its defeat, Dalmarich was split into several smaller regions, the two of greatest import being Richa and Dalmani. Richa was occupied for a short while but has become largely autonomous, while Dalmani became a satellite region of the ever ominous Ussharn Empire.

Our story takes place in the Dalmani region.

Centuries have now passed, and the Great War has become a precautionary tale. Richa has long been interested in reunification, desiring to restore Dalmarich to its former, near mythical glory. Dalmani is far more ambivalent to this idea, and it seems more and more likely that the only ending for these two regions is war. As a result Dalmani has developed into a military state, with rigid control over the lives of its civilians as it plucks a majority of the youth and trains them to become soldiers.

The first phase of a soldier’s training involves rigorous academy life in which they must be both physically and mentally fit. Those who are not good enough are dropped and forced to find another occupation. As for the rest, upon reaching adulthood, they enter the second phase of their training.

They are granted the privilege of owning a Pokémon. More importantly, they are given the means to control them. Pokéballs are strictly monitored by the military, and only those rich enough to afford the licenses or devious enough to apprehend them can use Pokéballs outside military jurisdiction. A young soldier is set loose in the Safari Zone, and upon capturing his or her first Pokémon, is given a Pokédex and a PokéNav and sent on a journey across Dalmani. They must visit eight towns of historic import and defeat the military leaders there, as well as learn more about the glorious Dalmani and marvel at its perfection. Once all eight leaders are defeated, the soldier has completed his or her training, although they are welcome to take on the four Colonels and the General of Dalmani if they desire glory. No one truly knows what happens to a soldier if they challenge these elite members of the military, however, as they disappear from the public regardless of victory. Over the years this rite of passage soldiers partake in has become publicized and even often a means of entertainment – battles against leaders are televised and draw massive crowds to expensive stadiums.

This is the environment you were born in. You never had a choice to become a soldier, and to drop out is to bring dishonor to your family. You have completed the first phase of your training, and along with several other comrades, are prepared to step out of the sheltered world you’ve only ever known into the brave new world.

Main Characters

Samantha/Samuel: This is the default player character. Unfortunately there will be no gender neutral character in this story, as the totalitarian Dalmani would never tolerate such distinctions. Both of these characters are the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Anglo Saxons that defined the Aryan ideal. Their uniform consists of faded green military fatigues and matching service caps. Samantha keeps her hair in a bun while Samuel’s is short and spiky. They are the typical silent protagonist.

Marshall: Your friend and companion from the Academy. A quiet, serious, patriotic man with aspirations of rising through the ranks and making Dalmani a better place. He has a witty tongue that can be hard to discern due to his deadpan nature, and is often shy and ill at ease when in the company of others. His starter is Fletchling. He is tall and broad shouldered, with dark hair and the beginnings of a stubble.

Ellie: Your second rival and a rogue element. Bombastic and melodramatic, she has managed to hijack the system and get her hands on both a Pokémon and Pokéballs. She is always causing trouble and never fails to have quip on hand for any situation, no matter how dire. However she is passionate about a peaceful reunification of Richa and Dalmani, and is determined to bridge the gap between the two regions without sparking a second Great War. Her starter is Mareep. She is black with short, nappy hair and of a small, stocky build.

Setting

East Wallengrad: The largest city in Dalmani. Half of it is under Dalmani control, while the other half belongs to the Richa region. As a result tensions are high, especially around the wall that separates the two rival regions. Features five distinct boroughs. This is the city you were born in raised in.

- Mitzii Borough: A major spot for tourist although only the richest of the rich west of the wall can gain access. Many important members of the Ussharn empire tend to visit and stay in this district. Also features a federally operated radio tower.

- Frederickson Borough: Most of the working class lives here. Many are squatters residing in empty apartments, however, due to the poor construction of the free housing. Rumors murmur that a black market and other secrets reside in this area of the borough.

- Lichenberg Borough: Houses the Safari Zone and Professor Chestnut’s lab. A soldier is given Safari Balls and then sent off to find their starter Pokémon. Once this is accomplished they are given a Pokédex and a PokéNav and sent away on their journey.

- Peterstone Borough: The largest borough in East Wallengrad. Although mostly residential, it features a robust shopping center as well as the home and stadium of the first Major.

- Weber Borough: A once rural area that was replaced by the Academy as well as the government and military headquarters.

Nitro City: An ancient city that was destroyed in the Great War, and then rebuilt with painstaking love and care. Its economy is based upon the distribution of chemicals, and there is also a rampant, underlying drug trade in the city causing serious issues. The military has tried to combat the issue for years, but to no avail.

Oakwood City: Surrounded by over twenty lakes, Oakwood City is the prettiest place in all of Dalmani. The residents take great pride in their city’s beauty and go to great lengths to preserve it. It also features a bridge that extends into Richa, and is used to exchange spies among the regions.

Chiore Town: Nestled in the mountains, it is a simple mining town. Provides the quickest entrance to Drayano City via Stonebrook Tunnel. Also contains a league sponsored Day Care center that many soldiers like to utilize.

Drayano City: A major industrial center. Home to many and varied factories. Also features an infamous place known as Striptown, which people visit at night to have a good time. The closest major city to the next region of the Ussharn Empire.

Gearson City: Most notable for its trade in textiles, Gearson City also an administrative center of Dalmani. It has been struggling economically for some time, despite all efforts from the government to forcibly keep it afloat.

Eonia: The oldest town in Dalmani and mostly untouched by the Great War. Car production is vital to its economy as well as the bustling trade fair that comes through every year.

Bogton: Situated on the edge of a marsh, this city is best known as the capital of the energy business. It also features a plaza with a booming market place and St. Duncan’s cathedral.

Johansson Town: A place of high art and refinement. It is the home of many famous artisans, and orchestras can be found playing at the park every weekend. There is a budding rap and hip hop counter culture growing slowly but steadily, to the dismay of many.

Magna Town: A quaint university town known for its salt mines. It also features a market square where a statue of a local legend can be found.

Next I’m going to look at gym leaders and their teams. As a heads up, there will only be eight, because otherwise this game would probably never get finished. There will also be no field effects. I confess that while I did design the teams to be competitive, about halfway through my eyes kind of glazed over and I started grabbing mons and competitive movesets off of smogon. So obviously this is just the first iteration of the teams and they will be quite fluid in terms of composition, movesets, abilities, items, etc. In terms of IVs/Evs/Natures assume for the moment that they are min/maxed. Although I understand the basics of competitive battling, this is still something I struggle with, so I definitely encourage ya’ll to offer up suggestions.

Gym Leaders

First, to clarify, the gym leaders in this region are known as Majors. They are high ranking officials in the Dalmani Military who are expected to test budding soldiers coming through the town. They are often important leaders and integral to the politics and success of their town/city. Without further ado, I’ll introduce you to our Majors…

(1) Major Grant: An older, melancholic veteran who has grown disillusioned with his role. He spends a lot of his spare time at the beer gardens of East Wallengrad, wallowing in the sense that his life is unfulfilled and purposeless.

Team

Hippopotas

Moves: Bite, Frustration, Dig, Yawn

Ability: Sandstream

Item: Smooth Rock

Diglett

Moves: Bulldoze, Frustration, Mud-Slap, Ancient Power

Ability: Sand Force

Item: TBD

Drilbur

Moves: Dig, Hone Claws, Rock Slide, Metal Claw

Ability: Sand Force

Item: TBD

Phanpy

Moves: Slam, Rollout, Bulldoze, Defense Curl

Ability: Sand Veil

Item: TBD

Gabite

Moves: Sand Tomb, Dual Chop, Take Down, Metal Claw

Ability: Sand Veil

Item: TBD

Sandslash

Moves: Bulldoze, Crush Claw, Fury Cutter, Frustration

Ability: Sand Rush

Item: Soft Sand

(2) Major Kent: A handsome, charismatic Major dedicated to protecting Nitro City. One of the youngest to ever be promoted to Major, he has a bright future ahead of him and many feel he’s next in line to become a Colonel. However, Kent has a secret that could ruin everything if discovered.

Team

Scoliopede

Moves: Bug Bite, Swords Dance, Iron Defense, Poison Tail

Ability: Speed Boost

Item: Black Sludge

Nidorina

Moves: Toxic Spikes, Double Kick, Poison Jab, Bite

Ability: Hustle

Item: Poison Barb

Victreebel

Moves: Leaf Tornado, Stun Spore, Belch, Sunny Day

Ability: Chlorophyll

Item: Sitrus Berry

Croagunk

Moves: Sucker Punch, Drain Punch, Swords Dance, Astonish

Ability: Poison Touch

Item: Black Sludge

Haunter

Moves: Shadow Ball, Sucker Punch, Curse, Confuse Ray

Ability: Levitate

Item: Black Sludge

Nidoking

Moves: Horn Attack, Poison Jab, Drill Run, Thrash

Ability: Rivalry

Item: Life Orb

(3) Major Ada: Young and energetic, a fierce environmentalist. She firmly believes in Dalmani’s future of utilizing clean energy and is quite passionate about it. She is also extremely paranoid about spies from the west and is constantly on the lookout for them. As a result she keeps herself emotionally distant from others. Major of Oakwood City.

Team

Slowbro

Moves: Calm Mind, Slack Off, Thunder Wave, Scald

Ability: Regenerator

Item: Leftovers

Kingdra

Moves: Dragon Pulse, Brine, Ice Beam, Scald

Ability: Sniper

Item: Choice Specs

Lanturn

Moves: Scald, Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, Ice Beam

Ability: Volt Absorb

Item: Assault Vest

Lapras

Moves: Brine, Freeze Dry, Signal Beam, Ice Beam

Ability: Water Absorb

Item: Choice Specs

Milotic

Moves: Recover, Haze, Ice Beam, Scald

Ability: Marvel Scale

Item: Leftovers

Gyarados

Moves: Dragon Dance, Waterfall, Bounce, Double Edge

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Life Orb

(4) Major Lolita: A middle aged, graying woman who acts the prim, proper Major to the public and the military. However, behind closed doors she is a nihilist who engages in various hedonistic activities. She is resigned to the fact that she will disappear when the military learns of her night time activities. She is the Major of Drayano City.

Team

Umbreon

Moves: Moonlight, Toxic, Foul Play, Quick Attack

Ability: Inner Focus

Item: Leftovers

Weavile

Moves: Icicle Crash, Ice Shard, Knock Off, Night Slash

Ability: Pressure

Item: Life Orb

Scrafty

Moves: Brick Break, Crunch, Dragon Dance, Poison Jab

Ability: Moxie

Item: Lum Berry

Houndoom

Moves: Flamethrower, Nasty Plot, Dark Pulse, Solarbeam

Ability: Flash Fire

Item: Life Orb

Pawniard

Moves: Swords Dance, Knock Off, Iron Head, Sucker Punch

Ability: Defiant

Item: Black Glasses

Spiritomb

Moves: Sucker Punch, Pursuit, Taunt, Will-O-Wisp

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: Black Glasses

(5) Major Vincent: A strong willed man determined to see Gearson City’s economy rebound. Strict and gruff, he always dreamed of being a pilot, but was never able to achieve his dream due to his poor eyesight. He recovered from his disappointment, the epitome of practicality, but you can often find him at the airport watching planes land, a faraway look in his eye.

Team

Crobat

Moves: Acrobatics, U-Turn, Roost, Poison Jab

Ability: Infiltrator

Item: None

Swellow

Moves: Façade, Brave Bird, U-Turn, Quick Attack

Ability: Guts

Item: Toxic Orb

Altaria

Moves: Dragon Dance, Fly, Roost, Cotton Guard

Ability: Natural Cure

Item: Leftovers

Honchcrow

Moves: Brave Bird, Sucker Punch, Pursuit, Roost

Ability: Moxie

Item: Life Orb

Gligar

Moves: Roost, Earthquake, U-Turn, X-Scissor

Ability: Hyper Cutter

Item: Eviolite

Charizard

Moves: Flamethrower, Solar Beam, Focus Blast, Roost

Ability: Blaze

Item: Charizardite Y

(6) Major Terrance: A patron of the fine arts and resident of Johansson Town. He is good friends with Major Vincent and they often visit art museums and attend orchestras together. However he is something of a snob and turn his nose up at anything with even a whiff of lowbrow to it. He can also be condescending although his heart is in the right place. He is obsessed with rooting out the underground rap movement and destroying it.

Team

Clefable

Moves: Calm Mind, Moonblast, Soft Boiled, Thunder Wave

Ability: Magic Guard

Item: Leftovers

Wigglytuff

Moves: Hyper Voice, Dazzling Gleam, Stealth Rocks, Focus Blast

Ability: Competitive

Items: Life Orb

Togekiss

Moves: Nasty Plot, Thunder Wave, Air Slash, Roost

Ability: Serene Grace

Item: Leftovers

Whimsicott

Moves: Stun Spore, Giga Drain, Leech Seed, Substitute

Ability: Prankster

Item: Leftovers

Azumarill

Moves: Play Rough, Waterfall, Aqua Jet, Knock Off

Ability: Huge Power

Item: Choice Band

Mawile

Moves: Sucker Punch, Iron Head, Play Rough, Stone Edge

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Mawilite

Major Gavin: He has a good heart and has been a stalwart in the system for a very long time. However he is a bit gullible as well as not particularly bright, and thus tends to be taken advantage of. Very old fashioned to a fault. Likes to reminisce about the “good ol’ days”. He’s a patriot through and through, however, and will defend both Bogton and the entirety of Dalmani to the death.

Team

Electivire

Moves: Wild Charge, Earthquake, Ice Punch, Meditate

Ability: Motor Drive

Item: Life Orb

Magnezone

Moves: Volt Switch, Hidden Power Fire, Flash Cannon, Thunderbolt

Ability: Sturdy

Item: Choice Scarf

Rotom Wash

Moves: Volt Switch, Will-O-Wisp, Hydro Pump, Rest

Ability: Levitate

Item: Chesto Berry

Heliolisk

Moves: Volt Switch, Hyper Voice, Grass Knot, Thunderbolt

Ability: Dry Skin

Item: Life Orb

Elektross

Moves: Volt Switch, Flamethrower, Giga Drain, Knock Off

Ability: Levitate

Item: Leftovers

Manectric

Moves: Volt Switch, Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, Hidden Power Ice

Ability: Intimidate

Item: Manectite

Major Jared: An educated, thoughtful man who is Professor Chestnut’s cousin. He is a post-modernist who tries to remain neutral in politics. Very dry but also very witty, he tries to avoid his duties to the best of his abilities, and spends most of his time locked up in a library or teaching students at the university when he can. At the same time he is quite brilliant and thus considered a valuable contributor for the military, although he walks a dangerous line and is often bailed out of trouble by his cousin.

Team

Gardevoir

Moves: Calm Mind, Moonblast, Focus Blast, Psyshock

Ability: Trace

Item: Life Orb

Gallade

Moves: Swords Dance, Close Combat, Zen Headbutt, Knock Off

Ability: Justified

Item: White Herb

Xatu

Moves: Psychic, Roost, Heat Wave, U-Turn

Ability: Magic Bounce

Item: Rocky Helmet

Reuniclus

Moves: Calm Mind, Psyshock, Shadow Ball, Recover

Ability: Magic Guard

Item: Leftovers

Meowstic

Moves: Light Screen, Reflect, Thunder Wave, Psyshock

Ability: Prankster

Item: Light Clay

Alakazam

Moves: Psychic, Shadow Ball, Focus Blast, Substitute

Ability Magic Guard

Item: Alakazite

And there you have it. Those are our Majors. One of the changes I’m already contemplating is switching the Fairy and Psychic around so that Fairy is the final gym leader. It makes sense, I think, considering how powerful Fairy Type is. But I’m not quite sure, yet.

Now, there will be an Elite Four and a Champion. But I’m going to be pretty tight lipped about these mysterious, powerful people. All I’ll say is that the Elite Four are known as Colonels, while the Champion is granted the title of General instead.

Okay, what’s next? Our evil team, of course!

Antagonists

The Imperial Faction. A syndicate funded by the Richa government. Their role is to spread discontent and to try and convince the people of Dalmani that reunification is the best option. Named after Delmani's ironic policies disavowing the nature of imperialism, when their mother country, Ussharn, has been aggressively snapping up surrounding regions. Their uniforms are a distinct red, white, and blue color.

Their hierarchy is as follows…

Imperial Votary: The main force of the Imperials. Votary is meant to imply a religious fervor as the group is borderline fanatical in their belief that Richa and Delmani must be reunited at all cost. I changed it from Grunt because I didn’t like the demeaning connotation of the word and felt it didn’t fit for a group that believes their cause is just. They tend to have steel, ground, and rock types representative of the walls dividing two regions that should be one.

Imperial Admin: Of which there are four. Each operates four of the five main Imperial branches, and are delegated various tasks to the head honcho.

Imperial Deputy: The right hand man of the leader. Provides even more delegation and does most of the communication with West Wallengrad and the government of Richa. Also responsible for bringing in new recruits.

Imperial Leader: Runs the Imperial Faction.

I’ve already outlined several important characters within the Imperial Faction, and I have a general idea of their teams, but I’m going to keep it a secret as a lot of the plot revolves around these guys.

The trainer classes are fairly different from the main games, considering the majority of trainers are referred to as soldiers. This leads to an intentional sense of uniformity and conformity, but I wanted the game to be at least a little bit appealing visually, so I added some other trainers.

Trainer Classes

Soldier: Stand in for trainers, also currently competing in the league alongside the MC. Wear standard military fatigues that can be a faded grey or white. No themes in regards to Pokémon.

Leuitenant: More experienced soldiers who have multiple won multiple fights against Majors. Tend to have stronger Pokémon and provide more of a challenge. Recognizable by their black military fatigues.

Scientist: Under the employ of the league, allowed to engage in fights with soldiers if interested to help in their studies of the mysterious creatures known as Pokémon. Have a tendency to have a lot of steel, electric, and psychic types.

Rich Gentleman/Woman: Only the richest of the rich outside the military can afford a license to own both Pokéballs and Pokémon, as well as have permission to use them in league battles. Tend to have exotic Pokémon that are aesthetically pleasing.

Rich Boy/Girl: Similar to Rich Gentleman/woman but even more condescending and obnoxious, if that’s possible.

Captain: Soldiers that work for Majors. Stand-ins for gym trainers. Military fatigues correspond to the color of the gym type (so ground gets brown for example). Pokémon follow the monotype of the specific gym.

Gangster: People who get Pokémon and Pokéballs off the black market. Very suspicious and protective of their rare commodities. Tend to use dark and ghost type Pokémon.

Gestapo: The secret police. They work for the league and actively hunt down dissidents of the region. Extremely strong and not to be trifled with. Bonus trainers that are hidden and can only be convinced to fight you after defeating the Major in each city. Wear red trench coats, a fedora, and dark sunglasses.

Important Core Gameplay

As I mentioned earlier, there will be no field effects. In all likelihood, there will be a level cap however. IVs/EVs can be viewed in the menu and you’ll be able to toggle run on and off. There will be a physical/special split and by the end all Pokemon will be available.

At the beginning of the game, rather than choose your starter, you’re sent out into the Safari Zone to find one (I might rename it to better fit the oppressive nature of the game). This is something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m very excited about it, although the execution may end up biting me in the butt.

I don’t know if there will be a reputation system just yet, but I do aim to have several branching paths in the story.

Welp. That’s everything laid out, while trying to keep as much of the juicy plot details as hidden as possible. Just keep in mind that what I’ll be attempting is more of a political thriller than the magical fantasy a lot of fangames partake in (not that that’s a bad thing).

Once again, all concerns are appreciated, and anyone who actually read everything in this massive post deserves a medal. If you have any tips for someone new to making a fanmade game (that isn't pinned to this forum already), please share, as I'll take all the advice I can get, haha.

[Pokemon Desolation Episode 5]

Luxray is my boi. One of my favorite Pokémon and a stalwart in pretty much all my Diamond/Platinum playthroughs.

Nice job with Mega Mightyena, Caz. That's a nice looking 'mon right over there.

[Pokemon Desolation Episode 5]

Been thinking about this a lot, but bad dreams still seems to suit. If anything I'll just make a buffed version of bad dreams.

I may make a map or something for Blackview in the future. It wouldn't be too difficult. I really want to make a quest log but my scripting knowledge is non existant so maybe not today.

A map would definitely be helpful, thanks man. Glad to see you've considered the possibility of a quest log, but it's not a big deal if it's too much on top of everything else you're doing for this project. Also, if it helps, your knowledge of scripting far surpasses mine, haha (I'm no help, am I?).

[Pokemon Desolation Episode 5]

So something just occurred to me as I wandered around Blackview City, lost for the umpteenth time, trying to find the Battle Club (which I eventually found and was, of course, in front of my face the whole time). Caz, would it be possible to use those cars within the city limits to fast travel to different parts of the city? Of course, you can only fast travel there after you've visited the place, and maybe only after the attack on Blackview, to encourage exploration. Kind of similar to the cabs in Lumiose City, ya know? The directionally challenged like myself would be quite thankful.

Also, is it possible to get some sort of quest log implemented eventually? In addition to my remarkable propensity to get lost, I'm lucky enough to also have the memory of a goldfish. It'd be nice if those hints the rangers give you could be viewed in, like, a journal or something. I've no idea if that's even possible, but it would be quite helpful, because at the moment I have to go to the ranger base, cancel the quest, get told I'm a horrible slacker, and then retake the quest to refresh my memory on what it is, exactly, I'm doing. Not to mention the quests I pick up and then forget about from NPCs (I still haven't found the lady with the Treeko, lol). If there's an easier way to do this and I'm just too dumb to realize it, I'd love to know.

Finally, I went back to the Weeping Hills to grab the Ghastly, and two of the Tombstones say Ava and Emily. Perhaps some sort of premonition? Hmmmmm... I also picked up the Aipom after fighting the mysterious spirit by Addenfall. We know Shiv uses an Aipom and is also magical in nature, so what's the connection beyond Aipom being Caz's mascot, haha?

Edit: Also, really dig Darkrai Perfection's appearance. Nice lookin' fella, but seems scary as hell to fight, haha.

[Pokemon Desolation Episode 5]

Shiv's flaw is that he thinks we should accept things the way they are, even if the way they are sucks. Nova's flaw is that she thinks she's a hero, but so far has actually caused more harm than good through her followers.

I feel like this is my line of reasoning as well. I also think there's pertinent information being withheld from us by both Shiv and Nova. I went with Shiv too, though, because he helped the MC with Kuiki while Nova's Team Crescent has caused the MC nothing but trouble (and tried to kill Ava, which is a no-no). I've been sort of roleplaying the game, and my character has a pretty pragmatic approach to all the nonsense she's been sucked into.

Anyway, here's some food for thought. How would people feel if the game had a Fallout New Vegas style ending, where the MC pretty much says 'fuck you' to both Shiv and Nova and does things their own way? Or, to put it another way, what if we could keep the stone for ourselves? Of course, I know Caz has the story planned out already, but it's fun to think about.

[Pokemon Desolation Episode 5]

Okay, so, since I went to the trouble of creating an account just to get that pesky Arcanine, I suppose I’ll give my general thoughts, criticisms, theories, etc., on the game. Keep in mind that although I’ve finished the main storyline, I haven’t yet completed ALL the side quests (an oversight that shall soon be corrected).

I’ll start by saying I like Desolation. A lot. Like, a lot, a lot. I definitely prefer it to Rejuvenation, and I almost think I like it better than Reborn. Not that I didn’t enjoy either of the other two games, but this one just seems to perfect and expand upon their formula in a very satisfying way.

There aren’t a whole lot of memes in this game, either, and the ones that are there actually feel fresh and clever for the most part. I wasn’t expecting John Cena in my Pokémon game, but it definitely got a laugh out of me. I’ve never found memes to be all that amusing, and Rejuvenation in particular has a tendency to dip into that well all too often. Although it feels like there are three or four Joey mentions in this game, which may be going a bit overboard, haha.

In Rejuvenation, motherhood plays an important thematic role in the story. In Desolation, it feels like one of the major themes revolves around the relationship between siblings. You have Conner and Emily, Hardy and his sister, Ava and HER sister, and, of course, Shiv and Keegan. There’s a bit of a pattern there and it wouldn’t surprise me to learn of more along the way, as well as how these relationships shape and define one another.

Speaking of Hardy, I did feel that the explanation for why he joined the Black Foxes felt more like an exposition dump than an actual explanation. It kind of took me out of the moment. Like we’re in the middle of this tense, emotional “peak” (get it? Because it takes place on top of… never mind) and Hardy kind of derails it with his life story. For the most part you do a good job pacing out exposition, which made it even more jarring. I feel like it would’ve been better if he teased that he had a very good reason for joining, but won’t say why, and the actual revelation is saved for later. Of course, that’s just my opinion. Hardy in general is a bit of an undefined character to me – we only fight him twice and suddenly we have this deep connection with him? It’d be nice to have the opportunity to do something with him before the reveal, because I had very little attachment to Hardy and didn’t care all that much about what Ava did to him, outside of the fact that he, too, has a sibling that plays an important role in his motivations.

Ava is pretty cool. I like her. She’s flawed but interesting. I’m not really sure how she met up with the MC and Scarlett, though, so I hope that’s something later episodes delve into. Scarlett is also an interesting character, although in my save I didn’t find the bow. I wasn’t terribly invested in Scarlett, but I did want to learn more about her motivations and figure out when, exactly, she joined Team Crescent. Character death is something that frustrates me more often than not, because it feels like a cheap attempt at providing shock value while simultaneously closing off interesting stories before they have a chance to bloom. But I feel it works here because there’s still an opportunity to save Scarlett, so it’s up to the player to decide whether or not they want to close that route (whether they know it or not).

This is running long, and I could probably make it longer, so I’ll try to be a bit more concise and focused. I feel like there’s still a lot of potential in Addenfall. The death of the Chief and, of course, the mystery that is Tristan hold a ton of potential. I feel like the two are connected in some manner. I also thought the kidnapping of the Addenfall people was a little weird, mainly because no one but the lady in front of Tristan’s mansion and the guy in the house really had any sort of comment on it. It’s like, well that was our weekly scheduled kidnapping by the Black Foxes, back to business.

The Black Foxes and Team Crescent are both interesting villains. The Black Foxes feel like Team Rocket but with teeth, while Team Crescent reminds of me of Cyrus and Team Galactic. And then the way the two oppose each other is like Team Magma vs Team Aqua, only not dumb. At first I thought Nova’s plan was kind of stupid, but she won me over near the end of the episode with her talk about creating her own reality. I mean, really, why SHOULD we bow to reality if we have the power to change it? A bit of devil’s advocate, because Nova is clearly unhinged, but still fascinating nonetheless. I also think Shiv is hiding things and isn’t as “good” as he appears (chaotic neutral, perhaps?) so he also is quite intriguing to me. Although we all know the true ending is a face off with Jarred in matching swimsuits.

Okay, I’m going to wrap this up because it’s a borderline novel, by saying that for the intro, I think you should change Amelia’s ending dialogue to “bathe in your blood” or something along those line. It has stronger connotations and ups the drama by sounding more vicious, as well as providing a better flow. A small thing but it stood out to me because I’m a weirdo who notices stuff like that. I could probably write another two or three paragraphs about game design and game elements, but I feel there are people out there better equipped for such critiques than I. So I’ll end by saying good job, keep up the good work, and know that your game finally got my lazy ass to make an account for this site. Which doesn’t count for much, but hey, it’s something.

[Pokemon Desolation Episode 5]

There are 3 Fire Stones in the game. You can obtain them in:

1. Jinx's Lab. Donate Credits so they can work on the drill.

2. Bronze Island. You unlock this place after doing all Ranger's Jobs of Addenfall Guild.

3. Blackview City. A Fire Stone can be found when the city is under attack.

Much obliged, friend.

[Pokemon Desolation Episode 5]

If someone could help me find a fire stone for my Growlithe, I'd really appreciate it. I assumed it was in Vejyr and combed the place over, but no dice. I'm now at Blackview and Growlithe is easily the weakest member of my team. Sorry to bother ya'll and thanks for the effort put into such a fun game.