Completed Pokémon Journey

SmokedPaprika · Aug 5, 2018

Hiya, Tomix! Congratulations on completing your game! I finished the game, so here's a few things I'm going to note!

First thing I've found so far is that during the "bamboozle" segment, she's got passability on and you have to walk under her to get her to heal your Pokemon.

Second thing is at Trevor's house at the very end of the Bamboozle Forest bit, passability is also on.

Third and final thing I noticed was on Mt. Bullie, in the outside whenever you have a wild encounter.

Aside from a few typos and misspellings, I haven't noticed anything else particularly off! So good job on making a more polished experience than last year's entry!

So, my general criticisms(will contain game spoilers):

So, I think that the game has some pretty creative ideas, and I appreciated the effort you put into the mapping and some of the set pieces, especially the Dusknoir bit. I will say that the lack of real pauses between character interactions, or lack of an indicator as to the person speaking, kind of throws me a bit when it comes to fangames in general, and so for me, it was just a bit harder to get invested in the characters, even if their personalities were clearly different from one another.

I also feel like the late game twist came a bit out of nowhere, and didn't quite feel the impact because of that. It's a sweet idea, but I just couldn't quite feel the character's actual struggle enough to relate to it. I think it might be a bit of a "show, don't tell" sort of thing. When you tell me he misses his dad, it means less than, well, actually seeing what's happening because of his awkward relationship with his dad.

Does that make sense? I think you should work on DIRECTING scenes more for next year. Play around with the camera. It's very weird when Trevor walks onto the frame but you can't see him because he's behind the text-box. Stuff like that makes a little bit of a difference, I feel like! Some others might disagree with me on this, but I think that's something that might need to be worked on from a professional point of view.

I liked parts of the "bamboozle" bit, and I actually did end up scanning the QR code, too! Very cool. What would also be fun is if you'd added a Pokeball that said something along the lines of: "Woah! It's a Master Ball! ...Oh, wait, it's just a painted Pokeball. These people...!" or even more stuff that just indicated that the characters were actively playing pranks on each other at all times. That sort of world interactivity would speak volumes!

Last thing for me is that I kind of wish you would have found some better tracks - default RPG Maker XP music just kind of takes me right out of the atmosphere sometimes, I feel like. It's not just the fact that I've heard these songs so many times before, but it's also the fact that they aren't very long songs and their loop can be blatant and slightly obnoxious. I get it's a jam game, but there are always plenty of available Pokemon tracks to use to spice things up! I think that's very important for making a scene feel unique, too.

But good job, Tomix! I'm proud that you keep pushing forward with these games, and I hope to see you improve even more in the future! Godspeed, my dude!

Tomix9tomix · Aug 6, 2018

Hello! So it would seem a small patch is in order to couple small issues (including those mentioned by Pap above) So now the download link has been updated for version 1.01! It is just a small update and fixes a few minor bugs, it isn't needed to play the game, but the experience of the game will run more smoothly if you do play this one.

SmokedPaprika said:
~snippy snip~

Thank you so much for the feedback and catching a few things I missed! I find the player base little visual glitch quite funny in particular because it must be because that was the graphic for if you are playing in the afternoon or day, so I guess I missed it because I was mainly working on the game at night. Hmm, doesn't actually sound that funny. Anyway, thank you so much for playing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3

joseph opferbeck · Aug 6, 2018

my computer says the files may be dangerous?

SmokedPaprika · Aug 6, 2018

joseph opferbeck said:
my computer says the files may be dangerous?

They're not!

WolfShadowWhisper · Aug 6, 2018

I finished the game (just found out now about the update, but it's okay) and I must say I really enjoyed it. Storywise I enjoyed it, it had great themes in the narrative (no spoilers from me). The scene on the mountain was very touching. It plucked my heartstrings a little. The worst part of the game was that basement, that Dusknoir was creepy lol

I give you a 9 out of 10. That is how much I enjoyed your game and hope you do very well in the Game Jam. I also can't wait to play your next game, (You must make more, you are a great storyteller!!!!).

Edit: I forgot to add, I liked the scan part of it. You got me lol

AquaticCharizard · Aug 7, 2018

I really enjoyed this game (even though I had trouble in the beginning lol) I just finished it and I even recorded a blind let's play! I uploaded the first part - - I'll leave you a link so you can see how I reacted to the game XD Really hope you make more in the future becuase you have a real talent for this :D

Tomix9tomix · Aug 7, 2018

So I have updated the game again to version 1.02. This update is mainly focused around the first section of the game, without getting into any spoilers at all, I've just made it a bit easier, and made a part of it work a bit differently and actually WORK now. You can download it from the link in the main post.

I would also just like to say, thank you so much for the overwhelming support from everyone, my heart is melting from everything you guys are saying. Thank you so much. I've added a little section at the bottom of the thread that has videos of people playing this game. So if you want to see what this game is like, you're just a click away!

If you've made a video of you playing this game, just let me know and I'll link it to the main thread. I love watching you guys playing my game, and even just hearing from you about it is amazing. Once more, thank you.

Anuran · Aug 9, 2018

Really enjoyed this little game. It has the original feelings to it and the vibe to it. Its nice to see that you made this game as there is something the player is eager to find out at the end which i liked the most. When I started the game I had that feeling - "What is the end going to be about?" and kept me going. Nice work

FatDragonite · Aug 9, 2018

I played a little bit of your game and I can say...

I LOVE IT! I HOPE YOU MAKE MORE GREAT GAMES LIKE THIS!!!!

A.J1 · Aug 9, 2018

Thanks, for your game. I have been waiting for a long time to play some fangame. You have done a really nice work. I loved it. And........

Just keep improving.

Ekat · Aug 10, 2018

Hey dude, just finished your game. Overall, it was quick and enjoyable! I took some notes while playing, and I've kept them under the spoiler. I've got the criticisms and the suggestions first, because that means I can finish off by listing the positives.

[Negatives]

1. The Dusknoir segment was rather frustrating; I spent the better part of half an hour trying to get around it. The maze wasn't a problem, but the speed of the Dusknoir was. Maybe bump it down a level or set up the event so Dusknoir will increase its speed the closer you get to the exit.
2. There were some tiling errors in/around Mt. Bullie. (The backwards stairs, cave floor beneath certain cave walls, etc )
3. The spelling/grammar could have used a second read-over, but it's far from the worst I've seen.
4. The inconsistency in the trainer battle sprites (You had a mixture of gen 3 and 4 style) is jarring.

[Suggestions]

1. Add more music beyond the default Essentials tracks.
2. Fix the choreographing of cut scene/events so that the camera scrolls if a character is being blocked by a text box.
3. You left in a lot of the default Essentials UI/pictures/backgrounds/etc. If you're not up to making them, there are public menu/bag/battle images available on Relic and elsewhere. It's a small detail, but it can make a big difference to your game visually.
4. The maps were a mixed bag for me. But, for the most part, I didn't notice many tiling errors. On the structural side, they were good, if a little bland in terms of variation (a lot of big patches of grass, squarish, etc).
My favourite map was War Woods, and my biggest nitpick would be the abandoned mart. The maze aspect was fine, but the lack of anything made it boring to navigate. I'd try adding shelves, broken floor boards, boxes, dirt patches, rocks, etc to give it more of an abandoned store look. (Check out some of the tiles in the Pokémon Mansion set that comes with Essentials.)
5. To avoid too much more overlap with Pap, I'll just state that agree with the point about the story's plot twist. I think introducing the [existence of] final boss in the character's conversation would help build things up. That way, you don't have a quick segment where Yuma and July info-dump the player with details about the character. In addition, hinting that Yuma's motives are not quite what they appear to be would also contribute to the story's intrigue.

[Positives]

1. I enjoyed the dialogue. It had me laughing aloud a couple times. I loved the the "serial killer" exchange in particular because it came right after Ducky and July suggesting that they should kill Yuma, making it all the more ironic. (The elderly lady referencing Bambi for the PS2 had me snickering as well.)
2. Of the problems I did find, there was nothing game-breaking.
3. Aside from the Dusknoir part at the beginning, the game wasn't unnecessarily difficult. I didn't feel the need to grind or hoard items.
4. I also liked the humorous situations that the characters got into, from the bamboozlement to Yuma's declaration that Ducky has evolved from a wet hat to a walking stick.

Nice work on this. Game Jam is no picnic, and creating a game as a solo dev definitely has its challenges, but you made it before the deadline. Keep improving dude!

Tomix9tomix · Aug 10, 2018

Ekat said:
~snip~

Thank you so much for all the feed back! That's really a lot to go through, I love it! Just curious about two things, the first segment you said you had trouble with it, in a patch I made it so it offers to turn down the difficultly if you failed enough times, and I know that isn't exactly the best solution, but I was just wondering what version you were playing, because it would be a shame if that didn't work, it should have (there were also other tweaks in terms of map layout and flash actually working to make that map easier).

And on the topic of text boxes covering characters, I know there was a big problem with a certain scene and that one of the earlier updates, it was in the 2nd part of the story when sitting at the table and someone walks through the door but you can't actually really see who they are. I was wondering if maybe you were on an older version and talking about that one, or if maybe there was another scene in particular where that causes problems.

But yeah! Thanks you so much for all the feedback, and I'm glad you enjoyed it overall! Thank you for playing!

Ekat · Aug 10, 2018

CloonieKing said:
Just curious about two things, the first segment you said you had trouble with it, in a patch I made it so it offers to turn down the difficultly if you failed enough times, and I know that isn't exactly the best solution, but I was just wondering what version you were playing, because it would be a shame if that didn't work, it should have (there were also other tweaks in terms of map layout and flash actually working to make that map easier).

Np! I was really excited to check out this year's Jam entries! I played the most recent patch of the game (v1.02).

I think part of the problem was that after losing a few times to Dusknoir (around 4-5 I want to say) I changed my method of play style. I would run a short distance, save, and then soft reset if I was caught. It took less time than losing the battle (due to Magnemite's Sturdy kicking in), and I didn't have to worry about being sent back to the beginning all over again. Out of curiosity though, how many losses does it take to trigger the option to make the segment easier?

As for the text boxes, during the scene in the house, one character is still partially covered by it. That is the instance I can recall most clearly off the top of my head, but I believe the scene where Yuma talks to the brother about his counter-bamboozle could benefit from a slight shift in camera as well.

Tomix9tomix · Aug 10, 2018

Ekat said:
~snip~

You have to fail 5 times to be offered an easier version, I chose 5 because I feel like part of it does involve failing enough times that you begin to understand the layout, but I think at 5 times the player would start to get frustrated, and if they want to keep trying they can, but I figured it was best to give the option.
I'll look into some of those scene, but I think I'll take a break from patching the game for now as I've been getting quite busy and the work load for school is piling up as my school year comes closer to a close. But I will try to get to some of the things you addressed in the future!

MGriffin · Aug 10, 2018

I enjoyed the dialogue, and the ending was cute even though it's not really my thing :)

Tomix9tomix · Aug 11, 2018

Another update is out! The bugs keep coming! v1.03 doesn't fix a massive amount, just a few typos but more importantly, a broken door!
Thank you, this jam has been a blast!

Greninjauzumaki · Aug 12, 2018

I finally got to finish your game and I really enjoyed playing it. I liked the way the story develops and the ending was nice and wholesome. I actually felt that I was part of Yuma's journey. Even the characters in the game ( Yuma, Ducky and July) had their unique traits which was interesting and helped me immerse myself in the game. Great game Tomix and good luck with your future projects.

Aki · Aug 16, 2018

I just finished a full playthrough! This is a really nice game and I had a good time with it.

Okay so I've gotta talk about how I was dumb and couldn't win the Dusknoir section without looking it up. In my notes I wrote up suggestions for lightening the difficulty based on fails but from another comment I see that's already in the game...It didn't help me though and I failed way too much.

So, I opened up the files to grab a screenshot as a visual reference here:

My first instinct was to run straight back to where the stairs had been, and from there I ran up and saw the item my mouse is on there. My problem was that because the item was the only feature I could find, I got hyper fixated on it and got fuuuucked because it didn't occur to me that it was an optional item or that the room would loop around, even that there were stairs somewhere that I should be trying to find. I just assumed it was the thing I needed because it was the only thing I knew.

Moving on from that though, I really like each section of the story/each leg of the journey, but after reaching the end they feel pretty disjointed? Maybe it was just the jam's time crunch but it felt like a couple of plot threads were left hanging:

1)Dusknoir and that section's playstyle is a really cool first impression to the game, but it's never touched or built upon after that. I left feeling a little traumatized, I dunno how Yuma managed after that night. I thought maybe Dusknoir was gonna be a recurring villain or just turn up at the end as a personal growth meter for the player.

2)After July gets a Chansey, I forget who but someone pointed out that Ducky was now the only one without a Pokemon. He never got a Pokemon...Maybe there wasn't a natural place to work in Ducky getting a pokemon, but between this and the next point I felt Ducky was a little neglected at the end. :(

3)Ducky never climbed to the top of Mt. Bullie and wasn't there for the ending. And he was the one being all mushy about friendship!! Even if he wanted to give Yuma space with his dad, why didn't Ducky stay together with July?

4)The different sections don't seem to relate to or tie into each other. Like, the setup talks about some unknown ruins that are exciting and mysterious enough that the protagonists sneak out to visit them. The abandoned Pokemart was pointed out to be in a weird spot and it's haunted by a very aggressive ghost. Duncan and Tom both allude to big bamboozles they have planned, but we leave and don't see what kind of bamboozles they get into even though there's references and hints about something about Duncan and vending machines (maybe that one is meta, IDK). Then at Mt. Bullie it's again pointed out that hey, there's a little mystery here about why police officers and scientists are interested in some ruins. Each of those leaves a nice tease of something more going on that the player doesn't get to know about, but I feel like something somewhere should have related.

Ugh I feel like I wrote too much so let me gush a bit. The ending on the moutaintop with dad was handled really well. I love that the scene at the end is the one from the opening titlescreen, and I love that dad speaks a couple lines from offscreen before we actually get to see him. And you're allowed to lose the fight with him! I went back and won just to see if the ending was different.

Deo · Aug 22, 2018

I enjoyed this game! It was pretty cute, and I like the small details here and there. I thought the War Woods were cool in particular, the trainers there made me laugh.

I do have some gripes with it, though. I lucked out completely on the Dusknoir section and didn't get caught, but it sounds like it's a bit of a problem area. Wild Pokémon feel more like a time filler, I ran from every battle and was fine. I think you could easily swap out random encounters for overworld Pokemon. The writing was cute, but I did feel like a lot of the characters spoke with the same "voice" and weren't distinguished enough from one another. The ending was cute, but also really sudden.

The presentation is one area where the game falls pretty hard, I think. I have absolutely no issue with the default Essentials assets, but I think this game could have stood out much more by having some recolored tiles and new overworld sprites for the characters. The most egregious thing in this game is the choice to stick with just the default music, though. This is a game that separates itself from others by being more character focused, and I think it's a huge wasted opportunity not to include some new tracks in there. It's not that the default tracks were such a mismatch with what was going on, but they really held the game back from being something far superior in my opinion.

Overall, a pretty decent game that's hampered by some presentation issues, but with some polish and maybe more content/a bit longer it could be something really awesome.

Completed Pokémon Journey

SmokedPaprika

Stinky Person

Tomix9tomix

The beetle is waking up

joseph opferbeck

Rookie

SmokedPaprika

Stinky Person

WolfShadowWhisper

Just a wolf that loves the shadows on a hot day :)

AquaticCharizard

Rookie

Tomix9tomix

The beetle is waking up

Anuran

Novice

FatDragonite

Rookie

A.J1

Extra

Ekat

That One Guy's GF

Tomix9tomix

The beetle is waking up

Ekat

That One Guy's GF

Tomix9tomix

The beetle is waking up

MGriffin

Trainer

Tomix9tomix

The beetle is waking up

Greninjauzumaki

pika pika

Aki

Ace trainer

Deo

Ex-Staff