What Makes A Great Pokemon Fangame?

[PlasmaRoto]

I want to hear your opinions on what you think makes a fun and memorable pokemon fangame. It can be anything such as gameplay, characters, story, music and ect. Is there a certain goal that motivates you to continue playing the game? Is there anything in particular that makes you want to come back even after beating the game? I want to hear all of your personal opinions

 

[Crist]

Have a different story without ceasing to be pokemon of course it is difficult, it can even become confusing if you leave several plot gaps, but that is what would make it memorable

 

[PlasmaRoto]

Have a different story without ceasing to be pokemon of course it is difficult, it can even become confusing if you leave several plot gaps, but that is what would make it memorable

Nice input, got any examples of fangames with great stories?

 

[Crist]

Nice input, got any examples of fangames with great stories?

pokemon red chapter and pokemon crush(although that one is forgotten)

 

[Dragonite]

I like games that don't force themselves to fit into the same standard model as all the other games. If a game features eight Gyms, an Elite Four, Team Something, a Rival, a starter trio whose types counterbalance each other, Missingno as canon, the complete National Dex, a Trainer School, six HMs, shadow Pokémon, and a partridge in a pear tree, it starts to look like the author is checking off boxes instead of trying to make something that stands on its own merit.

 

[PlasmaRoto]

I like games that don't force themselves to fit into the same standard model as all the other games. If a game features eight Gyms, an Elite Four, Team Something, a Rival, a starter trio whose types counterbalance each other, Missingno as canon, the complete National Dex, a Trainer School, six HMs, shadow Pokémon, and a partridge in a pear tree, it starts to look like the author is checking off boxes instead of trying to make something that stands on its own merit.

Well the game I'm currently working on has a major focus on shadow pokemon so that might be hard to cut. But yeah I'm going more of the Colosseum/XD route for my game

 

[aiyinsi]

honestly I like games for different things. But usually it's a fun lore that keeps me playing, wanting to explore a region.

Then there are games that are self ironic and sometimes overly edgy. They tend to make me laugh a lot.

And then there's battle sims. I'm a battle junky.

I don't really care how many gyms, etc you got. As long as the game catches me from the beginning. So I guess a good start is the most important thing. (ORAS did that with that intro since Saphire was the first game I played)

 

[Ekat]

I'm of two minds - developer perspective and player perspective.

I strongly agree with Dragonite's points about fangames that fit into the standard Pokémon model. I know it's popular with a lot of players, but, it's just not my cup of tea. There is so much potential for innovation- be it in gameplay, or exploring new ways to write Pokémon-centric narratives -with fangames. We have all sorts of powerful tools available to make these dreams a reality... Why recreate the basics, or incorporate the features everyone else is doing? I play a lot of fangames, so seeing this model is just dull to me at this point. I have a stronger appreciation for games where the devs do something different.

At the same time, I'm very much a "create make whatever you like" kind of dev. You can have aspirations to grow as an artist/coder/whatever, to make friends, to have fun, etc... But, making a fangame is a big, typically non-profit, time sink. (You might even go as far as to spend to commission assets.) If you're going to make that kind of commitment, make sure you're working on a project you enjoy overall. Sure, you'll run into various, tedious tasks you won't like. (Looking at you, townmap.txt.) Yes, you should still seek & accept peer feedback and critique to improve your work. It can't be fun all the time. However, you shouldn't spend your precious spare time torturing yourself.

If I were to rank what I think is least to most important in a great fangame, I'd go:

Spoiler: Graphics vs. Gameplay vs. Writing

3. Graphics - Funnily enough, despite being a very art-focused dev myself, I don't think fangames need strong visuals to be a great game. If the writing or gameplay hooks me in, I can easily overlook the graphics.

2. Gameplay - Like I said above, if a fangame tries something different with its gameplay, I'm willing to give it a fair shot.

1. Writing - I came into fangame development from a writing background. I really wanted to write and play story-heavy games. In particular, I wanted to see the world of Pokémon explored more in-depth, and to see narratives that could tackle more complex character relationships. I'm willing to play through a project, even if its gameplay and graphics are poor, if the story draws me in.

I've pulled a few projects/devs from my list of fangame recs that I especially enjoy. I feel like giving examples better shows what I like to see in projects, and the devs all deserve some love! There's plenty of other projects and people to follow I could list here. However, I didn't want to drag this post out much longer.

Spoiler: Fangame Recs

Games
A Farfetch'd Story - This is Kenny's latest project. I mention him a bit more below as well. Just an awesome jam entry, and it really found an enjoyable way to use the "play-as-pokemon" idea in the overworld as well. I also hear rumours that there's going to be a sequel...

Attack on the Space Station - This is an older game that still holds up. Excellent atmosphere, and a fun, inspired environment for a Pokémon fangame. This is my favourite of NoodlesButt's works.

A Slice of Life - It's a bit of a running joke with me now. I will promote this game to the end of my days. I adore Fox's writing, the cozy world settings, and the general aesthetics. I'm a sucker for the theme of friendship, I enjoyed how time-travel worked in the game.

Littleroot Researchers - Note all the above points of about A Slice of Life. In addition, I love this game because I was personally able to see Kenny's growth between this game and his first - it's insane.

Pokémon Containment - I adore the fakemon forms in this game, and the ways in which they're incorporated into the story. Lichenprincess did an awesome job with the artwork. Comes with a bonus of super cute portraits, and awesome Pokémon designs.

The Looker - Tomix & Co's latest jam entry. This game is just the right size. There's a great story, a fun environment to explore, and some great little missions to go on.

Devs
Anything Vendily Makes - (Escape From Dreamworld, Karma, etc.) There's always unique mechanics (as in, custom-coded), and great little visuals. Ven usually makes short & sweet games, but that's perfect. You have just enough time to showcase the fun little gimmicks that were made.

Anything Ranko Makes - (Ghosts of Knowledge, Bloodlines, etc.) Ranko is the QUEEN of cutscenes. Her work is so ridiculously dynamic, she has superb worldbuilding, fun concepts, etc. Kensho is the latest project she and the team are working on.

Anything Pheebs Makes - (Lost Hope, Starfall, Experimental Gameplay) Pheebs is also FANTASTIC with her atmospheric work. I also love how she incorporates little secrets/easter eggs into the world to reward the player.

Again, all these thoughts come with my very subjective slant. What I'm saying and recommending here can seem totally wrong to another person. Hope some of my rambling thoughts help, though!

 

[Midori]

Hiiiiii, what draws me in is something unique and memorable, a concept that can be fully fleshed out and explored in a way we have not seen before~

Gen 2 graphics have a really special place in my heart and they are so clear and crisp :D

Imagine ROM HACKS with these concepts, I would really love to see them implemented (if anyone ends up using them, please credit me, dreaming to see one day) :P

• Pokemon Contest pop idol with JPOP/KPOP elements: customize your outfits, score combos during songs by using pokemon moves as background splash. (Ex – song is about winter, having your pokemon partner use Powder Snow in the background when the right moment appears)
• Trick house from Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire with different puzzles and adventures, I really wish the Trick Master came back, he was so fun!
• Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Stealing from the Kecleon shop and getting your *** whooped, that was my favorite part. Imagine having various mission objectives in each dungeon, like being an undercover spy and stealing rare items for auctions, stealing food to give to hungry pokemon since Kecleon shops are basically monopolies that sell overpriced items
• Pokemon Emerald Battle Frontier – expanded version with different facilities, imagine special mono challenges (only grass or part grass types allowed), or all pokemon on the team must have a common move depending on the Frontier Brain (all pokemon must know Thunderbolt but can be different types)

 

[HollowGap]

You have to do ALL of the following:

• Include EVERY Pokemon from Gen 1-9.
• If you have fakemon, get at least 300-500 fakemon in your Pokedex. Small number is BORING.
• Regional variants.
• 8 Gyms format is cliché. It's time to go 18 Gyms, 1 for every type.
• This is the opportunity to have MULTIPLE regions. Imagine what can you do with 4 NEW REGIONS!
• Don't EVER use the default Gen 3 assets if you want to stand out. In fact...
• Custom-make your own map tile assets and sprites. It's UGLY to play a game that use the same public assets.
• Online battling and trade functionality + MMO.
• Buttloads of characters.
• Have cutscenes to kill off NPCs left and right!
• Even better, give player option to kill NPCs ourselves! Which leads to...
• Multiple endings!
• You know how quick a game can be beaten in a speedrun? Don't let those speedrunners win. 1000+ hours of content will let them know your game means business.
• Bring back Mega evolution, Z-move, and Dynamax.
• What about the story? Well, nowadays people want games to have meta-commentary and bring up sensitive real life issues. We want stories that Game Freak and Nintendo won't dare even try. WE NEED SERIOUS POKEMON GAME FOR ADULTS.

Does it sound difficult? Of course. Making a game is serious business. But it's not as hard as you think. All you need to do is find people who can make those things for you!

Accept nothing less. Your game will be the best like no game ever was.

 

[Dragonite]

[*]Have cutscenes to kill off NPCs left and right!
[*]Even better, give player option to kill NPCs ourselves! Which leads to...
[*]Multiple endings!

Truly, the next evolution in fan games is a Pokémon x Hitman crossover. How silly of us not to have realized!

 

[West]

I'd say "If you die in the game, you die in real life" is a dealbreaker feature for most

 

[TooMuchWater]

I want to say lots of story/strategy and as little grinding as possible. And I have a soft spot for kitchen sink game design.