In Development Pokemon Time

Ryz · Sep 20, 2017

I've been swamped irl recently. I've finally found a break and worked on this a bit. The first town is 100% complete. Story eventing, bugs fixed, no errors. Should be perfect.

I have some screenshots. I added the first battle too. It'll be the person outside the lab after you do the last story event in the first town. He may or may not have some secret reason for being there.

There's a couple screenshots of the most recent addition.
I'm taking a break, My brain hurts, had to do a lot of troubleshooting.

The second town will have a gym, bug type. I'm kinda copying the first two towns from Resurrection, in terms of names and gyms. The rest will be different.

The first battle is completely optional. You'll have to talk to the NPC three times. First he'll tell you to get lost, then he'll warn you for the last time, then talk to him once more and the battle will start.

Oh by the way, if you like the Ben 10 series, there's some references to that show in the game. If you like Dragon Ball Z you'll recognize the first town's name, Ginger Town.
I'm just adding references from various sources because I want some people to recognize them. Hope you like them.

Finally, does anyone know the sprite dimensions of the running animation? I know its on a 64x64 grid, but what are the dimensions of the actual sprite, in gen 4 style? I can't find any info on that. Right now the running animation is just a sped up version of the walking animation. If anyone knows please let me know.

Riddle · Sep 21, 2017

oh my god a game focused on time travel this is everything i've ever wanted

Ahem. Anyways, this looks like a super interesting project, and a ton can come out of it. The plot is intriguing, and from our impressions of the screenshots, the characters look nice too. The time travel mechanic sounds like it will be an insane amount of fun, but I may be biased since I'm a junkie towards those kind of things.

I'm really no expert on any of this so I'm probably the last person you'd want criticism from, but this game shows a ton of promise so I'll throw my two cents in. It might be all rambling though!

Graphics are tough. I know that. Using Gen 4 stuff makes it 10x harder due to the fact it is hard to match styles to it, but the pay-off can be really sweet since the game ends up looking so polished.
With this, there are mapping errors that are really difficult to ignore in the screenshots. The forest is the most noticeable due to the fact that the trees are so linear and repetitive, it creates a weird mix of being very static and empty. And an empty map is the most distracting type of map, since it's very apparent.
Not only that, but it can impact the actual scene itself! Even if your dialogue and plot is the most beautiful thing crafted to man, since you are offering a mapped scene to the player's eye it will alter their perspective of said scenario. Unlike books, in games or any medium of art, you are filling in the initial imagination of your audience. What they see is what they will think, and if the map feels awkward so will they, regardless of the dialogue or situation.

From the screenshots, the forest feels almost plastic-y to me. Especially in the scene where it looks like there are grunts of the evil team talking to each other. RPGMaker is really limited in this in regards to animation and such, so its difficult to get the type of response you want to evoke from the player when all you can work with is text boxes and stand-still sprites. To make it up, that's where maps come in. You can cluster trees around them to give a claustrophobic vibe and draw the focus directly on them, or spread it in a circle/clearing to highlight it's an important event. You don't need fancy graphics or custom tiles for this, just some layer work on RPGMaker to stack the trees on each other.

The house has the emptiness issue as well, but since houses suck to make I understand anyway. This is where the contrasting is coming in though, with the bed looking very flat under the shadow-line and the bookcase being funky with the line-less artwork of everything else.

More nit-picky stuff from me would be the text boxes. There's nothing wrong with the dialogue itself, but since the text is clumped together as single sentences it makes the scene clunky. Use line breaks if the new text is different than the previous sentences, otherwise it becomes really weird to read.
I can't really word it correctly, so the second screenshot is my example. The "Is that a Celebi?" coming right after the player asks "How'd I get here?" means that the player is going to read it all as one sentences, which is awkward pacing and might even be confusing. There may need to be a short pause after the "How'd I get here?" for it to be registered, and then a new text box can pop up when the character notices the Celebi asking "Is that a Celebi?" and so on.

You can take this with a grain of salt if you want though. I'm a far cry from being a proper game-developer, but I'd be more than happy to lend a hand on anything you'd like for this!

Good luck on this project!

Ryz · Sep 22, 2017

Nyarth said:
oh my god a game focused on time travel this is everything i've ever wanted

Ahem. Anyways, this looks like a super interesting project, and a ton can come out of it. The plot is intriguing, and from our impressions of the screenshots, the characters look nice too. The time travel mechanic sounds like it will be an insane amount of fun, but I may be biased since I'm a junkie towards those kind of things.

I'm really no expert on any of this so I'm probably the last person you'd want criticism from, but this game shows a ton of promise so I'll throw my two cents in. It might be all rambling though!

Graphics are tough. I know that. Using Gen 4 stuff makes it 10x harder due to the fact it is hard to match styles to it, but the pay-off can be really sweet since the game ends up looking so polished.
With this, there are mapping errors that are really difficult to ignore in the screenshots. The forest is the most noticeable due to the fact that the trees are so linear and repetitive, it creates a weird mix of being very static and empty. And an empty map is the most distracting type of map, since it's very apparent.
Not only that, but it can impact the actual scene itself! Even if your dialogue and plot is the most beautiful thing crafted to man, since you are offering a mapped scene to the player's eye it will alter their perspective of said scenario. Unlike books, in games or any medium of art, you are filling in the initial imagination of your audience. What they see is what they will think, and if the map feels awkward so will they, regardless of the dialogue or situation.

From the screenshots, the forest feels almost plastic-y to me. Especially in the scene where it looks like there are grunts of the evil team talking to each other. RPGMaker is really limited in this in regards to animation and such, so its difficult to get the type of response you want to evoke from the player when all you can work with is text boxes and stand-still sprites. To make it up, that's where maps come in. You can cluster trees around them to give a claustrophobic vibe and draw the focus directly on them, or spread it in a circle/clearing to highlight it's an important event. You don't need fancy graphics or custom tiles for this, just some layer work on RPGMaker to stack the trees on each other.

The house has the emptiness issue as well, but since houses suck to make I understand anyway. This is where the contrasting is coming in though, with the bed looking very flat under the shadow-line and the bookcase being funky with the line-less artwork of everything else.

More nit-picky stuff from me would be the text boxes. There's nothing wrong with the dialogue itself, but since the text is clumped together as single sentences it makes the scene clunky. Use line breaks if the new text is different than the previous sentences, otherwise it becomes really weird to read.
I can't really word it correctly, so the second screenshot is my example. The "Is that a Celebi?" coming right after the player asks "How'd I get here?" means that the player is going to read it all as one sentences, which is awkward pacing and might even be confusing. There may need to be a short pause after the "How'd I get here?" for it to be registered, and then a new text box can pop up when the character notices the Celebi asking "Is that a Celebi?" and so on.

You can take this with a grain of salt if you want though. I'm a far cry from being a proper game-developer, but I'd be more than happy to lend a hand on anything you'd like for this!

Good luck on this project!

Yeah. I'm not the best mapper, I was planning on remapping the forest. I didn't like it either. I was getting ready to work on the house. One thing I always say though is, the artist can't always find problems with his or her art. The lab has a lot more to it. I'll take a screenshot of that in a bit. One of the reasons I was going to remap the forest is I really don't like those trees. Luckily Aki solved that problem.

Also, there's is a pause in one of the dialogue.. but I really didn't like that either.

Also, the tileset is a little beyond my control... it's really hard to find good indoor tilesets. I really want HGSS indoor tilesets... but the problem with that is the only good method for ripping tiles I found only works on the outdoor tiles. The main problem with tilesets is that you can find good ones... but they aren't in the correct format. Formatting them isn't hard, just tedious.

As for the house... yeah... I really hate the bed... always have on that tileset. I'll look around for a new indoor tileset, or if I can find a method to rip indoor tiles.

To sum up, I agree with everything. I've been taking a look at some other fangames to get some ideas in terms of mapping. And I think I have some.
Hmm... just had an idea on how to make that first scene better.

Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I always enjoy constructive criticism.

'------------------------I made a little preview video of the game. I may make more in the future. It just shows the little bit of gameplay in the Forest of Time, first area. I changed the map dramatically. Also the first event that happens when you load was changed dramatically. It only lasts about two minutes. Tell me if you know the song in the beginning. I do. I feel the tone of the song gave off a desperate vibe.

Enjoy.

Also I'm done for the night. It took several hours to format some of my tiles. I got some new ones. Will be updating credits.

Oh.. I meant to say... I don't know how much I'll be able to work on the game in the next couple of weeks. Just found out my grandpa has cancer so I'm a little distracted. I'll do my best to get work done but I'm not sure if I'll feel inspired.

Edit: In the second town, when you do the story event, two things.

It's going to be a maze of tunnels. If you go the wrong way you'll go back to the start. There's clues of which way to go. And if you run into a dead end, I'd advise checking your surroundings.

Second, I don't know if the script will work, it was made for a previous version of essentials, but assuming all goes well you'll have to figure out a riddle to get in. I got that idea from Pokemon Insurgence.

PS: Nyarth, you can always be a tester if that's your desire. If you do your main task would be finding grammar and spelling issues. I'm not a good speller. I already had to fix an entire scene for that reason.

Edit 2: Don't really have anything better to do so I'll so what I can do with the first town. It needs a makeover. Since I'm using a new tileset it'll have to be remapped. Best to do this early than late. Finally found some good tree tiles, all credit goes to Aki for that.------------------------Changed the forest screenshots on the main post to line up with the remapped one. I also took a screenshot of the first town in RMXP
Reason I did this is so I could get some feedback on the whole town, screenshots in game won't really do that I'd have to take a bunch, RMXP screenshot isn't in the main post, it'll be below this in a spoiler tag.

I feel its missing something but I don't know what. Also forgot to add someone to the credits just realized that looking at the screenshot. It's not against the rules to forget people is it? I mean us developers are only human. Anyway went off topic. Point is, I'd like some feedback on the map. The video summed up the forest map. I think it's a lot better than the original.

Also, if you're wondering why there's a couple black fades, I did this to give the impression it was hard to wake up. I think it did a good job at that.

Finally, if you watched the video and saw the jump from forest picture to black screen, I fixed that. At the time I recorded the video I couldn't think how to make it look better but I did. It's basically a custom fade between map transfers. I'll probably use stuff like that later on too. The map transfer fade in RMXP leaves much to be desired imo. Its 1:30 AM and my brain is shot. Bed time.

Tomorrows plans:

Remap the interiors of the first town.

Work on route 1. I'm terrible at making routes but I have some ideas. Also, keep your eyes peeled, I like the idea of secret areas from Resurrection so I'm bringing those back. Not the same mechanic though.
The secret areas will start easy but get harder later on. The first one will test your knowledge of the Pokemon games. It's a real easy question but its a little bit of a trick question.

If I still have time after those I'm going to work on Negix Town, the second town. I'm probably going to add more references from TV shows that have time travel. Not Doctor Who. Haven't watched Back to the Future yet so not those.

Finally, I have to make a new gym leader sprite. My old sprite is terrible. I'll look for some fan art and use that as a design base... as long as the hair exists in the main games. I'm terrible at spriting hair and hats. Clothing is easy, capes, fine. But hair... just can't get it to look right. If anyone has any tips let me know... the main reason I can't use the main character sprites is because I just can't sprite hair.

Okay.. I'm starting to ramble. Done.

TL;DR: Added screenshots. Any suggestions on the map in the spoiler. Tips on spriting hair would be appreciated. Expect more tomorrow.

Edit: If you want some insight into the plans with the time travel mechanic, basically at certain points in the story you'll be required to go to some location, Celebi will move around you in a circle, then a flash and you'll be transported back. Basically the goal is to recover your memories. Got some inspiration from Breath of the Wild on that. There'll be puzzles there, and when you reach the end of the map a cutscene will play, basically a vision, and after the cutscene you'll be transported back.

If you don't have Celebi in your party, it will fade in next to you and do the same. I suggest having Celebi in your party, simply because things will slightly change in terms of NPCs.

The first scene will happen in Negix town probably. Ok. Bed time.

Eugh... that is so annoying... I don't think there's a single side facing bed in all of Gen 4...Oh well. Will have to redo some of the eventing in the first town.------------------------I have no idea why but for some strange reason the game is ignoring the passage blocks in the database... its the thing that tells the game that you're not supposed to be walking through that... yet for some odd reason you can walk through EVERYTHING

It's really pissing me off and I have no idea how to fix it.

Bloody hell... I made a mistake when I was mapping everything as a result I have remap EVERYTHING AGAIN.... I'm done for now. I am not in the mood to remap everything. It sucks because I finally got those maps just how I like them and I won't be able to recreate them. Going to look for a workaround.

I feel so damn stupid right now... such an idiotic mistake.. and because it was on the third layer, which overwrites EVERYTHING, I can't even delete the mistake because it'll delete the entire map... I've been using RMXP for three years... you'd think I'd be beyond beginners mistakes but nooo... this is so aggravating. Sorry, but I'm not updating anymore today. I am NOT remapping everything today. It took close to five hours to get everything perfect last night... fuck me...well now I know not to use a blank tile on the second or third layer. Live and learn I suppose.

Ryz · Sep 24, 2017

Guess what? More screenshots. One of the lab and one of the remapped old lady house. I was able to find a workaround for my mapping error. So I didn't have to remap everything.
I did completely remap the old lady's house a third time because I didn't like the second.

Anyway, here they are. Will be in the main post too.
Taking a break. Been working for about two hours. I don't wanna get burned out.

Riddle · Sep 24, 2017

I'm so sorry to hear about your grandpa. Best of luck to him, you, and your family. Take as much time as you need please.

Ryz said:
'------------------------I made a little preview video of the game. I may make more in the future. It just shows the little bit of gameplay in the Forest of Time, first area. I changed the map dramatically. Also the first event that happens when you load was changed dramatically. It only lasts about two minutes. Tell me if you know the song in the beginning. I do. I feel the tone of the song gave off a desperate vibe.

That's some pretty huge improvement! I would agree on the music, it's a very nice choice for the scene. I'm a huge sucker for melancholic-sounding pianos though, so I might be a bit biased.

The maps are getting a lot better. I'm going to say that the linear-issue is still persisting, with the trees and the path and all. Since the trees are spaced out so much, it's damaging the forest-y vibe (although I'm guessing that the spacing may have to do with the tileset itself). The path you follow is a bit too wide and empty, and the trees' shadows clipping over it makes the perspective a bit awkward. I'm really liking those overlaying text-scenes though, and the updated dialogue. The cutscenes we've seen so far are all really good.

Ryz said:
I feel its missing something but I don't know what. Also forgot to add someone to the credits just realized that looking at the screenshot. It's not against the rules to forget people is it? I mean us developers are only human. Anyway went off topic. Point is, I'd like some feedback on the map. The video summed up the forest map. I think it's a lot better than the original.

I'm liking these new tiles. I think what the map needs is to be a bit more filled in though, since it feels almost soulless. There's these big empty spaces that make it a bit bland. You can toss in some grass or a mini-park to spice things up if you aren't putting stuff already. I like the look of the big building in the upper-right, but the location is a bit too squarish and unnatural.
The trees have the same grid-looking problems, and you can fix this by extending the "tree-line" into a more jagged, unsymmetrical formation so it appears more natural.

Ryz said:
Edit: If you want some insight into the plans with the time travel mechanic, basically at certain points in the story you'll be required to go to some location, Celebi will move around you in a circle, then a flash and you'll be transported back. Basically the goal is to recover your memories. Got some inspiration from Breath of the Wild on that. There'll be puzzles there, and when you reach the end of the map a cutscene will play, basically a vision, and after the cutscene you'll be transported back.

If you don't have Celebi in your party, it will fade in next to you and do the same. I suggest having Celebi in your party, simply because things will slightly change in terms of NPCs.

Okay, that just sounds insanely cool. Obviously you can't tell me because potential spoilers, but how far do we go back? And do we go to the future too? Agh, this is why time travel stuff is the absolute best.

Ryz said:
Bloody hell... I made a mistake when I was mapping everything as a result I have remap EVERYTHING AGAIN.... I'm done for now. I am not in the mood to remap everything. It sucks because I finally got those maps just how I like them and I won't be able to recreate them. Going to look for a workaround.

Don't beat yourself up over this! I've made this mistake a million times on every map I've ever touched, mainly because I apparently can't tell the difference between the second layer and the third layer. You don't need to apologise for it.

Ryz said:
I did completely remap the old lady's house a third time because I didn't like the second.

Anyway, here they are. Will be in the main post too.
Taking a break. Been working for about two hours. I don't wanna get burned out.

Okay, these indoor maps look super good, and a ridiculously massive improvement jump from the previous one. There's a tiny mistake in the second one though, and some of the facing-downwards walls don't have actual wall tiles, which gives the impression that they're holes in the ground. Otherwise, I really like these ones.

On being a tester, I'd be more than happy to help!

~~Also, my absolute weakness~~--~~maze puzzles. I'll need a moment of silence, since those take me years to complete.~~

Ryz · Sep 25, 2017

Nyarth said:
I'm so sorry to hear about your grandpa. Best of luck to him, you, and your family. Take as much time as you need please.

That's some pretty huge improvement! I would agree on the music, it's a very nice choice for the scene. I'm a huge sucker for melancholic-sounding pianos though, so I might be a bit biased.

The maps are getting a lot better. I'm going to say that the linear-issue is still persisting, with the trees and the path and all. Since the trees are spaced out so much, it's damaging the forest-y vibe (although I'm guessing that the spacing may have to do with the tileset itself). The path you follow is a bit too wide and empty, and the trees' shadows clipping over it makes the perspective a bit awkward. I'm really liking those overlaying text-scenes though, and the updated dialogue. The cutscenes we've seen so far are all really good.

I'm liking these new tiles. I think what the map needs is to be a bit more filled in though, since it feels almost soulless. There's these big empty spaces that make it a bit bland. You can toss in some grass or a mini-park to spice things up if you aren't putting stuff already. I like the look of the big building in the upper-right, but the location is a bit too squarish and unnatural.
The trees have the same grid-looking problems, and you can fix this by extending the "tree-line" into a more jagged, unsymmetrical formation so it appears more natural.

Okay, that just sounds insanely cool. Obviously you can't tell me because potential spoilers, but how far do we go back? And do we go to the future too? Agh, this is why time travel stuff is the absolute best.

Don't beat yourself up over this! I've made this mistake a million times on every map I've ever touched, mainly because I apparently can't tell the difference between the second layer and the third layer. You don't need to apologise for it.

Okay, these indoor maps look super good, and a ridiculously massive improvement jump from the previous one. There's a tiny mistake in the second one though, and some of the facing-downwards walls don't have actual wall tiles, which gives the impression that they're holes in the ground. Otherwise, I really like these ones.

On being a tester, I'd be more than happy to help!

~~Also, my absolute weakness~~--~~maze puzzles. I'll need a moment of silence, since those take me years to complete.~~

Thanks for the well wishes.

I'll break down my problems.

The grid pattern I understand. I was thinking on best how to fix it, thanks for the idea. The spacing, I have absolutely not idea how to fix. I've tried so many different things. This tileset is a vast improvement. The old tileset, there was so much spacing you could walk in between the trees. I always hated that. So glad I found a new one.

As for the forest issue, the main thing is its a minor area... you'll only be there twice more than likely. But I understand that's no excuse. The main problem I had with the overlapping was that the trees didn't fit properly. Probably a mapping error on my part. I want to make them the best I can.

That big open area issue is fixed. I'm going to touch it up though. Also, that building is a lab. I actually never even noticed the open space til today. I noticed it when I was getting ready to take the first screenshot. The reason the first one is a vast improvement is that it never occurred to me draw it in the center of the map. I didn't even think about that until I was replaying Insurgence.

As for the second screenshot, I don't know how I missed that. Always nice to have a second pair of eyes.

Also, the song is one of my favorites. Goes well with the theme I'm trying to go with. It's called Midna's Desperation. I assume using other Nintendo music is allowed since its allowed to use Pokemon music. I've seen fangames with music from other franchises as well. That happens to be from one of my favorite Legend of Zelda games. If you couldn't tell from my profile image and sig I love Legend of Zelda.

As for the testing thing, I'm glad. I don't really wanna release the first demo unless its as perfect as possible. If you couldn't tell from the preview, the demo will be released when I get four gyms done. Hopefully there'll be a couple hours of gameplay by then. I'm thinking of making an outdoor gym since I don't think that's ever been done.

As for the dates and such for the timetravel, The first few events will probably just be back in the players life a few years. As for the future... you'll have to wait and see. You'll get a little idea of my plans in a bit. I think I'm going to make the forest a small maze. And hopefully cut back on the grid pattern. The maze won't be too difficult, actually back when I was developing Resurrection, there was a forest that had that type of thing.

A little insight into my previous works. The first version of Resurrection was unbelievably rushed. I mean I had a demo out in a week. No attention to story or quality. Then I did Resurrection Redone, while it was much better the story was full of bad writing, because I hadn't practiced in so long. Now this... I'm trying to make it a million times better.

Okay, I'll touch up the first town, I might break down and remap it. Simply because my little work around was basically a hackjob that might cause problems later. Basically I traced over everything on the third layer since I didn't even map anything on that layer. I'll add walls to the lab, and remap the forest.

My last game, the first town, a couple houses had a little garden type thing. I think I might add that to give it a bit more sustenance. I'm probably going to scrap the fence around the lab. Don't really like it. Will get to work on this.

In closing, once again thanks for the feedback. I might make another preview video showcasing the first town. I don't wanna give away too much of the plot. The plot hasn't thickened that much yet. It will though. I'm probably going to work on a custom sprite for the professor. He's basically an undercover researcher. Right now he just has the gentleman sprite from HGSS. As long as the hair already exists I can color in the clothes. I need to work on the dividers though. Anyway I'm rambling. I'll get to work.

Edit: What I'm doing to the forest... I may not even be able to find my way to the exit and I'm the one who made it. Will probably make another preview video once mapping is done.

Edit 2: I may have gone a bit overboard with this map... it's as far not linear as possible. There's six possible exit points but only one is the correct one. Just look for yourself. Screenshot of it in RMXP below.

I honestly don't think even I can find my way through it the first time when I test this. And I'm the one who mapped it. Thoughts?

Edit 3: Finished remapping the first town. Again. Well... this one is the best imo. RMXP map in above spoiler. Getting ready to make another preview video after I fix some events. Map probably needs some touching up. Honestly haven't even tested it yet.

Edit 4: Last update for the night. I'm getting burned out. The human brain isn't built for this type of thing. I made a quick preview video. This will be the last one til release probably. Unless there's a major map update or dialogue update I'm not going to make another one, don't wanna give too much of the plot away.

Sorry if the text went by a little fast. I was zoning out and kept forgetting I was recording. YouTube has a slowing down feature so if you can't read that fast just do that.

Also, when the aide gives the Pokedex, I'm aware of the wrong word used. I know its "handy" not "useful" I just keep forgetting to fix that. I fixed it now. I'm probably going to try and make a world map tomorrow. Haven't done it yet. Hopefully there's a way to make an item world map. I know there is, will just take a bit of scripting. Okay, I'm going to start rambling again. Expect more tomorrow. Maybe. I might take tomorrow off. I need a break.

I'm still stumped on the tree spacing. I know it's possible to put them right against each other as I've seen plenty of other games that did that... I just have no idea how. I've tried changing the size of the tree tiles, I've tried putting each tree on a layer then switching layers putting on at a time, that didn't work (thank god). If anyone knows please let me know. As of now, until I figure it out that's what I'm stuck with. You can't walk between the trees, I fixed that.

Also, the video will be in the main post. I'm removing the first one since its outdated.

Riddle · Sep 26, 2017

Holy map improvement jumps, these are looking pretty neat. I'm loving the maze of the paths and how they smooth into larger and smaller areas, it looks great.
Something you need to be very careful about is repetitiveness though, and I can safely say I'm a victim to this multiple times. The larger the map the better, but since the area is so big the player might get bored whenever they turn every corner after seeing the same tiles over and over again. This one is kind of difficult to fix though, since you're only limited to your own tileset. Otherwise, I'm really liking these ones.

Preview video is super neat, and I'm enjoying what I'm seeing. This is another thing that isn't really your fault, due to the program and resources your limited to, but always mind the "show don't tell" protocol. It applies to all forms of writing. Exposition dumps are a lot easier, but use them as sparingly as possible since if they drag on you can end up losing the player. It is kind of hard to get around them though, due to the previous reasons I've stated above. Stuff I've used when trying to get information across to the player are cutscenes and pictures, or just not expositioning and implying it over time, allowing the player to figure it out. You don't need to give huge amounts of details right from the get-go. That's what worldbuilding and development is for, since it not only builds up tensions and questions for the player, but gives things a more intriguing air of mystery. Also, it adds to the shock-value for future events.

Ryz said:
I'm still stumped on the tree spacing. I know it's possible to put them right against each other as I've seen plenty of other games that did that... I just have no idea how. I've tried changing the size of the tree tiles, I've tried putting each tree on a layer then switching layers putting on at a time, that didn't work (thank god). If anyone knows please let me know. As of now, until I figure it out that's what I'm stuck with. You can't walk between the trees, I fixed that.

I have a feeling that this is because of your tileset. Trees on a tileset have to come with a second set with the trees already stuck together, otherwise it's impossible to do the repeating tree line effect.

I can't really describe what I mean, so here's what it looks like in a tileset:

Yeah, it's kind of weird. You still need layers to make it work properly, especially on the tops of the trees though, but this may be the reason for the spacing-issue.

Ryz · Sep 29, 2017

Nyarth said:
Holy map improvement jumps, these are looking pretty neat. I'm loving the maze of the paths and how they smooth into larger and smaller areas, it looks great.
Something you need to be very careful about is repetitiveness though, and I can safely say I'm a victim to this multiple times. The larger the map the better, but since the area is so big the player might get bored whenever they turn every corner after seeing the same tiles over and over again. This one is kind of difficult to fix though, since you're only limited to your own tileset. Otherwise, I'm really liking these ones.

Preview video is super neat, and I'm enjoying what I'm seeing. This is another thing that isn't really your fault, due to the program and resources your limited to, but always mind the "show don't tell" protocol. It applies to all forms of writing. Exposition dumps are a lot easier, but use them as sparingly as possible since if they drag on you can end up losing the player. It is kind of hard to get around them though, due to the previous reasons I've stated above. Stuff I've used when trying to get information across to the player are cutscenes and pictures, or just not expositioning and implying it over time, allowing the player to figure it out. You don't need to give huge amounts of details right from the get-go. That's what worldbuilding and development is for, since it not only builds up tensions and questions for the player, but gives things a more intriguing air of mystery. Also, it adds to the shock-value for future events.

I have a feeling that this is because of your tileset. Trees on a tileset have to come with a second set with the trees already stuck together, otherwise it's impossible to do the repeating tree line effect.

I can't really describe what I mean, so here's what it looks like in a tileset:

Yeah, it's kind of weird. You still need layers to make it work properly, especially on the tops of the trees though, but this may be the reason for the spacing-issue.

Thanks for the kind words. As for the maps, just the forest took about an hour to map. I got real nitpicky with it. The first town was easier. But I'm probably going to touch it up.

As for the tileset, I actually have those type of tree tiles. The reason I didn't use them is cause they too had the problem. I'll get to work on them. Hopefully the rest of the maps will be better. I am NOT changing those maps. They're about as perfect as I can get them.

As for the preview video, as I said that's the last one. I can't make them too long. If I make another one it'll just be a map showcase. But I'll release a trailer when the game nears it's first demo. Those are always fun to make.

Please read the below.
As a general update for everyone: the reason there hasn't been any more updates is because I'm taking a break. I'll get back to work next Friday. I just needed a break. I was getting burned out, my brain was hurting and such. And I've been rather stressed lately between my grandpa having cancer and other personal problems I haven't really had a moment to relax. I'll never give up on this forever. But looking into the long run, a complete game takes three or four years. More in my case since as of right now I'm doing everything myself. I've just had a lot on my plate recently. Hopefully this weekend will be a bit easier. Thanks for understanding.

One last thing, I'm thinking of TRYING to make a mini game after the main story that'll have you go back to the previous story maps and find some sort of currency. Similar to the game corner only a little bit more involved. Is that something anyone would like? The story maps will already be pretty confusing and challenging. Not going to tell to much. But passing one will take some intelligence. The minigame ones will be even more challenging.

That about covers everything. I suggest reading the last two sections of this post. Everything else isn't really needed for anyone but Nyarth

Edit: I'm going to try and edit Injured Celebi's overworld sprite to have its eyes closed. Right now it's just a rotation of the normal over world sprite. I might also try and add some wounds to make it a bit more realistic.

Have a nice day/evening.

Riddle · Oct 1, 2017

Ryz said:
Thanks for the kind words. As for the maps, just the forest took about an hour to map. I got real nitpicky with it. The first town was easier. But I'm probably going to touch it up.

As for the tileset, I actually have those type of tree tiles. The reason I didn't use them is cause they too had the problem. I'll get to work on them. Hopefully the rest of the maps will be better. I am NOT changing those maps. They're about as perfect as I can get them.

Hmm... I don't really know how the spacing thing is possible then. Do you have a link to your tileset, or can you PM me a photo of it (if that is possible to begin with)? The only way that can be happening is if those tree tiles were still separate to begin with.

Ryz said:
As a general update for everyone: the reason there hasn't been any more updates is because I'm taking a break. I'll get back to work next Friday. I just needed a break. I was getting burned out, my brain was hurting and such. And I've been rather stressed lately between my grandpa having cancer and other personal problems I haven't really had a moment to relax. I'll never give up on this forever. But looking into the long run, a complete game takes three or four years. More in my case since as of right now I'm doing everything myself. I've just had a lot on my plate recently. Hopefully this weekend will be a bit easier. Thanks for understanding.

It's fine! Everyone needs a break, and please enjoy yours :)

Ryz said:
One last thing, I'm thinking of TRYING to make a mini game after the main story that'll have you go back to the previous story maps and find some sort of currency. Similar to the game corner only a little bit more involved. Is that something anyone would like? The story maps will already be pretty confusing and challenging. Not going to tell to much. But passing one will take some intelligence. The minigame ones will be even more challenging.

That sounds kind of cool! Minigames are always cool to begin with. Will this minigame still be playable in the second episode?

Also

Ryz said:
But passing one will take some intelligence.

shoot lol

Ryz · Nov 1, 2017

Nyarth said:
Hmm... I don't really know how the spacing thing is possible then. Do you have a link to your tileset, or can you PM me a photo of it (if that is possible to begin with)? The only way that can be happening is if those tree tiles were still separate to begin with.

It's fine! Everyone needs a break, and please enjoy yours :)

That sounds kind of cool! Minigames are always cool to begin with. Will this minigame still be playable in the second episode?

Also

shoot lol

I'm just posting this to let you know I've not forgotten about you. A lot is going on in my life. Check main post for more info.

But as for the mini game, once you finish all the main events in time you'll have access to it. Basically it'll just be the same thing with some changes. Call it a challenge mode. And once you beat the E4 and such there'll be some extra story content. Similar to OR/AS. No idea on the details on that.

As for passing the intelligence parts, it'll mainly be mazes, riddles and puzzles. The puzzles will probably consist of having stones that change. You'd have to figure out the order. There'll be a hint. But it'll be a riddle. Don't worry though. Once the first release has been out for about a month I'll release the solution. I'm hoping the first release will have at least 4 hours of content.

Also one final thing. Once you get all the badges you'll fight in a tournament. Similar to the anime. Once you beat that you move on to the E4. Also. If I can, don't know if I can, the tournament will be randomized. So if you lose, you won't get the same battle again. It'll likely pull from an pool of different Pokémon. So if you reset enough you'll find the same team. I was planning to add built in challenge modes. But I don't know if it will work right.

Anyway that's it. The project is still open. When I get my inspiration back I'll continue. Sorry for the long break.

Edit: if the Astros win the world series my inspiration will definitely go up. If they lose... it'll just make it worse. Game seven tomorrow. GO STROS!

Edit 2: YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Astros win! This definitely helped. If I have time, I'm going to get back to development.

Ryz · Nov 20, 2017

I've made a small update. I've made a proto route 1. Needs work. As well as did a bit of eventing. The eventing is just a secret area. Screenshots below. I'm still having inspiration issues. Also having some problems with depression. I just wanted to do this to let everyone know this project isn't closed. My life has been hell recently, so I apologize for the lack of updates. I just need a bit of time to sort my life out.

Also including a screenshots of the map in RMXP to get some feedback. Trees still have problems but getting better.

Don't expect regular updates. I'm sorry. But as I said life has been hell. Once I get everything sorted out I'll be back. I really want this game to be good. My current mental state won't let that happen. I hope you understand.

Ryz · Apr 3, 2018

I finally decided to get off my ass and work on this again. I changed the way dialogue is shown. I also made my own custom sprite. Still needs some touching up.

The new way dialogue is handled is that theres a portrait of the one who's saying the dialogue. This will only happen on major story npcs. Hopefully they'll all have custom sprites. I got some advice from this guy I know. Anyway here's a screenshot of the new dialogue system.

I'm gonna work on the sprite some more tomorrow. Note the Pokeball on her shirt. I wanted it to be a pin. That's how it came out. The pokeball pins will play a role in the story. I haven't made her overworld sprite yet. I'll make it once I'm satisfied with that one. Tomorrow I'm going to see my sister and her internet is trash, so I won't be able to check the thread. I'll still work on the game when I have free time but you won't see any updates til at least sunday.

Also there are new trainer sprites. Idk if they'll be in the first release, time will tell. I didn't make them. I'm gonna update the credits.

I also changed some dialogue as I felt it didn't feel like a conversation. I want the dialogue to be natural. I want it to flow as well as if you were talking in real life.'

One final thing, I'm terrible at spriting hair. It took several tries for it to look decent. That's the best I've ever done. The shading is off I know, waiting to hear back from a friend who's better at this than I am.

In Development Pokemon Time

Ryz

That one guy.

Riddle

Novice

Ryz

That one guy.

Ryz

That one guy.

Riddle

Novice

Ryz

That one guy.

Riddle

Novice

Ryz

That one guy.

Riddle

Novice

Ryz

That one guy.

Ryz

That one guy.

Ryz

That one guy.