Thread: Making a game like Pokemon, has the thought ever crossed your mind?

What I mean by "game influenced by pokemon" is: Not a fan-made pokemon game, Im talking about a completely seperate game or game series that has no connection to the Pokemon series. but some of the creatures are inspired by specific pokemon, and some of your plot elements and structure are inspired by Pokemon elements.

And some of mine are inspired by some existing Pokemon, I'll give a couple examples:

One of them is similar to Farfetch'd, its is a pig that chews on apples, its based on roasted pigs served with an apples in thier mouths, it uses the apples as it's primary weapon by shooting them at the enemy like a bullt. Its like Farfecth'd, because it also uses the very thing that it may be cooked with, as a weapon, it uses apples as gun ammo and Farfetch'd uses a green onion leek as a sword.

Another is similar to Lickitung but a bit different, its a cat covered in a ton of fur,it looks more like an Angora Rabbit, and it doesnt have a tongue of it's own, it needs to steal the enemie's tongue in order to attack, once it has a tongue, it can lick itself to fire(cough up) furballs at the opponent, it can also lick the enemy with thier own tongue. its based on the saying "cat got your tongue?" and how cats cough up furballs.

So has the thought ever crossed your mind? and if you have, I'd like to read some of your idea(but you dont have to include any detail, if you dont want to, I'll understand). And if you have any thoughts on my idea, I'd like to hear those too :)

EDIT: I seriously dont know why you guys keep using the word "clone", its NOT cloning!

I would like to see more monster-training RPGs, not necessarily like Pokemon. We have Dragon Quest Monsters with only few similarities, and Telefang with more similarities. I'm actually planning on making a monster-training RPG, but I'm not very skilled in graphics, so I try to learn OpenGL. I've already made sprites for monsters as well as hand-drawn ones. The game will also have a traditional roleplay version, the kind you play with dice.

The rule system is different from Pokemon. You don't get monsters the way you do Pokemon. I think it's actually more difficult to get a monster, but on the other hand you can never miss them like you can a Pokemon; you always have a chance of meeting them again until you catch them.

The party has no limit. Now, we might think this is bad, because if you can send out a new monster every time one is knocked out you would be too powerful. However, your Trainer has health just as your monsters, and whenever a monster dies, the Trainer will lose health equal to the monster's health.

There are no HMs in the game, instead you learn skills you can only use outside battle. So, you can learn a skill to walk better through a forest. When you encounter a bush in your way, you cannot pass, but when you've learnt this skill, you can walk over it. The same goes for rocks. If you've learnt the mountain skill, you can climb over them. You don't have to send out a monster or anything, so it is very efficient.

There are 7 different colours to categorise monsters. Instead of using Types, there are colours just like in Magic the Gathering. They could be compared to Pokemon Types though. Red is fire, metal, ground and rock for instance. Yellow is electricity and wind. Blue is ice and water.

There is some kind of evolution in the game. I made the first four monsters before I knew about Pokemon, although they were for a manga, not a monster-training RPG, considering that I had never played a monster-training RPG before Pokemon. These four monsters belonged to a family, but I'm not sure how it worked; probably I had no rules for it (because it was a manga, not a game). It was similar to the races in The Legend of Zelda, like Gorons, Zora and Kokiri. I played Ocarina of Time back then, so my monsters were inspired by Zelda. When I learnt about Pokemon, I used the same rules of evolution, applied to my families of monsters.

Techniques are learnt in a similar way as in Dragon Quest Monsters. There are different groups of techniques, and if a monster has a certain tech group it can learn techs from that group. But in DQM you have the skill groups at the beginning. In my game they are learnt at certain levels. I don't have anything corresponding to skill points yet (in DQM, skill points determine when you can learn a skill). There will be a possibility of choosing from more than one skill/tech when you have the right "skill points", so it won't be linear as in DQM. Therefore, the tech groups need to be divided into different levels, so that you cannot pick the strongest first.

I will work on the rules and when I've learnt some graphic programming, I may start on the game. Probably I will make some simpler games first. I have some friends who need help with an RPG, so I can probably learn a lot by helping them. Even if my monster-training RPG never becomes an electronic game, I'm sure to make a traditional RPG of it. I've also tried to make a card game, but I must finish the RPG version first, because the card game will probably be simpler.

About the monster design, some monsters remind of Zelda or Pokemon. There is a walking bush for instance, which looks like a monster in Zelda OoC, except it doesn't spit nuts at you. There are some names of monsters that exist in Pokemon, but this is mostly coincidence. They are often common names like Blacky. I try to divide the monsters for different games or expansions, otherwise they would be too many and too disorganised. The monsters in the different games/expansions usually differ in some way, like the first 200 looking more simple and the last ones looking more detailed. But they will belong to different stories as well.

The story of the game is similar to the one I had on a forum RPG long ago. There is a real world and a house, and in the house you can go into a dream world divided into different worlds, fantasy, sci-fi, post-apocalypse etc. That was my solution to maintaining all the different worlds. In my monster-training RPG I won't cram together all those worlds at once, but probably stick to one real world and one dream world and then add a new world in the next version.

I am actually in the process of making a "game influenced by Pokémon".

Coming this summer to a website near you... the greatest game in the history of the world... Lofémon!

So a little background, several years ago someone at my school showed me the Kittyloaf internet meme which became strangely popular among me and my friends and soon later I made a little animation of a Generation I-style battle engine where the player character captured a Kittyloaf. After showing it to some friends then we decided that it should become an actual game so I started making it. "Lofémon" is "loaf monsters"... nearly all of the monsters will be based on either cats, bread, or both (this draws inspiration from the Kittyloaf I mentioned). Originally it was just going to be a Pokémon ripoff / fangame, using sprites ripped from Red Version, but over the years I decided to completely custom-make all graphics and sounds and more or less make it a completely original game. I am keeping to the Game Boy style though because it's awesome.

The story is simple... basically you meet the insane professor and he's ranting about the world being inhabited by "creatures called Lofémon". For some unknown reason he gives you the starter, the Kittyloaf, and tells you to travel the world (or "butter all teh land" as he puts it). So you go out and have to defeat various bosses to collect the four Canopic Jars (which are more or less the equivalent of Gym Badges) which have the power to summon the ultimate Lofémon, which you learn is also what the bad guys are after.
There's also some background story about how the Lofémon came into existance, but that may or may not be included (or I may just save it for a later game).

Also, some parts of my game are a direct parody of Pokémon. For example, the insane professor is obviously Prof. Oak and his introductory speech will be extremely similar (but in a funny sort of way). Also you know how the nurse in the Pokémon Center always says, "We hope to see you again!"? I always found that strange so in my game I will make fun of it by saying, "We hope you get injured again!"

Monster design will be mostly original, although inspired by Kittyloaf. There will be a few Pokémon references though, for example, a friend designed the "Pikaloaf" which is basically Pikachu in bread form. Then I designed its evolution, the "Ryeloaf".

The gameplay will be very similar to Pokémon, with the monster catching / battling. Certain details will be different though, for example, different damage / levelup formuae, different attacks, a different type system (Lofémon will have 9 types: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Light, Grass, Dark, Thunder, Normal, and Divine). Out-of-battle HM moves will be done differently as well. Completing the Lofédex will not be optional (although this is easier to do than in Pokémon because there are only 50 monsters and none of them require you to restart the game to get the "one not chosen"). Also, the trainers can actually fight (even without Lofémon).

Oh, and just to make the game more interesting... it will be compatible with simulated GameShark codes which will be based pretty much directly off of the Red / Blue Version GameShark codes so if you happen to know any then they might work. For example, the code to change the Lofémon that you encounter will be the same code that you'd use to change the Pokémon you encounter in Red / Blue (except of course, the list will be different... don't type 15 into it and expect a Mew, lol)

If it's Loaf Monsters, shouldn't it be Loafmon?

Originally Posted by Te-em

If it's Loaf Monsters, shouldn't it be Loafmon?

Yeah, but the "é" gives it more of a Pokémon feel which is what I was going for. Also, read it out loud... "loaf-e-mon" vs. "loaf-mon". The first way is easier to pronounce in my opinion.
I had considered "Loafémon" (to make it more clear that it's "loaf") but that spelling lacks symmetry and just looks awkward. The missing "a" makes sense though because I leave out the "a" in the naming scheme of a lot of the monsters as well (sometimes I have to due to the 10-letter limit I'm going for).

Also, strictly speaking, it shouldn't be "Loafmon"... it should be "Lōfumon". From ローフモンスタ. And "Lofémon" is close to that so I'll go with it.

Originally Posted by Te-em

I would like to see more monster-training RPGs, not necessarily like Pokemon. We have Dragon Quest Monsters with only few similarities, and Telefang with more similarities. I'm actually planning on making a monster-training RPG, but I'm not very skilled in graphics, so I try to learn OpenGL. I've already made sprites for monsters as well as hand-drawn ones. The game will also have a traditional roleplay version, the kind you play with dice.

The rule system is different from Pokemon. You don't get monsters the way you do Pokemon. I think it's actually more difficult to get a monster, but on the other hand you can never miss them like you can a Pokemon; you always have a chance of meeting them again until you catch them.

The party has no limit. Now, we might think this is bad, because if you can send out a new monster every time one is knocked out you would be too powerful. However, your Trainer has health just as your monsters, and whenever a monster dies, the Trainer will lose health equal to the monster's health.

There are no HMs in the game, instead you learn skills you can only use outside battle. So, you can learn a skill to walk better through a forest. When you encounter a bush in your way, you cannot pass, but when you've learnt this skill, you can walk over it. The same goes for rocks. If you've learnt the mountain skill, you can climb over them. You don't have to send out a monster or anything, so it is very efficient.

There are 7 different colours to categorise monsters. Instead of using Types, there are colours just like in Magic the Gathering. They could be compared to Pokemon Types though. Red is fire, metal, ground and rock for instance. Yellow is electricity and wind. Blue is ice and water.

There is some kind of evolution in the game. I made the first four monsters before I knew about Pokemon, although they were for a manga, not a monster-training RPG, considering that I had never played a monster-training RPG before Pokemon. These four monsters belonged to a family, but I'm not sure how it worked; probably I had no rules for it (because it was a manga, not a game). It was similar to the races in The Legend of Zelda, like Gorons, Zora and Kokiri. I played Ocarina of Time back then, so my monsters were inspired by Zelda. When I learnt about Pokemon, I used the same rules of evolution, applied to my families of monsters.

Techniques are learnt in a similar way as in Dragon Quest Monsters. There are different groups of techniques, and if a monster has a certain tech group it can learn techs from that group. But in DQM you have the skill groups at the beginning. In my game they are learnt at certain levels. I don't have anything corresponding to skill points yet (in DQM, skill points determine when you can learn a skill). There will be a possibility of choosing from more than one skill/tech when you have the right "skill points", so it won't be linear as in DQM. Therefore, the tech groups need to be divided into different levels, so that you cannot pick the strongest first.

I will work on the rules and when I've learnt some graphic programming, I may start on the game. Probably I will make some simpler games first. I have some friends who need help with an RPG, so I can probably learn a lot by helping them. Even if my monster-training RPG never becomes an electronic game, I'm sure to make a traditional RPG of it. I've also tried to make a card game, but I must finish the RPG version first, because the card game will probably be simpler.

About the monster design, some monsters remind of Zelda or Pokemon. There is a walking bush for instance, which looks like a monster in Zelda OoC, except it doesn't spit nuts at you. There are some names of monsters that exist in Pokemon, but this is mostly coincidence. They are often common names like Blacky. I try to divide the monsters for different games or expansions, otherwise they would be too many and too disorganised. The monsters in the different games/expansions usually differ in some way, like the first 200 looking more simple and the last ones looking more detailed. But they will belong to different stories as well.

The story of the game is similar to the one I had on a forum RPG long ago. There is a real world and a house, and in the house you can go into a dream world divided into different worlds, fantasy, sci-fi, post-apocalypse etc. That was my solution to maintaining all the different worlds. In my monster-training RPG I won't cram together all those worlds at once, but probably stick to one real world and one dream world and then add a new world in the next version.

I can neither draw nor program, so looks like youre a couple steps ahead of me :)
Dragon Quest Monsters is awesome, its quite a bit more difficult than Pokemon, in my opinion. And a traditional RPG mode, thats very interesting :) Being garaunteed to capture every monster is very convenient, also, the no party limit of six, I like that, but I never thought of the possibility of them being overpowered until you mentioned it, I find your way of limiting the owner's power very innovative, theyre almost like voodoo dolls in a sense becuase they hurt you as well. Being able to WALK over MOUNTAINS, thats so cool!

Your monsters are inspired by The Legend of Zelda? Sweet! that series has some great enemies in it! One of the monsters resembles a Deku Scrub(the "bush" enemy), oh my gosh! The whole game takes place inside of dreams, and those dreams are all divided into seperate worlds each representing a genre of movie, amazing!

I have a suggestion: How about if the dream worlds are generate by a specific monster, in a similar manner to dream Mist? A creature with similar qualities to Munna and Musharna, since that creature would be responsible for the creation of an entire dream universe basically, it would have a similar status to a Legendary Pokemon. And what if also, the main character recieves this creature at the beginning of the game, like a starter Pokemon :D

Personally, I ;ike everything about this idea, you've put SO much concept into this game...I love it!! :D

Originally Posted by Xenidal

I am actually in the process of making a "game influenced by Pokémon".

Coming this summer to a website near you... the greatest game in the history of the world... Lofémon!

So a little background, several years ago someone at my school showed me the Kittyloaf internet meme which became strangely popular among me and my friends and soon later I made a little animation of a Generation I-style battle engine where the player character captured a Kittyloaf. After showing it to some friends then we decided that it should become an actual game so I started making it. "Lofémon" is "loaf monsters"... nearly all of the monsters will be based on either cats, bread, or both (this draws inspiration from the Kittyloaf I mentioned). Originally it was just going to be a Pokémon ripoff / fangame, using sprites ripped from Red Version, but over the years I decided to completely custom-make all graphics and sounds and more or less make it a completely original game. I am keeping to the Game Boy style though because it's awesome.

The story is simple... basically you meet the insane professor and he's ranting about the world being inhabited by "creatures called Lofémon". For some unknown reason he gives you the starter, the Kittyloaf, and tells you to travel the world (or "butter all teh land" as he puts it). So you go out and have to defeat various bosses to collect the four Canopic Jars (which are more or less the equivalent of Gym Badges) which have the power to summon the ultimate Lofémon, which you learn is also what the bad guys are after.
There's also some background story about how the Lofémon came into existance, but that may or may not be included (or I may just save it for a later game).

Also, some parts of my game are a direct parody of Pokémon. For example, the insane professor is obviously Prof. Oak and his introductory speech will be extremely similar (but in a funny sort of way). Also you know how the nurse in the Pokémon Center always says, "We hope to see you again!"? I always found that strange so in my game I will make fun of it by saying, "We hope you get injured again!"

Monster design will be mostly original, although inspired by Kittyloaf. There will be a few Pokémon references though, for example, a friend designed the "Pikaloaf" which is basically Pikachu in bread form. Then I designed its evolution, the "Ryeloaf".

The gameplay will be very similar to Pokémon, with the monster catching / battling. Certain details will be different though, for example, different damage / levelup formuae, different attacks, a different type system (Lofémon will have 9 types: Water, Earth, Fire, Air, Light, Grass, Dark, Thunder, Normal, and Divine). Out-of-battle HM moves will be done differently as well. Completing the Lofédex will not be optional (although this is easier to do than in Pokémon because there are only 50 monsters and none of them require you to restart the game to get the "one not chosen"). Also, the trainers can actually fight (even without Lofémon).

Oh, and just to make the game more interesting... it will be compatible with simulated GameShark codes which will be based pretty much directly off of the Red / Blue Version GameShark codes so if you happen to know any then they might work. For example, the code to change the Lofémon that you encounter will be the same code that you'd use to change the Pokémon you encounter in Red / Blue (except of course, the list will be different... don't type 15 into it and expect a Mew, lol)

Lmao!! Thats hilarious! Youre going to make a collection of creatures based on Kittyloaf, that would be so cute :D
You'd use the red&Blue version style too, thats great.You'd even used the same Gameshark system, awesome, and I agree, the lower amount of creature would make it much more convenient! :)

Originally Posted by Te-em

In the RPG I put up on the web, there was a house and in this house there was a monster sleeping. The dream worlds were programmed in a computer in this house, a computer that could read people's minds and create worlds for them, sending this feedback to their brains; so it's like a computer world mixed with a dream world. The programs in the computer could for instance be a fantasy world with NPCs and enemies, etc, but everything you do and some events will be affected by your own thoughts and dreams.

Oh sweet! That setting seems kinda like .Hack, those games take place inside an MMORPG, like a game within a game :D

Originally Posted by Te-em

This means, that a person in the real world can affect some parts of the dream world by writing code and commands into the computer.

Thats cool, kind of like hacking a dream :)

I have another suggestion, how about if you also include a miniature Google/Bing-like search engine on the computer, so then people can also search for and find specific things within an individual's dream, or within their entire subconscious :)

Originally Posted by YamiiDenryuu

I have a Pokemon fangame I'm planning out that I've been considering making into a not-Pokemon thing... does that count?

A fanbased game was not what I had in mind here, but yeah thats great :)

Originally Posted by Caitlin

Many, many times. The furthest I've progressed on programming an RPG of my own though was 100% inspired by Pokemon. Due to the amount of work I put into it I started to try to shift it over to its own unique thing but then I realised it'd just be viewed as a silly clone and would likely be crushed by Nintendo or wouldn't be able to compete with the real thing.

In my opinion, there's not much of a point to making a Pokemon clone. The franchise has the market cornered and more, the franchise is actually good (compared to the franchises that are the target of most fan revivals) and more and more features are being brought out with each new generation.

Originally Posted by Te-em

I think clones are good. How would the RPG market look like if we never had Final Fantasy or any other Dragon Quest clone? Even if they're clones at first, they will finally go in their own direction as new ideas develop. Look at how different FF and DQ are today.

Its not "making a clone of Pokemon" guys. A clone, by definition, is an exact copy of another object down to every last detail and performs the exact same function. In terms of a creative work, that would mean using the same story, characters, and dialogue to produce the same thing and thats not the case, you're not "ripping off" thier idea either! If a game you created(or any other creative work) shares similarities to something already created, that is your own original creation and you were influenced by other series(just like the people you took influence from were), it isnt a clone! :)

Originally Posted by Caitlin

That's the genetic definition of cloning you're thinking. In game design terminology, cloning refers to taking the core gameplay mechanics of an already established franchise and copying them. Then they take the art assets, the names of locations, terms, characters, etc and give them a fresh coat of paint, or more often for characters, make new ones.

For example, it's generally regarded that Grand Theft Auto 3 was the first commercially successful 3D open-world criminal video game. Not much had been done before on that scale, so it devoured the market. Next thing you know, you've got Driver, Saints Row, True Crime, etc, all taking from that formula. True Crime bombed and never got a chance to go its own separate route, but Driver took a (weird) turn and became separate from what it was based on, as did Saints Row, though it's still largely GTA-like, just totally batshit insane and over the top.

No...actually, I was referring to "cloning" in creative works as well as genetic.

So...basically, youre saying that since GTA3 was the first, that means that no-one else can create another open-world criminal game, and if they do, then they are just a clone or an offshot of GTA3. People use influence from the things they enjoy, its been that way since the beginning of time, in every type of media, wether they were famous ir not, some of the most famous creations have done this, Youre using the term "clone" WAAYY too lightly!

Originally Posted by Caitlin

However, it just wouldn't work well for Pokemon clone. Nearly every clone that's tried to surface since the dawn of Pokemon Red and Blue has been utterly crushed into oblivion. Pokemon swept in when there was nothing and capitalized like complete professionals. Now, everyone is familiar with Pokemon. The generation it started on are growing up and starting families who are introducing their children to the series. There is no competing, and without sales, franchises generally don't make it past their first game and you get cult followings rather than a powerful brand.

I'd love a Pokemon clone that actually goes somewhere, believe me. If it could compete on a monstrous scale, rising above the bar that Gamefreak have set, if it could actually spell trouble for Pokemon, the quality of both products would rise. We'd get new features, new gameplay elements, better story, better graphics (maybe even that full 3D thing we've wanted for awhile), because they'd have to innovate to keep one step ahead of the opposition and compete for our business.

Not every "clone"(as you put it) is trying to compete with thier source of ideas. Youre making the assumption that if a game(or any other media) were to share similarities of gameplay elements, structure, or reference another game in any way, then that automatically means theyre a competitor or even HAD the intent to compete in mind when they created it in the first place. Thats not the case at all, I'll use my self as an example, yes my game is similar to Pokemon, but I have no intent to compete with Gamefreak whatsoever, im making a game based on what Im influenced by and what I like, and there are MANY differences between the two, it is not a "clone"!

Originally Posted by 33Whimsicott33

I sometimes wonder if there's enough people interested in this kind of thing to make its own site, because at least in my mind, who WOULDN'T!?

I know right! I absolutely think there should be one too :D

Originally Posted by Dark Blueberry

Anyways, if I could make a somewhat similar game like pokemon, I'd target the female audience - while including the same monster raising format and battles, it would include more deep stories that are combined with a visual novel.

I'd love to play a creature collecting game in visual novel format :D

Originally Posted by DragonMaster1

sorry if this is against the rules but...

I want to make a pokemon game that actually lets you be the champion.

or at least a gym leader.

you get challenges from random kids or adults on your journey.

Ooh, speaking of which, I came up with an idea similar to that one just recently, but it was more like an optional side game mode that would be in every Pokemon game, kind of like the Battle Frontier and Battle Subway; You become a temporary gym leader and/or stay in the champion room, and a set amount of challengers want to battle you(10 for example) after that, you can leave or maybe become full-time if its gym or stay a bit longer, if its your champion space :D

Originally Posted by Robo-Floatzel

I've thought of making a Pokemon clone involving talking robotic animals with elemental powers, and the idea has come and gone through my head for a while, I think it would be cool.

Clone? what makes you say that?

Originally Posted by Cerony

I have to agree with some of the opinions expressed in this thread AntJR and call what you're proposing basically a clone. Well, actually, a clone with greater RPG aspects, such as travelling with parties of people.
The plot here is of no concern other than not working with the established patterns of villains teams and the league challenge. The Pokemon franchise is capable of telling a huge variety of interesting stories when not tethered to the gym system.
You expressed a desire to have creatures inspired by anything and everything...which is arguably what Pokemon already does. As you know we have Pokemon based on pollution, machinery, food, and even the alphabet (that one still gets me sometimes). Granted a majority of Pokemon are based of living creatures and some have shown an interest for more original Pokemon though I would argue that Gamefreak having it's origins in Japan is capable of designing a great number of strange and fascinating Pokemon just by looking back into their cultural history but they have decided to focus on biological designs to appease the mass of their fanbase and release a few non-biological along with them (just look at the reception of the Vanilluxe designs, yeesh!).

The one thing here that definitely sets it apart from Pokemon games is the new categorization system in which the types have no advantages or disadvantages over each other. Though I have a bit of trouble thinking about what this new system is useful for if not for battling what with to type advantages. Maybe taxonomic classification or breeding like with Egg Groups?


Also I should mention that it would be best if you made your responses to other people's comments as new replies rather that stuff them into an old one since not many people will want to read such a long post and people will probably not even get to see your responses to their posts if they're in an old post they will not likely go back an read.

It is absolutely not a clone!
Its a completely different series, a completely different game. You're assessing and reviewing the game very closely, when you only know a microscopic portion of the game. The information I posted in this thread is only about 1/1000 of the total game! And i cant make my responses into separate posts, I put them all in one posts, because I don't want to risk getting violations for double posting.

Originally Posted by AntJR

I have a suggestion: How about if the dream worlds are generate by a specific monster, in a similar manner to dream Mist? A creature with similar qualities to Munna and Musharna, since that creature would be responsible for the creation of an entire dream universe basically, it would have a similar status to a Legendary Pokemon. And what if also, the main character recieves this creature at the beginning of the game, like a starter Pokemon :D

Actually, some of them are. In my forum RPG the worlds were dreamt by a certain monster. But they were also part of programs.

In the RPG I put up on the web, there was a house and in this house there was a monster sleeping. The dream worlds were programmed in a computer in this house, a computer that could read people's minds and create worlds for them, sending this feedback to their brains; so it's like a computer world mixed with a dream world. The programs in the computer could for instance be a fantasy world with NPCs and enemies, etc, but everything you do and some events will be affected by your own thoughts and dreams. This means, that a person in the real world can affect some parts of the dream world by writing code and commands into the computer.

The monster sleeping in the house is also connected to the dream worlds, so it uses its mind power to influence them, even creating own worlds. It can also cause mysterious phenomena. Why is it connected? Probably the scientists want to find out more about it, what it will do. This legendary monster has so strong psychic powers, that it has also been able to send people into dream worlds without the aid of any machines.

This is part of the technology of the RPG world, and there are other computers like this. That a monster sends people into dream worlds is rare, and not part of the usual science.

I have a Pokemon fangame I'm planning out that I've been considering making into a not-Pokemon thing... does that count?

Many, many times. The furthest I've progressed on programming an RPG of my own though was 100% inspired by Pokemon. Due to the amount of work I put into it I started to try to shift it over to its own unique thing but then I realised it'd just be viewed as a silly clone and would likely be crushed by Nintendo or wouldn't be able to compete with the real thing.

In my opinion, there's not much of a point to making a Pokemon clone. The franchise has the market cornered and more, the franchise is actually good (compared to the franchises that are the target of most fan revivals) and more and more features are being brought out with each new generation.

However, while programming it, I did develop a somewhat decent classic-style RPG engine. Perhaps I could work from the ground up on something unique, but I honestly can't be bothered anymore.

Originally Posted by Caitlin

In my opinion, there's not much of a point to making a Pokemon clone. The franchise has the market cornered and more, the franchise is actually good (compared to the franchises that are the target of most fan revivals) and more and more features are being brought out with each new generation.

I think clones are good. How would the RPG market look like if we never had Final Fantasy or any other Dragon Quest clone? Even if they're clones at first, they will finally go in their own direction as new ideas develop. Look at how different FF and DQ are today.

Originally Posted by AntJR

Its not "making a clone of Pokemon" guys. A clone, by definition, is an exact copy of another object down to every last detail and performs the exact same function. In terms of a creative work, that would mean using the same story, characters, and dialogue to produce the same thing and thats not the case, you're not "ripping off" thier idea either! If a game you created(or any other creative work) shares similarities to something already created, that is your own original creation and you were influenced by other series(just like the people you took influence from were), it isnt a clone! :)

That's the genetic definition of cloning you're thinking. In game design terminology, cloning refers to taking the core gameplay mechanics of an already established franchise and copying them. Then they take the art assets, the names of locations, terms, characters, etc and give them a fresh coat of paint, or more often for characters, make new ones.

For example, it's generally regarded that Grand Theft Auto 3 was the first commercially successful 3D open-world criminal video game. Not much had been done before on that scale, so it devoured the market. Next thing you know, you've got Driver, Saints Row, True Crime, etc, all taking from that formula. True Crime bombed and never got a chance to go its own separate route, but Driver took a (weird) turn and became separate from what it was based on, as did Saints Row, though it's still largely GTA-like, just totally batshit insane and over the top.

When they all started, they were considered cheap clones despite offering different storylines, characters, art design and some different gameplay elements. Max Payne set off a string of clones such as Condemned: Criminal Origins, Dead To Rights and many others. Sonic inspired the ill-fated Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, Ace the Acrobat and Klonoa. They're all considered clones. Which brings me to the next point:

I think clones are good. How would the RPG market look like if we never had Final Fantasy or any other Dragon Quest clone? Even if they're clones at first, they will finally go in their own direction as new ideas develop. Look at how different FF and DQ are today.

Yes, clones are nice as they offer a fresh view into a tried and true formula and when most are established they do go down different paths. For example, Warcraft. Warcraft started off as a generic clone of the RTS craze back in the 90s. When Warcraft II was released, it brought in some new features that either hadn't been tried before or failed previously. Warcraft III did the same, innovating on its core ideas and bringing in tons of new ideas, characters, factions and mechanics. And then, as I'm sure we're all aware, it made the jump to MMO with WoW.

However, it just wouldn't work well for Pokemon clone. Nearly every clone that's tried to surface since the dawn of Pokemon Red and Blue has been utterly crushed into oblivion. Pokemon swept in when there was nothing and capitalized like complete professionals. Now, everyone is familiar with Pokemon. The generation it started on are growing up and starting families who are introducing their children to the series. There is no competing, and without sales, franchises generally don't make it past their first game and you get cult followings rather than a powerful brand.

I'd love a Pokemon clone that actually goes somewhere, believe me. If it could compete on a monstrous scale, rising above the bar that Gamefreak have set, if it could actually spell trouble for Pokemon, the quality of both products would rise. We'd get new features, new gameplay elements, better story, better graphics (maybe even that full 3D thing we've wanted for awhile), because they'd have to innovate to keep one step ahead of the opposition and compete for our business.

Originally Posted by Caitlin

Originally Posted by AntJR

Its not "making a clone of Pokemon" guys. A clone, by definition, is an exact copy of another object down to every last detail and performs the exact same function. In terms of a creative work, that would mean using the same story, characters, and dialogue to produce the same thing and thats not the case, you're not "ripping off" thier idea either! If a game you created(or any other creative work) shares similarities to something already created, that is your own original creation and you were influenced by other series(just like the people you took influence from were), it isnt a clone! :)

That's the genetic definition of cloning you're thinking. In game design terminology, cloning refers to taking the core gameplay mechanics of an already established franchise and copying them. Then they take the art assets, the names of locations, terms, characters, etc and give them a fresh coat of paint, or more often for characters, make new ones.

For example, it's generally regarded that Grand Theft Auto 3 was the first commercially successful 3D open-world criminal video game. Not much had been done before on that scale, so it devoured the market. Next thing you know, you've got Driver, Saints Row, True Crime, etc, all taking from that formula. True Crime bombed and never got a chance to go its own separate route, but Driver took a (weird) turn and became separate from what it was based on, as did Saints Row, though it's still largely GTA-like, just totally batshit insane and over the top.

When they all started, they were considered cheap clones despite offering different storylines, characters, art design and some different gameplay elements. Max Payne set off a string of clones such as Condemned: Criminal Origins, Dead To Rights and many others. Sonic inspired the ill-fated Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, Ace the Acrobat and Klonoa. They're all considered clones. Which brings me to the next point:

I think clones are good. How would the RPG market look like if we never had Final Fantasy or any other Dragon Quest clone? Even if they're clones at first, they will finally go in their own direction as new ideas develop. Look at how different FF and DQ are today.

Yes, clones are nice as they offer a fresh view into a tried and true formula and when most are established they do go down different paths. For example, Warcraft. Warcraft started off as a generic clone of the RTS craze back in the 90s. When Warcraft II was released, it brought in some new features that either hadn't been tried before or failed previously. Warcraft III did the same, innovating on its core ideas and bringing in tons of new ideas, characters, factions and mechanics. And then, as I'm sure we're all aware, it made the jump to MMO with WoW.

However, it just wouldn't work well for Pokemon clone. Nearly every clone that's tried to surface since the dawn of Pokemon Red and Blue has been utterly crushed into oblivion. Pokemon swept in when there was nothing and capitalized like complete professionals. Now, everyone is familiar with Pokemon. The generation it started on are growing up and starting families who are introducing their children to the series. There is no competing, and without sales, franchises generally don't make it past their first game and you get cult followings rather than a powerful brand.

I'd love a Pokemon clone that actually goes somewhere, believe me. If it could compete on a monstrous scale, rising above the bar that Gamefreak have set, if it could actually spell trouble for Pokemon, the quality of both products would rise. We'd get new features, new gameplay elements, better story, better graphics (maybe even that full 3D thing we've wanted for awhile), because they'd have to innovate to keep one step ahead of the opposition and compete for our business.

Digimon first started as a monster-raising game, and it still survived alongside pokemon, although the games cannot compare to the huge popularity Pokemon has now...XDD

Anyways, if I could make a somewhat similar game like pokemon, I'd target the female audience - while including the same monster raising format and battles, it would include more deep stories that are combined with a visual novel.

Originally Posted by Caitlin

I'd love a Pokemon clone that actually goes somewhere, believe me. If it could compete on a monstrous scale, rising above the bar that Gamefreak have set, if it could actually spell trouble for Pokemon, the quality of both products would rise. We'd get new features, new gameplay elements, better story, better graphics (maybe even that full 3D thing we've wanted for awhile), because they'd have to innovate to keep one step ahead of the opposition and compete for our business.

I agree. A pity Telefang did never become popular. Seems lika a nice game, especially to GBA.

You guys know Shin Megami Tensei/Persona is a thing, right? ...well, whatever...

There sure seem to be a lot of dreamy ideas around for Pokemon-inspired games, whether they be clones, fan-games, parodies or otherwise. It's really apparent that you all put a lot of passion into your ideas. I like this thread, and I've seen many others like it. I sometimes wonder if there's enough people interested in this kind of thing to make its own site, because at least in my mind, who WOULDN'T!?

I always thought it'd be nice to make a game, but it would really be anything. Something to show and release all of the inspiration that this franchise has given me.

sorry if this is against the rules but...

I want to make a pokemon game that actually lets you be the champion.

or at least a gym leader.

you get challenges from random kids or adults on your journey.