Pokemon Alternate Pokémon-like monster franchise

Mitja

Mitja

veteran smartass
Member
Lets say Gamefreak wanted to try making another monster-franchise, sharing core aspects with Pokémon, but from scratch and as a completely unrelated fictional universe.

They would have no limits set by "previous generations", complete freedom to deviate in any way they want.

Don't think of it as a replacement for Pokémon. They would still continue that franchise as planned, so there would be no screwing up or messing with peoples childhoods or whatever.

What do you think it could be like?
What would you want to see?
In what ways would it differ from what Pokémon offers?
Are the world, game mechanics and whatnot in Pokémon perfect as it is?
What twists and changes could there be that are not doable simply with a new generation?
Could it be done so it feels fresh but still keeps what makes Pokémon fun?




I would be interested in a messier world, with a more mature tone.
While Pokémon is trying to create a complete ecosystem, with weak and strong creatures, in this one all monsters could have the same amount of evolution stages and total stats.
(Like how all starters are the same "league", here all of the monsters would be starter-like, in terms of data and in how thought-through and carefully designed they are even if it means lower numbers of monsters)

An interesting subject in this to me are types.
I could certainly see that being redone to include Wind and Earth somehow.
Or get rid of all the "creature" types like Bug, Dragon, Ghost.. or feature them in some other way.
Perhaps each monster would have a type and a species (then there would be the addition of Fish, Bird, Humanoid, Amorphous etc..)

The damage calculations would be more balanced from the bottom, for example by relying more on addition than multiplication (double weakness meaning 3x instead of 4x etc)

There would be a "specialisation" aspect like the EVs, but it would be more dynamic, in that you could always retrain your monster in a different way.

I could see moves being customizable, in a way that there would be several variations of a move. Some having their type changeable, or get added a secondary effect of choice, with drawbacks, or at cost of power etc.

A major change for competitive battling I'd be interested in exploring is a metagame where you cannot switch monsters out to save for later. Of course the monsters would be more "hybrid" or mixed to go along with that (more versatile than one-trick-ponies)

That's a few things I could think of right now.
 
One thing that would be interesting would be the ability to buy stat increasments, or the ability to actually rearrange them. One possibility would even be that Attack/Sp.Attack and Defense/Sp.Defense have their own stat total and can be spread around how it's wanted by the player.
I'll take Volcarona as an example (I'm too lazy to make something up myself):
85
60
65
135
105
100
If you're finding that you need that bit more speed, you could put 10 stat points from Attack onto speed.

then onto my thing about Pokemon being able to mix and match their offensive stats/defensive stats:
Volcarona's base attack stats combined: 195
Volcarona's base defense stats combined: 170

this could lead to:
Volcarona having 85 in each base defensive stat, if you'd rather it more equal
Volcarona having 100/95 attack/sp.a stats, if you'd rather have a bit more balance.

I'd set a limit that a base stat couldn't go under 20, so in this Volcarona case, it would have a limit of 175 in its desired offensive stat. Similarly. it would only be able to have 150 in one defense if you wanted max def/sp.d on it.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Like you said, Pokemon types should get a makeover.
There could be 2 main types a Pokemon could have, and then any types implied from appearance would be a psuedotype.
Take the infamous 'Charizard should be a Dragon!'. This would mean Char's main 2 types would be Fire/Flying, but it's Dragon psuedotype would mean that it is draconian.
Types that should be taken out:
-Bug
-Ghost
-Dragon
-Fairy
(these are the most creature based types)

renamed types:
Flying -> Air
Ground+Rock -> Earth (Earth would have traits of both types, but not enough of one to distinguish it from the other)
Dark -> Evil (it would make a lot more sense considering the traits of the Dark type, but I can see why it was changed)

then there would be new psuedotypes, which would be the creature based things:
-Ghost
-Fairy
-Insect
-Dragon
-Fish (this would just be an umbrella term for everything marine-creature based, since it's easily recognisable and splitting hairs and having stuff like 'Whale' or 'Squid' would just be ridiculous)
-Bird (I'm not quite sure how this would play out with things like Zubat)
-Lizard (I'm not sure if the Dragon type would come under this, but dragons in Pokemon have always had a mythical quality to them that have set them apart from other things)
-Rodent
-Amphibian
-Feline
-Canine
-Large Mammal

There wouldn't be any moves for these types, they'd just be more on the side.
 
Breeding two different monsters will result (sometimes) in a completely new monster. If you've ever played Dragon Warrior Monsters, i'd like to see a similar breeding system like that. I highly recommend that game.
I would also like the townspeople to actually have schedule (ex Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing) and do stuff.
Basically I want it more "life"y.
Something else I've always wanted to see in a monster game is the ability to be the monster in battle, But with so many mons now it'd be near impossible.
 
I've always wanted to see a monster hunting franchise done as horror. Like, the world is positively ravaged by monsters, those who can capture and train them are the only thing protecting mankind from extermination but even that role would be more terrifying than glamorous; maybe trainers lose their sanity and slowly transform into monsters by exposure to them. They could go an existential horror route like Madoka Magica did with magical girls.

I've always found traditional video game "types" or "elements" like water, wind, earth, dark and light just plain tiresome, personally; I'd like to see a typing system based on something else entirely, like actual scientific elements (mercury, hydrogen, silicon), or for a more fantasy route, maybe emotions? Monsters categorized as embodiments of love, hate, confusion, sorrow, etc.
 
Bogleech said:
I've always wanted to see a monster hunting franchise done as horror. Like, the world is positively ravaged by monsters, those who can capture and train them are the only thing protecting mankind from extermination but even that role would be more terrifying than glamorous; maybe trainers lose their sanity and slowly transform into monsters by exposure to them. They could go an existential horror route like Madoka Magica did with magical girls.

I've always found traditional video game "types" or "elements" like water, wind, earth, dark and light just plain tiresome, personally; I'd like to see a typing system based on something else entirely, like actual scientific elements (mercury, hydrogen, silicon), or for a more fantasy route, maybe emotions? Monsters categorized as embodiments of love, hate, confusion, sorrow, etc.
Click to expand...

You basically just described Pokemon underneath it's child friendly mask though. (When you look at things in context...and Pokedex entries...and talk to NPCs, Pokemon is nowhere near the child-friendly we know it as. )

Personally I'd like to see a Pokemon-like game but go along the routes of SMT with it's monster designs, perhaps even Monster Collection (we know it as Mon Colle Knights ) could fit considering it's card game, and D&D-like origin is still played.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top