Hi everyone! My name is Ayrei and I'm excited to launch the first Developer Question and Answer!
What inspired you to make this game?
I was inspired by a lot of things, pieces of fiction I liked, as well as other Pokemon fangames. I saw concepts displayed that made me think "this is cool, but what if I could do it better?" I wanted to write a story that would stand out, which is mainly why I took the "no gyms" path because let's be honest how many fangames have overused the traditional concept?
Where is the story going?
I think I have to remind everyone that the story isn't even halfway done. In fact, chapter 19 barely marks the first third of the story. I know people want plot twists and big moments but if I break away from my plan the story will just lose its way. I need this time to develop characters and conflicts, flesh out the region's lore, and make it understandable before I dump a new load of information on everyone. Just trust me that I have everything planned, obviously the reveal, and even the ending.
Will there be Megas/Z-Moves/Dynamax/Terastilization?
Dynamax? No. Z-moves? Maybe. But the other two will definitely make their way into the game at some point. I teased mega's for regional Noctowl and Fearow during 2.0's development phase and I want to make more for the regionals. Altaria and Butterfree will have mega-evolutions, but I can't think of any others right now. I am hoping to introduce mega evolution in 2.2 as a main story quest reward. As for Terastilization, I'm still waiting for a stable script/plugin to be released since I don't have the knowledge or time to make it myself.
Will there be romance?
This is a question I get from just about everyone who has a lot of interest in the story. But I need to explain that just because two or more characters have a close connection to each other doesn't mean that they're in love. It's also worth mentioning that all of the main characters are still 16/17 years old and much more focused on their goals than developing romantic feelings for each other. But I'm not going to leave everyone hanging with that, yes there will be romance, but I promise you that I can make romance subtle and wholesome without it feeling cringe and WITHOUT it feeling like A GODDAMN FANFICTION.
Will there be a post-game?
Unfortunately, the best answer I can give to this is that I'm simply just not there yet. But if I were to make a postgame I don't think it would continue the story but just add a bunch of content to do. And if I do make a post-game, I will not lock any regionals or non-legendary Pokemon behind it.
What inspires the sidequests? Honestly.. nothing really. The sidequests are mainly meant to just be more stuff for the player to do, and it's the only relation to the story is that they're just basic tasks you would be expected to accomplish as a Trainer. I put a lot more focus into the main story.
Will more characters get the full art cutscenes like Rylas and Destiny?
I'm not happy with the art ATM, but maybe sometime in the future. It's something I want to do, but not something I have the resources for.
Do you respond to bugs quickly?
Even after a new update releases, I'm still at my PC for the next few hours to fix anything that comes up, but after that, It depends on the scale of the issue. If a bug is game-breaking I will look into it immediately, if it's something small that barely affects gameplay then I will provide clarity and usually just wait for more to be posted so I can fix them all at once because to be honest, I would rather not post "patch 2.1.67" after only a month.
Will you take Fakemon/Regional variant suggestions? If someone comes to me with a concept that they're willing to sprite or have already sprited then I'm pretty on board with it, otherwise, I don't really take suggestions unless they pique my interest. And with the total Pokemon count being over 1000 now, I'm pretty set on the number of fakemon that currently exist in-game.
What is your favorite regional variant in Vanguard? Either Conkeldurr or Roserade, the level of detail is nuts! Also, the first, and one of the few, regionals I made myself, Swablu, holds a special place.
What is your favorite official Pokemon game?
Mainline: BW2 Non-Mainline: Explorers of sky
Favorite Pokémon from each Generation?
I: Pidgeot
II: Umbreon
III: Sceptile IV: Bidoof
V: Excadrill VI: Gogoat VII: Mudsdale VIII: Centiscorch IX: Shroodle Favorite Legendary: Lugia And for the final question... How Dark will the story be?
Let's say I was to rate the story's dark/edginess to 1-10, 1 being like Pokemon Emerald, and 10 being Reborn. I would say we start the story at around a 4 and slowly make our way to an 8.5 at the end. But I want to clarify that things will happen for a reason. I plan to shift the entire tone of the narrative in chapter 27, but I don't plan on killing people or characters for no reason. We're this far in and the only death at this point was a random grunt which was to signify how mentally unstable Rylas has become, and even afterward she still immediately regrets it. But that's just the beginning. Death isn't meant to make the story "darker", it's meant to push the narrative and character development forward.
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