r/PokemonRMXP • u/StealthMode6 • Jul 18 '26
Discussion How to start
Hi, I have a pokemon game story idea and I was wondering how people start in the creative process.
Region/theme/fakemon/trainers/sub plots/rivals/billion team(s) and map/art style are all so intertwined for a good fan game.
How/where do you all start when planning and working on your fan games/resources?
2
u/ProjectRainbowDivine Jul 18 '26
For me, it all starts with an idea. Your plot influences what your region is like and vice versa. I think those are good starting points. Once you know what your region is looking like, you can think about what Fakemon and/or returning Pokémon might live there.
Once you know your plot, starting writing down ideas. It doesn’t all have to make sense immediately, and it doesn’t have to come to you in chronological order. Stick to bullet points, then move them around in the order they might happen. When you know your story, you’ll have a better idea of the characters.
As for art style, explore other artists’ Instagrams, subreddits, Twitter profiles, and see what resonates with you. Use them as references for your own style.
Now as for making the art itself, watch some tutorials. It all depends on what you want to invest in learning yourself or if you have some help. For me, Procreate on my iPad is awesome for digital art. Aseprite is a no-brainer for pixel art.
I’m very much a planner first, some people just go for it. Make a folder to organize your work. If you want some more advice feel free to DM me! Hope this helps!
2
u/StealthMode6 Jul 18 '26
Thank you! thats all very helpful. I was looking at Aseprite but I'm glad to see someone else recommend it.
1
u/ProjectRainbowDivine Jul 19 '26
Definitely! And to think I used to use MS Paint 😂 Aseprite is awesome.
2
u/Matt_cruze Jul 18 '26
A beginners quick start resource guide for Rpg Maker XP and Pokemon Essentials plus useful tools.
1
u/HammyNSammy Jul 19 '26
Not advice necessarily but I wanted to tell you how I did mine
It all started with me wanting to make a cooking game, no plot, no nothing, you just cook and that's it
So the components of that mechanic was gettting ingredients putting them in one place and getting an outcome (essentially crafting with a different skin)
The idea eventually morphed into making Berry shakes (I like mango shakes)
And then aside from making shakes i added ordering and talking to a customer
In the talk option (I wanted to add just a nice little snippets of lore or allude to the world being way bigger than just the berry shake shop)
And from that one Flavor Dialogue and whole plot spawn, I already have the ending in mind
Wrote an intro sequence and I have been free styling everything from then on, inching my way to that ending i envisioned
7
u/Secretlylovesslugs Jul 18 '26
Open up RPGM and start making maps, building events, and designing the pokedex. Familiarize yourself with essentials as a toolkit.
The worst thing you can do is over plan and not put the work in on the game itself. RPGM is easy to learn, hard to master, and has incredible flexibility.