Ever pondered what Pokemon may look like in a Roguelike?
My view on the situation is provided by Pokemon Emerald Rogue.
How does it work?
When you start on an adventure, all of the paths, encounters, and things you come across will be determined at random using a procedure depending on how far you are into the run. As you move deeper into a run, gym leaders and other trainers will begin adopting increasingly challenging configurations for their Pokémon. After a specific amount of routes, you will run into a random gym leader who will have a procedurally determined team of their given kind. If you are successful in defeating the champion at the end of the run, then you will have accomplished your goal of completing the run.
You will return to a central region at the end of each run, regardless of whether you were successful or not. Here, you will be able to purchase permanent equipment and capture fresh “starting” Pokemon to use in the subsequent game. You will be able to use the newly unlocked structures and NPCs in this hub region to prepare for the next run as you make further progress through the current run.
How long does it take to go for a run?
It might vary depending on how thorough you are, but in my experience, a complete run generally takes between three and four hours of actual play time in the game. A quick save option is available (it’s labeled REST in the menu), which allows you to pause the game in the middle of a run and pick it back up later. However, you should be aware that this option does not support save scumming.
Features
- Items used in procedures, people who train you, and encounters with wild Pokémon
- The central region contains buildings and NPCs that may be unlocked.
- The ability to customize one’s character
- Multiple options for configuring the game, including “Prevent over leveling”, “Trainer Difficulty”, and “Double Battle Mode”.
- Seeded mode, with separate configuration parameters for each seed (useful for multiplayer races)
- You will be guided by a quest and reward system, and your performance across a variety of tests will be evaluated.
- Rare opportunities for legendary encounters
- The contents of the Mart and Move tutor will adjust as you make progress.
- The Safari Zone gives you the opportunity to re-capture Pokémon that you have already utilized in other areas of the game and use them as “starter” Pokémon in new runs.
- Post-game settings (Can be accessed early if you can find the secret room)
Some Variations from the Original Game
- You don’t need to wait around for the fanfare if you just keep pressing A; the pickup and interaction text is an instance.
- “Trade evolutions now only need the monster in question to level up while it is holding the item in question” (Link cable is used for standard trade evos)
- Friendship and beauty evolutions have been simplified into standard level 20 evolutions.
- The speed of the battle engine has been increased (Speed varies based on the importance of the encounter)
- Shiny occurrences are now at a rate of 1/100, which is a significant increase from before.
