Character customizations?

[Cute Charm]

I'm not sure if Gamefreak will ever be interested in this idea, however I think it would be interesting to see gamefreak take customisation even further by allowing us to choose our trainer's age. There could even be slight differences in gameplay or storyline depending on what age you choose. An example would be that if you choose a high enough age, you will not start the game living with your mother. You will instead begin in your own house alone, or possibly with a roommate.

That's likely one reason why they won't do that, in my opinion. Having to program in a whole bunch of possibilities for characters and gameplay differences based on the trainer's age just seems like something they wouldn't want to do. And it honestly seems rather unnecessary. Even though a lot of us who play Pokemon aren't 10-year-old children, that's still who the games are aimed at, so I doubt they're going to bother with trying to include additional options to accommodate older players.

Inputting your age would be great. But I can't see a change as big as "moving out of your parents house into your own house with a roommate" thing happening. Especially since the players moms (and dads in the R/S/E/ORAS case) are a big part of the feel of the series. I can however see them adding dialogue changes if they do implement the age thing. I mean it would take less time to program alternate dialogue then whole new alternate scenarios for older players.

For example if you put in an age over 18:

- You could start the game by just staying at your parents house for a visit/staying with them until you get a new place/helping them move to a new place.

- Your rival could also be in town on business (Since a lot of them help the professors), also visiting their parents, or just picking some stuff up from them.

- Everyone that says something along the lines of "A kid like you could never beat me!" or "I was defeated by a little kid! This is embarrassing!" changes to "Someone like you could never beat me!" or "I was defeated by someone much stronger than I am! This is embarrassing!"

- Maybe there could be one or two NPCs in the obligatory and otherwise useless apartment buildings/hotels that show up in the games that mention seeing your rival in the hallway or have NPCs in a random house comment on being friends with your rival.

I know, horrible examples. But my point is it's not that hard to introduce custom ages into the games without rewriting the game for the grown-up fans that are tired of playing as little kids. Especially now since a lot of the player trainers can pass for young adults.

I dunno if someone mentioned this already, but what if the stock trainers are NPC's you can recruit from the game itself? In that case, they say absolutely zero about whether customisation comes back or not (which I still think it will)

Considering that the Rich Boy appears to show up randomly in the player's secret base...that might just be the case. Not to mention that the Secret Pals thing sounds a whole heck of a lot like the Join Avenue stands. So maybe they've just combined the bases and Join Avenue. Maybe when you street pass people you get certain trainers that that person has preset like how import items work in Tomodachi Life but not their actual player character.

The only thing that puts a damper on this theory is the fact that the trainer sprite in the sample QR code, where you would think you'd get the player character due to the personal gym thing, is also a Rich Boy. But like I said before there were NPC trainer busts mixed in with the customizable trainers in the first PSS screenshot too. So...yeah. It's not a very compelling argument about there being character customization or not.

 

[Team Gaara]

I know, horrible examples. But my point is it's not that hard to introduce custom ages into the games without rewriting the game for the grown-up fans that are tired of playing as little kids. Especially now since a lot of the player trainers can pass for young adults.

Like I said, since the games are mainly aimed towards kids, I just don't see them putting forth extra effort just to accommodate people the games aren't primarily "for". And, to be honest, I've never known anyone to have a problem with playing as a kid in Pokemon. I mean, what's the issue? Are you really not enjoying the game as much because your Player Avatar is a child as opposed to an adult? As for the PCs passing for young adults, I suppose that's up to opinion, since I don't think any PC in Pokemon can pass for older than 13.

 

[Cute Charm]

@Team Gaara: I'm not saying they should implement it because like you said the games are targeted towards children anyway. Personally I'm one of the ones that doesn't care playing as a kid. But what I am saying is it would be nice considering a lot of games now have you put in your full birthday and play (hypothetically) as an adult and to have slightly more personalized birthday events. It would also possibly be the next logical step if they do decide to keep the trainer customizations or expand upon them.

As for PCs looking older than 13, Hilda, Serena, and Calem still looks to be in the 17-20 area when compared to the NPCs that are supposedly in the same age group. Even Brendan's redesign looks slightly older than his old one did. Either way, even if they did choose to implement the alternate text for adult characters I doubt there would be a change in the over-world modes considering how childlike they all look in general. I mean take the Veteran over-world models for example...they look 12 while their VS art looks like they're in their late 30s.

 

[Team Gaara]

I suppose, but it seems like it would be really complicated. Like, what would be the minimum age you could make your trainer? Or the maximum?

I guess unless they confirm it somehow, the ages of PCs after BW when they decided to make it a point to mention that they seem to be older will be up to interpretation. To me, Hilda and the XY PCs don't look nearly that old. Brendan and May might look a bit older (or I've heard younger by some people) because of the new art style, though. Whether or not they'd change the models if they ever did implement an age thing would go back to the minimum and maximum age you could be, since there are NPCs like School Kids and Preschoolers who do have much shorter models, which would then need their own customizeables in clothes (another reason I find that implementing ages would just over-complicate things.

Back on topic, though, the whole stock trainer thing with Secret Bases isn't really evidence of anything regarding Customization and I don't see why people are saying it is. The fact that there were stock trainers there says nothing regarding Customization and has nothing to even do with it.

 

[SUP3RN0VA]

I know, horrible examples. But my point is it's not that hard to introduce custom ages into the games without rewriting the game for the grown-up fans that are tired of playing as little kids. Especially now since a lot of the player trainers can pass for young adults.

Like I said, since the games are mainly aimed towards kids, I just don't see them putting forth extra effort just to accommodate people the games aren't primarily "for". And, to be honest, I've never known anyone to have a problem with playing as a kid in Pokemon. I mean, what's the issue? Are you really not enjoying the game as much because your Player Avatar is a child as opposed to an adult? As for the PCs passing for young adults, I suppose that's up to opinion, since I don't think any PC in Pokemon can pass for older than 13.

I agree that having age a customisational feature as well as gameplay changes based on that customisation is likely not to occur anytime soon, however that feature doesn't accommodate older players only. It accommodates every player as every player is able to customise their own age to whatever they like (within a reasonable age). And therefore all that extra work will be accommodating everyone, not just us, which may make it more worthwhile for them to think about.

It's not necessarily a feature I am hoping for like ordinary customisation I had been hoping for years, as I pretend my player character is my real age anyway. I just thought of that idea and thought it might be an interesting concept to explore.

I certainly don't mind the games now and there's no issue here, however nobody had a problem with having no customisation either, despite a lot of people wanting it, and we received that. Just because there's no issues there doesn't mean it's nothing Gamefreak can't consider.

 

[Team Gaara]

It accommodates every player as every player is able to customise their own age to whatever they like (within a reasonable age).

This was one of my main concerns with something like this happening. What would be "within a reasonable age"? This obviously means you couldn't choose to be any age which would undoubtedly mean someone would complain about not being able to choose to play as X age.

 

[Cosmic Gerbil]

(Me playing as character my own age in X).

Me after talking to little short kid. "Blimey, my knees hurt now".

Me at the fireworks. *Calls Shauna's Mom*. "Make Shauna grounded, she's bugging me".

*Gets rid of Shauna and watches fireworks with Lysandre instead*

I know Gamefreak won't do it but I do want age customisation in ORAS xD

 

[Cute Charm]

It accommodates every player as every player is able to customise their own age to whatever they like (within a reasonable age).

This was one of my main concerns with something like this happening. What would be "within a reasonable age"? This obviously means you couldn't choose to be any age which would undoubtedly mean someone would complain about not being able to choose to play as X age.

It could still work if depending what you put in it just defaults to 'kid' or 'adult'. Like for example anything after 1995 makes you a kid and 1995 and under would be considered an adult.

Like I said before, there wouldn't be any drastic changes like reimplementing the slots or catering to the adults since it is a children's video game and it needs to remain at an E rating. But I can still see harmless alternate text happening as well as having a birthday based on your actual age ("HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY! WE HOPE YOU'LL GROW UP BIG AND STRONG!"/"HAPPY 26TH BIRTHDAY! HERE'S TO MANY MORE!" instead of "Happy birthday! I see you're almost an adult!") just to make the year effect the game in some minor way.

 

[SUP3RN0VA]

It accommodates every player as every player is able to customise their own age to whatever they like (within a reasonable age).

This was one of my main concerns with something like this happening. What would be "within a reasonable age"? This obviously means you couldn't choose to be any age which would undoubtedly mean someone would complain about not being able to choose to play as X age.

There is always that issue, however I imagine the choice will be wide enough that it will leave most people happy. Obviously Gamefreak wouldn't let you choose to be a toddler. This customisation idea would work well if the current customisation improved further to allow people to have the option of choosing things like facial hair, or lines/wrinkles to help show more mature ages.

I do have my doubts that age customisation will happen anytime soon, along with any kind of changes to the game based on age, however I do see it as an interesting concept that will be possible to include into the games at some point in the future. Although as long as the current customisation continues to be implemented and improved each generation, I will be happy.

 

[Isaac Gravity]

Hmm...

Present debate aside, It WOULD be nice to be able to choose between the original and RE Brendan and May models at the start of the game.

 

[firepanda]

Clothing for contests is confirmed. Any further customisation is not, although Brendan's hair does look styled in that image. I'm not sure whether this raises the chances of general customisation or not. Fingers crossed though.

 

[Silktree]

There just isn't a good reason to keep full customization a secret at this point. Why not reveal it in connection to Secret Bases or Contests? So far nothing is different from the DPPt system.

 

[firepanda]

There just isn't a good reason to keep full customization a secret at this point. Why not reveal it in connection to Secret Bases or Contests? So far nothing is different from the DPPt system.

Could we dress up in DPPt?

EDIT: Dammit we could. And we didn't even get to customise. Forget I necroed this thread then.

 

[SUP3RN0VA]

Despite these games being remakes, I don't believe there is any reason good enough not to include proper customisation in these games. it is a feature that most people love, and most people would hate to see discontinued. I believe it would be too risky for Gamefreak to not have customisation anymore.

 

[Jolene]

This gives me hope. Maybe you get to keep the clothes if you win the contest. I still have to prevent myself from getting too excited because it isn't confirmed for sure yet.

 

[Almonds]

I said it the other thread, BUT BRENDAN WITHOUT A HAT. WE CAN TAKE OFF HIS HAT

 

[lugia61617]

Well at least we have SOMETHING so far. But it would still be a pathetic move to not extend it further. I mean what would be the point of unlocking special clothes if you can only wear them in contests?

 

[Silktree]

I mean what would be the point of unlocking special clothes if you can only wear them in contests?

What was the point of doing just that in DPPt?

 

[Team Gaara]

So it looks like you can dress up your character for contests like in DPPT. I quite like that~ Let's not all jump the gun here, though, and say customization is full-on for the whole game, since this in no way suggests that. It's the same thing they did before for Super Contests.

 

[Ampharos King]

It would have been nice if you get to wear a different costume for each contest category, but I think Game Freak will only give May and Brendan one costume each.