Skip to content

Commit

Permalink
"Storytelling" Dev Notes Post
Browse files Browse the repository at this point in the history
  • Loading branch information
@EmpressAutumn
EmpressAutumn committed Oct 31, 2024
1 parent f0a0981 commit aeec5d0
Show file tree
Hide file tree
Showing 5 changed files with 170 additions and 17 deletions.
10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions devnotes/articles.json
View file
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,4 +1,14 @@
{
"storytelling": {
"title": "Storytelling",
"author": "Autumn Hoffensetz",
"date": "31 October 2024",
"tags": [
"blog",
"media",
"storytelling"
]
},
"the_passing_seasons": {
"title": "The Passing Seasons",
"author": "Autumn Hoffensetz",
Expand Down
3 changes: 1 addition & 2 deletions devnotes/index.html
View file
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -11,8 +11,7 @@
<body>
<h1>Dev Notes</h1>
<div id="topbar"></div>
<div class="blogposts" id="blogposts">
</div>
<div class="blogposts" id="blogposts"></div>
<div class="titlecontainer">
<div class="titlebox">
<h2 class="title" id="title"></h2>
Expand Down
107 changes: 107 additions & 0 deletions devnotes/storytelling.md
View file
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
I love a good, well-thought-out story. In all the media that I consume, the main thing that pulls me in is usually the
overall story. A lot of the time, I find myself excusing the shortcomings of some media because it has an interesting
plot or setting. One example of this is Helluva Boss, set in Hell and influenced by a lot of non-canonical Christian
sources. The setting, especially the politics of the demons who rule that world, is very interesting to me. I think the
show is held back by its inability to take itself seriously and its overreliance on sex jokes and over-the-top violence.
Still, the plot and setting of Helluva Boss is enough for me to be interested.

Another example of this is Rick and Morty, which I used to watch a lot of when I was a teenager. The problems I have
with Rick and Morty are similar to those I have with Helluva Boss, mostly that the show can barely take itself
seriously. Still, the plotline with "Evil Morty" kept me watching through to the end of season 5, and I only started to
lose interest in the show when the story declined after that.

One of my favorite media franchises is Pokémon. I love the characters and the gameplay, and I have a lot of nostalgia
from playing the games and watching the anime as a kid. Unfortunately, the story is not one of the things that draws me
to engage with Pokémon media. It's pretty common to hear people complain about the games' simple storylines, but that's
not what I am going to do today. Instead, I'm going to talk about the missed opportunities to form a cohesive story
between the Pokémon games.

### Kanto and Hoenn Connection

The third generation of Pokémon began with the release of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, which were set in the new Hoenn
region. They were the first Pokémon games on the Game Boy Advance, and could not connect to any games from the previous
two generations. Because of this, Game Freak decided to release Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen the following year, which
were remakes of the original Pokémon games set in the Kanto region.

According to later sources, these two sets of games take place at the same time in-universe. Unfortunately, there is
never any story connection between the two. Considering that the previous games, Pokémon Gold and Silver, were direct
sequels to Pokémon Red and Blue, I think that not having a single reference between the plots of the third generation
games was a bit of a let-down.

As for what the connection between these two games could have been, I think it would make sense to find and battle the
Hoenn protagonist during the post-game of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. This would probably take place in the Sevii
Islands, although maybe the player could have travelled to the Battle Frontier from Pokémon Emerald and met them there.
This would keep the main events of the games independent of each other, but it would reinforce that they are in the same
world. Also, having the battle take place in FireRed and LeafGreen implies that the protagonist of those games, Red,
is the one who wins. Red is canonically one of the strongest trainers in-universe, so it makes sense that he would win
this battle.

### The Gimmicks

Over the last 10 years, every new generation of Pokémon games has included a new battle gimmick. In the sixth
generation, they introduced mega evolution, where certain pokémon could temporarily change into a new, more powerful
form. In the seventh generation, they introduced Z-moves, where a pokémon could use a single, powered-up move once per
battle. Mega evolution was not present in the story of the seventh generation games, however, it did become available in
the post-game.

However, in the eighth generation, both of these gimmicks were completely missing. Instead, they were replaced by
dynamax, where a pokémon grows extremely large for 3 turns, and gigantamax, where a pokémon grows large and takes on a
new form for 3 turns. Unlike in the seventh generation, the previous gimmicks could not be unlocked during the
post-game. It seems like Game Freak wanted to pretend that these gimmicks didn't exist. Due to the mechanical similarity
between mega evolution and gigantamax, some fans theorized that they had a connection, like that gigantamax is what
happens when a pokémon mega evolves and dynamaxes at the same time. However, unfortunately, there is never any in-game
mention of a connection here, nor is there any canonical reasons given that the older gimmicks are unavailable in-game.

In the ninth generation, dynamax and gigantamax were predictably ditched, and were replaced by terastalization, where a
pokémon changes its typing during battle. Again, the previous gimmicks can never be unlocked during the game. What is
more weird is that terastalization is pretty similar to an older gimmick from the Pokémon Trading Card Game, that being
delta species. Delta species pokémon had a different type than their regular forms, and the introduction of
terastalization would have been an excellent opportunity to make a reference to Holon, the TCG-exclusive region that
delta species pokémon were from. Even something as simple as a reference in a pokédex entry would have achieved this.

The handling of Pokémon's battle gimmicks, especially in generations eight and nine, had the opportunity to further
connect and expand the world of Pokémon, but these opportunities were frustratingly looked over. This kind of
interconnectedness wouldn't hurt the gameplay at all, and newer players who never experienced the older games won't lose
anything from its inclusion. It would also make the world of these games feel more real, breaking the feeling that
everything is happening in a vacuum.

### The Kalos War

The first Pokémon game I played was Pokémon X, set in the Kalos region, which is based on France. The story of the game
centers around a cataclysmic war that took place 3000 years ago between Kalos and a neighboring region. At the end of
the war, the king of Kalos built the "Ultimate Weapon" and used it to destroy his enemy's army. The power released by
the ultimate weapon also caused pokémon to gain the ability to mega evolve. This raises one very important question: Who
was the Kalos War fought against? Unfortunately, we don't know the answer to this question, but there are two good
options.

Firstly, there is Galar. Galar is the setting of Pokémon Sword and Shield, and it is based on the United Kingdom. The
story of Sword and Shield also centers around an event from 3000 years ago, the Darkest Day. Similarly to the ultimate
weapon, the power from the Darkest Day caused pokémon to gain the ability to dynamax and gigantamax, and it has been
theorized by Pokémon fans that these mechanics share their source of power. Given the time frame, it's possible that the
firing of the ultimate weapon caused the darkest day.

The other option is Paldea, which is based on Spain and Portugal and is the setting of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. The
known history of Paldea only goes back 2000 years, which potentially speaks to the devastation caused by the firing of
the ultimate weapon. Also, the center of the region features a gigantic crater that takes up 1/10th of the map, inside
which is the source for some power that we still don't fully understand. It's possible that the ultimate weapon created
the Great Crater of Paldea, wiping out all civilization in Paldea for 1000 years, and maybe the Darkest Day just came
from the fallout of the weapon. It's possible that Galar was a bystander or a minor participant in the war.

Unfortunately, neither Pokémon Sword, Shield, Scarlet, or Violet contain any reference at all to the ultimate weapon or
the Kalos War. If the Pokémon world even roughly follows real-life geography, then Kalos, Galar, and Paldea should be
very close to each other, so it is crazy that neither of those regions have any mention of such an important historical
event. Personally, I believe that Paldea was the target of the ultimate weapon, and that Galar was a bystander, but this
is just based on my intuition. I wish there was some evidence in-game that could help tie these events together.

### Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Ultimately, Pokémon is a media franchise aimed mainly for kids. The intended audience of Pokémon doesn't care about the
games being interconnected or having a fleshed out storyline, so it's never something I expect to get when I play the
games. The recent game Pokémon Legends: Arceus was a very refreshing change in course, focusing more on an interesting
story and establishing the history of the Pokémon world.

The next game in the Pokémon Legends series is set to release in the next year, and it's set in the Kalos region that I
started in with Pokémon X, so I am cautiously optimistic about what this game could bring to the story of Pokémon.
My biggest wish lore-wise is for more information on mega evolution, its potential connection with dynamax and
gigantamax, and potentially some information on the Kalos War too. I know that these games will add more to the Pokémon
story, and I can't wait to see what that entails.
63 changes: 51 additions & 12 deletions devnotes/the_passing_seasons.md
View file
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
@@ -1,31 +1,70 @@
It's that time of year again. The first leaves are starting to turn orange and red, and some have even begun to litter the ground. Yes, autumn is only a mere two days away.
It's that time of year again. The first leaves are starting to turn orange and red, and some have even begun to litter
the ground. Yes, autumn is only a mere two days away.

Autumn has always been my favorite time of the year. Clearly, I like this season, seeing as I named myself after it. There are so many things I find special about these coming months. There's the cool and calm weather, the seasonal food, and the holidays, which combine to create an autumnal feeling. These are fairly universal experiences, however, and I know my love of the autumnal season stems from things more personal. I will discuss my personal connections to the season of autumn.
Autumn has always been my favorite time of the year. Clearly, I like this season, seeing as I named myself after it.
There are so many things I find special about these coming months. There's the cool and calm weather, the seasonal food,
and the holidays, which combine to create an autumnal feeling. These are fairly universal experiences, however, and I
know my love of the autumnal season stems from things more personal. I will discuss my personal connections to the
season of autumn.

### The Oktoberfest

One personally meaningful autumn event is the Oktoberfest. I myself have some distant German heritage, with my Hoffensetz ancestors originating in southern Germany before moving to Denmark. During my childhood, a close friend of mine (with much more recent German heritage) hosted a yearly oktoberfest. The get-together was attended by up to a dozen families and was hosted in my friend's backyard, and although I usually struggle in social settings, the oktoberfest was different.
One personally meaningful autumn event is the Oktoberfest. I myself have some distant German heritage, with my
Hoffensetz ancestors originating in southern Germany before moving to Denmark. During my childhood, a close friend of
mine (with much more recent German heritage) hosted a yearly oktoberfest. The get-together was attended by up to a dozen
families and was hosted in my friend's backyard, and although I usually struggle in social settings, the oktoberfest was
different.

I think what truly solidifies my personal legend is the fact that it ended. While it used to be a yearly tradition, for some reason, my friend's family decided to stop hosting them in 2018, far before even COVID-19 had made its effect. The oktoberfest is no longer a contemporary event to me, instead becoming a facet of my childhood nostalgia, and it's inherently tied to the autumn.
I think what truly solidifies my personal legend is the fact that it ended. While it used to be a yearly tradition, for
some reason, my friend's family decided to stop hosting them in 2018, far before even COVID-19 had made its effect. The
oktoberfest is no longer a contemporary event to me, instead becoming a facet of my childhood nostalgia, and it's
inherently tied to the autumn.

### The Renaissance Festival

A local autumnal festivity in my area is the Renaissance Festival. It runs from September through the end of October, and I have always loved the experience of walking around a pseudo-medieval town. It's a strange thing really, the idea of a renaissance festival. I'm pleasantly surprised that so many people enjoy experiencing this historical-feeling setting like I do.
A local autumnal festivity in my area is the Renaissance Festival. It runs from September through the end of October,
and I have always loved the experience of walking around a pseudo-medieval town. It's a strange thing really, the idea
of a renaissance festival. I'm pleasantly surprised that so many people enjoy experiencing this historical-feeling
setting like I do.

As a child, I always loved watching the crazy acts like the Wheel of Death or Johnny Fox the sword swallower, and the excitement of the jousting competitions in the giant colosseum-like arena. Things like this created a feeling of excitement and wonder. I also really enjoyed all the weird shops, selling everything from crystals and glass jewelry to real swords and armor. To young me, the idea that you can just buy a sword like that was amazing (and it was made even better when I actually bought one many years later). There is even a shop at the renaissance festival that sells medieval-themed board games!
As a child, I always loved watching the crazy acts like the Wheel of Death or Johnny Fox the sword swallower, and the
excitement of the jousting competitions in the giant colosseum-like arena. Things like this created a feeling of
excitement and wonder. I also really enjoyed all the weird shops, selling everything from crystals and glass jewelry to
real swords and armor. To young me, the idea that you can just buy a sword like that was amazing (and it was made even
better when I actually bought one many years later). There is even a shop at the renaissance festival that sells
medieval-themed board games!

### Halloween

Well, Halloween isn't exactly something that I alone feel connected to. Most Americans along with people from many countries celebrate this holiday, so what makes it so special for me? The answer is sort of that I don't know. To me, there was always something intrinsically special about Halloween and my experience celebrating it, but I haven't been able to put my finger on what that was until now.
Well, Halloween isn't exactly something that I alone feel connected to. Most Americans along with people from many
countries celebrate this holiday, so what makes it so special for me? The answer is sort of that I don't know. To me,
there was always something intrinsically special about Halloween and my experience celebrating it, but I haven't been
able to put my finger on what that was until now.

Among the online transgender community, Halloween is a popular favorite holiday. The reasons for this are kind of obvious, being that it's a time when you can be something different from your day-to-day self. Despite the fact that I only realized I'm transgender within the past few years, I have always enjoyed the idea of dressing up and becoming something else on Halloween. Maybe there's some subconscious connection to be found here.
Among the online transgender community, Halloween is a popular favorite holiday. The reasons for this are kind of
obvious, being that it's a time when you can be something different from your day-to-day self. Despite the fact that I
only realized I'm transgender within the past few years, I have always enjoyed the idea of dressing up and becoming
something else on Halloween. Maybe there's some subconscious connection to be found here.

I also associate Halloween with my friends. All the way through 8th grade, I attended a small private school about half an hour from my house. As such, none of my friends lived remotely close to me. However, on Halloween, all of us would meet up at one friend's house and trick-or-treat together. As I grew older with my friends, this turned into us walking around each other's neighborhoods and hanging out. In my youth, Halloween was one of the few times that my entire friend group got together outside of school, and that was always significant to me.
I also associate Halloween with my friends. All the way through 8th grade, I attended a small private school about half
an hour from my house. As such, none of my friends lived remotely close to me. However, on Halloween, all of us would
meet up at one friend's house and trick-or-treat together. As I grew older with my friends, this turned into us walking
around each other's neighborhoods and hanging out. In my youth, Halloween was one of the few times that my entire friend
group got together outside of school, and that was always significant to me.

### The Passing Seasons

While all the things I've discussed so far have been fairly tangible, I have also constructed a metaphorical meaning to autumn which I find significant.
While all the things I've discussed so far have been fairly tangible, I have also constructed a metaphorical meaning to
autumn which I find significant.

The title of this blog post is a reference to the Pixelmon mod, a Pokémon-themed mod for the game Minecraft. I spent a lot of my childhood playing this mod, and its beautiful soundtrack holds a special place in my heart. Having come out in 2013, Pixelmon is one of the older Minecraft mods, and it still receives infrequent updates. Recently, a new song was added to its soundtrack, 'The Passing Seasons' by Chris Geddes. The calm and warm music symbolizes, to me, the aging of the Pixelmon mod and its quiet, slow descent into the shadow of newer mods. Even though Pixelmon's relevance is fading, it is not done giving new content and experiences.
The title of this blog post is a reference to the Pixelmon mod, a Pokémon-themed mod for the game Minecraft. I spent a
lot of my childhood playing this mod, and its beautiful soundtrack holds a special place in my heart. Having come out in
2013, Pixelmon is one of the older Minecraft mods, and it still receives infrequent updates. Recently, a new song was
added to its soundtrack, 'The Passing Seasons' by Chris Geddes. The calm and warm music symbolizes, to me, the aging of
the Pixelmon mod and its quiet, slow descent into the shadow of newer mods. Even though Pixelmon's relevance is fading,
it is not done giving new content and experiences.

I have similar feelings towards this time of year. The year has gone on for many months, from the allergen-infested spring to the hot and humid summer. Now, as the leaves change color and the weather cools, the year is beginning to come to a close. Despite this, the best parts of the year are still ahead of us. As the year winds to its end and as 2024 approaches, let's not lose sight of the things that make the present special.
I have similar feelings towards this time of year. The year has gone on for many months, from the allergen-infested
spring to the hot and humid summer. Now, as the leaves change color and the weather cools, the year is beginning to come
to a close. Despite this, the best parts of the year are still ahead of us. As the year winds to its end and as 2024
approaches, let's not lose sight of the things that make the present special.
Loading

0 comments on commit aeec5d0

Please sign in to comment.