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Temtem devs details the differences between their game and Pokemon, challenges of developing for Switch

by rawmeatcowboy
03 July 2018
GN Version 5.0

A portion of an NextN interview with Crema Games...

N: First of all, how would you describe Temtem? In which ways can you compare it with Pokémon and what are the main differences with Game Freak’s franchise?

CG: We define it as a multiplayer monster-collecting game, heavily inspire in Pokémon. It looks like Pokémon in that you catch creatures, evolve them and battle against others. And all of that is driven by a main story.

There are more differences than it looks like. Including the MMO aspect is a big differentiating feature, a big jump. And aside from the obvious differences, like a whole new story and the original characters and creatures, there are changes in gameplay.

We have removed all random factors in battle (evasion, accuracy, critical hits, effect rate for status conditions) in order to give a more skill-based touch and make it closer to a competitive scenario. This implies a greatly-changed battle system. Removing all these aspects suppose changing the whole system so it’s balanced, and, at the same time, you can have a variety of strategies.

There is co-op play and on-line play, so both players can actively participate and battle. We have added a pick-ban system for ranked battles, so it adds a more strategic layer to battles.

As I’m answering these questions, we are closer to the “Clubs” stretch goal in Kickstarter (Note: it has already been reached). It’s our approach for guilds. Aside from the dojos in the story, there will be dojos controlled by clans, and they must be defended or conquered.

Other aspects include housing in a common neighbourhood for all players, where you can modify your house and visit other players’.

Finally, there are small changes here and there, like modifying the breeding system, reducing the number of types and adding some new ones (like digital or crystal).

N: How do you see indie development in Nintendo Switch? Is it easy to move a game like Temtem from PC to the hybrid console? What technical limitations do you think you will find and to what extent can they suppose a problem for the player?

CG: The development in Nintendo Switch is hard because of the technical limitations of the console when compared with other platforms, but sales for indie games are usually better in the eShop than in the other platforms.

About what we will find, we expect complications and extra optimization work to deliver the best quality possible to the final player.

Thanks to m4kk0 for the heads up!

[Link]