Emerald hack: Pit of 100 Trials - Roguelite Style Hack

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

Description:

This is a small hack I've been working on that is inspired by Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, in which the Pit of 100 Trials is an optional dungeon with 100 floors of battles. I have translated that concept into Pokemon.

In this challenge, you start with 3 random Pokemon and must fight through a random trainer gauntlet over 100 Floors. You and each trainer have random mons (if you're playing Extra Random mode you also have random moves/abilities/learnsets). There is a singles and doubles mode. The Enemy trainer mon levels are tied to the floor number, with Lvl 1 being the minimum and Lvl 100 being the maximum. At the start of the challenge, there is only one trainer per floor, but as you progress, more of them will spawn (random number per floor, weighted to lower numbers), with a max of four per floor by the end of the Pit. After clearing each floor you will get one to three random item drops and then the next floor warp will activate letting you progress. Every 5th floor is a Heal/Shop floor where you will be able to rest and prepare for the next trial. And every 25th floor, you will be given the choice of another random mon. Every 10th will have a move tutor NPC except for the floors that also have Pokemon on them.

If you do manage to beat the final trainer on Floor 100, you can choose to keep going and see how far you can get. That's all the info I've got. Hopefully, you have fun. If you're interested in discussing the hack make sure to join the Discord. I plan on releasing balance updates in the near future based on community feedback from the release, and potentially also some new features if people are interested in them.

UPDATED: v1.2 ---- 05/10/2024

Now Normal vs Extra Random are decided in game before a run starts instead of being different patches.
There is a Doubles mode that is in beta but seems to be working, it will ask you which mode with the Extra Random question before a run.
Some QOL stuff like 3 random item drops instead of 2 per floor, move relearned NPC every 20 floors, Move names for TMs in shops, instant text as default (can be changed), Exp curves standardized to Medium Fast, Random item type chances balanced around heals more, Exp Share updated to be 75% of max instead of 50

UPDATED: v1.4 ---- 05/18/2024

Floor Movers have been added that let you pay to skip floors. Trainer number per floor is now random instead of set.
Item drops are now random between 1 and 3. Instead of just 2 or just 3 per floor.
A Hard Mode has been added with less Exp Share Gain. Updated Learnsets for Normal Random so Mons can learn the other 50 TMs added. (wiz1989, Aereon)
Item balance changes (wiz1989). Final Boss Trainer has all Evolved Mons. Pokemon now start at Level 1 on Floor 1 and go up from there.

UPDATED: v1.5 ---- 06/02/2024

There are a bunch of updates coming in version 1.5 most of which were created by wiz1989.
Added new Mode Menu UI to set up different game modes. Added new Option Menu to match style of other UIs.
Random held items for opponent mons. Further price balancing. Added Move Tutor for Egg moves and special Tutor moves.
Update to Expansion Version 1.8.4. Implemented an Autosave Feature. New Bag UI + updated pocket management.
IV edit merchant for use in no stat editor mode. And various other changes.

Release:

There are 2 versions of the hack, a version with just up to Gen 5 mons, and a version with all Gens Mons.

Google Drive
Discord

DO NOT USE VBA OR MYBOY. USE mGBA on PC or PizzaBoy/Lemuroid/RetroArch+mGBACore on Mobile

Credits:

Spoiler:

I, Archie from Team Aquas Hideout, have put together this romhack.
All battle / late Gen stuff / plenty more is from Edu and the Expansion Team at RHH, they do amazing work.
The decomps themselves were created by people at pret.
Nico made the Battle UI.
RavePossum implemented the Gen 5 Summary Screen and the battle bg.
Ghoulslash made the Item Desc Code + the UI shell code used for my UIs
Mudskip and I together made the Main + Start Menu / Pokeball Case UIs (Mudskip made the graphics)
Jaizu made the graphics for the Stat Editor (code by me)
Hyo/Poffin made the FRLG style sprites
Red/Leaf Mugshots from Here
Lucas/Dawn Sprites From Here Edited By Archie To Fit Gen 3 More
Cynthia sprites from Here by Aveontrainer and Here and Here by mid117
Nicolavs gave me the cave tiles.
Bsbob made the map pop-up branch.
Lunos the instant text branch.
Edu made the extra bag pockets branch.
MGriffin helped with my autosave code.
Wiz worked heavily on the updates with me making new features like improvements to the tutors, balance changes, and the new Mode Menu (although that's also a product of Mudskip, Me, and TheXaman)
and plenty of other things and bug fixes.
TheXaman wrote some of the randomizer and Party Menu code (graphics by me).
Devolov/Rioluwott/EliteRedux/Graion/PCG for various QOL additions, mostly battle related.
Special thanks to everyone in our Team Aqua Discord.
There are too many people to thank here, but this hack is built on community resources.
If you notice something here that you worked on and I didn't list your name and you would like me to, please reach out to me and I will make it happen.
Without all of them, this hack would not exist. Thank you all <3

Join the Pit Discord to talk about the hack or learn how to create your own.

 

[wiz1989]

Yeah baby, finally!
This is hype! Gonna grab a beta and give this a go!
Will report later.

 

[PCG - Pokémon]

This sounds like a really good ROM hack! Will surely give it a try tonight.

 

[iriv24]

TAH is known for their quality romhacks, definitely will be giving this a try!

 

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

Update: v1.2 ---- 05/10/2024

Now Normal vs Extra Random are decided in game before a run starts instead of being different patches.

There is a Doubles mode that is in beta but seems to be working, it will ask you which mode with the Extra Random question before a run.

Some QOL stuff like 3 random item drops instead of 2 per floor, move relearned NPC every 20 floors, Move names for TMs in shops, instant text as default (can be changed), Exp curves standardized to Medium Fast, Random item type chances balanced around heals more, Exp Share updated to be 75% of max instead of 50

 

[Thumbtrapper]

Super excited to play this, but it keeps crashing. I enter the first floor and it's as though the game is trying to enter a wild pokemon encounter before the screen looks like a CRT TV and freezes. I've tried both trashman and a different rombase to no success on myboy. Any help would be appreciated

Edit: tested the same rom on openemu and it works fine

 

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

Super excited to play this, but it keeps crashing. I enter the first floor and it's as though the game is trying to enter a wild pokemon encounter before the screen looks like a CRT TV and freezes. I've tried both trashman and a different rombase to no success on myboy. Any help would be appreciated

Edit: tested the same rom on openemu and it works fine

Yeah MyBoy just doesn't seem to work for it. I have no idea why as it works on all actually good emulators and it works completely fine on actual hardware. There are multiple other mobile emulators people have tested for it that work though.

 

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

Update v1.4 -- 05/18/2024

Lots of changes have been made.
Floor Movers have been added that let you pay to skip floors.
Trainer number per floor is now random instead of set.
Item drops are now random between 1 and 3.
A Hard Mode has been added with less Exp Share Gain.
Updated Learnsets for Normal Random so Mons can learn the other 50 TMs added. (wiz1989, Aereon)
Item balance changes (wiz1989)
Final Boss Trainer has all Evolved Mons.
Pokemon now start at Level 1 on Floor 1 and go up from there.

 

[wiz1989]

The new version is the perfect challenge!
Played on Gen5 normal mode, single and had a blast!
Gonna be really hard to win ngl!

 

[Shadowshu]

Hey so I tried the all gen and all gen random version but it crashes on myboy too.. I don't have another emulator but I got Meloetta. Now I can't get over it🤣

 

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

Hey so I tried the all gen and all gen random version but it crashes on myboy too.. I don't have another emulator but I got Meloetta. Now I can't get over it🤣

Yeah MyBoy doesn't work because it sucks. There are other mobile emulators that work, I'm unaware of any others that don't work other than MyBoy.

 

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

UPDATED: v1.5 ---- 06/02/2024

There are a bunch of updates coming in version 1.5 most of which were created by wiz1989.
Added new Mode Menu UI to set up different game modes. Added new Option Menu to match style of other UIs.
Random held items for opponent mons. Further price balancing. Added Move Tutor for Egg moves and special Tutor moves.
Update to Expansion Version 1.8.4. Implemented an Autosave Feature. New Bag UI + updated pocket management.
IV edit merchant for use in no stat editor mode. And various other changes.

 

[wiz1989]

Let's go!

@Players: Let's share your PB record screenshots in here!

Here's mine, even though it is not impressive lol



CUSTOM here means Normal XP mode (no chance I challenge Hard mode)

 

[Inner Rhymes]

This looks so sick! Love love LOVE the custom UI you've implemented!

 

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

This looks so sick! Love love LOVE the custom UI you've implemented!

Thanks! The UIs were a product of a lot of work from a lot of people in the community: Mudskip, RavePossum, Nico, TheXaman, Edu, Ghoulslash. Most of them are public feature branches as well you can find on the Team Aqua Asset Repo Github.

 

[WhitronPhenomenon]

This is very cool, I love seeing something new and different. I had almost avoided it because I saw it called a rougelite on reddit and that's not my jam, but idk I feel like this is a different, and who cares about semantics.

 

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

This is very cool, I love seeing something new and different. I had almost avoided it because I saw it called a rougelite on reddit and that's not my jam, but idk I feel like this is a different, and who cares about semantics.

Yeah thats fair, I labeled it "rogue-lite style" in the description just because it's the easiest way to explain the general gameplay loop you're in for to people. But it's just a random battle gauntlet where you level up as you go and fight increasingly harder trainers.

 

[Inner Rhymes]

So, I gave this a spin last evening, and my word, am I having the time of my life! I have never really enjoyed Fangames/ ROM hacks that took a full-blown Rogue approach as I found it far too overwhelming for me to keep up. This, however, hits the sweet spot I have been looking for. There's not much going on, and it's purely battle-centric which has me hooked. I love how the HP bars have been designed. There's something so satisfying in watching HP deplete from those segmented cubes. I do have a few questions/ suggestions to make if I may.

- Do you plan on including character customization or at least avatars for the player to choose from?
- Would you consider adding a jukebox feature before the run begins so players can choose what soundtrack they'd like played when a battle starts?
- I understand money scarcity adds to the survival component of this, but maybe include items like Stardust, nuggets, etc. to make a rare appearance?

I made it to floor 68 on my first run!

 

[Team Aqua Leader Archie]

So, I gave this a spin last evening, and my word, am I having the time of my life! I have never really enjoyed Fangames/ ROM hacks that took a full-blown Rogue approach as I found it far too overwhelming for me to keep up. This, however, hits the sweet spot I have been looking for. There's not much going on, and it's purely battle-centric which has me hooked. I love how the HP bars have been designed. There's something so satisfying in watching HP deplete from those segmented cubes. I do have a few questions/ suggestions to make if I may.

- Do you plan on including character customization or at least avatars for the player to choose from?
- Would you consider adding a jukebox feature before the run begins so players can choose what soundtrack they'd like played when a battle starts?
- I understand money scarcity adds to the survival component of this, but maybe include items like Stardust, nuggets, etc. to make a rare appearance?

I made it to floor 68 on my first run!

I have thought about adding a character customizer. I'm not sure if it will happen but it is definitely in the list of potential features.

I haven't really considered a jukebox, but I am likely going to make the battle tracks random each time, potentially including some of the battle songs from the Gen 4/5 music expansion branch.

I think having a rare chance for an item of large value like those might be good to have. I'll definitely run it by Wiz and see how he thinks it'll affect balance

 

[Inner Rhymes]

Thank you so much! I forgot to ask, is dazzling gleam an available TM in the game? I was looking through the TM Merchant's stock, and they did not have dazzling gleam on the list. Looking forward to the next update!