LT's Brainstorming Blog

@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @mawhip

Traveling Fantasy Performers Idea (loosely inspired by the new game Eternal Strands)

In a fantasy Galar far from the Galar we know, bands of songweavers--a specific type of minstrel that can sing magic in their song--roam the land in grand caravans, singing their divine songs, and entertaining and teaching the people. Part musician, part actor, part storyteller, and part mage, they are higher than royalty in Galar. The language they use to sing their magical song is known as the Weavetongue, which is inspired by the real world language of Irish Gaelic.

Our story concerns the Starpearl band of songweavers, and the eight companions with a bond stronger than mythril. In addition to Brock, the leader of the band, the others are Ash, the energetic and brave scout, Misty, the tactician with the wisdom and loyal heart of a dragon, Serena, a runeblade with Kalusien heritage that fights with the cunning and grace of the Delphox, May, the ranger of the band that dances with a Beautifly's grace, and fights with the power and courage of a Combusken, Dawn, a cleric in the service of Cresselia whose ceremonial crown gives the band its name, Liko, a dancer originally from the land of Sabia, and her fighter companion Roy, who both joined the band in hopes of seeing a new land, and ended up calling that land and its music home.

Songweavers are renowned for their colorful (and often flamboyant) costumes. Only the leader of a band is allowed to wear a dominantly purple costume--the leader of the Starpearl band, Brock, wears a purple, red, and gold costume.

A good songweaver must know how to sing, play at least one instrument, and act at the very least. Songweavers must never sing sad songs, and never perform sad plays, lest they offend the Legendary Pokemon.

Most songweaver bands travel in large caravans, but smaller bands and new bands often walk on foot. Many songweaver bands have a magical harp among their instruments, which only the leader may play. When a band's leader steps down from their position, the magical harp determines who the next leader of the band will be. The harp is often named--Brock's is named Jadesong.

Our story focuses on the Starpearls' travels, and the places they visit, spinning their tales and their songs along the way...
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @mawhip

Some Questions I Still Have About Z/A (reflecting on the new Z/A information revealed today)

--Where in the timeline does this take place? Does this take place before or after XY?
--If Z/A takes place before XY, how far back in the past does this take place? If it's after XY, how far in the future is it?
--What role does AZ play in the story?
--Are the new ally characters more allies or rivals? What roles do they play?
--What are Hero and Heroine named officially?
--Is the company spearheading the redevelopment actually noble, or will they be revealed as the villains at some point?
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @mimikins

Using Suikoden to Build an Ancientverse (some ideas for an ancient Pokeverse, inspired by the Suikoden remaster)

--Innate magic is relatively rare; most people have some kind of rune for magical power.
--Some runes are very powerful, especially Pokemon runes.
--The Eight Spirit Pokemon runes are not the only very powerful runes--every Pokemon rune is very powerful, as well as Celestial Runes.
 
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@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @mimikins

What's Next for Pokemon? (reflecting on the Direct tomorrow, and the Switch 2 debut presentation next week)

--Will we get new/more Z/A info? (I have seen a lot of chatter claiming the Kalos starters will get Megas)
--If we DO get more Z/A info, will we get more plot info? New Megas? Hero's and Heroine's names? New Formes?
--What will Pokemon look like on Switch 2?
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @mimikins

My Two Credits on the Switch 2 (some thoughts on the Switch 2 reveal today)

--Nintendo was listening when people said the Switch wasn't powerful enough
--A bigger screen is always good
--Having options to in game chat and share your screen will be nice for multiplayer--or to share milestones and achievements with your friends
--Accessibility options are always a good thing
--A LOT of people will be happy to have Colesseum and XD on Switch Online (as well as many more GameCube favorites--I presume other past consoles will be available on Switch 2 as well)
--I love the idea of an open world racer like the upcoming Mario Kart World--you don't get kicked back out into the menu and set everything up again in between races
--Just how different will past Switch games be on Switch 2? Prettier graphics aren't enough for me.
--I will probably wait a little bit to let the kinks get ironed out and for games to release, so maybe a birthday gift at the earliest, or more realistically, a Christmas gift--if I choose to take the plunge this year.
 
I personally am not going to bother getting the Switch 2. Not really interested. Already spent a lot of money on the original and the Oled. Sure, it means that I will miss out on games that will likely be exclusive to the Switch 2, but I'm ok with that.
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @mimikins

Kalosian Fantasy Idea (welcoming Legends: Z/A Heroine to my work)

In the fantastic region of Beltaire--which will eventually become modern day Kalos--jongleur Harmonie makes her keep traveling from town to town, playing music and spinning stories to all willing to listen. But imagine her surprise when she receives a royal invitation from Queen Diantha, inviting her to the royal capital of Illumis to perform for the anniversary of the kingdom's founding. But why would a minstrel need a musketeer escort, and what are all the pearls that Harmonie and her entourage keep finding across the land? What started as a routine journey to the capital becomes a race to stop a mad wizard and his Order of the Solar Flare--and Harmonie discovers the magic in her song that might be able to prevent Beltaire from being devastated...
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @mimikins @Viridian Beedrill

Jongleur Harmonie (showing off some sprite art)

Continuing from last night's post, here is some sprite art of what Harmonie (Legends: Z/A heroine) looks like in the world of Beltaire:

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I chose to color her costume a yellowy-green to fit with all the Zygarde motifs in all the Z/A trailers.

You are welcome to use her in your games and sprite comics--just credit me first.
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @Kasane Teto @Viridian Beedrill

"Royal" Musical Heroes Idea (inspired by the new anime Princession Orchestra)

What is staying from the inspiration:

--a magical world powered by music
--singing heroes and heroines
--receiving power from a jewel

What is different:

--Males can tap into the power of Fantasia (what the magical music is called) as well
--The heroes don't necessarily have to sing--playing an instrument or playing a beat will work just as well
--The heroes are not so much royalty themselves, as they are something higher than royalty--minstrels

For simplicity's sake, Ash, Misty, Brock, and Serena are the heroes, with Liko as the one they must protect, Princess Crystal

Ash's minstrel alter ego is Minstrel Phoenix
Misty's minstrel alter ego is Princess Cascade
Brock's minstrel alter ego is Prince Laurel
Serena's minstrel alter ago is Princess Soleil
 
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@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @Kasane Teto @Viridian Beedrill

Traveling Minstrels Idea (a reworking of the above idea to just be typical traveling minstrels)

In the fantastic Pokeworld of Auran, which will eventually become the Galar region, minstrels are higher than royalty. They are immediately recognizable in their colorful (and sometimes flamboyant) costumes, and will sometimes travel in a caravan in addition to traveling on foot. Particularly large groups of minstrels may also perform plays in addition to playing music and telling stories.

Our story concerns four best friends known as the Jeweled Minstrels, so named for the jewel that is prominent on their costumes:

--Ash of Whitstone, called the Phoenix-singer for his distinct red, orange, and gold costume, his powerful high tenor, and skill on various flutes and whistles. If he needs to fight, he wields a songblessed sword.

--Misty of Pearlcrest, who traded her knightly armor for a pair of songblessed twinblades, a fiddle, and a majestic blue, white, and silver costume. Some have called her the "Siren of Fury" or "the Singing Dragon"--and bad guys are out of luck when this mermaid sings!

--Brock of Jewelvale, the leader of the group whose skill with word, mimicry, and song belies a master archer (although he keeps a sword as backup if archery is not feasible), and skilled strategist. The purple in his majestic green, blue, purple, and gold costume signals that he is a high minstrel, and one of the youngest to earn the title. While he prefers to play lute in the group's performances, he will sometimes use a harp, particularly when playing for noble or royal guests, or a harp is important to the story.

--Serena of Whitstone, called the Joyous Delphox for her never say die attitude. She and Ash are best friends, and are never too far apart from each other. But her joyous demeanor, heroic soprano, spirited dancing, and vibrant mandolin playing belie a skilled and clever fighter. She doesn't just have a Plan B, she has Plans C, D, E, F, and G on top of that! She prefers to battle with a rapier--a memento from studying in the Swordmaster's Academy in the neighboring land of Beltaine. She is multilingual in English, Auranic (also called "the arcane tongue"), Beltanian, and Sabian.

So when this merry band of minstrels receive a royal invitation to play for the anniversary of the kingdom's founding, this Fab Four set out on the adventure of a lifetime--and collect all manner of tales along the way...
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @Kasane Teto @Viridian Beedrill

Making a Sword for a Friend (a sneak peek of my fantasy Kalos)

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Harmonie asked as Sacha prepared some ingredients and magical regents on a workbench in preparation to forge Harmonie a songblessed sword via alchemy.

"Sure, I'm sure--my friend Serena showed me how to perform alchemy safely, so a songblessed sword shouldn't be too hard to forge." Sacha assured Harmonie as he organized his materials. "To make a weapon like a sword, I need a base metal--so would you prefer iron or steel?"

"Steel--it's tough and lightweight." Harmonie replied.

"Okay...combine this with a Singing Crystal for the songblessing, and a pearl for light elemental damage and protection from darkness..." Once Sacha had organized a chunk of steel, a blue crystal that seemed to hum with power, and a pearl on the workbench, he snapped, transforming the materials on the workbench into a beautiful and ornate rapier-like sword with music designs that hummed with divine power. "And there we are! A songblessed sword, just for you! All that's left is for you to name this blade, so the songblessing binds to you."

"I think I will name it...Prelude." Harmonie replied. "Since it is a gift for the start of my journey."

The new sword glowed green for a moment before setting itself on Harmonie's left leg in a beautifully designed scabbard. "I promise, Sacha, I will take good care of Prelude."
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @Kasane Teto @Viridian Beedrill

Setting Sail on the Quest of Quests (a sneak peek of an upcoming story)

"Rough landing..." Ash mused as he came to in a starry realm. "I don't think we're in Area Zero anymore..."

"I don't think we're even in Paldea anymore..." Brock mused as he looked out on the starry waves the shimmering moon ship was sailing on.

"Where are we, then?" Misty looked over at the sparkling purple-blue water around them.

[You are in the Starsea--a vast ocean of other worlds.] a familiar blue and gold swan-like Pokemon with a crescent moon shaped head replied as she flew down to meet the Trio. [Koraidon's energy sent you three here, so you would be safe from the explosion of Sada-bot.]

"Cresselia?" Brock recognized the Pokemon that now guided the moon-ship.

"Juliana...is she safe?" Ash asked, worried for their Paldean companion's fate.

[Yes--Juliana is safe.] Cresselia replied. [But what you may not know is that while you defeated the spirit of the Sada in your world, she still lives in all these other worlds, holding an incarnation of the Princess with the Pendant prisoner in each world.]

"The Princess with the Pendant...Liko?" Ash guessed.

"So, how do we get back to our world--assuming we even can go back home?" Misty wondered.

[Travel to each of the worlds of the Starsea, gather the required items to break the spell on the place an incarnation of Sada hides, and free the incarnation of the Princess with the Pendant there. Once the incarnation of the Princess is freed in one world, the Crescent will take you to the world where your next quest awaits.]

Misty sighed. "So, we're basically in an endless loop of Zelda games...but if there's even a chance we can get back home, no matter how remote, I'll do it."

"Me too." Ash agreed. Brock nodded in agreement.
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @Krismas @Viridian Beedrill

Demon Hunter Pop Star Idea (a J-pop slant on the basic idea of the upcoming movie K-Pop Demon Hunters)

In a Pokeworld not too much different from the one we know, Ash, Misty, and Brock appear to be the smash hit pop trio Houryutora (Phoenix, Dragon, Raikou). But offstage, they are highly trained yokai hunters, using their song to keep the ancient demons at bay, and to welcome the ancient Wakunese gods and friendly spirits, including Legendary Pokemon.

But when the three companions are asked to protect Liko, who is being targeted by the demon king Yami because of her sparkling rainbow pendant, their already delicate balancing act of juggling both their pop star act and the demon hunting responsibilities gets that much harder. Yet through it all the bond between these two companions is like the three beings their pop band is named for--unshakeable no matter what evil may try to do.

Can they figure out why Liko's pendant has gotten Yami's attention? Can Liko learn to harness the sacred power inside her pendant, and help Houryutora banish Yami and his minions from the mortal realm once and for all?
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @Krismas @Viridian Beedrill

Chambers and Charizards with the Sun/Moon cast (sharing some drabble)

"Okay..." Brock muses as he looks around at Ash, Misty, and their Alolan companions before him at a large table on the lanai of Prof. Kukui's lab. "What we're going to do here is tell a story--a story you guys are going to help create." he explains. "You guys play the heroes in this story, which you introduced to me before. This story takes place in a fantastic world where magic lives, where the good are rewarded, and evil punished."

"But what are you supposed to do?" Lillie asked, pulling up a white towel over her so it looked more or less like a cleric's cape.

"My role is the Dungeon Master, who serves as a combination of the storyteller and the referee." Brock explains. "Basically, I'll explain to you guys what your characters see, you guys tell me how you want to respond, and then I'll give you the results of your decision. I'll explain more as we go along, okay?

With that, he cues some ambiance of a wagon traveling on a dusty road. "You guys have been on your way to the city of Emberkeep from the High City of Whitecrest for several days now." he explains. "You guys were asked to go there because the guildmaster of Whitecrest's adventurer's guild has not heard from the owner of the trading post, Belnar Ironbane, in several days. You've encountered no trouble so far, but this territory can be dangerous. Bandits and outlaws have been known to lurk along the trail."

He sighs before revealing the NPC's fate. "As you come around a bend, you spot two dead Ponytas sprawled about fifty feet ahead of you, blocking the path. Each has several black-feathered arrows sticking out of it. The woods press close to the trail here, with a steep embankment and dense thickets on either side."

"Poor Ponytas..." Lillie muses. "Selene goes to see if anyone survived the ambush."

"Unfortunately, you are too late." Brock somberly reports. "The bodies of Belnar and his elven escort lie here, hastily buried by their Ponytas."

"Selene makes a sign of Arceus, in these two heroes' memory." Lillie replies.

"Meri decides to investigate what remains of the caravan, so we have a clue as to how Belnar fell." Misty reports.

"All you can find is an empty leather map case. The goblins that attacked Belnar and his escort took everything else of value for themselves." Brock reports.

He next cues some battle music. "As you search for any other clues, you suddenly spot four goblins watching you in the brush!"

Lillie yelps in fear as Brock cues battle music, but Sophocles announces "Karstan heaves a Potion of Frost at a goblin to protect Selene!"

Brock smiles in approval at Sophocles' roll. "The flask containing an icy cold liquid goes flying at the goblin--the resulting splash freezes him solid. Not even fire will melt him."

He next turns down the volume of the battle music to explain to Lillie what happened. "When a battle begins, the party rallies to where the bad guys are. Unless said otherwise, neither side has no clear advantage. That said, you can strike first, catching the enemies off guard, or the enemies can do likewise to you, meaning they get an extra turn. What Sophocles did was an example of a successful First Strike, so once everyone moves, everyone can move again."

"Okay...Selene casts Protect on everyone!" Lillie calls.

"Most cleric spells don't require a check, so they will always work." Brock explains before telling Lillie the spell's effect. "As you chant the divine words of your spell, a holy shield of light surrounds you and your allies..."
 
@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @Krismas @Viridian Beedrill

Tracking Completable Seeds (a massive experiment involving Zelda randomizer seeds)

So I have been having a ball with the Zelda Classic Omega Randomizer (look it up--thank me later), and since there is an option to play using a seed, I'm wondering just how many on average are actually completable?

Obviously playing all of them would take too long, so for the sake of this experiment, I'm aiming for a sample size of about 1000.

The rules and status of the experiment:

Rules for all seeds

--Light World (traditional NES overworld) only
--Any dungeon in any world
--No heart pieces
--Magic Key is anywhere
--Standard hints
--Standard starter weapon

What is considered a failed seed:

--Can't find an essential item
--Enemies/bosses too hard for current power level
--Dungeons too hard for current level

Time stops when Zelda's chamber is entered
I'm only playing up to 1000 seeds for this log, so I can get a good sample size

Total completed seeds (both named ones for fun and numbered for the sample): 7
Total failed seeds: 247 (farthest in was 4:24 so far)
Particularly good seeds: 13
Particularly bad seeds: 7
 
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@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @dedf1sh @Viridian Beedrill

Some Lore for Houryutora (worldbuilding for my Poke J-Pop demon hunter adventure inspired by the movie K-Pop Demon Hunters)

Since time immemorial, Waku has been protected by the Miko, a girl who with the help of a special pendant and her divine items, keep yokai from overrunning the Pokeworld. The Miko is protected by three bodyguards--the Phoenix, the Dragon, and the Raikou. These bodyguards help the Miko battle yokai with their own divine weapons and sacred songs.

The Phoenix, the Dragon, and the Raikou do not explicitly have to be all girls--down through the ages, there have also been all males and mixed groups protecting the Miko. The classic Trio are just the latest incarnation that is a mixed group.

Liko is the latest incarnation of the Miko. While she is not part of Houryutora per se, she helps Kitsune, the divine Delphox (who serves as Houryutora's manager--her human form's name is Kaori) with promoting the Trio. But as the Miko, she can sing if necessary.
 
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@Greninjaman @InfiniteBakuphoon @Catz @Funnylion @prog rocker @dedf1sh @Viridian Beedrill

Kitsune's Charge to the Trio (a sneak peek of my Poke J-Pop demon hunter adventure)

"...While the world will know you as pop stars, never forget that yokai fear your songs." Kitsune explained. "You will need to balance your idol activities alongside your battles with yokai, and finding the Miko."

"But how will we know the yokai?" Ash wondered.

"You'll know them, all right..." Kitsune assured Ash. "But it won't be as obvious as disguising themselves as people--Yami and his forces know better than that. Even though you three are the Phoenix, the Dragon, and the Raikou charged with protecting the Miko, you are unable to sense yokai. But as Arceus' divine envoy, I can."

"Wouldn't people find it weird for a Delphox to be managing the latest hot idol unit?" Misty was skeptical.

"Worry no more!" With that, Kitsune snapped, transforming herself into a young woman with medium length blonde hair in a classy women's business suit.

"Serena?" Ash asked--Kitsune's human disguise did resemble what his longtime friend would look like if she were grown up.

"Nope--in this form, my name is Kaori." Kitsune explained. "I have specifically chosen the characters that mean 'majestic fragrance' to write my human name."

Brock sniffed the air, only to smile at the sweet smell of Leppas and Aspears surrounding Kitsune. "Leppas and Aspears are a majestic fragrance, all right..."

He turned business-like again. "So, how are we supposed to find the Miko? Play bodyguard around every black haired girl we can find?"

"You'll know the Miko by a heart pendant that shines in many colors." Kitsune explained. "The Terapagos spirit inside allows this girl to become the Miko."

She went on "All that's left to do now is name what you will be known as as idols. Then we can start composing original songs, and thinking of songs to cover."

"Ho'oh is a phoenix..." Ash mused.

"Wakunese for 'dragon' is ryu..." Misty mused.

"...and Wakunese for 'Raikou' is tora..." Brock mused. "So how about all of those together? Houryutora?"

"Yeah!" Ash and Misty smiled.

"'Houryutora' has a ring to it..." Kitsune smiled. "So, let's get brainstorming your debut single!"
 
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