>>29365922Yeah, being able to use end game stats with any monster form is part of the balance. Digimon is unique that your bros can nearly always stay competitive.
Monster Rancher actually is about rearing monsters who then go on adventures with you. Typically this was a dungeon-crawl used to find more monsters, more gear, and supplies for training and raising monsters. There also was an area mode for once your team is all ready to go.
>>29365907OK, once you have decent designs and balanced gamplay you need to decide what kind of monster game it's going to be. This should tie into the worldbuilding or it will all feel flat and hollow.
There are three main types of Monster game: Battling, Exploration, and Breeding. Most games have some facet from each genre but generally pick one as their "main".
Pokemon is a battle game. The main world exists as an excuse to fight pokemon and trainers. Breeding and training is there just to make stronger fighting monsters. Sun/Moon is doing away with HM slaves as I understand it because the focus is battle.
In contrast we have games like Dragon Crystal which are all about exploring and adventure. Everything the monster does for you is there to help you get further on the adventure. Monster Rancher has this to some extent, mostly in the (very unpopular) Monster Rancher Evo where everything was focused on non-battle everyday things the monsters could do. Evo didn't flop for being non-battle, though: it used crappy minigames and got repetitive. These are cardinal sins in any game.
Monster Breeding games exist all over the internet as "Pet sims". In these games fighting and exploration is pushed back to a minimum in favor of fanciful designs, bright colors, and sometimes complex genetics systems.
....am I missing anything?
