I don't know if this is worth making a thread over, but I wanted to see the general consensus on what is better when it comes to making fangames. I have a ton of programming experience (+ computer science lol) and I've wanted to make a Pokémon fangame of my own since the days Light Platinum was released.

I have ideas for a project (story, things I could do differently gameplay-wise to make it interesting and add my own spin to the series, etc. and I have experience working in Pokémon Essentials for another fangame (had a weird experience with that one).

However, I don't know what's the general consensus on what people enjoy more. ROM hacks? Pokémon Essentials projects? I know each has their own benefit, and I like the portability of ROM hacks, but at the same time I have very little experience with the latter (although I'm a really quick learner when it comes to computer stuff).

So that's why I'm making a thread. Thoughts on which of the two options is better? Tips and/or documentation for ROM hack development? Things people look forward to the most when it comes to fangames (difficulty, tilesets, music, story, etc.)? I appreciate anything I can use to narrow down the scope of the project to something more specific.