History SoYouWantTo / WriteAMonSeries

Incidentally, there's no rule that says all Mons games are roleplaying games. If you want, you could make a Mons action game, tactical RPG, even First or Third-Person Shooter. Hell, [[VideoGame/MonsterSanctuary there's already]] a Mons {{Metroidvania}}, and [[VideoGame/PokemonTowerDefense there's also been]] a Mons TowerDefense.

* In some cases, a mon may be designed to have an appearance very similar to a human if not exactly so. In other cases, all mons could be very human-like in general (as opposed to just some of them). It is important that you make a human-like mon's appearance very unique to that of a true human to set off the difference between the two (not including if you intend for a human-like mon to masquerade themselves as a human). [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman Otherwise, the line drawn between people who are mons who look human and people who ARE human]] can get a little blurred.

** VieoGame/MonsterRancher is another example that plays the exclusive move factor much more straight, as every species learn a list of signature moves unique only to their species or the subspecies which their own species is dominant of. For example, a Tiger who is a hybrid of a Naga learns the same moves as a pure Tiger because they're both primarily Tigers. The exception include rare cases or systems involving a monster fighting alongside or in place of another monster as aid, allowing the primary fighter to temporarily use an attack that was exclusive to their aid.

* EvolutionPowerUp: A staple of the genre, appearing in both ''[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]]'' and "Franchise/{{Digimon}}". Not all Pokémon have different evolutionary stages, however, and some other Mons series avoid this trope entirely. If you do use it, you'll have to decide whether the Power-Up is permanent like in Franchise/{{Pokemon}} or temporary like Franchise/{{Digimon}}.

Incidentally, there's no rule that says all Mons games are roleplaying games. If you want, you could make a Mons action game, tactical RPG, even First or Third-Person Shooter. Hell, [[VideoGame/MonsterSanctuary there's already]] a Mons {{Metroidvania}}.

* The majority of the story's focus will be [[ABoyAndHisX The Player And Their Mon]] and the training of said mon(s) to reach their fullest potential and be the strongest (either strong enough to overcome whatever goal their is or the strongest ever). Depending on the mechanics you have behind it that define how much of the mon's stats you monitor and grow or what you do with them, you can potentially expand on the relationship you, the player, have with the mon, your partner. The most common theme is friendship, especially if your character and/or mon are the good-hearted type, and depending how much you integrate your mon's affection to your tamers in-game or story-wise, [[ThePowerOfFriendship you can work with a sub-plot that shows that a strong bond with your mon enables you to tap into your greatest strengths]]. For the reverse, you can also [[DeconstructedTrope deconstruct the idea]] of why [[FridgeLogic a mon would mindlessly follow a trainer who horribly pounded the crap out of them on-sight when they first met]] by showing the trainer [[LevelGrinding strengthen their mon through grinding]] while ignoring [[UnfortunateImplications the underlying problems]] with this training regimen, ending with either the mon [[StockholmSyndrome giving in to this treatment]] to mindlessly stick with this trainer (for better or worse) or [[TheDogBitesBack get fed up enough and turn on them.]]

Let's have a little history lesson. While heroes have made use of monsters as assistants throughout storytelling history, the Mons series as we know it today really began with the original Megaten game. The UrExample series is likely ''VideoGame/TheBardsTale'', where you could enlist monsters to join your party if you left a few slots open. The TropeMaker is ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTensei'' for the NES, where you could enlist monsters (read as demons) you face down in battle to join your side. The TropeCodifier, [[CashCowFranchise through and through]], is ''[[VideoGame/{{PokemonRedAndBlue}} Pokémon Red and Green]]'', originally released on the Game Boy in 1996.

* OldSaveBonus situations can provide great opportunities, but theyre just as likely to be problematic, either through your old cross-transferred Mons being GameBreaker level teammates, or some sort of GameBreakingBug or hacking being due to some flaw. In worse cases, you can lock players out by instituting a CashGate and making it more difficult to utilize for no reason.

* OldSaveBonus: If you're able to get sequels to this game, it'd pay to be able to utilize this. In most series a previous game can have mons that mean something to you, or items you can use be transferred over. Other times, you can have more unconventional but just as rewarding bonuses, like cosmetics or areas. But it can be abused....

Maybe you've played enough ''[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon]]''[[note]][[{{Pun}} So You Want To Be A Master?!]][[/note]] and think it's about time somebody made the next one. Maybe ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' captured your imagination and you want to write your own story about brave protagonists facing down impossible odds with the aid of supernatural beings. Maybe the idea of collectabeasts tickles your fancy, but what you really wanna do is [[{{Deconstruction}} tear 'em all down to show people what they're really made of.]] Now you wanna write a {{Mon}} series, and this guide's here to help you do that.

Incidentally, there's no rule that says all Mons games are roleplaying games. If you want, you could make a Mons action game, tactical RPG, even First or Third-Person Shooter. Anyone try a Mons {{Metroidvania}} yet?

The ''Pokémon'' approach is the safest for games in part because it lends itself very easily to Crowning Moments of Awesome -- leading an unlikely team of aberrations to victory is perhaps an inherently wonderful feeling. It also allows you to be more experimental, including a few "weird" beasts that might be intolerable in a one-monster-at-a-time game. The Monster Rancher approach has its benefits, though, such as having a much more intense connection to the monsters you raise, and room for much greater depth in monster stats and growth. The Battle Network style is rare and may be a borderline case of Mondom, but being able to raise a single monster like a WesternRPG character has a certain untapped potential.

''Pitfalls'''

Monster collection games have a few obvious ... falterings, let's call 'em. Here's a few to watch out for:

!'''Potential Subversions'''

** ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', king of GottaCatchEmAll, LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters, CashCowFranchise, [[RunningGag and very popular]]. The setting are Vague and literally everything had to be connected with the Franchise/{{Pokemon}} themselves. TournamentArc + ToBeAMaster = [[CashCowFranchise Profits]]. Largely '''TropeCodifier'''.

** ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' is THE HotBlooded contender, with more modern, MagicFromTechnology setting, with SavingTheWorld ALWAYS becoming the focus. However it didn't start as a normal videogame, instead a SpearCounterpart to VideoGame/{{Tamagotchi}}

** ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' is THE HotBlooded contender, with more modern, MagicFromTechnology setting, with SavingTheWorld [[WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld ALWAYS]] became the focus. However it didn't start as a normal videogame, instead a SpearCounterpart to VideoGame/{{Tamagotchi}}

** The mons are a powerful force otherwise unknown to the world, and when an equally powerful force causes mayhem to the human world, the trainer-to-be stumbles on the mons to fight back. It could be that this force was a dark entity, or it could also be that this force were [[NotSoDifferent other trainers who are otherwise no different from the main character]], who had found their own mons [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity but misused them by forgetting the simple fact massively-godly-powered-beasts trained to kill are not toys]].

** A series like Franchise/{{Digimon}}, Manga/DragonDrive or VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork is set in a normal earth-like world for the human trainers and a digital world where the mons live. In the former two cases, the physical representation of the digital worlds alter themselves into general elemental hubs that fit with the mons who live there (so you'll see things such as an urban city, volcanoes, a vast ocean, a jungle, etc, that may be programmed inside it), while in the latter case, the net navis live inside a world that appears very artificial and bizarre, constantly reminding you that you are inside the internet.

!'''Pitfalls'''

* ''Manga/{{Narutaru}}'', when you need horrifying {{Deconstruct|ion}}ive {{Mon}} series, [[Creator/MohiroKitoh you know the man]].

* PowerOfFriendship/[[PowerOfLove Love]]/[[PowerOfTrust Trust]]: The overwhelming popularity of Franchise/{{Digimon}} and Franchise/{{Pokemon}} have made the stereotypical mons series very kid-friendly, but series like ''Manga/{{Narutaru}}'' and ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'', the latter of which is the ''TropeMaker'', have proven that it's not impossible for these series to take a turn for the worse later on, or to have a darker depiction of what would happen when people are given full control of monsters with immense destructive power.

* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' and the subsequent series (including the ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' series) is an ''UnbuiltTrope'' to the {{Mon}} genre: instead of showing us a SugarBowl country with {{Ridiculously Cute Critter}}s, it was a DarkerAndEdgier setting filled with UglyCute monsters. Also, it was a ''TropeMaker''.

Let's have a little history lesson. While heroes have made use of monsters as assistants throughout storytelling history, the Mons series as we know it today really began with the original Megaten game. The UrExample series is likely ''VideoGame/TheBardsTale'', where you could enlist monsters to join your party if you left a few slots open. The TropeMaker is ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTensei'' for the NES, where you could enlist monsters (read as demons) you face down in battle to join your side. The TropeCodifier, [[CashCowFranchise through and through]], is ''[[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon Red and Green]]'', originally released on the Game Boy in 1996.

That's it. That's all. Potentially everything else is up in the air. If you're writing a story instead of working on a game, some video game tropes just plain aren't going to apply to you, and if you're a game designer, you're not contractually obligated to follow in ''Pokémon'''s footsteps to the full of your strength. Break out! Be unique!