Custom Game
Custom Game is a configurable game mode for new saves that can be unlocked after completing the game at least once.
Unlocking Custom Game
- See also: Speedrunning
Custom game modes can be unlocked by completing the game at least once in the given machine, or by inputting a cheat code.
While in the save file selection screen, instead of pressing to start a new game, the player can instead opt to play a custom game and can choose the settings to apply on the save file.
Custom Game Mode Settings
Tapes Break Permanently
"If on: tapes cannot be repaired. Running out of tapes is game over."
Whenever a tape is broken, it will stay at 0% health and cannot be fixed by any means, such as resting or using a Respool. If the player loses in battle, one usable tape from storage is forced into the last available slot in the party, while the other broken tapes in the party will remain in the party. Running out of usable tapes will result in a Game Over before returning back to the title screen.
Defeat is Game Over
"If on: being defeated is game over".
If the player loses in a battle (by having both player and partner characters get knocked out), a Game Over screen will show before returning back to the title screen.
Game Over
A save file that has been marked as game over can occur when the player runs out of tapes with the Tapes Break Permanently setting enabled or when a battle is lost with the Defeat is Game Over setting enabled.
When marked as having a game over, the save file can no longer be opened; it can only be deleted to make space for a new save file. This save file will have a Pawndead sticker on the save file tape, with a defeated player avatar when previewed.
Randomise Monsters
"If on: the monsters available in each habitat, as well as starter partner tapes, are randomised."
With this option enabled, the game shuffles around monster spawning locations of the same type, which also affects the given starter and the partner signature tape. This does not affect spawning for DLC monsters.
Monsters with an overworld form are shuffled with monsters who also have an overworld form, replacing them where they appear naturally. For instance, a Bulletino can be shuffled to map to Spooki-onna's default spawning and thus appear in Mt. Wirral, Spooki-onna can map to over Allseer spawns and can appear in parts of Autumn Hill, and so on. This shuffling also affects the species of the free bootleg in West Harbourtown
Monsters with no overworld form similarly get shuffled with each other, and can only appear as backups in encounters where they originally appeared in. For example, a Sirenade can replace Dandylion and can appear as a backup where Dandylion normally can appear in. This also affects the starter and partner signature tapes.
This setting does not affect enemy NPC tapes, scripted encounters such as the Springheel in the quest This Is The World We Live In, and Static encounters.
Even if this setting is enabled, tapes can be traded with non-custom saves or save files that have Randomise Monsters disabled.
Starter Pool
Due to the shuffling of spawn encounters, there are only a handful of monsters that can appear as a starter and a partner's signature tape. This list includes all monsters with no associated overworld form and are either the first stage of the remaster line or cannot be remastered, and excludes monsters available through DLC.
Randomise Types
"If on: each species' elemental type is randomised, and their move pool is adjusted to match. Some online multiplayer features may not be available."
With this option enabled, the types of all monsters with a type are changed, but they are not necessarily bootlegs even though their new color palettes resemble a bootleg. Typeless entities such as characters and Archangels remain typeless.
The new type will persist when the tape is remastered into something that would normally have a different type; for example, remastering a Dominoth whose type is randomized into Beast type will still be Beast when remastered into Tokusect. Randomizing types will also change the movepool and learnset at level up for monsters. Additionally, this also changes the list of possible monsters that can appear in flood fusions.
When playing multiplayer with this setting enabled, trading is only enabled with other save files that have the same seed and have the same settings enabled.
Randomise Moves
"If on: the stickers that tapes unlock upon upgrade - and the moves that monsters have - are randomised."
The move pool is chosen from the monster's movepool and its type if Randomise Types is enabled. Each monster's learnset for the first 5 stars is also randomized but are still deterministic based on the save's random seed. Monsters still cannot by default have access to moves they are normally incompatible with.
Even if this setting is enabled, tapes can be traded with non-custom saves or save files that have Randomise Monsters disabled.
Random Seed
"The seed controls randomisation, various spawners, merchant stock, generated quests, etc."
- See also: Speedrunning
All save files have an associated random seed that is chosen upon creating a new save file; this option allows the player to control this random seed and consequently affect certain pesudorandom events seeded by the random seed. While not an exhaustive list, such examples of seeded outcomes are:
- The randomization of monsters, types, and moves if those settings are enabled
- The contents of ranger caches
- The random number generator used for most non-wild encounters such as enemy NPCs and Archangels
- The rotation of stickers sold by the Sticker Merchants in Harbourtown
- The song lyrics to unlocking the final station
- The free bootleg in West Harbourtown
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