Leaving a Lasting Legacy

Much of the things that I and my colleagues do with and around the Pokémon games are directed for the here and now, to make effective use of resources to succeed at the current time. But what about a later time, when we're not going to be necessarily around to do more Pokémon things? That's where the process of leaving a legacy comes in. Of course, the real issue is doing it in a way that it continues or lasts. And that is likely the real challenge.

As I've mentioned in yesterday's anniversary post for my raid group, the group has experienced an influx of new members, some of which have returned to play after a long absence. The problem now is what to be informed to them and how to inform them, since they're likely to carry over the things that we've done. A few people have taken to create and revise FAQs and lists that they can use for reference. This is good, but whether they can make or are making full use of the information is another thing entirely, and this may or may not be happening. It looks like we need to instill all the information so they can process it now and then even pass it on to others later, therefore making the legacy last.

Information is great, but then there are also the efforts that have been done in the games, and those are real legacies to be preserved as well. Thanks to trading in Pokémon Go, now there's a real outlet for lasting legacies to be given to other players, with the hope that they remain as such. I've been given a few of these legacies by a couple of other players, so it becomes my task to keep them as such. Similarly, I've got a few legacies strewn around across older main series Pokémon games, so I've got to remember that I have these and need to keep them as such in some way. Meanwhile, my fellow VGC players have their teams, and while it may be hard for them to be physically preserved for use later, at least every single detail can be recreated somehow, and that's at least a legacy.

For other games, the gameplay is more personal, but there's no reason the same can't be done. I can be considered to be doing it through this blog with the specific tidbits of information that I've detailed. I'm also trying to keep the game progresses alive, though in good condition at the same time. If at all possible, I do want them to be able to be taken up by someone else. This is my legacy, and I do think they could be made to last in the hands of someone capable.

At the least, there are some things that we can do to make sure what we've done in the games last for others to take over once the need arises. Information is a big thing, because what guides players now will be likely to have some use in guiding others later. Then again, it may just be possible to make sure that the actual game progress becomes preserved for someone else, and that would be a good thing too. Legacies are everywhere in the games; the next step is making sure that they're well-left and they last.

One year ago: Cosplay: ACOLYTES 2017