So v17 of Essentials was just released... (Patreon)

ok that's blatantly untrue but we sure as hell aren't updating to it. we haven't updated to new Essentials since v15 because if you were around in the dark olden days you might remember how much of a disgusting pain  that was because it involved copy-pasting every single change to the scripts out of a clusterfuck text file and trying to manually run diffs while not knowing nearly enough about either Ruby or the code structure and it was just awful because inevitably I'd get something wrong or forgotten to have copied something into the text or misunderstood my own instructions and the sheer volume of it was hell and it would delay releases and break everything we fixed before and it was just a really bad inefficient time

no more.

we eventually just stopped using the new versions after v15 broke the AI  irreparably and decided to copy out the stuff that we wanted to keep our own damn selves.
plus as time has gone on and especially with field effects there's just so incredibly much to deal with it would be far beyond the impracticality it already was 

so the new version came out yesterday and there's a lot of Stuff.

here's the stuff per Essentials' changelist that we will probably pilfer from the new update (or at least look into):

•  Created the Ready Menu, which replaces the registering and using of a single item.
• Multiple items can now be registered at once, including non-Key Items.
• Added a quick swap mode to the party screen by pressing Input::A.
• Increased the maximum number of items in a Bag slot to 999.
• Added a quick swap mode to Pokémon storage by pressing Z (Organise mode only).
• In Pokémon storage, pressing Input::F jumps the cursor to the box's name.
• Removed screen size XL option, and restricted full screen mode to integer zoom values only, to avoid sprite rendering bug. (what)
• Made the choice of battle transition used depend on certain factors, a la HGSS.
• Created all regular HGSS-style battle transitions.
• Added Slow Start's messages.
• The battle command menu's cursor now starts on the option used in the last turn. (if not already???)
• Fleeing from battle now has a sound effect.
• Added Essentials version number to error messages (but Reborn episode tbh)
• Moves learned by a species at level 0 will only be learned when a Pokémon evolves into that species. (we totally don't need to add this one but i'm listing it here just cuz snrk we all ready did it ayyyyy)
• Changed how water reflections are rendered, so that they can no longer overlap land (!!!!!!!!!!!)
• These next two are just for consideration if they need to be included with the above: I'm not really even sure that I want the second one at all. 
• Sprite reflections now belong to each sprite rather than the map's spriteset.
• Reflections are now opt-in, and require "Reflection" or "Reflection(x)" in the event name (the player always has a reflection).
• Time tones are now recalculated every 30 seconds rather than every frame. (reduces lag)
• When a Repel runs out, the game no longer asks if you want to use another if you don't have any more.
• Improved text wrapping and splitting. (???????? i feel like our fix may already have done the thing for this but maybe take a look at it)
• Increased the default limit for the player's name to 10 characters. (what is ours at? 12?)
• The F key now does the same thing as F5, but with less reaching.
• Grass rustling and similar field animations no longer appear above things they shouldn't.
• Using Rock Smash from the party screen now has a chance of producing wild encounters.
• Cut trees and Rock Smash rocks now animate when using their respective moves from the party screen.
• Repels no longer work on wild Pokémon of the same level as the player's first Pokémon.
• Weather no longer appears above the location signpost.
• Weather particles now fade when the screen fades.

...my focus in choosing these is mostly on fixing bugs, especially visual bugs that are noticeable but otherwise hard to deal with, and UX/QoL type things especially with respect to what players will expect to be able to do from which buttons if they are used to playing other Essentials games.

although we have control re-mapping now so that's not -as- important but still, baseline is good

anyway probably none of this stuff will make it into E17 but it's marked down for the future.