Topic: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Meh, I don't think making Link talk would have much of an effect in a Zelda game. I always thought the player could make Link have a certain personality e.g. Want Link to be a mischevious brat? Go into every house and break the pots (the rich guy in Windfall Island, anyone?) or strike the poor animals with your sword. Want Link to be a little foolish? Do stupid things in the dungeons to see whether you can progress or something.
What I would like to see is a Zelda game that asks you questions as you progress or do something, whether it's random, all-the-time instances ala Xenoblade Chronicles XX, or serious, rare questions ala Fire Emblem: Awakening. I'd rather they go with the former; it's an effective way to place some humor into the game.

@Kinan: I do like the idea of an action-based affinity system better than a dialogue-based system. I know not everyone wants to think too much about the dialogue when they play these games, and completing actions for affinity can be a nice incentive in addition to a prize. That also opens the possibility of side-quests you can complete that lower your affinity, and that can open up the possibility of some pretty interesting side-quests. Completionist might not like that idea, though, if they care about their affinity AND want to complete every side-quest in every way, but I suppose you'd run into that problem in any game with this feature.

Talk about adding on to the development period, though. I'm sure creating enough content for two or more kinds of possibilities and have it really affect the game world around you has really got to take some time and resources.

Randomly appears out of now

I actually hope that Link has the ability to jump in this game. Previous Zelda titles didn't has this feature, but it would be nice for a change in game play.
Also, please don't hate for saying this, but I want Zelda U to have similar game play to Hyrule Warriors while still having the feeling of a traditional Zelda game.
The game play will probably be like this without the flying and link talking.

Dissappears

Neat mod, dunno why they matched SS Link against TP Ganondorf, though. NOT. CANON.

Zelda will never play like that. I only mildly dislike you for saying it, though.

Also, jumping in Zelda is kinda blasphemy. Just like in Bethesda games (they do have jumping, but it's a similar concept) a lot of the world is designed around ledges just out of Link's reach, so jumping... is almost like enabling no-clip. Anyway, we've already seen Zelda U and Link contextually jumps when running off of a ledge like always.

I'm as open-minded as it gets, but probably the one think I never want them to change in the main Zelda games is to make it something other than the genre that it is. The fact that Hyrule Warriors plays more like a fighting game than a 3D adventure is the sole reason I consider it a spin-off title. But for the main series, keep it an action-Adventure game with puzzles and exploration, instead of making it a brawler or an RPG. That's all I really ask. You can change the characters, make a talking link, add jumping, side-scrolling, or make a futuristic setting all you want, and I'll accept it on varying degrees... but just keep it in the same genre. Zelda games have the best blend of exploration, story, combat, and silly grass-cutting. Take those away, and it no longer feels like Zelda anymore. That's one of the reasons Four Swords has failed to capture my imagination, with its individual stages that starve the feeling of exploration and adventure. It's a borderline party game.

However, I wouldn't mind jumping... Woah, where did Lastaofpizza go?! He disappeared...

I wouldn't mind if, for some bosses (or even the final boss), Link gets some insane gold-like power that makes the fight a clash in the sky. But in general I much prefer the slow, methodical battle system the games are known for

Since when is the Battle system a high point the series is known for?

The only 3D games that I've actually had fun fighting in are TP and SS, and both of those were artificially improved by motion controls.

@iKhan: I second that, the only Zelda game where I've enjoyed the combat was Skyward Sword, because it went further than two button presses (one to dodge/use shield and the other to attack) as well as giving enemies some much needed improvements in both their offensive and defensive capabilities. Not to mention that it was immensely satisfying and accurate, though it seems the former of those two might be an unpopular opinion. I think that Zelda really does need to change the battle system if it is dumping the great one Skyward Sword introduced. Personally, I don't want to go back to the N64 and GameCube systems, they were just far too basic and boring.

Combat in Zelda games is good because the animations are satisfying and responsive. Unless of course you're playing Skyward Sword #SkywardShade.

Ha! TP was improved by adding motion controls about as much as a soccer ball is improved by adding wheels.

@Dezzy: @iKhan: I have to agree with Dezzy. Motion-controls worked in Skyward Sword, but they were unnecessary in Twilight Princess. It makes me wish I got the GameCube version.

As far as the engagement with the game, yes, it was improved. That's not to say the controls were good, but they did what motion controls do by default, increase the amount of player interaction with the game (assuming they are, at the very least, responsive, which they were).

Anyway, what I think they need to do with the battle system to make it good WITHOUT external features like motion controls, rumble, or whatever else is this:

1. Make the enemy AI better. A battle system is only as good as the enemies you fight with it. If all you fought in Smash Bros was fighting Polygons/Wireframes/Miis, it would be a snoozefest.

2. Take TP's hidden skills a bit further. Diversify the available combos available to the players. Instead of A being only used for a mostly unnecessary jump attack, give it the ability to combo with B based attacks.

Also, just because the battle system is good without extra features doesn't mean you can't include the extra features as a bonus option.

If there was one thing that bugged me about TP it was the auto-block. Link shouldn't automatically block when L-targeting, that completely trashes any Monster Hunter-esque sense of 'clutch blocks.' It needs to be mapped to the right trigger and based on reaction.

"As far as the engagement with the game, yes, it was improved. That's not to say the controls were good, but they did what motion controls do by default, increase the amount of player interaction with the game (assuming they are, at the very least, responsive, which they were)." -iKhan (I'm terrible with this quote system, sorry lol)

I get that - I mean, it makes sense for motion to make the player really "feel" as if they are there, but I gotta be honest and say it's always had the opposite effect with me. I keep trying and trying to play through Skyward Sword again, but I just can't do it. The motion controls. Agh. I just want to lie down and hold the nice, comfy pro controller and have a good ol' fashioned Zelda adventure. I don't usually play my consoles when I want to lean forward, hunched over (or straightened rigidly up), tense all the time - that's for MOBAs on my PC lol.

I saw the Mario Galaxy announcement today (I'm VERY excited - I never owned a Wii), but I find myself immediately hoping they allow for non-motion control options.

But the connection from wiimote to sword swipe was completely 1 dimensional.
If you're gonna say simply increasing the amount of interaction with a game is a good thing, well great. I happen to game while I'm on an exercise bike. So I whenever I play Mario Kart, I have increased interaction because I'm doing a vaguely similar motion. Given that I never let go of accelerate and also never stop peddling, it's identical to having the bike actually wired up to the game. So I win?

Except in TP. Link still swung the sword when you swung the remote, and didn't swing when you didn't swing. There was SOME connection. It's just like rumble. The controller doesn't rumble differently in different contexts. It's binary.

Anyway, you made my point. Doing an action while playing artificially boosts engagement. If that artificial boost was the only reason I was more involved with TP's battle system, well then the battle system itself isn't all that great.

???? What has happened to this thread? Why aren't we talking about which woman in the Zelda series do we want to see drenched in Lon Lon Milk the most?

Because there are darker corners of Internet to do just that? And these discussions are even illustrated quite... vividly.
(Besides, it's obviously the princess herself).

Hi, Blast.

Well, last I remember, after the Game Awards discussion ended, we wandered into dangerous territory regarding the inclusion of female Link in Zelda U, with Haru17 calling many a sexist/homophobe/etc. That ended not a moment too soon with Morpheel's necessary iron fist. In an effort to change the subject, I started this awesome discussion about Zelda U's apple-picking, but that wasn't universally popular. Therad changed the subject to crafting, and I got bored, so I started talking about swimming instead. Haiassai brought up an affinity system, and Lastaofpizza thought of adding brawler elements to the boss fights, and it really got me thinking about what is off limits for change even with my open-minded attitude toward Zelda.

Actually, in hindsight, from my perspective, a lot of fun discussion has happened on this thread for the past 15 pages or so. If you change it to the Zelda porn fan thread, though, the fun might end.

Hahahahahahahah!!! I always just like to say something very perverted randomly in this thread. I'm a huge Zelda fan as well. I would never go too far... OR WOULD I? MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!