A way of merging the timelines

[Kerest]

What about for example, the Zora Monument that recaps OoT from the perspective of the Zora? Hard to call it a reboot with things like that in the game.

I don't know why people are still so desperate for a convergence when there's no evidence of a merger being mentioned and it would render the story themes of all three timelines meaningless.

Nah, it's easy. It just means they were picking and choosing elements from prior games for creating their rebooted Hyrule. Like, well, they did with the entirety of BotW.

And, to be blunt, whether this is a merger, a reboot, or the devs simply no longer caring... the story themes of the three timelines are already meaningless. That's why the 10k year skip exists in the backstory to begin with; to leave absolutely no question the existing timelines prior to BotW are no longer worth anything.

 

[ArmanaTheCustos]

I honestly think that the best way to explain the timelines merging is with Hyrule warriors, You have soldiers going to different points in all 3 timelines, and do you seriously think the soldiers wouldn't come back and say "hey honey my day was interesting first I went to a flooded hyrule that had bird people, then I went to a hyrule that was depressing but I didn't see any bird people there

 

[el :BeoWolf:]

What about for example, the Zora Monument that recaps OoT from the perspective of the Zora? Hard to call it a reboot with things like that in the game.

Nah, it's easy. It just means they were picking and choosing elements from prior games for creating their rebooted Hyrule. Like, well, they did with the entirety of BotW.

There is such a thing as a soft reboot.

 

[thePlinko]

My problem isn’t that they couldn’t merge the timelines, it’s that they shouldn’t. I like having three separate timelines, it really drives home the fact that no matter what the conditions are, a hero will rise to combat evil.

 

[Moblinking5000]

Nah, it's easy. It just means they were picking and choosing elements from prior games for creating their rebooted Hyrule. Like, well, they did with the entirety of BotW.

And, to be blunt, whether this is a merger, a reboot, or the devs simply no longer caring... the story themes of the three timelines are already meaningless. That's why the 10k year skip exists in the backstory to begin with; to leave absolutely no question the existing timelines prior to BotW are no longer worth anything.

But if OoT happened in the history of BotW, then it's not a reboot. A reboot is when absolutely nothing that happened in any other installment happened, with everything being given a new backstory and everything. For example, contrary to popular belief, Superman Returns isn't a reboot, as the events of 1 and 2 still happened. Man of Steel, now, THAT'S a reboot. Same for the Burton and Nolan Batman films.

Also, BotW follows the themes of the DT quite well.

 

[Kerest]

But if OoT happened in the history of BotW, then it's not a reboot. A reboot is when absolutely nothing that happened in any other installment happened, with everything being given a new backstory and everything. For example, contrary to popular belief, Superman Returns isn't a reboot, as the events of 1 and 2 still happened. Man of Steel, now, THAT'S a reboot. Same for the Burton and Nolan Batman films.

Also, BotW follows the themes of the DT quite well.

The problem is that BotW references all three timelines at various points. As though the events from those timelines are well-known to Hylians. But it also openly treats them as myths. This creates a massive problem with timeline placement because, no matter what themes it follows quite well, we have existing evidence for its placement in all three timelines.

Quite likely, what we're looking at is a soft reboot where the prior games simply don't matter anymore. They're simply relegated to mythology.

 

[thePlinko]

The problem is that BotW references all three timelines at various points. As though the events from those timelines are well-known to Hylians. But it also openly treats them as myths. This creates a massive problem with timeline placement because, no matter what themes it follows quite well, we have existing evidence for its placement in all three timelines.

Quite likely, what we're looking at is a soft reboot where the prior games simply don't matter anymore. They're simply relegated to mythology.

When was the adult timeline referenced?

 

[Kerest]

When was the adult timeline referenced?

Off the top of my head? Mount Daphnes and Vah Medoh. The Rito village is arguably a third.

Edit: Also, Linebeck Island.

 

[ArmanaTheCustos]

But if OoT happened in the history of BotW, then it's not a reboot. A reboot is when absolutely nothing that happened in any other installment happened, with everything being given a new backstory and everything.

To Counter This Point The Newest God Of War Is A Reboot But The Other Games Still Take Place, A Soft Reboot Is Where The Past Games Still Take Place But Something Major Such As Game Play Changes. BOTW Being A Soft Reboot Does Make Sense As It References Past Games And There's A Major Gameplay Change, Such As BOTW Being The First Open World Zelda Since The First One.

 

[NHawk]

When was the adult timeline referenced?

The Salt is probably the single biggest tie to that one.

 

[Spirit]

When was the adult timeline referenced?

Zelda's ceremony speech references it too but you cant hear it because the Champions talk over it. You can hear it clearer in the Japanese and German versions though.

 

[dekusprout700]

The Zelda timeline drives me insane. There are so many ****ing mistakes in it, mostly because of Breath of the Wild. There's references to all three timelines in that game, it's basically one big mash-up. Where the HELL does it go???
To be fair, Nintendo stated themselves that they don't really care about the timeline and that story is mostly an afterthought.
The only way I can see BOTW making sense is if all three timelines came together and even THAT doesn't make any sense. NIntendo, WHY DO YOU DO THIS?!?!

 

[Kerest]

The Zelda timeline drives me insane. There are so many ****ing mistakes in it, mostly because of Breath of the Wild. There's references to all three timelines in that game, it's basically one big mash-up. Where the HELL does it go???
To be fair, Nintendo stated themselves that they don't really care about the timeline and that story is mostly an afterthought.
The only way I can see BOTW making sense is if all three timelines came together and even THAT doesn't make any sense. NIntendo, WHY DO YOU DO THIS?!?!

That's why some of us are beginning to view BotW as a soft reboot of the series.

 

[dekusprout700]

That's why some of us are beginning to view BotW as a soft reboot of the series.

The only problem with that though is that BOTW heavily references past Zelda lore. Can't really be any kind of reboot as long as that history is there.

 

[el :BeoWolf:]

The only problem with that though is that BOTW heavily references past Zelda lore. Can't really be any kind of reboot as long as that history is there.

That is the purpose of a "soft" reboot. it's still connected to the old lore, but it's been so far removed (like over 10,000 years) they can focus on the current situation without worrying too much about previous events. It's why they call everything before BotW the Era of Myths