Game Help Can't Catch the Girl in Zunari's Stall

[GreenT]

Okay, this one has me completely baffled and frustrated.

I've played through Wind Waker once before, and coached one of my kids through parts of the game. Both previous times catching the girl in Zunari's stall and getting the 4th empty bottle was easy. (The first time I had to figure out how to answer her questions correctly, but it didn't take too long.)

Now I'm playing through on Hero mode. I don't know if Hero mode has anything to do with it, but I'm finding it impossible to catch her. What I mean is this: I follow her carefully, without letting her see me, around the town. When she's in the stall I walk or run into it to catch her in the act. On the two previous playthroughs, she would be startled and we would talk. She would feel guilty, then a sense of relief, and then give me the empty bottle in thanks.

This time, I never get to the conversation part. Every time I enter the stall to catch her, she startles and runs away without a conversation happening.

I've done this at least a DOZEN times now, trying different techniques. Sometimes I run into the stall. Sometimes I walk slowly. I've tried waiting different amounts of time before entering the stall, based on her thought bubbles. I've tried every different method/approach I can think of, and she just startles and runs away every time. Note here that I am actually getting inside the stall every time. But somehow instead of talking to me there's a cutscene showing her run away -- like somehow she slipped past me, even when I'm standing in the way.

It's incredibly frustrating. I did a Google search, but did not find anybody who was experiencing this particular issue. (Others who had trouble with this side quest had different issues.) I saw that some people use different strategies, hiding somewhere instead of following her around town. I tried those strategies too. Nothing has worked.

I read through the walkthrough here, and all it says about this part is "Eventually, she'll make her way to Zunari's safe that is behind his shop. Walk up to her while she is there and catch her in the act. You have to answer her questions in the proper way…" So no help there either. I'm not even getting to the questions.

Help!!

 

[Shroom]

The only thing I can really think of is maybe wait until you see the rupee symbol in a thought bubble above her head? Other than that, I'm not quite sure why it isn't working.

 

[GreenT]

Deku Shroom -- I've tried several different timings for when I run or walk in, including when the rupee is in the thought bubble. Still the same. After posting my question here I tried 5 or 6 more times still. Same result -- I walk into the stall, catch her, she turns and looks at me, says "Who's there?" or something like that, then a cutscene plays with her running away. What's not shown is how she gets past me. I thought maybe I was walking in too soon, so I tried walking in later and later, but either the same thing happens ("Who's there?" --> running away cutscene) or I get there too late and she's already leaving before I can enter the stall.

I'm baffled.

 

[Snow Queen]

You can't catch her because she became a tumblr feminist so if you catch her that's sexist and Link doesn't need that kind of heat from the Great Sea Feminists Organization.

 

[mαrkαsscoρ]

do you literally just walk towards her or do you also go up to her and press A to talk to her

 

[Snow Queen]

When she's there you talk to her when the rupee is over her head. Say all the right things and she'll give link her panties and run off.

 

[GreenT]

do you literally just walk towards her or do you also go up to her and press A to talk to her

There are two different ways you can end up talking to somebody in WWHD. 1. You get within 'talking range' and press A (usually when the yellow targeting arrow and talk prompt appear onscreen). Or, 2. When a character gets a little 'idea' graphic above his/her head and talks to you, in which case you're sort of forced into the conversation without initiating it. This happens most often with Maggie's father before Link rescues her from the forsaken fortress, when he repeatedly stops Link and begs him to save his daughter. There is no requirement to press A in situation 2; the conversation will be initiated whether you're interested in talking or not.

The reason I brought this up is that in my two previous playthroughs, the conversation with Mila in Zunari's stall was type 2; I caught her at the safe with the rupee thought bubble over her head; she got the little 'idea' graphic/animation over her head, and the conversation was initiated without having to press A to talk.

I could have mentioned this in my first post, but it seemed like it was already getting too long and I didn't want to make it longer with all this too. In any case, I've tried initiating conversations with her like type 1, by pressing A, but it hasn't worked. There's never a yellow targeting arrow or press A to talk prompt. If I press A while approaching her, and I'm too far away, I roll towards her. If I wait until I'm closer, nothing really happens except for the "Who's that?" animation and the running away cutscene.

I'm starting to think maybe Hero mode forces you to "rough it" by having only three bottles instead of four. I started this game in Hero mode and haven't once switched out of it. I could try switching back to normal mode to see if that allows me to get the bottle, but I'm resisting that idea because I want to complete this playthrough 100% on Hero mode. (EDIT: It just occurred to me that I can copy my save file to another slot, then try changing that save file to normal mode to see if it helps. I'll give that a try this evening.)

I appreciate everybody's suggestions, but so far I've tried all of these things and nothing has worked. I guess I have no choice but to proceed with the rest of the game without the 4th bottle. If anybody has a different suggestion, I'll give it a try the next time I return to Windfall Island.

 

[AncientPoe]

If you want to make life a little easier on yourself, you don't actually have to follow her. Clawshot onto the stall's sign or climb the ladder behind the windmill, and point the camera so you can see her approach the stall. once she shows up, just quickly drop down and catch her. I use this technique to easily grab the picture of her for the Pictograph guy, hopefully it can help you here as well.

 

[GreenT]

@AncientPoe -- Yup, I had tried that earlier. It didn't change the outcome, though it was at least a change of scenery/strategy.
-----------

Here's what finally worked.

I copied my save file to another save slot. I changed the copied save file to normal mode. In normal mode I was able to have the conversation and get the bottle first try. I did not have to press A to talk - merely running into the stall at the right time triggered the conversation.

Then I copied the original save file again, overwriting the normal mode save. I left this one in Hero mode and played. Again I had no problem triggering the conversation and obtaining the bottle.

Finally I returned to the original save file and tried again. No luck at all, trying three more times. Didn't matter whether I followed her around the town or hid up near the windmill switch. When I enter the stall she startles and runs away.

So I'm continuing the game with that second Hero mode save file. None of this makes any sense from a programming standpoint, but I'm tired of trying to figure it out. Thanks to everybody who offered suggestions.

 

[Onilink89]

Try talking to Zunari and her father. I get the feeling one of those is the trigger.
Try talking to her father both day and night. At night i think he's at the bar.

 

[GreenT]

Try talking to Zunari and her father. I get the feeling one of those is the trigger.
Try talking to her father both day and night. At night i think he's at the bar.

I appreciate the advice, but this problem is mostly resolved. It had nothing to do with talking to Zunari or Mila's father. First, because I talked to both of them earlier in the game. But mainly because it worked fine when I copied the save file to another save slot. I didn't do anything extra when I played from the copied save file -- Upon starting the game I immediately started the follow/catch sequence and it worked fine, ending with the conversation and her giving me the empty bottle.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

If your having that much trouble I'd say just let it go, move on.

 

[Heroine of Time]

How strange that you had to copy your file like that. I managed to get it to work just fine on Hero Mode on my first try. Either way, I'm glad you have resolved the issue. That was very odd. I would have liked to see a video, even a low quality one, to see what you're talking about.