Difficulty System..

[Zorth]

Skyward Sword is bringing lots of new things so why not this too?
When you start the game you can choose to play Hard, Easy or medium..
Here are my thoughts on how this should work..

Easy -- Enemies are dumb, They deal little damage and your health regenerates.

Medium -- Enemies are Smart, Deal more damage, minor health regen and your shield breaks easier.

Hard -- Enemies can dodge your attacks much easier and deal double the damage they would on medium, No health regen, regular items like the beetle can be destroyed and items cost much more (bombs, arrows..etc)

(After you beat the game on hard)

Insane -- 3 hearts(heart containers don't appear), Enemies can deliver a killing blow that..well kills you, they deal even more damage, Your items cost more to repair, buy and they break much easier than before AND the world is mirrored..

Call me crazy but I just think adding a difficulty wouldn't affect the story at all it would just make the game more fun to play all over again.. I don't see difficultys NOT being Zeldaish since half the community here has beaten a Zelda game with three hearts, and some haven't even been able to beat a certain boss.

Thoughts?

 

[Caelus]

Just make the game have one difficulty level- on medium- but have a master quest or second quest where it's on hard or insane.

 

[Hero of Link]

I think its been confirmed that there is no difficultly setting. That doesn't mean that there might not be a second quest.

 

[Hyrulian]

Although I don't think this will happen for this game, but I do think its a good idea. EXCEPT. I do not want my health to regenerate. But I would much rather have something like master quest..

 

[Wolf Sage]

Average difficulty (which already varies between gamers anyway). After completion, Master Quest with increased enemy and puzzle difficulty overall is unlocked. /long fulfilled wish

Edit: There are no confirmed optional difficulty settings. The above is just a wish. :yes:

 

[Cuju]

I really want a second quest, mirrored if possible. It would add a bunch of depth for veterans like myself, and it would be a reason to play through the game again. I doubt Nintendo would skip over doing something like this, since this game is supposed to be packed full of content...

 

[Ventus]

I really like the idea of more than just a 2nd quest for difficulty, but I don't like the idea of regenerating health. It'd just be too easy, and with SS they are trying to limit the recovery hearts and raise the difficulty anyway! x)

If Nintendo includes a Master Quest for Skyward Sword upon release, I think I will love them forever. I don't think they would mirror an SS MQ because Link being left handed while using the Wiimote will confuse many more people than would do good.

 

[Twilight Comet]

Maybe a master quest but I doubt there will be one. I mean it's just not zelda. The fans can just do there one 3 heart challenge, but who knows!

 

[RoBirk29384]

Only one difficulty is necessary, but the incorporation of two distinct difficulties would be a welcome inclusion. These two settings would be aptly named "Normal" and "Hard." This isn't Smash Bros.

Seriously, you're playing with way too many factors here with your diffuculty suggestions.

For one, Regenerating health has never been a component of Zelda gameplay, and I don't expect they'd forsake the exploration factor of finding spare hearts in the grass and usefullness of potions, faries, milk, etc. to create a system so devoid of immersion, it no longer becomes a challenge. It goes against everything Zelda has stood for since its creation.

Second, permanent, irreplaceable items should never be in danger of being destroyed, especially equipment central to the solution of the game's many puzzles, such as the Beetle. If the Beetle is attacked, I expect control to return to Link, just as with the seagulls in tWW, so he would, again, have to start the Beetle's flight from the beginning to solve a puzzle that the enemy had interrupted. Such is the nature of Zelda's puzzle solving.

Third, removing the option to complete the many sidequests of a Zelda game in an effort to force the player to run through the story with 3 hearts would be an asinine design decision. This is the same "Hard Mode" that ruined Metroid: Other M, by giving the player no incentive to deviate from the main path, leaving nothing more than 5 hours of "point A to point B" gameplay. Heart Pieces, and the sidequests that reward the player with them, should never be removed. They are options for the player, and as such, should remain intact should the player choose to obtain them.

Now, for my assessment of what the different difficulties should entail...

Normal: With a strong arm and a few potions, you will persevere. Enemies offer the challenge of blocking your hits, and will not hesitate to attack when you let your guard down. Wooden and Iron Shields will shatter when enough hits are blocked, so use them wisely, and be sure to stock up regularly.

Hard: You'll need courage now, more than ever. Enemies are relentless, moving faster and switching up their movements, making them harder to hit. They deal double the damage to not only you, but your shields. Keep you inventory stocked, but be warned, you'll find that shops are now charging more for their goods.

 

[Wolf Sage]

Only one difficulty is necessary, but the incorporation of two distinct difficulties would be a welcome inclusion. These two settings would be aptly named "Normal" and "Hard." This isn't Smash Bros.

Seriously, you're playing with way too many factors here with your diffuculty suggestions.

For one, Regenerating health has never been a component of Zelda gameplay, and I don't expect they'd forsake the exploration factor of finding spare hearts in the grass and usefullness of potions, faries, milk, etc. to create a system so devoid of immersion, it no longer becomes a challenge. It goes against everything Zelda has stood for since its creation.

Second, permanent, irreplaceable items should never be in danger of being destroyed, especially equipment central to the solution of the game's many puzzles, such as the Beetle. If the Beetle is attacked, I expect control to return to Link, just as with the seagulls in tWW, so he would, again, have to start the Beetle's flight from the beginning to solve a puzzle that the enemy had interrupted. Such is the nature of Zelda's puzzle solving.

Third, removing the option to complete the many sidequests of a Zelda game in an effort to force the player to run through the story with 3 hearts would be an asinine design decision. This is the same "Hard Mode" that ruined Metroid: Other M, by giving the player no incentive to deviate from the main path, leaving nothing more than 5 hours of "point A to point B" gameplay. Heart Pieces, and the sidequests that reward the player with them, should never be removed. They are options for the player, and as such, should remain intact should the player choose to obtain them.

Now, for my assessment of what the different difficulties should entail...

Normal: With a strong arm and a few potions, you will persevere. Enemies offer the challenge of blocking your hits, and will not hesitate to attack when you let your guard down. Wooden and Iron Shields will shatter when enough hits are blocked, so use them wisely, and be sure to stock up regularly.

Hard: You'll need courage now, more than ever. Enemies are relentless, moving faster and switching up their movements, making them harder to hit. They deal double the damage to not only you, but your shields. Keep you inventory stocked, but be warned, you'll find that shops are now charging more for their goods.

Well put. Aside from upping the enemy difficulty, do you think it would be too much trouble if they slightly altered a few puzzle elements and rearranged the placements of the heart pieces in a second quest?

 

[jstar]

...but be warned, you'll find that shops are now charging more for their goods.

Perhaps this could be due to the recent economy recession:S

 

[Zorth]

Now, for my assessment of what the different difficulties should entail...

Normal: With a strong arm and a few potions, you will persevere. Enemies offer the challenge of blocking your hits, and will not hesitate to attack when you let your guard down. Wooden and Iron Shields will shatter when enough hits are blocked, so use them wisely, and be sure to stock up regularly.

Hard: You'll need courage now, more than ever. Enemies are relentless, moving faster and switching up their movements, making them harder to hit. They deal double the damage to not only you, but your shields. Keep you inventory stocked, but be warned, you'll find that shops are now charging more for their goods.

Well put together Mister..

However I don't agree that a 3heart challenge mode should not exist, By completing Normal and hard you should unlock a 3heart challenge or even better a second quest.

 

[425]

I would say that it would be interesting to have a second quest in Skyward Sword, but not a game with four difficulty levels. It should be something like Ocarina of Time if they were to do it. Dungeon design rearranged and more powerful enemies would be ideal for a second quest.

There should not, however, be a 3-Heart Challenge mode. What is the point? I can do a 3-Heart Challenge in most of the Zelda games without needing a special mode. Adding a pointless game mode would take up room on the disc and would serve primarily to confuse new players.

 

[RoBirk29384]

Well put. Aside from upping the enemy difficulty, do you think it would be too much trouble if they slightly altered a few puzzle elements and rearranged the placements of the heart pieces in a second quest?

To be honest, it's difficult as it is, creating a vast number of puzzles to challenge players, not only through dungeons, but in SS, through the entirety of the overworld. To go in and rehash those puzzles to create even harder ones would be quite the testament if Nintendo were to pull it off within the first release of this game, but think of it as creating entirely new dungeons equal to the number there are in the main quest. That's a lot of puzzles, and quite a development investment.

A Master Quest has only ever existed for OoT, and I don't expect that will change in the future, unless SS is revered a Legend by surpassing OoT as the greatest game ever made. I've also seen comments here in regard to a mirrored second quest, but remember, Link is right handed by design to work for the Wii Remote. A mirrored quest just seems illogical.

Well put together Mister..

However I don't agree that a 3heart challenge mode should not exist, By completing Normal and hard you should unlock a 3heart challenge or even better a second quest.

The 3 heart challenge has always existed, since the creation of the franchise. Giving players the inclination that they are forced to complete the game with 3 hearts goes against everything Zelda is. Zelda has always been about options. You're given a world, and it's up to you how you go about traversing that plane to complete your quests. You're talking of removing options and quests, which reduces content, regardless of the desired difficulty. The option has always existed, so why can we not have a more traditional hard mode, with the option to complete it with 3 hearts? Then and there, we are given quite a number of difficulty levels without having to choose them from a list.

In regards to a second quest, see above. Obviously the content will be rich. We're dealing with a game that aims to dethrone OoT, with development spanning an excess of 4 years. My hope is that it is rich enough that a Master Quest is unnecessary. It's certainly shaping up that way.

 

[Wolf Sage]

RoBirk29384 has a good point. :yes: We've always had difficulty levels in Zelda, and they are both completely optional AND customizable all in one, as such, we are not forced to choose from a list! (e.g. Easy, Medium, Hard)