Breath of the Wild Does the Timeline even matter for BotW?

[CrimsonCavalier]

I'm firmly rooted in the "The Timeline is Bollocks" camp. I've never really adhered to it, and I've become even more against ever since the Hyrule Historia was released. Don't get me wrong, I own the book. It's an amazing collector's item.

My problem with the timeline, and worrying where the game fits, is that the timeline is already broken. The timeline literally makes no sense, so why does it matter if/where this games fits in that timeline?

There is definitely evidence that certain games are part of a loose "series" but for the majority of the games, that evidence doesn't really exist. The only way you can stuff a game into a timeline that doesn't make sense is if you put it at the very end or the very beginning.

Putting it at the end makes the most sense, because you can alter the world as you go (see: The Elder Scrolls). Putting it at the beginning is dangerous, because you can have something in that "prequel" that contradicts something in earlier-released games that take place later in the timeline.

Placing it in the middle is even more difficult, and in the case of The Legend of Zelda, I would say impossible. The series was never meant to be on a timeline; the evidence for this is that they had to make up two realities in order to shoe-horn the games in. One reality just didn't make sense so they made another. So many branches to try to fit the games in. So how do you squeeze this game in? You have to be concerned about all the games previous to it, but also the games after. There will be inconsistencies either way. And adhering to the timeline will severely limit the game, especially from a story perspective.

We'd all be better off if (a) Nintendo just ignored the timeline going forward (b) started a brand-new timeline that actually makes sense.

 

[TatlTails]

Okay, yeah I can see that being possible, for sure Since you're not the first one to advocate BOTW being in the adult timeline after WW and/or PH, I would like to know people's perspective on how the vast ocean disappeared, haha. Thank's bud!

Well, putting aside the fact that I think this game is set between OoT and WW, don't you remember the end of WW? The Goddesses drowned Hyrule by cracking open its bubble. That must have displaced a lot of water from the Great Sea. Maybe the effects weren't immediate judging by the credits scene, but that was a huge bubble of air that the Goddesses and Daphnes decided to pop.

 

[Alita the Pun]

I'm firmly rooted in the "The Timeline is Bollocks" camp. I've never really adhered to it, and I've become even more against ever since the Hyrule Historia was released. Don't get me wrong, I own the book. It's an amazing collector's item.

My problem with the timeline, and worrying where the game fits, is that the timeline is already broken. The timeline literally makes no sense, so why does it matter if/where this games fits in that timeline?

There is definitely evidence that certain games are part of a loose "series" but for the majority of the games, that evidence doesn't really exist. The only way you can stuff a game into a timeline that doesn't make sense is if you put it at the very end or the very beginning.

Putting it at the end makes the most sense, because you can alter the world as you go (see: The Elder Scrolls). Putting it at the beginning is dangerous, because you can have something in that "prequel" that contradicts something in earlier-released games that take place later in the timeline.

Placing it in the middle is even more difficult, and in the case of The Legend of Zelda, I would say impossible. The series was never meant to be on a timeline; the evidence for this is that they had to make up two realities in order to shoe-horn the games in. One reality just didn't make sense so they made another. So many branches to try to fit the games in. So how do you squeeze this game in? You have to be concerned about all the games previous to it, but also the games after. There will be inconsistencies either way. And adhering to the timeline will severely limit the game, especially from a story perspective.

We'd all be better off if (a) Nintendo just ignored the timeline going forward (b) started a brand-new timeline that actually makes sense.

Timeline makes sense to me...
Lol
I feel like it really connects the games.

 

[EvertGoran]

Well, putting aside the fact that I think this game is set between OoT and WW, don't you remember the end of WW? The Goddesses drowned Hyrule by cracking open its bubble. That must have displaced a lot of water from the Great Sea. Maybe the effects weren't immediate judging by the credits scene, but that was a huge bubble of air that the Goddesses and Daphnes decided to pop.

Yeah, perhaps. I mean it isn't impossible but I'm not sure that I believe that the great ocean seeped away in that fashion and that is ultimately why we have the old Hyrule back in BOTW. But hey, you might be right!

 

[EvertGoran]

Timeline makes sense to me...
Lol
I feel like it really connects the games.

Yeah, I love that the games connect to me. It makes it like I'm sailing a historic ocean in WW for example lol. Like "this is the ocean that drowned the Hyrule I used to roam in OoT..." It's a nice feeling

 

[Alita the Pun]

Yeah, perhaps. I mean it isn't impossible but I'm not sure that I believe that the great ocean seeped away in that fashion and that is ultimately why we have the old Hyrule back in BOTW. But hey, you might be right!

I have a pretty strong feeling that this is right.

 

[EvertGoran]

I have a pretty strong feeling that this is right.

Perhaps...

 

[Alita the Pun]

Perhaps...

Perhaps...

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

Timeline makes sense to me...
Lol
I feel like it really connects the games.

How? It was literally made up after the games released. The games weren't meant to be on a timeline. The timeline was built around the games.

But like I said, some of the games are obviously meant to be together (Ocarina of Time — Majora's Mask). But others are not. You can't connect Minish Cap with Adventure of Link, for example. You can argue that there's a whole little sub-story that stems from The Minish Cap, but the lore from that game (about the Piccori) and the lore from, say, Ocarina of Time forward aren't the same.

That's why I think they made the Adult and Child Timelines. Because the games don't fit. So they had to invent a way to make them fit.

I don't think it's possible to genuinely say that the timeline makes sense, because it was quite literally invented after the games were released.

 

[Alita the Pun]

How? It was literally made up after the games released. The games weren't meant to be on a timeline. The timeline was built around the games.

But like I said, some of the games are obviously meant to be together (Ocarina of Time — Majora's Mask). But others are not. You can't connect Minish Cap with Adventure of Link, for example. You can argue that there's a whole little sub-story that stems from The Minish Cap, but the lore from that game (about the Piccori) and the lore from, say, Ocarina of Time forward aren't the same.

That's why I think they made the Adult and Child Timelines. Because the games don't fit. So they had to invent a way to make them fit.

I don't think it's possible to genuinely say that the timeline makes sense, because it was quite literally invented after the games were released.

I get what you're saying. I personally don't have a problem with it.

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

I get what you're saying. I personally don't have a problem with it.

Me neither. The timeline doesn't bother me or make me angry. I just refuse to acknowledge it. To me, the games that follow a story line are the games that make sense. So, to me, Legend of Zelda — Adventure or Link are together, but A Link to the Past is its own game, not attached to any other series of events. Same with Link's Awakening.

The really fun part of pre-official timeline Zelda is that we could all come up with really cool ideas as to if certain games were part of a story line, and how they were part of a story line.

 

[Fierce_Deity]

How? It was literally made up after the games released. The games weren't meant to be on a timeline. The timeline was built around the games.

But like I said, some of the games are obviously meant to be together (Ocarina of Time — Majora's Mask). But others are not. You can't connect Minish Cap with Adventure of Link, for example. You can argue that there's a whole little sub-story that stems from The Minish Cap, but the lore from that game (about the Piccori) and the lore from, say, Ocarina of Time forward aren't the same.

That's why I think they made the Adult and Child Timelines. Because the games don't fit. So they had to invent a way to make them fit.

I don't think it's possible to genuinely say that the timeline makes sense, because it was quite literally invented after the games were released.

It wasn't made up after the games were released though. After the first 3 console games were released you already got an established timeline. Really you say you can't connect Minish Cap with Adventure of Link? Not suppose to, 2 different stories yet they still exist in the same timeline. That's how history is.

 

[CrimsonCavalier]

It wasn't made up after the games were released though. After the first 3 console games were released you already got an established timeline. Really you say you can't connect Minish Cap with Adventure of Link? Not suppose to, 2 different stories yet they still exist in the same timeline. That's how history is.

The Official Nintendo-backed The Legend of Zelda Timeline was indeed made up after the games. There was no official timeline until the build-up to Skyward Sword.

And as for your second point, if they are two different stories, then why put them in the same timeline? And even further, they have completely different lore, so how can you say they are truly in the same timeline? It seems that the Minish story line takes place in a world similar to Hyrule, but with sort of an alternate dimension. Like a parallel universe of sorts.

 

[Dio]

To me it matters. I think a narrative that spans multiple games is a good thing and I like that some are connected.

Some games were absolutely designed to connect. The WW's, MM's and TP's stories were designed with OOT in mind and are part of a timeline which makes sense. Even ST and PH were direct sequels and designed to fit in this timeline.

Other games were clearly designed without a timeline in mind and just made because they wanted to or needed to make games. I wish they hadn't tried to force these into an official timeline which they clearly weren't designed to fit in with.

With BoTW I hope that the timeline is taken into consideration. I am sure they will place it somewhere in the official canon, with Aounuma now given more free reign he will be able to focus more on story which Miyamoto has held him back from in the past.

 

[Arrows cant melt redeads]

http://www.gamepur.com/news/25546-legend-zelda-breath-wild-features-more-smaller-dungeons.html

Anouma pretty much confirmed the timeline placement won't play a big part in the story of the game. Maybe you will see some connections of what the world used to be, and which Zelda game it fits. But there won't be huge story connections with past games. People can stop with their huge arguments about their possible correctness etc, since the game won't likely even confirm where it goes.