General Zelda How Would You Feel About Financial Gaps Being a Theme in Zelda?

[Justac00lguy]

I know this series isn't one to recreate mature themes from the real world, but I feel such themes could work well to show the gap between the rich and the poor which isn't really made clear in Hyrule as we know.

In Hyrule you have the main castle and the surrounding town being seemingly rich and prosperous, then you have some of the more middle class towns (Kakariko Village) and then what seems like the more poor working class areas (Ordon Village). In reality you would see a clear distinction between such areas: Hyrule Castle would be this grand rich area where prices are high, shops are abundant and the residents are snobby. While the more lower class areas would be more organic (farms and such) working in a very labour-like fashion to put basic food on the table - npcs would be more homely but also slightly less up beat.

Potentially I could see this adding a bit of depth to the places and people of Hyrule and create a little bit of much needed diversity. What do you guys thing?

 

[Big Octo]

Perhaps the game could end with a Communist revolution in Hyrule.

 

[Dragoncat]

They kinda already did this with TP...there was a snobby rich guy in Castle Town who made you shine your shoes before he would let you into his shop, and his prices were outrageous.

I'd say expand on it?

 

[Dio]

I agree with the idea of expansion upon this theme. They should really work on fleshing out the personalities and behaviours of the npc's in this game. It is believable characters that help immerse a player into a world, it would be great to have npc's that go about their daily routines reacting to circumstance. Majoras mask did this well. It would be good to see a revolution where previously rich and snobbish people are forced into the gutters.

 

[Iridescence]

Not saying this should never be done but it needs to be done with care. While I would like Nintendo to step out of disneyland for a while, they also astutely recognize the dangers of becoming political. Most politically oriented games are corny and preachy.

 

[Mangachick14]

As long as it's not all preachy about it... then it could be interesting. But it also begs the question: How does one become poor in a country where the currency can be found by cutting the grass, or moving a rock, or shaking a tree?

 

[Dragoncat]

As long as it's not all preachy about it... then it could be interesting. But it also begs the question: How does one become poor in a country where the currency can be found by cutting the grass, or moving a rock, or shaking a tree?

Video game logic there...a lot of games do that sort of thing, but it wouldn't happen if it was real life.

 

[Random Person]

Really, financial differences is already apparent in Zelda but no one draws attention to it. Wind Waker and TP have shown differences between certain classes and such. This, along with other mature subjects, if focused upon, would push the series away from that innocent adventure atmosphere that most fans crave the series stays with. However, it can be done and still make a good game. I'm not against it. I don't think we need it, but I'm not against it.

 

[ihateghirahim]

I guess it could be made into a good idea. You could have peasant riots in castle town (a la GoT). A poor man selling out his people to gain wealth, similar to a scene I just saw in an FFVI playthrough. Refugees fleeing a corrupt city into the wold. These could all work and work well. It could make the series deeper and more complex. Problem is I don't see them entering Zelda in any big way. Maybe some of this would be added to sidequesting, but
i don't see the Big N going that route.

 

[ReveredPartisan]

As many have pointed out, this has already happened, and is incredibly apparent, in TP; not only that, but the game is pretty preachy about it, through some subtext and whatnot. In my opinion, there's a lot of thematic focus on power, or lack thereof, and its influence over its wielders in the game.

Just strolling through Castle Town will make the social setup pretty clear. Compare the West Road (GC version) to the East Road. The former is extravagant and clearly wealthy, while the latter is, frankly, plain and filthy. There's clearly a gentry-- Chudley (the snobby shop keeper), Dr. Borville, a few distinguishable character models, even Agitha, all exemplify traits characteristic of the classic aristocracy (Agitha, for instance, wealthy and comfortable, is naive and oblivious to the harshness of the world around her). Similarly, there's also poverty, such as the beggar on the side of the Western Road and several pitiful NPCs. Of course, that's just in the city; Renado and his daughter clearly have absolutely nothing (although this may be due to his religious devotion, or quite possibly the fact that his entire town was brutally massacred), and denizens of Ordon, with few exceptions, are unquestionably peasants.

Come to think of it, TP approaches many mature societal subjects. For example, there's clearly a curtain of racism throughout Hyrule, especially in Castle Town. Dr. Borville refuses to tend to Prince Ralis, undoubtedly because of his Zoran heritage; similarly, the gorons who've come to the capital are only able to sell their wares in the discreet, arguably underground, Viewing Tower, and they're forced to raise their prices, all likely due to financial shortcomings because of their lower place in society.

TP had a lot of innovations that weren't really carried over to its successors, and one of these, I'd say, was its placement of, and even focus on, real, tangible, societal elements that reflect the virtues and vices of our own society. I'd definitely like to see this carried over, and even expanded on, in future installments; to me, every game since TP has seemed flat in this regard, and Zelda U would benefit tremendously from the life these elements breathe into the world.