Skyward Sword How Would You Improve The Sky?

[Justac00lguy]

So I'm sure there have been countless threads regarding the Sky within Skyward Sword however I haven't seen one in a while regarding improvements etc. So I thought I would rekindle discussion about the Sky and generally how it could be improved.

Now my opinion, and by general consensus, it seems that one of the main weak points within the game was actually the Sky segments and that section for the overworld as a whole. Now instead of just listing multiple ways of improvements, focus on one main aspect and revolve your post around that and to what extent do you think that could have improved the Sky?

 

[DarkestLink]

Just add some combat really. Unlike the sea, it did have some action (actually moving the bird and some minor obstacles) and it was much faster....but yeah, it could have used some form of combat.

 

[Musicfan]

I would make it like wind waker and replace the goddess chests and cubes with mini puzzles.

 

[Locke]

Ignoring your request, I have several suggestions.

1. Air currents. They implemented these in the worst possible way: Updrafts that impede progress. Air currents should have worked similarly to the wind in WW but flow in random directions with no way or need to change them. Updrafts should have helped you by lifting you higher in the air so you can dive down to travel faster. You could also follow air currents to reach your destination faster, rather than simply taking the boring straight route. Furthermore, these currents could have been molded programatically to effectively steer players in the right direction. Normally I scold SS for doing too much of pointing the player in the "right" direction (see dowsing), but I think creating an air current toward the next destination and perhaps slight currents against undesirable destinations would be a realistic and non-intrusive 'nudge' toward progress without taking away the sense of exploration.

2. Larger and more complex islands. There were two or three decent islands which used actual puzzle-like elements to guard several Goddess Chests. This should have been the minimum standard. A random rock in the sky with nothing but a chest on it is all sorts of wrong. With the backstory of Hylia sending Skyloft into the sky, these random scattered rocks just aren't compelling. It should have felt more like an intricate network.

 

[ihateghirahim]

They just needed to use the bird for more. You had nothing but flying around the islands and jumping onto them. Put in some new islands that test what the bird can do. Place wind-shifts, islands you have to fly through, dogfights with enemies in the sky, and a dungeon that uses the bird. The last one if nothing else.

 

[Snow Queen]

Make it exciting! I get it's the sky, but sailing in Wind Waker was more fun than this! It's boring, mundane, and unappealing to look at. Meh.

 

[Doc]

They should have made more to it. As was said before, we had one main island and the rest of the rocks were just pointless. There was really no necessary need for the loftwings, except to get to the surface and within the thunderhead. Had we seen a network of islands it could come out make the use of birds more needed for the plot. A simple chain, each with specific purposes, could get the job done.

And my small complaints. Skyloft should have been connected and the thunderhead should have eventually gone away, because we know through dialogue, it wasn't always there.

 

[Mellow Ezlo]

I would have liked it if, similar to what I said in the Wind Waker thread (see here), I would like it if the sky was less expansive, and the islands were a bit bigger and more entertaining, as well as slightly closer together. It would make getting the Goddess chests more challenging and fun because let's face it, the Goddess Chest quest was not very fun and lacked any real challenge. The only chests that were even remotely difficult to find were the ones on that island in the Thunderhead (don't remember what it was called).

I also would have liked more combat in the sky. The battle with Levias was really cool, and there is much more that they could have done with skyfights.

 

[Salem]

More floating islands with towns in them.

 

[Skittles]

The music was great, but I would like to have more places to visit than just some houses scattered about and meaningless islands with chests on them. There was only one island with puzzles and those puzzles were very good. It just seemed rushed and unfinished when they could've done so much more with it.

I guess the thing I really want is more things to do, more people, and more side quests that are worthwhile to accomplish. Even more Sky Dungeons. It would've been fun to have to use the Loftwing in a dungeon and see where that ideal lead. That would have made a fabulous Wind Temple where you have to use the bird, sail, air currents, and wind things to complete its puzzles and even beat the boss. It would've been fun to learn to ride my Loftwing at night too, I always felt they intended to add it, but never got the chance. Perhaps the Sky is way scarier and you could've done a Poe Hunt or something like that (more like the one in OoT than TP) to get some upgrades or something.

So, yeah...I just wish, in the end, that the Sky was more like the Sea in WW (just with faster and cooler transport in the form of the Loftwing) because at least WW had interesting places to visit...*sigh* So much wasted potential...

 

[Spirit]

Can of worms here JC...

Here's how i'd improve it (or at least make it how i like it)

-add more interesting islands, the Lumpy pumpkin and a couple of mini games weren't enough.
--another hub island
--a mini dungeon island
--a race specific island

-get rid of the clutter, the tiny rocks and octorok infested spheres
-be allowed to fly at night
-more social activity in the sky; be able to take part in sidequests while flying (jousting battles, races etc)
-weather effects and dramatic visual events like storms, lightning, strong winds to fly against

There are other improvements i'd make but i think they might be regarded more with having to do with the flying aspect rather than the sky itself.

 

[HylianHero]

Ignoring your request, I have several suggestions.

1. Air currents. They implemented these in the worst possible way: Updrafts that impede progress. Air currents should have worked similarly to the wind in WW but flow in random directions with no way or need to change them. Updrafts should have helped you by lifting you higher in the air so you can dive down to travel faster. You could also follow air currents to reach your destination faster, rather than simply taking the boring straight route. Furthermore, these currents could have been molded programatically to effectively steer players in the right direction. Normally I scold SS for doing too much of pointing the player in the "right" direction (see dowsing), but I think creating an air current toward the next destination and perhaps slight currents against undesirable destinations would be a realistic and non-intrusive 'nudge' toward progress without taking away the sense of exploration.

2. Larger and more complex islands. There were two or three decent islands which used actual puzzle-like elements to guard several Goddess Chests. This should have been the minimum standard. A random rock in the sky with nothing but a chest on it is all sorts of wrong. With the backstory of Hylia sending Skyloft into the sky, these random scattered rocks just aren't compelling. It should have felt more like an intricate network.

These are great suggestions. A while ago I said this:

The only area I had a problem with was the sky, but only because I loved it so much: It needed to be bigger and have more stuff to do. There should have been more large islands, where you could explore and do things other than just open goddess chests which was pretty much the only thing you did on those little islands. There should have been little hamlets, clusters of houses on islands that weren't in skyloft proper, to justify the Loftwings as transportation. And there should have been more enemies in the sky, to give the Skyloft knights a reason to exist. The sky should have been fraught with danger and adventure and places to explore.

Sorry JC, I'll also be ignoring your request. I say there are two main things that need to be changed about the sky.

Large and complex islands are something that if it had had, I would have been able to overlook the Sky's other shortfallings. But it didn't. Look at this map of the sky:

Spoiler

Most of the islands, save Skyloft and a few others, are mere specks. There should have been islands large enough to explore, with more things to do other than just open Goddess chests, and that had complex puzzles and houses.

And there needs to be more enemies and danger in the sky. The sky should have had much more enemies than it did, giving the Skyloft Knights a reason to exist and offering challenge to the player. The boss battle with Levias is the perfect example of how great sky combat could have been.

As I said before, I actually liked the Sky. But if it had large complex islands and was fraught with danger, I would have loved it.

 

[Ventus]

There are numerous things I would implement/remove to "fix" the Sky: remove the Loftwing (face it, it had no significance whatsoever bar Levias and porting us from Skyloft to other areas), give us more skylands (think Wind Waker), make Skyloft Knights come into the action and have foes pierce the Sky Barrier, creating an active threat for ObliviousLoft.

This'd make the Sky much more important, and justify the title being called "Skyward Sword".

 

[bunny]

In short, the sky just needs more content.

When I saw screenshots of Skyward Sword before release, I saw the islands floating in the sky, and I was really looking forward to exploring each and every one like I did in the Wind Waker. I guess the little chunks of land (not even gonna call them islands) served somewhat of a purpose. Most of them had treasure chests on them from the goddess cubes, and that's fine and all, but I think adding more real islands couldn't have hurt anything.

I also think that there should have been more enemies spread throughout the sky. The rest of the overworld was filled with enemies, but the sky was pretty bare in general. It would have kept me more interested, and it would have given me more to do than just smashing the dash button.

Overall the sky's lacking in content didn't really effect my thoughts on the game as a whole, but I do think it had a lot of potential that Nintendo chose to ignore.

 

[SpiritGerudo]

The Sky is supposed to be what Hylia lifted to the sky to save her people, yes? Well I was thinking thinking that if that's the case, then there would be a lot of the remnants of where the people used to live . . . remains of villages, perhaps a castle of a sort. They could be great opportunities for more interesting islands, perhaps another hub island, a mini dungeon, a race-specific island, and you can see where this is going if you read Spirit of Rutela's post. It's just an idea I had randomly and it basically just provides a justified opportunity to put everything she said into effect. I think this would also be a way to involve the people of Skyloft more . . . if these are their old homes in the Sky, then there would obviously be that emotional side of the story that would be good to use in sidequests and such, or even a secondary storyline if you want to go that far. It would just be a way to connect the people of Skyloft to the rest of the sky. While I liked TWW's interesting islands, they weren't connected and all pretty random, but if we have ruins of some long-lost civilization hanging around in the sky it would all have this ventral idea. It's a ridiculously random idea that doesn't pertain to anything specifically, I know, so . . . do with it what you will, I guess.