Alright. So earlier today I listened to one of the latest little podcast bits from Gooey and Mases. They discussed the various mounts in Zelda games, and it just really got me thinking of how you could implement mounts from here on out. For the sake of my own side in this discussion, I'm imagining this in terms of Breath of the Wild, but I'm putting it in the General Zelda subforum because anything you come up with doesn't specifically have to be constrained to this one game, it can be in any future titles you can think of, especially if you'd want those games to focus more heavily on mounts. Furthermore, I'll likely frame any of the things I come up with as a sort of "I wish they'd do this for the DLC" even though I know full well that none of what I suggest is likely to end up in said DLC. It's really just.... a wish list or something. Anyway, on with it.
I would really like to see the inclusion of Loftwings in Breath of the Wild. It's funny because I'm not really.... heh.... not really an ardent fan of Skyward Sword, but honestly I don't want to hold that game against the Loftwings because really they are quite spectacular mounts. It's not their fault they were miserably misused. So, try to divorce any negative feelings you have about that game from the idea of them as mounts from here on out if you can.
I really like their design, they look like beautiful, broad-winged and majestic animals that show compassion and intelligence. That makes for a really cool mount. The BotW game engine would allow for some really enjoyable uses too. You could take to the skies to explore and scout the region, especially if they add any sort of new map sections in this DLC or later packs. Of course, you wouldn't want the Loftwings to do all the heavy lifting in terms of exploration, so I think it would also be a great time to make genuine caves a thing again. You may not have even noticed, but there aren't really any good caves in Breath of the Wild, and since exploring a cave was literally the inception of the series, I think they should make a comeback. But I digress.
Using the Loftwing should feel very grand and free. You should be able to call them from a great distance, much greater than that of your horse. You could create a new type of stable to house them, maybe even some nifty Rito-operated flying building similar to Beedl's shop in Skyward Sword. That way it would make sense that they can get to you from almost anywhere. While riding, you can have Link pull off all sorts of cool moves. You can fly inverted, pull loop-the-loops or other aerial maneuvers, or initiate steep dives or climbs. While doing this, you can have Link's stamina gauge slowly start to deplete. However, unlike when climbing or swimming, you don't have to actually make this into any real sort of challenge that could actually unseat Link. Just having the gauge sapped by these maneuvers would lend a sense of credibility and emotional investment into flight. It should be merely a smokescreen to create the illusion of strenuous control of the animal. Of course, should you actually manage to lose your grip, your Loftwing could wheel around and snag you out of midair. Besides just being visually impressive, I think that would make players feel a measure of attachment to their animal because it's showing that it cares for you.
While you're airborne there should be things actually worth doing. You could use this as an excuse to create new airborne enemies. They already have the little octo-platforms, and you could make versions of those that have fortifications on them. You could make some of them be made of metal as well. That offers a lot of chances for interesting counterplay options: perhaps you fire shock arrows to electrify the platform, or graze it with a thunderspear as you fly past. Or maybe you snag the whole thing with your Magnesis rune, dragging it through the air, pulling it free of the octoroks holding it, and then drop it to send the enemies plummeting to their demise. Or there could be larger ones, great flying aeries full of enemies mounted on giant Keese-like creatures that you must battle in the skies over Hyrule. Just imagine being spotted by a lookout, their warning horns splitting the air, and the flying tower suddenly disgorging a squadron of skybound enemies. You could have a midair joust with a Moblin, or climb high into the clouds to avoid volleys of arrows, then dive with deathly speed on your opponents.
Of course, hidden within the possibilities of these animals is the ability to deal with another great bugbear of this game, the weather. How many times have you seen people lament the onset of rain or thunderstorms just when they wanted to do something that involved climbing? Well, perhaps you could call your Loftwing over, and prompt it to lend some shelter with its great wing, allowing you to build a campfire and wait out the storm. Once it passes, your feathered companion shakes off the water and you're both on your way!
But then there's the matter of how you even manage to catch them in the first place. After all, they spend a great deal of time in the air. You can't rightly sneak up on them like you would a horse. I think the method should be fundamentally different. Let's say you see them in the sky, or maybe you find a nest or some other evidence that they're around. Maybe you set out some food. The food could be color coded for the one you want to get. For instance, maybe you want a red one so you could set out some apples or perhaps a nice juicy Staminoka Bass. Or putting out Rushrooms, Mighty Bananas, or Hearty Bass could net you a Purple, Yellow, or Blue Loftwing. Once they come to the ground to accept your presented meal, you cautiously approach them and offer a hand for them to nuzzle against. After all, flying would be something that requires great trust between both mount and rider, so somehow it just feels right that a more mutually accepted relationship be struck. Perhaps, if you want to get some more depth out of the game element, the food you use as bait could influence the stats of the Loftwing you might attract. Maybe putting out a Staminoka Bass as suggested above has a greater chance to get you a Loftwing with whose highest stat is Stamina. After all, it stands to reason that a bird which favors that as its meal of choice would have build up quite a bit of stamina.
Anyway, apparently people don't like long OPs, so I'll tie this one off for now. I'm very interested to know what people think of my rough ideas, or what ideas you may have of your own. (maybe next time I'll talk about my idea for Lynels as mounts...)
I would really like to see the inclusion of Loftwings in Breath of the Wild. It's funny because I'm not really.... heh.... not really an ardent fan of Skyward Sword, but honestly I don't want to hold that game against the Loftwings because really they are quite spectacular mounts. It's not their fault they were miserably misused. So, try to divorce any negative feelings you have about that game from the idea of them as mounts from here on out if you can.
I really like their design, they look like beautiful, broad-winged and majestic animals that show compassion and intelligence. That makes for a really cool mount. The BotW game engine would allow for some really enjoyable uses too. You could take to the skies to explore and scout the region, especially if they add any sort of new map sections in this DLC or later packs. Of course, you wouldn't want the Loftwings to do all the heavy lifting in terms of exploration, so I think it would also be a great time to make genuine caves a thing again. You may not have even noticed, but there aren't really any good caves in Breath of the Wild, and since exploring a cave was literally the inception of the series, I think they should make a comeback. But I digress.
Using the Loftwing should feel very grand and free. You should be able to call them from a great distance, much greater than that of your horse. You could create a new type of stable to house them, maybe even some nifty Rito-operated flying building similar to Beedl's shop in Skyward Sword. That way it would make sense that they can get to you from almost anywhere. While riding, you can have Link pull off all sorts of cool moves. You can fly inverted, pull loop-the-loops or other aerial maneuvers, or initiate steep dives or climbs. While doing this, you can have Link's stamina gauge slowly start to deplete. However, unlike when climbing or swimming, you don't have to actually make this into any real sort of challenge that could actually unseat Link. Just having the gauge sapped by these maneuvers would lend a sense of credibility and emotional investment into flight. It should be merely a smokescreen to create the illusion of strenuous control of the animal. Of course, should you actually manage to lose your grip, your Loftwing could wheel around and snag you out of midair. Besides just being visually impressive, I think that would make players feel a measure of attachment to their animal because it's showing that it cares for you.
While you're airborne there should be things actually worth doing. You could use this as an excuse to create new airborne enemies. They already have the little octo-platforms, and you could make versions of those that have fortifications on them. You could make some of them be made of metal as well. That offers a lot of chances for interesting counterplay options: perhaps you fire shock arrows to electrify the platform, or graze it with a thunderspear as you fly past. Or maybe you snag the whole thing with your Magnesis rune, dragging it through the air, pulling it free of the octoroks holding it, and then drop it to send the enemies plummeting to their demise. Or there could be larger ones, great flying aeries full of enemies mounted on giant Keese-like creatures that you must battle in the skies over Hyrule. Just imagine being spotted by a lookout, their warning horns splitting the air, and the flying tower suddenly disgorging a squadron of skybound enemies. You could have a midair joust with a Moblin, or climb high into the clouds to avoid volleys of arrows, then dive with deathly speed on your opponents.
Of course, hidden within the possibilities of these animals is the ability to deal with another great bugbear of this game, the weather. How many times have you seen people lament the onset of rain or thunderstorms just when they wanted to do something that involved climbing? Well, perhaps you could call your Loftwing over, and prompt it to lend some shelter with its great wing, allowing you to build a campfire and wait out the storm. Once it passes, your feathered companion shakes off the water and you're both on your way!
But then there's the matter of how you even manage to catch them in the first place. After all, they spend a great deal of time in the air. You can't rightly sneak up on them like you would a horse. I think the method should be fundamentally different. Let's say you see them in the sky, or maybe you find a nest or some other evidence that they're around. Maybe you set out some food. The food could be color coded for the one you want to get. For instance, maybe you want a red one so you could set out some apples or perhaps a nice juicy Staminoka Bass. Or putting out Rushrooms, Mighty Bananas, or Hearty Bass could net you a Purple, Yellow, or Blue Loftwing. Once they come to the ground to accept your presented meal, you cautiously approach them and offer a hand for them to nuzzle against. After all, flying would be something that requires great trust between both mount and rider, so somehow it just feels right that a more mutually accepted relationship be struck. Perhaps, if you want to get some more depth out of the game element, the food you use as bait could influence the stats of the Loftwing you might attract. Maybe putting out a Staminoka Bass as suggested above has a greater chance to get you a Loftwing with whose highest stat is Stamina. After all, it stands to reason that a bird which favors that as its meal of choice would have build up quite a bit of stamina.
Anyway, apparently people don't like long OPs, so I'll tie this one off for now. I'm very interested to know what people think of my rough ideas, or what ideas you may have of your own. (maybe next time I'll talk about my idea for Lynels as mounts...)