Majora's Mask Infinitely Split Timelines

[Locke]

@Ooccoo Watcher: Link didn't play the Song of Time at the end of OoT, Zelda did... "As a sage, I can return you to your original time with [the ocarina]." Like I said, Zelda's magic has a different effect than when the Goddess of Time is aiding Link.

It wasn't even the Song of Time. It was Zelda's Lullaby. Completely different methods of time travel. Zelda didn't want her timeline erased, but she didn't want to force Link to live in it, so she created a new one. Link on the other hand doesn't have the power or a reason to create new timelines, so he just overlaps the existing one.

I'm going to go against all of you and stick with this thread's original theory, which is that every time Link plays > A v > A v > (the song of time) he creates a new timeline, which creates a paradox. OoT's split timeline confirms this theory.

Again, the split was created by Zelda's Lullaby, not the Song of Time. OoT's split doesn't confirm anything.

I watch Doctor Who and it's something I enjoy while at the same time it sometimes hurts my brain as I try to wrap my head around the time loops. There was actually an episode recently (well, several) that raised what I thought was a parallel issue, which is, "How is it that someone's existence can disappear but the effects of their existence remain?" This would have to come down to some law of time that we do not actually know about, but perhaps the same thing happens in MM - while Link's actions are technically erased, their effects are not. This is partly possible by the fact that memories can be manipulated. Link may reach the fourth day without actually completing some of his side quests, but the people he helped thought he did because of the laws of rewinding time.

A very interesting theory. Which episode(s) was that? I was actually about to use the Doctor's explanation of fixed points in time to clear up the Song of Storms paradox in OoT, but I wasn't sure if playing the song as a child was a fixed point in time. Was it required in order to progress the story?

 

[Kungfuyu24]

I suppose there is no way of knowing if the rules of Termina differ from Hyrule, but there is nothing present to suggest that the laws of time are different.

 

[February Eve]

A very interesting theory. Which episode(s) was that? I was actually about to use the Doctor's explanation of fixed points in time to clear up the Song of Storms paradox in OoT, but I wasn't sure if playing the song as a child was a fixed point in time. Was it required in order to progress the story?

It was one of the running themes of the latest season - it wasn't actually mentioned during the series, it was just the only logical conclusion fans could reach without the whole of space and time imploding on itself (Not that this would be unusual for new Who.) One of the threats was something that could cause a person's existence to disappear, but if they were erased from history, you'd think their effects would be too - for example, any children they had. But this was not the case. So the fan theory was that they weren't actually erased from existence; just people's memories of them.

It just reminded me of how time and memories are actually disconnected and perhaps it could work in reverse; Link's actions could be erased, but people's memories of him helping them weren't (by the fourth day, perhaps related to Majora's defeat.) This could require merging of timelines or could just be - Doctor Who concept again - a perception filter. A combination of seeing what they want to see, or remembering Link but not remembering the details. For those who haven't seen Doctor Who but have read Harry Potter, some of the memory charms are a good comparison (though on a celestial, rather than magical, level.)

Again, just a thought experiment of mine rather than anything based on in-game things, but I find it an interesting problem to ponder.

 

[Clucluclu]

Something that I think should be taken into consideration is the fact that after you beat a boss and free the giant, you can roll back time and the giant will still be free even though the boss is back.

 

[Nod_L]

Sorry to revive an old thread, but since I'm currently playing Majora's Mask, I wanted to add my thoughts.


I don't agree with the dying multiverses, or the clones overlapping. It's the same, one Link, who goes back in time. In Ocarina, he jumps forward and back, but the timeline seems to be flowing forward all the time. In MM, Link has the notebook to help himself keep a record of the many things he can do during those three days. He can choose to do some, and go back to time, and it's like he never did anything. I mean, you always have to defeat the bosses to get some effect, like spring in the mountains. The temples go back to being locked, the fairies are broken, the bosses were technically never killed.


So, what's up with that? Well, I believe that, since Link remains the same, he carries with him the effect/result of his actions. Are the giants really free after you go back in time? I don't think so, but the Oath to Order -forces- them to come back, even if they're not really free. It's a stronger magic than that which keeps them trapped, so to say.


There's no right or wrong, really, just my two cents.

 

[Tony]

I don't think this is possibal...isn't Link continuing like in OoT?