Sidequests - How Do You Want Them To Expand?

[Big Octo]

As a sidequest lover in games in general, I see much room for improvement in ones seen in the Zelda series. First, is be happy to see less fetch quests (possibly the most commons type seen in the franchise). I believe Majora's Mask accomplished this well, as well as Skyward Sword, to an extent. As Cfrok mentioned, more story development in the quests is a must-have, something more intriguing than "trade this thing for that thing." As for minor areas of improvement, length, purpose, and reward could also use some work.

 

[Igos du Ikana]

I believe he was talking about the fortune tellers and the Sheikah stones, which I thought were a cheap way to appease newcomers to the series.

 

[Ventus]

I myself would like to see a few aspects be buffed, improved or included in future sidequests:

Dynamic, Randomly Spawning Events
Dynamic events are somethings featured in the MMORPG Guild Wars 2. Essentially what they are are quests that do not require your presence to initiate, mediate or complete. They're basically like field events that happen sporadically (there's typically an invisible timer tied to these things). Now, whether you fail the sidequest has no relevance to the mainquest at large as they're entirely repeatable, but there are also branching paths. So, say that there is an event that happens in Hyrule Field where a large Iron Knuckle appears, terrorizing passerbys. You've five minutes to dispatch the foe. If you complete the quest, you get your Rupee reward, your piece of heart and other things depending on how skillfully and how quickly you took him out. However, should you fail, then the Iron Knuckle would summon bats and other enemies, leading to a different event that is a chase-based event and you simply have to catch up to the Iron Knuckle. I am absolutely sure Nintendo can do this; the Wii U hardware is definitely capable of handling such things.

Longevity & Better Rewards
A problem I've had with recent sidequests and even those in Ocarina of Time is that they simply aren't long enough, aren't repeatable and they just aren't worth anything. A way of increasing their longevity is simply to make them more intense. Make fighting-based sidequests feature buffed, tougher enemies with more tricks than the base they're used on, or introduce secret bosses that are totally unlike anything you've come to expect in a Zelda game (attack wise. give us an Omega Mark XII or a Yiazmat ). Make timers be less forgiving for fetchquests, and introduce many hazards of all kinds. But, that's only the cake; we need the icing.

What's part of every sidequest, the ice cream on top of the clock tower, is the reward you get from completing them. All of this danger isn't worth it if we get a measly fifty rupees or some potion that honestly isn't worth it by the point of the game you're in. If Zelda sidequests want to be worth it, we need to get things that are useful from them or else we're just doing things for nothing (except enjoyment)!

Combat
Zelda has done combat sidequests before (e.g Savage Labyrinth (TWW), Simon's Simulations (TMC), Cave of Ordeals (TP)), but I'd like to see the combat be upped at least twenty fold. I want to see enemy variations that are totally distinct from main quest counterparts. This means immense buffs, totally new combat styles and a myriad of different techniques they can use to rough you up. So, for example, imagine this: in Skyward Sword you know the dreaded Bokoblin? Well, it's annoying as all hell in the mainquest because it's a defense-monger. But, in some sort of sidequest, imagine a Bokoblin that had a sword and a shield, who fought as effectively or even more so than Link did! That would be annoying, but it would be something totally different, right?

Field enemies aren't the only thing that need buffing. If we're to refight bosses, those bosses upon refight should have attack and defense buffs, new techniques not-previously-seen before (think about Star Ocean: Till the End of Time's Urssa Lava Cave character fights -- Evil Fayt for example has Lightning Strike, a Symbology spell that the player character Fayt cannot use) and even speed buffs. Just to make things more grinding on the gears! xD

Accessibility
A good deal of sidequests, and when I say good deal I mean the gear grinding sidequests are only available at the end of the game, where sidequests mean absolutely nothing aside from 100%ing the game (e.g Lightning Round in SS). Great rewards have to be useful, and that means obtaining those rewards at a reasonable time period. :>

More Mini-Plot Relevance
This doesn't apply to each and every sidequest as a whole, but I would love to see more sidequests start having compelling little stories within their own little sphere. So, think about it like this: imagine a story with the grandeur of Ocarina of Time (not saying OoT's story is even decent, but it's a typical coming of age Hero story). Now, sprinkle Skyward Sword's main quest and Majora's Mask's sidequests on top of a great deal of the sidequests. You get your hero story which all Zelda games typically are. Then within the sidequests, you experience stories you possibly could relate to or are similar to what a real life human could do (similar, not exact). Just little things like saving your childhood friend (SS's plot at large; the theme was becoming a hero), helping out farm residents who aren't in the best of situations (MM's Romani and Cremia sidequests), or even helping lovers reunite (MM's A&K sidequest).

 

[r2d93]

I want more sidequests basically.

I also enjoy trading sequences a lot so i want to see more of those.

I'd also like to see sidequests based on specific tasks or combat that you need to do rather than going to find an item. An example (while very short) is bringing the hot spring water to the goron that's sitting at the edge of the bridge in TP. Sure it was just bringing an item to a character, but it was an item that you had to physically carry and not break while attempting to avoid enemies.

Idk, I just want sidequests that have a fresh variety of tasks to complete

 

[Zorth]

@Zorth

I agree the sidequests should have some story, but I disagree about it having so much emphasis. The fact that Sidequests can be skipped makes their stories feel rather irrelevant and unimportant. That was my main issue for Majora's Mask. Most of the story was sidequests and, to me, it made the entire adventure feel a little unimportant.

This is just weird logic to me, Just because Nintendo doesn't force you to complete something it's all of the sudden pointless to do?
So if they were to shove everything I mentioned into the main story then all of the sudden it would be okay?

You are also completely off on MM, most of the story wasn't side quests because you beat every single one anywhere from 2-4 hours while the main quest takes much, much longer.

Also I doubt Nintendo is going to give us difficulty choices. It doesn't really fit the spirit of the game. I don't think it matters, really, seeing how easily satisfied the Zelda community is with difficulty. For some reason, a majority of the users seem to think that higher damage, not enemy intelligence, is what makes difficultly. Hell, no reason for Nintendo to do anything. Just do the 3 heart challenge and there's your "difficulty".

It doesn't fit the spirit of the game?
What is the spirit of the game?

It really just makes no sense to not have a difficulty, How can it be negative in any way when the old easy mode option is still there?
I have also not once mentioned that the enemies should be brainless hard hitting monsters, I disagree with this entirely because a player can just collect every heart piece in the game and be just fine. Instead of having an equipment barrier they should have an intelligence one, Which means that at certain enemies if you do not use your brain enough to figure out what their weaknesses are and how to exploit then you are going to get stuck until you turn your brain on again.

 

[DarkestLink]

This is just weird logic to me, Just because Nintendo doesn't force you to complete something it's all of the sudden pointless to do?
So if they were to shove everything I mentioned into the main story then all of the sudden it would be okay?

You are also completely off on MM, most of the story wasn't side quests because you beat every single one anywhere from 2-4 hours while the main quest takes much, much longer.

It doesn't feel relevant. It feels like trivia. It's like reading the Harry Potter series and then hearing some extra info like Dumbledore is gay from JK Rowling. In terms of Zelda, the main quest story would be the Harry Potter series and the sidequests would be the stuff you hear in extra interviews. When you make something optional, it's importance is downplayed. It feels like it hardly matters. Also, the Main Quest length has nothing to with its story. Dungeons aren't part of the actual story. They are part of the game play. Not everything the Main Quest has to offer is story.

Dungeons? No.

Twilight Realms? Partially.

Hunting for the dragons? Yes.

Pre-Dungeon activities (i.e. finding Zora eggs)? Yes.

It doesn't fit the spirit of the game?
What is the spirit of the game?

Fun. Playability. Nintendo doesn't much like the idea of players trying to use their skill in a game as some sort of trophy or belittling others for using the easy setting. They prefer a universal game experience that everyone can enjoy.

It really just makes no sense to not have a difficulty, How can it be negative in any way when the old easy mode option is still there?

Actually, seeing how you can just do a three heart challenge, it seems like a waste of a development to me.

I have also not once mentioned that the enemies should be brainless hard hitting monsters, I disagree with this entirely because a player can just collect every heart piece in the game and be just fine. Instead of having an equipment barrier they should have an intelligence one, Which means that at certain enemies if you do not use your brain enough to figure out what their weaknesses are and how to exploit then you are going to get stuck until you turn your brain on again.

...What?

 

[Castle]

Giving them more context might help. Skyward Sword did well with this. Making the premise for quests more relevant to the characters and the situation at hand and making them more involved with multiple stages and objectives, for instance.

Batman: Arkham City did this well. The sidequests all had something to do with the villains, mostly, and involved quite a bit of time and effort to complete in some cases.

 

[Zorth]

It doesn't feel relevant. It feels like trivia. It's like reading the Harry Potter series and then hearing some extra info like Dumbledore is gay from JK Rowling. In terms of Zelda, the main quest story would be the Harry Potter series and the sidequests would be the stuff you hear in extra interviews. When you make something optional, it's importance is downplayed. It feels like it hardly matters.

Side quests would be more (using your metaphore) if we get to know more about for instance Neville Longbottom and his life in an optional chapter which we can decide to skip if we want because it's not that relevant to the main story about Harry Potter. It's really just information out there for the curious people. It wouldn't hurt the player in any way if they decide not to do the side quests (in this case reader), It would just shed some more light on i.e some cultures, races or events that weren't explained in detail during the main quest. They aren't supposed to feel relevant, No side quests do, It really just seems to me that you force yourself into doing side quests and complain about it because you feel like you wasted your time.

Also, the Main Quest length has nothing to with its story. Dungeons aren't part of the actual story. They are part of the game play. Not everything the Main Quest has to offer is story.

Dungeons? No.

Twilight Realms? Partially.

Hunting for the dragons? Yes.

Pre-Dungeon activities (i.e. finding Zora eggs)? Yes.[/QUOTE]

Fun. Playability. Nintendo doesn't much like the idea of players trying to use their skill in a game as some sort of trophy or belittling others for using the easy setting. They prefer a universal game experience that everyone can enjoy.

Adding a harder difficulty and people starting to brag is no different than the people that are bragging right now about being able to 3-heart every Zelda game. Even if they force you to start with 10 hearts people will still brag about who could finish the game the fastest or something. It's just always been this way and adding a higher difficulty won't make it worse it will just give the chance for more people to have fun.

Actually, seeing how you can just do a three heart challenge, it seems like a waste of a development to me.

Yup, Because 3 heart challenges automatically make puzzles harder to solve and bosses requiring different tactics to beat?
The only thing it does is make the game less forgiving, Which is good but should be expanded upon.

...What?

Sorry, My mistake thought that you thought that I thought (lol) that I wanted the enemies to just hit harder instead of being more challenging intelligence wise.

 

[DarkestLink]

Side quests would be more (using your metaphore) if we get to know more about for instance Neville Longbottom and his life in an optional chapter which we can decide to skip if we want because it's not that relevant to the main story about Harry Potter. It's really just information out there for the curious people. It wouldn't hurt the player in any way if they decide not to do the side quests (in this case reader), It would just shed some more light on i.e some cultures, races or events that weren't explained in detail during the main quest. They aren't supposed to feel relevant, No side quests do, It really just seems to me that you force yourself into doing side quests and complain about it because you feel like you wasted your time.

So why not put more focus onto the main story? Like in the case of Majora's Mask, Tatl's relationship with Link and more information on the Skull kid, Tael, etc.

Yup, Because 3 heart challenges automatically make puzzles harder to solve and bosses requiring different tactics to beat?
The only thing it does is make the game less forgiving, Which is good but should be expanded upon.

That's pretty much how difficulty setting's work...they just make the enemies smarter or stronger. In Nintendo's case, whenever they add a harder second quest, the enemies are stronger. The puzzles are the same. What you're suggesting sounds pretty fun...but to add all of these new harder puzzles, Nintendo would practically need to make 2 or 3 Zelda games in one. It's not gonna happen.

The most you could expect with difficultly settings are harder hitting enemies and we can already pretty much create this via 3 hear challenges.

 

[Mr Reaper]

If they handle sidequests like they did in Majora's Mask, then Nintendo can just shut up and take my money.

 

[Zorth]

So why not put more focus onto the main story? Like in the case of Majora's Mask, Tatl's relationship with Link and more information on the Skull kid, Tael, etc.

Because it would be a way to long for a main story IMO, It would be interesting to tie everything together and explain everything you can possibly imagine and tie it into the main quest. However in order to not make players be running around one area of the game for days learning more about the story Nintendo would have to still let you continue to the next area to eventually beat the game to avoid this scenario so it would turn into a side quest anyway. I don't know about you but I'd rather get the basic knowledge about an area while on my main quest and come back there later after I'm done to get more information if I want, Some people for instance maybe couldn't care less for the Gerudo and just wanna see what happens at the end, so they would get quite bored if the Gerudo origins were tied into the main quest. Even more reason to let the player explore these things later is the aftermath factor, What happens after we defeat the bad guy?

That's pretty much how difficulty setting's work...they just make the enemies smarter or stronger. In Nintendo's case, whenever they add a harder second quest, the enemies are stronger. The puzzles are the same. What you're suggesting sounds pretty fun...but to add all of these new harder puzzles, Nintendo would practically need to make 2 or 3 Zelda games in one. It's not gonna happen.

The most you could expect with difficultly settings are harder hitting enemies and we can already pretty much create this via 3 hear challenges.

2 Zelda games in one could happen with a new console, It can handle a lot more information. (I hope so at least)

 

[Mr Reaper]

Maybe they should just pull an Elder Scrolls and have some of the more detailed parts of the story scribbled into sidequests? It'd give a lot more incentive to do them.

 

[Kikwi Link]

Side quests haven't been so good in Zelda games as with others. The rewards are one thing. For some quests, if you haven't beaten the game, the prizes you get maybe useful. Once you beat it, they're not as useful. New weapons could be something to change this. Maybe have a new area and you can only use this certain weapon/item to get to it. Combat quest are also a good one (rather than a get and deliver quest). They could add a new dungeon to explore when you accept the quest (like the bonus Four Sword dungeon in the GBA version of ALTTP).

With the Wii U coming up, this should be a thing the developers should think about.

 

[Ventus]

New weapons could be something to change this. Maybe have a new area and you can only use this certain weapon/item to get to it.

I agree with the first part, but the second part sounds too much like a "key and keyhole" artificial lock placed on the players. Rather than force players to use a certain item in order to reach areas, I propose that having certain items in the inventory should alter or allow you to tread depths of varying degrees within areas. That way, we're still allowed to explore to some degree instead of being completely blocked off -- penalized -- for not having X item with us. Still, obtaining new useful items via sidequests is something I would like to see in the future!

 

[RegalBryant]

I want more, I want them bigger, and I want optional items from them.