Skyward Sword Evolved Controls

[Spirit]

Lets see if i can't make a thread on SS that hasn't been done to death. Controls.. oh.. well, lets try a theoretical approach.

Anyway. We all know that in SS the speed of your swing with the Wii remote didn't effect the strength or the speed of the sword's slash when fighting enemies, the slash was always one speed and one strength regardless of your own motions, but would you have liked the strength and speed of the sword to have been sensitive to such motions?

Wii Sports was sensitive to the strength of your motions, particularly in bowling, and with SS using the motion plus then it probably could have been done and if not, then it can definitely be done in future.

If the speed and strength of the sword had been a true representation of your own motions in regards to strength and speed do you think the game would have been easier/harder?

(hopefully this is a thread that hasn't really been done yet)

 

[Garo]

I think it would have made the game unfun to play. Motion controls in general can be incredibly tedious, especially when they require the degree of deliberation that SS' require. Having to control strength of the swing as well as direction? That's just far too much. Controls shouldn't be a hindrance or a barrier - they should be transparent.

 

[A Link In Time]

It'd certainly be a welcome addition to Skyward Sword's already fine tuned motion controls. Stronger swings due to larger exertion of force could easily be complemented by including tougher enemies like Iron Knuckles and Darknuts. Moreover, it'd be nice to see the level of damage reflected in enemies. Take a Stalfos for example. A minor blow and it remains ostensibly intact but a heavier swing and it loses a bone or two prior to collapse.

 

[HyruleHistory10]

i agree but disagree i think that it should be used in moderation. i do not think that they should have enemies that require it because there are younger children and people who do have trouble with the control. but maybe on a harder difficulty or a setting that you could put on. i would enjoy it and think thta it would add a level of strategy.

 

[Terminus]

Ive already said this should have been done. Would've made it a LOT more realistic/fun.

 

[Majora's Cat]

I would be pretty against it. I welcome accuracy of motion controls to an extent. Keep in mind that video games are a respite from the real world in a way, and the feats accomplished in this virtual reality are supposed to be executed with relative ease in order to keep the player engaged without adding much realistic tediousness. Fighting enemies would become very difficult due to the absolute realism that it would really cease to be enjoyable.

 

[Ventus]

See, I'm with Garo in that it would make the game more unfun to play than it already is, but at the same time, the idea itself is very interesting. Speaking theoretically, the strength of a blow would deal more damage to all but the strongest of enemies, correct? Well, this is how it is portrayed in real life. For a game that supposedly allows the player to step in Link's shoes, shouldn't strength in the strike be a factor in the shoe stepping? Sure, this would make it more realistic, but it also give sthe sword fighting a more genuine application if you catch my drift.

 

[JuicieJ]

This is something that Red Steel 2 did, and at first I was disappointed that Skyward Sword didn't do it. But then I got to thinking. Why would Nintendo do that? In order to deal with foes in the quickest manner, you'd have to swing really fricken' hard, and that would require strenuous motion. This game was aimed at all ages. Many younger and older players wouldn't be able to keep playing the game without getting tired because of this. I firmly believe it was wise of Nintendo to make the sword swings only have one level of speed and strength. It makes for better marketing, and in the end, more sales equals more good games.

I think it would have made the game unfun to play. Motion controls in general can be incredibly tedious, especially when they require the degree of deliberation that SS' require.

Are you implying SS's controls required tedious motion? If so, I'm sorry, but that's wrong. SS required very simple movements to get the sword to swing. I can understand people like Matt having a tough time playing the game, but anyone without some kind of condition should have no trouble swinging the Wii Remote around while playing this game. It's about as "transparent" as it can get.

 

[Garo]

Are you implying SS's controls required tedious motion? If so, I'm sorry, but that's wrong. SS required very simple movements to get the sword to swing. I can understand people like Matt having a tough time playing the game, but anyone without some kind of condition should have no trouble swinging the Wii Remote around while playing this game. It's about as "transparent" as it can get.

It required repeated deliberate motions throughout the game. Swordplay felt incredibly tedious because of it. Without a great degree of deliberation to swings, it would register incorrectly. That much deliberation on every single swing got tedious really, really fast.

 

[JuicieJ]

It required repeated deliberate motions throughout the game. Swordplay felt incredibly tedious because of it. Without a great degree of deliberation to swings, it would register incorrectly. That much deliberation on every single swing got tedious really, really fast.

No it didn't. SS's controls are extremely easy to use. Extremely easy. This isn't one of those things that boils down to opinion. This is pure fact. They're designed with the human body in mind. If you had issues with handling the controls, I'm sorry, but that's entirely on you. There's no reason to find them tedious.

 

[Garo]

No it didn't. SS's controls are extremely easy to use. Extremely easy. This isn't one of those things that boils down to opinion. This is pure fact. They're designed with the human body in mind. If you had issues with handling the controls, I'm sorry, but that's entirely on you. There's no reason to find them tedious.

I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop telling me that my experiences using SS' motion controls are wrong, and that I was clearly using them wrong because they can't possibly have even the most minor of flaws. You'll note I never said they had flaws or were difficult to use; swings just had to be very deliberate. It is precisely that which made the controls feel tedious for me; having to be so precise with every single swing got old very, very fast.

That was my experience, and that is fact. My opinion derived from that fact is that the controls were not optimal. You can argue the latter all you like. You cannot argue the former.

 

[JuicieJ]

I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop telling me that my experiences using SS' motion controls are wrong, and that I was clearly using them wrong because they can't possibly have even the most minor of flaws. You'll note I never said they had flaws or were difficult to use; swings just had to be very deliberate. It is precisely that which made the controls feel tedious for me; having to be so precise with every single swing got old very, very fast.

That was my experience, and that is fact. My opinion derived from that fact is that the controls were not optimal. You can argue the latter all you like. You cannot argue the former.

I wasn't talking about flaws. I was talking about their design with human stamina. They require very light movements. VERY light. Seriously, you can get through this game with your wrist if you want to, and if you play with it long enough, you'll find you can actually make accurate movements with it. I've experimented heavily with this. I know what I'm talking about. Again, if the controls were tedious for you, that's your fault. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is.

 

[Dan]

I have to admit Garo, I'm glad I wasn't the only one that found them a bit tedious, I found it a bit inaccurate at times. Oh well I should get back to MM first. :I

 

[Ouroboros]

I do agree that it would have been a bad idea to add strength to swings. I think although the motion controls in SS are very complicated in their own right, they are also very basic, and that's what Nintendo wanted. With strength involved, it would have complicated things. SS is very easy to control after some time, it's all about placement, and more often than not, when I found it not working well, it was usually because I was trying to man handle the controller or moved without knowing. It's all about finesse really; although I thinkj the controls are easy, that doesn't mean some people will find it tedious and annoying. Different strokes for different folks I guess..

 

[The Wanderer]

First, I should answer a bunch of related questions: Do I want motion controls to return (at least in some format)? Yes. Do I want them to be even more fine-tuned than the ones in Skyward Sword? Yes. Would I find sword swings that rely on the strength of the user to be fun? Yes. Is it the smart thing for Nintendo to do? ...Maybe.

As others have pointed out, Zelda is known as a very accessible kind of series, particularly in recent times since Nintendo is focusing on how to introduce more people into it. A six-year-old is probably not going to comprehend the physics behind strength-backed swings, and most people over the age of 40 will have to put the game down soon because of fatigue. Making sword combat that refined would lose players and drop sales. Left alone, it is a stupid thing to do.

Left alone. Here is where I once again harp on the need for Nintendo to create difficulty levels in Zelda games. As much as the Wii was marketed as being family-friendly and engaging, it was also marketed as an exercise outlet (Wii Fit is a perfect example of this). What better way to exercise than by pretending you're slaying evil with a divine sword? But if sword combat that incredibly refined is the only way to play the game, you will lose people. Difficulty levels will help break it down for players and make the game much more approachable from many angles.

On a more "casual" difficulty, the strength of swings won't matter, and the controls will probably play pretty similarly to Skyward Sword's. You can angle your techniques and use as much strength as you like, but the result will be the same in that casual players will have found their outlet. In a "veteran" difficulty, the refined swordplay would be embraced in full, and you'd become one with Link as you were intended to. It would have the potential to be a tiring experience, but those (like me) who would love the challenge wouldn't mind. It also might be a good idea to be able to switch between the "casual" and "veteran" modes at will in case you're getting tired (literally) of the other.

So yes, I would bathe in true 1:1 swordplay in a Zelda game. If Nintendo announced such a game, I might just jig on the spot. But I acknowledge using only that refined method of motion controls would be bad for sales and would disappoint a good many people, so there should be at least two modes of control, preferably alongside real difficulty levels that tinker with the details of the game (such as enemy strength and resource management).