What Did You Think of the Shield Deteriorating in Skyward Sword?

[Ventus]

Yeah, but it was easier to not use the shield.

You're actually right in that respect; if someone hasn't mastered shield bashing (which really should have taken damage instead of regular blocking), then simply discarding the shield will largely be easier since you have less to take care of. And if that's the case, the shield meter was largely useless. :I

 

[JuicieJ]

You're actually right in that respect; if someone hasn't mastered shield bashing (which really should have taken damage instead of regular blocking), then simply discarding the shield will largely be easier since you have less to take care of. And if that's the case, the shield meter was largely useless. :I

Just because experienced players won't need the shield doesn't make the meter useless. It's getting really tiresome how you just insult everything about SS just because SS.

 

[DarkestLink]

First off, that makes no sense. I could just as easily say adding a health meter to a weapon would take away its primary function as an offense.

Well I'm not an expert on middle aged weaponry, so feel free to prove me wrong, but I'm pretty damn sure a shield wasn't designed to be an offensive weapon.

Two, Skyward Sword only had one sword for us to use. Giving the sword a health bar would have been pointless. As for the shield, there was an infinite supply of multiple shields. You have your facts completely backwards.

I never mentioned the sword.

And how do you know that? I mean I could see why someone might not like the sacred shield replenishing, but no one knows what Nintendo's intention was. I thought it was nice to have it replenish with such a low meter. I have come close to breaking it before during my playthrough but that's just me

Because

1) Not using it is out of the way. Why? Because no other shield (excluding Hylian) is immune to fire and electricity. You would have to either bite the bullet or constantly switch shields, which would be annoying.

2) Getting it isn't hard.

3) If it was for struggling players, they wouldn't have made it so weak that it could be destroyed in one hit

4) There's nothing to suggest it was for struggling players. This isn't like the gossip stone that actually said that if you didn't feel you needed it, you could skip it and was well out of the way if you were struggling on the surface. Suggesting the sacred shield was an optional item meant for struggling players is like claiming the same thing for the heart pieces bosses dropped.

 

[JuicieJ]

Well I'm not an expert on middle aged weaponry, so feel free to prove me wrong, but I'm pretty damn sure a shield wasn't designed to be an offensive weapon.

I never mentioned the sword.

You completely missed my point. I was talking about gameplay design, something of which you don't seem to properly understand.

 

[DarkestLink]

You completely missed my point. I was talking about gameplay design, something of which you don't seem to properly understand.

Well, I don't know about you, but in the majority of games I've played, using invincibility depleted resources while defensive mechanics, at worst, would only weaken the enemies attack, still hurting you.

 

[JuicieJ]

Well, I don't know about you, but in the majority of games I've played, using invincibility depleted resources while defensive mechanics, at worst, would only weaken the enemies attack, still hurting you.

So games prior to Skyward Sword shouldn't have had the shield block enemy attacks without having damage dealt to us?

Not all games have to follow the same pattern. What Skyward Sword did was a fine mechanic. It can be improved, sure, but it wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[Ventus]

Just because experienced players won't need the shield doesn't make the meter useless.

I didn't say much about experienced users, and in fact I was referencing inexperienced users with

if someone hasn't mastered shield bashing, then simply discarding the shield will largely be easier since you have less to take care of.

so I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to draw there. I do agree that exp players not needing things doesn't make said things inherently useless...but that's moot, as that isn't what I was talking about.

It's getting really tiresome how you just insult everything about SS just because SS.

Similarly, it's getting really tiresome how you just defend everything about SS just because SS. I could go on and on and on, but my Point is "who really cares?"

 

[Vanessa28]

Warning: Don't stoop down insulting each other alright? People can get tired of JJ defending SS and JJ can get tired of people bashing SS. Aren't we supposed to be mature? Act like mature people for once and focus on the subject without getting personal about each other's opinions and feelings. Thanks

 

[JuicieJ]

I didn't say much about experienced users, and in fact I was referencing inexperienced users with so I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to draw there. I do agree that exp players not needing things doesn't make said things inherently useless...but that's moot, as that isn't what I was talking about.

Why? It's the inexperienced users that would need the Shield Bash the most.

Similarly, it's getting really tiresome how you just defend everything about SS just because SS. I could go on and on and on, but my Point is "who really cares?"

The difference is I point out its flaws as well as things it did right.

 

[Ventus]

Why? It's the inexperienced users that would need the Shield Bash the most.

Precisely right, mate, and that's exactly why I said "if someone hasn't mastered shield bashing, then simply discarding the shield will largely be easier since you have less to take care of", and if you happen to discard the shield (unequip it), then the shield meter disappears and thus it is rendered moot and completely useless.

So, to reiterate, if a new player is having struggles with the shield meaning that they can't properly shield bash and their shield is constantly taking damage/being broken, unequipping the shield is the best thing to do which effectively makes the shield meter points. That's all I'm saying there. :yes:

 

[JuicieJ]

Precisely right, mate, and that's exactly why I said "if someone hasn't mastered shield bashing, then simply discarding the shield will largely be easier since you have less to take care of", and if you happen to discard the shield (unequip it), then the shield meter disappears and thus it is rendered moot and completely useless.

So, to reiterate, if a new player is having struggles with the shield meaning that they can't properly shield bash and their shield is constantly taking damage/being broken, unequipping the shield is the best thing to do which effectively makes the shield meter points. That's all I'm saying there. :yes:

If it's best for them to use the shield, then unequipping it would be counterproductive. I repeat, the whole point of the Shield Meter was for resource management. You're looking at it in a way that doesn't make sense from a design perspective.

 

[Terminus]

I never use the shield and I only ever have it for appearences except for Demise. At first it was annoying to have the shield break but soon I got good enough to not use it.

 

[DarkestLink]

So games prior to Skyward Sword shouldn't have had the shield block enemy attacks without having damage dealt to us?

Well, I don't know about you, but in the majority of games I've played, using invincibility depleted resources while defensive mechanics, at worst, would only weaken the enemies attack, still hurting you.

I'm also confused what you mean by resource management. The stamina meter was resource management. Arrows and bombs are resource management. Magic is resource management. But the shield meter isn't resource management any more than hearts are. It isn't about using your limited resources wisely, it's about not screwing up and letting the enemy damage you or your shield.

 

[Sir Quaffler]

I really liked it, it added a new dynamic to the combat. Since I need to use defense more often in SS than other games (I forget I even have it in other games besides reflecting projectiles at enemies), the fact that I can't just hide behind the shield forever makes having a good defensive strategy all the more important. It makes for an effective resource management, and if you get your sword broken it's your fault, and it is a good incentive to step up your strategy.

As an aside, it makes the Hylian Shield all the more awesome. It's not just a regular shield you get at the beginning of the game and is ordinary as a result. By being juxtapositioned against other shields that break, the fact that it can't makes it awesome.

 

[Not Take Mirror]

What did you guys think of the shield deteriorating or getting destroyed in SS? I personally thought it was pretty good, it added a bit of challenge to the series and a bit of strategy. Your thoughts?

I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it definitely adds some realism to the game and makes it more challenging. You then come up with a strategy to use your shield wisely to conserve it's use for times you may really need it. And it also gives treasure hunting some purpose, so you can upgrade it.

On the other hand, it's just plain annoying to always have to worry about your shield. In other Zelda games, you basically take your shield for granted. With the exception of Like-Likes, the shield is the one thing you didn't have to worry about losing.