Breath of the Wild What else Will This Game Need?

[DuelMark]

What we do know is that it will re-think two conventions:
1) Playing the game alone (Given The Wind Waker HD and its usage of Tingle bottles, it seems this is what Aonuma meant)
2) Linearity (A Link Between Worlds shows us non-linearity could work)

We also know some ideas used in The Wind Waker HD will remain.

However, since we aren't going to hear anything else until E3 2013 (unless they show concept art or something before then) we know nothing else, so all we can do is theorize.

As such, I think know is a good time to go over other conventions the game will need to help it stand out more. Granted each game has something in their gameplay that helps them standout, but for now, these are just typical Zelda conventions that I feel Zelda U needs to tackle.
1) The item you attain in a dungeon is the only way to defeat a boss. (Granted it makes sense they'd be guarding something that could potentially take them on, but at the same time it'd be great if the method was optional rather than the rule)
2) You can't go here or there without this item (Part of the above, in game like Ocarina of Time, you can't reach a certain point until you either claim an item or defeat a boss. Again, I'd rather those be optional)
3) Nothing after the final boss (The only game I know of that continues after defeating the final boss is the Oracle games. Admittedly, some folks, myself included, like to battle the final boss again to see how much better they can be defeated, but I still think the idea of Link hanging out with Zelda after saving her or seeing the aftermath of defeating the villains and make side-quests out of helping people get their lives back on track might also be interesting)

As for other things this game will need to help make it a strong entry, in my opinion anyway.
1) An open, seamless world (Something Aonuma mentioned they're getting from The Wind Waker HD, as in the no load times for when you enter a town and you don't need to load to see buildings of something from far away) Admittedly, I'm one of those who liked Twilight Princess for its huge overworld but I agree it needed more things in it.
2) A greater connection between Link and Zelda to give a good reason for why he has to save her other than to save the world (Granted there's nothing wrong with saving the world, but one of the reasons Skyward Sword became my favorite is because of the bond that you see between Link and Zelda. So I think that having them be close to one another rather than being complete strangers like in Twilight Princess is preferable)
3) More diverse dungeons. (I'm sure we all know that a game is going to have at least a forest, fire and water dungeon; like Pokemon, that's another convention of Zelda though its one I don't mind. However, something I really wish we received in Skyward Sword, and only mildly disappointed with in A Link Between Worlds, is the ice dungeon. I honestly feel that there aren't enough of them. On top of that, it's been a while since we had dungeons in swamps. Also, I agree with Axle, we could use a haunted house for a dungeon. Basically, dungeons that stand out more or are more outside the box in terms of location.)

What else would you feel Zelda U needs to have or needs to change?

 

[The Jade Fist]

First of all, no one cares about the miiverse and bottles, I'm pretty sure. So if thats what they consider redefining convention....

2nd of all, I want an open world.

3rd, I want optional items that make puzzles/ shortcuts, or combat different.

While ALBW tries to give you random money dungeons, which are nice the first time thru, but when you can just sell bees for money faster then anything else in the game, that seams kinda mute. It would have been better to have those treasures to be something besides just 100 /300 rupees.

edit:

Ok, something else I triggered a thought so I came back to repost.

Ok imagine this, Zelda meets Skyrim, meets Mass Effect (or general bioware goodness).

BAM! Most epic game ever.

You'd have the deep story, while I can see why you might want a better reason to save Zelda, I think Duty is a good reason. Make Link a fully initiated Hylian Knight and a member of the Royal Guard.

The Princess gets kidnapped, and a bunch of people are dead.

Bam! GO LINK GO.

In his quest to save her, he discovers why she taken alive, so that some one can figure out how to steal the triforce from her. Doesn't have to be Gannon.

Branching story lines, with different outcomes, because we need more timelines to confuse things. This could even lock or open up dungeons and special spells and items. (All together allow for no matter what choices they make still have x amount of items possible/ spells/ heart pieces)

Open world or worlds, well ok ya very skyrim-esque. Like multiple cities (skyrim cities weren't very big, but they still felt like cities) and regions.

Combat still keep it very Zelda 64 ish, but with a mix of Zelda 2 / Alttp having magic spells he can learn.

And pull it all together, in a serious but still child acceptable story.

And mini games. Gota have those, one per major city.

 

[Firice da Vinci]

One problem that I have with many Zelda games is that the side-quests and optional content do not always feel worthwhile. Even so, many of them are, in the long run, beneficial to the play-through. It would be incredibly difficult for me to complete most titles without near maximum Heart Containers and getting more than one bottle for fairies and potions. Despite this, it often feels like a hassle to find secrets and help out complete strangers to take their rupees. They way I see it, there are two ways of fixing that problem: make the world more immersive or have less side-quests.

I love worlds I can just get lost in. That feeling of just roaming around with no goal in mind, listening to the beautifully composed OST, and discovering the hidden nooks and cranies of the world...just feels amazing. Of the games that I have played, the three that got this right were the original The Legend of Zelda, The Wind Waker, and, I might be getting a little biased with this one, The Minish Cap. What sets these aparts from others? I don't really know. Perhaps there is just a mild sense of accomplishment when Link throws bait at a Map Fish, revels a staircase hidden under a tree, or gets that last handful of Kinstone fusions. You never know what going to happen when you find something that you never had in the first place. You want to go check out that chest out in the distance or that one spot that meant nothing to you until bombs were at your disposal. It is also possible that I simply have an adoration for chibis.

The part about having less optional content depends on the many factors that we do not know. I have never played it, but fans say that the side-quest heavy Majora's Mask rivals its legendary predecessor, Ocarina of Time, which did not have too many out of the way items. The first installment can be beaten in an hour or two, even with a completist holding the controller. My favorite all-time video game, Xenoblade Chronicles, easily has 100+ hours of quests, combined with sixty hours of necessary gameplay and storyline. I can only hope that whatever they add in Zelda WiiU is interesting and satisfying to the player.

 

[Salem]

Have the entire game be fun, no "boring" parts.

 

[Dio]

Have the entire game be fun, no "boring" parts.

That would be the ultimate game, however even if one person finds the whole game fun another player may find a particular bit boring.

 

[Salem]

That would be the ultimate game, however even if one person finds the whole game fun another player may find a particular bit boring.

If I would explain my point a little deeper, it's more to do with having less fillers and fetch quests I hate using those terms but sometimes it's appropriate to use them. The game in general should be fast-paced.

 

[Dio]

If I would explain my point a little deeper, it's more to do with having less fillers and fetch quests I hate using those terms but sometimes it's appropriate to use them. The game in general should be fast-paced.

Fetch quests are generally annoying. I don't know about having the game generally fast paced though. I think perhaps having faster paced action would be good and no lengthly tutorials. However I believe exploration should be a big part of the game and exploration is something to take your time with. There should also be care taken to develop characters well to avoid what happened in Twilight princess for me where I just did not care for anyone I was trying to help, apart from Midna of course.

 

[Salem]

I don't know about having the game generally fast paced though. I think perhaps having faster paced action would be good and no lengthly tutorials.

I advocate for less tutorials too. I would want the battles to be more "dangerous" in general rather than fast action.

However I believe exploration should be a big part of the game and exploration is something to take your time with.

Yeah, I liked how it was done in ALBW, I would like it to be a reference point for future instalments.

There should also be care taken to develop characters well to avoid what happened in Twilight princess for me where I just did not care for anyone I was trying to help, apart from Midna of course.

That's what typically drags the game for me.