That isn't solving the problem, it's parsing the problem out. Splitting up the franchise's inconsistent storytelling into another timeline that doesn't actually exist in game is just building another lane in the interstate and hoping it helps with congestion. There is a single real solution to the series' chronic continuity problems: either hire better writers or stop stepping on the toes of the ones you already have.
Better writers aren't going to fix pre-existing issues from the past 40 years. You're missing the point entirely and I already said this isn't meant to be a "fix" to the timeline.
They can't fix stuff that's already written, but they can build new and better things from it and use it to retroactively make that old canon click. Trying to retcon old stuff into some far away closet doesn't actually fix the problem.
This has always been an iterative series that exists to sell a concept that can exploit hardware to sell unique devices. How an ambitious game like Ocarina of Time connects to some cash grab multiplayer game like Four Swords or a stand alone story like Link's Awakening isn't important because those games were not developed as brand new chapters in an on-going narrative. It's exploitation of an IP.
I'm not saying it's farfetched, I'm saying it's impractical.
A 4th timeline is functional if you are going to de-canonize the references to past games in BotW and TotK. That would be unprecedented.
Or we all go linear and work it out from there. When all the games reference each other across timelines, a split timeline is a major problem. The more and more we talk about this, the less and less feasible it is for the current in-universe canon status quo to remain.
It's not outside the realm of possibility, but it doesn't solve the problem.
That still falls within the realm of working with the canon you want instead of the canon you have. Make something good with the established lore instead of trying to pick and choose.
I wouldn't call the timeline split the problem so much as Nintendo's writing style. Change up that writing style, add more casual references to other games and history, and work with the lore we've got. Either bring in a team of writers that care or stop Nintendo from impeding ones who do. If fanfiction has shown anything it's that it's not hard to just make the story work.
We see how they evolve. It isn't like, "oh, maybe Groose became the Gerudo" or "maybe the Parella became the Zora." We know that the Zora became the Rito. What you're proposing is convergent evolution which is possible but there isn't evidence for.
It isn't dogma to say that the Rito existing before Wind Waker goes against Wind Waker's presented narrative. If you want to put a TotK backstory pre-WW, that's fine, I just need a better explanation as to the Zora-Rito situation. I saw someone say there's the Mountain Rito vs. Volcano Rito; perhaps that's the explanation?
It has as much merit, I agree, but the argument that a 4th timeline needs parallel events isn't flawed. Or pointing out that the Rito thing contradicts Wind Waker. There just has to be some acknowledgement of the contradiction.
I mean the Rito are also in Twilight Princess HD. Not saying it's impossible; just saying that you have to acknowledge that you exit theory when you make a move that contradicts the games.
The Skyward Sword split also requires parallel events. This is the problem with all of these splits now: parallel events in every timeline are required except a single linear timeline. And when every timeline needs to happen in every timeline, you have to pitch new branches including those parallel events.
The only things you can do with the established lore is add more splits, merge, de-canonize or go linear. Or Living Legend the whole thing.
Don't do any of those things. Continue with the timeline as is and make something good out of it.
What does this mean? What does "something good" look like after Tears of the Kingdom? To include it is to sacrifice some part of the canon: the Hero of Twilight and the Hero of Winds' literal clothes both appear in the game. That cannot be squared with the timeline as we know it. Is what I'm saying crazy? I feel like the entire fabric of the series got changed a year and a half ago.
It means just make good stories with the current storyline. Work with the canon you have, not the canon you want.
The canon we have is that the Hero of Winds and Hero of Twilight both exist in the same universe. So how does one explain that?
What does this mean? Twilight Princess, Wind Waker, and Zelda 1 all still happen: why add another split?
Don't. The timeline sucks, but you don't improve anything by just retconning large chunks of it. Retconning the timeline doesn't fix the issue of bad writing, good writing fixes the problem of bad writing.
I go with linear as well, but the order is different
Restructuring the timeline doesn't actually take much retconning though. Especially if you're going by what the games and supplementary (manuals/strategy guides) tell us
