Skyward Sword ZD Community Gives No Love to SS? :(

[DarkestLink]

What does solving puzzles have to do with the dowsing function?

Good question....

No, but seriously, instead of giving us a puzzle to solve, they just gave us Jack Sparrow's magic compass to lead the way.

You also didn't really back yourself up. If you're going to claim dowsing makes things too easy but then turn around and say the game is too hard without it, you're basically contradicting your points of interest.

The game's too hard without it because it's the only way Nintendo allows us to play. There's no alternative.

I can't tell if you're being serious or if you're buying for time. Since it is forced on us, I suppose you could call dowsing an easy puzzle...that puzzle being,

1) Can you read easy directions and follow them.

2) Can you do this 15 more times?

Think of the Triforce symbols in OoT where you play the Song of Time. Easy puzzle, no? Well how about this...do it 15 times to get all the sidequest items. It's not optional. It's a mandatory game mechanic. If you take that game mechanic out, the game becomes unplayable, much like it does if you can't trigger the cut-scenes for the dragon quest.

Likewise, the game would be impossible without dowsing. Dowsing isn't like the shield, which was optional. You have to dowse much like you need your scents in TP and the Eye of Truth in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

In short, the Triforce puzzle may be easy, but if you took it out of the game or didn't use it, there would be no way to advance.
Same thing with scents. Good luck getting through Snowpeak without em.
Have fun doing the Shadow Temple on your first run with no eye of truth.

Still, this was used...constantly. Rather than give us some clever mind boggling puzzles to decipher, we just follow the path and get there. Main quest, side quests, everywhere.

 

[JuicieJ]

Good question....

No, but seriously, instead of giving us a puzzle to solve, they just gave us Jack Sparrow's magic compass to lead the way.

I really have no idea what you're talking about. The dowsing has absolutely nothing to do with solving any of the game's puzzles. Unless you count finding the Sandship as a puzzle.

The game's too hard without it because it's the only way Nintendo allows us to play. There's no alternative.

I can't tell if you're being serious or if you're buying for time. Since it is forced on us, I suppose you could call dowsing an easy puzzle...that puzzle being,

1) Can you read easy directions and follow them.

2) Can you do this 15 more times?

Think of the Triforce symbols in OoT where you play the Song of Time. Easy puzzle, no? Well how about this...do it 15 times to get all the sidequest items. It's not optional. It's a mandatory game mechanic. If you take that game mechanic out, the game becomes unplayable, much like it does if you can't trigger the cut-scenes for the dragon quest.

Likewise, the game would be impossible without dowsing. Dowsing isn't like the shield, which was optional. You have to dowse much like you need your scents in TP and the Eye of Truth in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask.

Dowsing is absolutely optional, and it's entirely possible to complete the game without it as a result. It's highly recommended in some places (like the aformentioned finding the Sandship) but it's not forced on you at all. If it were forced, we would have no choice but to use it. This is not a debatable issue.

 

[Zorth]

Dowsing is absolutely optional, and it's entirely possible to complete the game without it as a result. It's highly recommended in some places (like the aformentioned finding the Sandship) but it's not forced on you at all. If it were forced, we would have no choice but to use it. This is not a debatable issue.

There are lots of things within the series that are optional and possible to complete the game without, do this and it becomes considerably harder to complete. However I don't view such a game as hard because I'm basically punishing myself for not using all of the tools at my disposal, I'm setting up limitations for myself that I don't need to. That's why SS (and most other games within the series) is easy IMO, if I use all the tools they give me then it's no challenge, if I limit myself then obviously it'll be harder however not because of the game itself but because of me, if you can follow my trail of thought, I'm the one that made the game harder for myself not the game.

If you disagree with something like the above then I won't bother posting here anymore since we'll just get trapped in a vicious circle, what's hard and easy is subjective anyway. :xd:

 

[JuicieJ]

There are lots of things within the series that are optional and possible to complete the game without, do this and it becomes considerably harder to complete. However I don't view such a game as hard because I'm basically punishing myself for not using all of the tools at my disposal, I'm setting up limitations for myself that I don't need to. That's why SS (and most other games within the series) is easy IMO, if I use all the tools they give me then it's no challenge, if I limit myself then obviously it'll be harder however not because of the game itself but because of me, if you can follow my trail of thought, I'm the one that made the game harder for myself not the game.

If you disagree with something like the above then I won't bother posting here anymore since we'll just get trapped in a vicious circle, what's hard and easy is subjective anyway. :xd:

I understand what you're saying, and I'm not trying to argue with it. I was merely pointing out inconsistencies in DarkestLink's arguments.

 

[Blu Ray]

I hate dowsing, It pretty much destroyed the limited exploration you had on a small world. About being optional, Zorth got into that quite well... other than that, lack of a bigger world on a game that took so long to get developed is also disappointing, that also influenced sidequests and heart piece location I guess.

 

[JuicieJ]

I hate dowsing, It pretty much destroyed the limited exploration you had on a small world. About being optional, Zorth got into that quite well... other than that, lack of a bigger world on a game that took so long to get developed is also disappointing, that also influenced sidequests and heart piece location I guess.

I've never understood the complaint about it ruining the exploration. It's not like it gives you step-by-step instructions as to how to find what you're looking for. It just points you in a general direction and lets you know if you're close or far away from it. It's not a Super Guide, or anything.

 

[Blu Ray]

The way I see, step-by-step instructions actually wouldn't be much different than dowsing, the world is small enough already, there wouldn't be much you have to explore without dowsing, with It the item locations are even more obvious and you pretty much just have to go where the game is telling you to go, how does that not ruin the exploration? Such tool would make more sense on a game like TP where the world is too big.

 

[JuicieJ]

The way I see, step-by-step instructions actually wouldn't be much different than dowsing, the world is small enough already, there wouldn't be much you have to explore without dowsing, with It the item locations are even more obvious and you pretty much just have to go where the game is telling you to go, how does that not ruin the exploration? Such tool would make more sense on a game like TP where the world is too big.

Skyward Sword's provinces are infinitely larger than Twilight Princess's. Just compare their sizes on the maps.

 

[Blu Ray]

Pretty sure TP world in general is bigger than SS. The dowsing Itself pretty much helps you limit the options to just a small portion of the map, which also helps reducing the exploration.... Dowsing would most likely do that even on a world 5x bigger than TP, but due to It's size It wouldn't impact the exploration as much as It did on SS. I'd also say dowsing opened doors to those fetch quests before dungeons, finding kiwki or key part or w/e, It got somewhat repetitive, there could easily some puzzles added on those parts or maybe a better use of items who have access to those stuff. Anyway, this tool would've been better If It was treated like an item, where you have to use puzzles or get out of an specific situation or detect invisible walls, I feel like It should've been more limited.

 

[LinkIRL]

If I'd known that people would still be discussing SS after I basically told everyone the thread is dead until Christmas I wouldn't have made it. Y'all are making me want to play SS even more! >.<

 

[JuicieJ]

Pretty sure TP world in general is bigger than SS.

I guarantee you it isn't.

Anyway, this tool would've been better If It was treated like an item, where you have to use puzzles or get out of an specific situation or detect invisible walls, I feel like It should've been more limited.

That's exactly what it was treated like. It was kind of like the Lens of Truth in that concept.

 

[Burning Beast]

If I'd known that people would still be discussing SS after I basically told everyone the thread is dead until Christmas I wouldn't have made it. Y'all are making me want to play SS even more! >.<

Unfortunately, Skyward Sword is like the most heavily debated topic in the Zelda fanbase, if you give a mouse a cookie...

 

[JuicieJ]

Unfortunately, Skyward Sword is like the most heavily debated topic in the Zelda fanbase, if you give a mouse a cookie...

Being the latest Zelda game, it's really inevitable. It'll be the same thing with every future Zelda title, no doubt.

 

[Blu Ray]

I guarantee you it isn't.



That's exactly what it was treated like. It was kind of like the Lens of Truth in that concept.

I won't argue with you anyome on the size of the world map as It's been qutie a while since I played TP, but I'll get back to It sometime, I'm still not buying that It's world is smaller then SS though.

As for the Dowsing, It wasn't treated like a regular item. Regular items are used mostly at It's specific dungeon and usually are part of puzzles. Dowsing at the other hand, could be used quite often and was optional, felt like a tool that's there just to make the game easier. I hated using It but would feel stupid not using It, I don't think It's me that should limit my choices to make the game challenging, It's the game that has to do that.

Oh btw, don't get me wrong guys, I really loved Skyward (way more than TP actually), but I think the flaws were quite stupid and could be easily avoided.

 

[JuicieJ]

I hated using It but would feel stupid not using It, I don't think It's me that should limit my choices to make the game challenging, It's the game that has to do that.

Fair enough. I found it quite useful to the gameplay, but different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

Oh btw, don't get me wrong guys, I really loved Skyward (way more than TP actually), but I think the flaws were quite stupid and could be easily avoided.

Yeah, I have to agree with you there. Even if SS is my favorite so far.