Breath of the Wild Zelda Wii U - Taking Advantage Of Multiple Control Schemes or No?

[Ventus]

There's a cool, nifty set of features part of the Wii U's latent ability and that is the use of multiple control schemes. The Wii U can adapt to the following controls:
- WiiMotion+ (Wii Remote + Nunchuk)
- Gamepad + Touch Screen
- Wii U Pro Controller (basically think of classic Zelda controls)
- Just Gamepad (close to classic controls, but the big screen in the middle might be a small difference)

That being said, how does this relate to Zelda? Well, there is this conundrum going about and that is whether or not to make use of multiple control schemes. What is your opinion on the matter; should the Wii U take the extra time to use multiple control schemes, or should it take one method (most likely Gamepad since it is bundled with every Wii U box) and flesh that one out? If your preferred choice isn't used, how would you handle having the other option being instated?

Me, I would love for the game to take one control style (the Pro Controller or the Gamepad, either one) and flesh it out, just for time's sake. I don't want to wait even a couple more months to get this title; it's going to the Wii U so it will definitely be a big title, and delays will already be rampant so that Nintendo can make what they perceive to be the right decisions.

If they pick one control scheme and just roll with it, I think Nintendo will be able to work out the kinks and make the game as accessible as possible using that one control style. Using multiple schemes would involve a ton of further bug-testing, and they'd need to balance the game out because motion control offers a much greater range of, well, motion and there is no style that can 100% emulate it. To take this to another degree, if the game were to have motion controls, I believe they'd have to essentially re-work every enemy in the game to perform considerably different than they would under touch controls or buttons, so as to make that "motion connection".

If they instead went to multiple schemes, I'd want every style of play to be completely balanced, with no "advantages" being available for any kind of style. They'd all be fair game. :yes:

 

[Katelynn]

I want Nintendo to use EVERYTHING. No more games like Twilight Princess where you only get an item to finish a dungeon and never use it again. I want all of the controls to be used to their full potential, nothing less than that.

 

[RegalBryant]

Gamepad or Pro.

 

[JuicieJ]

Multiple control schemes. Why? Because it appeals to more people. You want to use the Wii MotionPlus and Nunchuk, you can. You want to use the GamePad, you can. You want to use the Pro Controller, you can. More people would buy it as a result, and more sales equals more money for Zelda's future.

Me, I would love for the game to take one control style (the Pro Controller or the Gamepad, either one) and flesh it out, just for time's sake. I don't want to wait even a couple more months to get this title; it's going to the Wii U so it will definitely be a big title, and delays will already be rampant so that Nintendo can make what they perceive to be the right decisions.

Multiple teams can be hired to make each control scheme. It wouldn't take any extra time at all.

 

[Cfrock]

Gamepad & Touch Screen.

I've said it before and I shall say it again; I didn't spend £275 on a Wii U to use my Wiimote. I can understand and fully enjoy using my Wiimote for multiplayer games or modes (like in Nintendo Land) but The Legend of Zelda is a single-player franchise and as such there is no need for multiple control schemes. They made sense in games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii because of the competitive element, giving players options they were more adept with, but for a strictly single-player game there is no need to do this.

On top of that, The Legend of Zelda has typically been a franchise that Nintendo has used (whether directly or indirectly) to showcase the innovation of their systems or controllers. There is no better example of this than Skyward Sword which used the Motion+ to create a unique and wonderful Zelda game. I want to see them show off their creativity with the Gamepad now. The uses it has in ZombiU, Nintendo Land and even Assassin's Creed III really add to or define those games and going back to using the Wiimote would be a step in the wrong direction in my eyes.

With Zelda U, Nintendo should focus on the Gamepad and nothing else, I say.

 

[JuicieJ]

Gamepad & Touch Screen.

I've said it before and I shall say it again; I didn't spend £275 on a Wii U to use my Wiimote. I can understand and fully enjoy using my Wiimote for multiplayer games or modes (like in Nintendo Land) but The Legend of Zelda is a single-player franchise and as such there is no need for multiple control schemes. They made sense in games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii because of the competitive element, giving players options they were more adept with, but for a strictly single-player game there is no need to do this.

Thing is, there are people that DO want to keep using the Wii MotionPlus. Saying that shouldn't be an option when you can still use the GamePad since it would be one of the options is kind of selfish.

 

[RegalBryant]

But if they keep the MotionPlus, then the gamepad would not have the precise sword motion that is the main point of using Motionplus to begin with, thus favoring one control scheme over the other, or rendering the Motionplus pointless if they don't include anything where precise slashing is important.

 

[JuicieJ]

But if they keep the MotionPlus, then the gamepad would not have the precise sword motion that is the main point of using Motionplus to begin with, thus favoring one control scheme over the other, or rendering the Motionplus pointless if they don't include anything where precise slashing is important.

Right analog stick. It can move in 8 directions and can be pushed down to stab. Before you say that would be awkward, it wouldn't. I've played video games that have used this before and it didn't feel awkward at all. It felt just as natural as using the left analog stick to move.

 

[RegalBryant]

Feels awkward to me.

 

[JuicieJ]

Feels awkward to me.

So moving a character around with the left analog stick feels awkward as well? It's the exact same concept.

 

[RegalBryant]

So moving a character around with the left analog stick feels awkward as well? It's the exact same concept.

Moving character=/= attacking.

 

[Garo]

On top of that, The Legend of Zelda has typically been a franchise that Nintendo has used (whether directly or indirectly) to showcase the innovation of their systems or controllers. There is no better example of this than Skyward Sword which used the Motion+ to create a unique and wonderful Zelda game. I want to see them show off their creativity with the Gamepad now. The uses it has in ZombiU, Nintendo Land and even Assassin's Creed III really add to or define those games and going back to using the Wiimote would be a step in the wrong direction in my eyes.

Pretty much this, with the addition of the idea that each game is very much built from the ground up for its intended control scheme. Doing so with two control schemes would result in essentially two radically different games, given that the two control schemes being discussed vary so wildly (motion and touch/buttons). Rather than both waste development time creating two different games with different mechanics as necessary and deliver an inferior experience for one control scheme (which one would provide the inferior experience would depend on which one was the "initial" control scheme, so to speak, as the one that gets added second will have to compromise to accommodate for features of the first), I'd much rather they only offer a single control scheme that takes full advantage of the new opportunities available to them, and create a unique experience rather than just a revision of a previous experience.

 

[JuicieJ]

Moving character=/= attacking.

You're moving an analog in multiple directions with both. There is no difference in what you're doing with the controller.

Pretty much this, with the addition of the idea that each game is very much built from the ground up for its intended control scheme. Doing so with two control schemes would result in essentially two radically different games, given that the two control schemes being discussed vary so wildly (motion and touch/buttons). Rather than both waste development time creating two different games with different mechanics as necessary and deliver an inferior experience for one control scheme (which one would provide the inferior experience would depend on which one was the "initial" control scheme, so to speak, as the one that gets added second will have to compromise to accommodate for features of the first), I'd much rather they only offer a single control scheme that takes full advantage of the new opportunities available to them, and create a unique experience rather than just a revision of a previous experience.

Pikmin 3's main control scheme is the Wii MotionPlus and Nunchuk, but it also features the GamePad and Pro Controller as additional schemes. It hasn't wasted any time at all.

I also fail to see how it would be drastically different with multiple schemes. If it were initially designed for the Wii MotionPlus, it could easily be translated to the other two controllers. The differences would be minor.

 

[Ventus]

Right analog stick. It can move in 8 directions and can be pushed down to stab. Before you say that would be awkward, it wouldn't.

Correction: It wouldn't feel awkward to you. Just because you're comfortable with something doesn't mean everyone will be as well.

I've played video games that have used this before and it didn't feel awkward at all. It felt just as natural as using the left analog stick to move.

I'm actually quite curious to this notion. What games have you played that used this system of right analog stick to attack? I have never once in my life heard of such a game, only emulators designed to, well, emulate the WM+ and they got their task done with varying success.

 

[Cfrock]

. Saying that shouldn't be an option when you can still use the GamePad... is kind of selfish.

The thread does ask for own own opinion on the matter so all of our answers can be seen as 'selfish' to some extent. For example, including multiple control schemes would make the game take longer to develop meaning people who only want one control scheme have to wait longer just so you had more options. If Nintendo had to hire extra teams to implement multiple control schemes in the same time-frame then you're asking them to spend more money than they otherwise would (through hiring more people) for something a lot of people aren't going to use.

I just want Nintendo to focus on utilising the new hardware they've sold us without having to fit an older control scheme into a game that will be (hopefully) designed for a totally different one.