A grander plot device, one of global importance

One storyline that I was contemplating a while back was the total war idea. If you step back and look at all the Zelda games they all have one thing in common: Link, in essence, is an assassin. A single individual who infiltrates, and sabotages everything that the evil mastermind is attempting to accomplish. While this is large for the characters involved, the scope isn't that terrifying from a global scale.

Imagine, if you will, a battlefield full of enemies. Not just three or four, I'm talking hundreds or perhaps even thousands. Allies as well. A war for the Triforce and the Golden Land, like from the intro for A Link to the Past. Of all the things I love about Zelda, combat has always been my selling point. Although it can be simple and repetitive, it's still more pleasurable for me than turn-based fighting.

So what if they made a game such as this? Something greater, something bigger. Puzzle solving is fun and should be retained, of course, but a massive Triforce war could be great. Perhaps they could even delve into specifics such as what races were involved, who was friends and who were foe. I've always pondered that thought: in the Great War, who fought who? You would almost be led to think it was everybody against the Gerudos, but they just don't seem large enough to take on Hylians, Zoras. and Gorons combined. Or were there others? Clans that were driven from Hyrule and into the Wildlands. Or was it the Twili? Who can say? It would be pretty intimidating to see a legion of Iron Knuckles come rushing up your yard.

As far as gameplay, no, I wouldn't make it a strategy game. You should only have control over your own person, it's more realistic and places you inside the battle. And I would kill to have Dark Link be a more dawn-character, but I suppose that would ruin the mystery. Meeting him head on in a war could be terrifying though. Just imagine, your in the heat of it and you see yourself, dark and omnipresent, staring you down from a distance as if he were to destroy your very soul. Or is part of your soul? That's a whoooole nother ball park there.

Yes, a war would be great. Also, the search for the Triforce is a great plotline, albeit done before. Imagine being in the Sacred Realm, you and Zelda on the field with the Hyrulean races, Ganon and Shadow Link on the other with the Gerudos and perhaps some other race, all vying for supremacy and for the omniscient and omnipotent powers of the golden triangles. That would be an awesome ending, getting your trash kicked by a bunch of women.

I dont know if I'd want a Zelda game that primarily revolves around battle senarios.

In fact, I dont know if I want another game involving the triforce or Hyrule anymore

I just think it'd be a great ending. Something bigger than a 1-on-1 boss battle. I must admit, I enjoy a bit of chaos in the battle, the Zelda games employ almost too much set routine and cycles. It makes it too easy for the second play through.

I have also been thinking of something similar.

My idea is that there are a number of neighboring countries all jealous of Hyrule because it has the Triforce.

The kind of join forces and attack Hyrule in an attempt to sieze the triforce for themself.

the game would feature some large battles, plenty of puzzles and such.

That could be good, involve the outer lying places of the world. It's true, that you don't see much outside of Hyrule and that which you do see could possibly be other dimensions or just dreams, not directly a part of Hyrulean dogma.

If Ganon can't defeat Link on his own, perhaps he needs to bring in some old friends from the Great War?

I think that it is possible to put Link in a war. In Metroid Prime 3, Samus is put in the middle of huge battles. In my opinion that was cool. They should do that for Link. Instead of dungeons, Link could infiltrate enemy forts. He could wear armor. Some of the items that Link gets could actually help his army. Maybe Link could start the game out as a lowly foot soldier but eventually rise all the way up to a high ranked leading general. When Link fights bosses, he could at the same time need to fight the smaller enemies that are loyal to the boss. Every country that Hyrule defeats would become part of Hyrule, thus allowing the overworld to become really huge. There would still be warping though.

Originally Posted by Sage_of_Stars

I think that it is possible to put Link in a war. In Metroid Prime 3, Samus is put in the middle of huge battles. In my opinion that was cool. They should do that for Link. Instead of dungeons, Link could infiltrate enemy forts. He could wear armor. Some of the items that Link gets could actually help his army. Maybe Link could start the game out as a lowly foot soldier but eventually rise all the way up to a high ranked leading general. When Link fights bosses, he could at the same time need to fight the smaller enemies that are loyal to the boss. Every country that Hyrule defeats would become part of Hyrule, thus allowing the overworld to become really huge. There would still be warping though.

Again, comparing Zelda to any other franchise is pointless IMO. Nintendo wants to keep Zelda confined to itself.

grand wars are always cool to us. but i would settle for fighting half a dozen guys at a time. link is a great swordsman, he could easliy fight a lot of guys at once. and it might actually make it challenging for us.

Originally Posted by Doran_Bladefist

hm............

Sounds good...
Some things to consider
1) Commanding units and War Strategies
-Wouldn't be RTS style but rather kinda like risk... you move your units to a general location and they do the rest... you don't have much input on what happens except you doing what you must.

2) Temples would be the Puzzles where you can obtain magic.
-Temples aren't necessary to beat the game. but to make things easier for yourself and your soldiers, the Magic might be a key to win the battles

3) Same stuff: Hookshot, Sword, Sheild, Bow and Arrow, Bombs, L targeting, horse... I don't want the game to turn into a Dynasty Warriors: Zelda...

4) Capture Villages/Castles
-The idea of the long run is you want to capture everything for Zelda and her Wisedom

5) Collesseum/Labrynths
-Once you capture everything you gain access to two areas
--Collesseum-Fight Hordes of Monsters
--Labrynth-Tons and Tons of Puzzles....

What do you think?

i could totally see this as a good game. I like it, and being a major General in an epic war seems to just fit Link. Dunno why--maybe ive been reading/writing too many fanfics about that very thing lately. but it is always fun to take Zelda to a larger, global (in Hyrulean terms) scale. That type of game would definitely give the Zelda fandom a whole new dimension, one that i think would be cool.

But i wouldnt want it to be something like Age of Empires, or anything like that. Id definitely still want to be on control of Link.

I like the idea of town-capture, but I would gear it as reclamation. Perhaps Ganon's army invades hyrule and the surrouding provinces, and you have to push his troops out to reclaim the homeland. And the temple-diving inbetween would keep the game fresh and break the monotony, keeping the series to it's roots.

Originally Posted by ZeldaStrife

i could totally see this as a good game. I like it, and being a major General in an epic war seems to just fit Link. Dunno why--maybe ive been reading/writing too many fanfics about that very thing lately. but it is always fun to take Zelda to a larger, global (in Hyrulean terms) scale. That type of game would definitely give the Zelda fandom a whole new dimension, one that i think would be cool.

But i wouldnt want it to be something like Age of Empires, or anything like that. Id definitely still want to be on control of Link.

I agree... no RTS...
-I also hope the game wouldn't turn into samurai warriors... But I doubt it would

I would want the way the tropps would move to based off a few things
1) You can't control the individual soldiers, only general locations, Ambush strategies and the more you consider (enemy comes from the north.. do this... enemy comes from west... do this... Consider two waves coming at once...) the better your war would be.

2) You can have body Gaurds

3) the only way for your troops to recieve orders is if their officer is still alive and a messenger/you deliver the message (Perhaps a certain Temple magic gives you telepathy and you can order troops wherever you are)

When it comes down to it, you can turn the tide of battle...
-You have a huge arsenal of weapons and with that you can make a significant impact on your enemy forces

4) Temples are still in... but they are now side missions to give you more power in order to defeat your enemy (Hoping Ganon and his dukes/pawns he promises power to [i.e. Majora])

5) Zelda is taken away, but if you get her back, she can be your general instead and basically do EVERYTHING right... she would crush ganon in terms of tactics... Power however... not so much... So while she's fending him off, you can go to temples and seek power...

Originally Posted by Doran_Bladefist

I like the idea of town-capture, but I would gear it as reclamation. Perhaps Ganon's army invades hyrule and the surrouding provinces, and you have to push his troops out to reclaim the homeland. And the temple-diving inbetween would keep the game fresh and break the monotony, keeping the series to it's roots.

Sunds respectable...
-I must say though... FPS's prove that you can have a fun game without puzzles...

I say... keep the puzzles because they are enjoyable... But I consider Zelda to be a very special fighting system that could be enjoyable no matter what...
-But maybe I'm wrong... In fact... I think I might be... Just because I hate single player FPSs except multiplayer is always a kick... Except Goldeneye... I enjoyed the single player there.... I think partly because it was so good for its time...

They should make a Samurai Warriors type Zelda game.

Originally Posted by OmegaDeathGod

They should make a Samurai Warriors type Zelda game.

No! Bad Idea!
All samurai warrior games are aweful!
Move to location
-Hack away at people/use magic/block

Unless by that you mean, Zelda weapons (Bombs, Boomerang, Bow, etc) in a Samurai Warriors type environment...
-That would be a swell time

I think it should be something kind of LoTR-like, in which Ganondorf gets the full Triforce and he's kinda like Sauron, and commands the biggest army of darkness ever created. Holodrum, Labrynna, and Hyrule all would join forces to defeat Ganondorf; and eventually Link will cut Ganondorf's Triforce Hand with the Master Sword.