I propose a drastic change in Link's character.

Originally Posted by kaybee2

I like the idea, especially considering his personality.

Before any of you say anything, I do like Link being an avatar for the player. That's fine. But we should still give him at least a little personality, shouldn't we? As much as you want to deny it, Link is human. He's not a god, or even a demigod, or anything. He's supposed to be portrayed as a normal person who has to go out and save the world. In OoT, he's a normal ten-year-old boy with friends and a happy, normal life when Ganondorf starts wreaking havoc. In WW, he's a normal kid trying to have fun with his family on his twelfth birthday when his little sister gets kidnapped. In TP, he's an ordinary teenage farm boy whose best friend happens to get kidnapped by a monster.

Nowhere in the Zelda canon is any proof that he's more than human. So shouldn't he act like one?

I like the idea of expanding on the Hidden Skills, and him panting when he gets tired. I think you could maybe add to it a little bit by for every heart Link loses, he gets a little more tired, and maybe his clothes get slightly more torn up or something like that. Instead of just having him look all exhausted when he's only got one heart left, make it a gradual process. Also, he could look a little more off-balance when walking on certain surfaces.

I also loved his facial expressions in TP. I hope they really add to those in the next game. Just make his reactions a little more human-like, you know? But without getting rid of the link thing. I think it's perfectly possible for Link to have a personality without destroying that concept.

THIS!

If stamina is implemented, there shouldn't be any walking effect. Nobody's gonna like having to walk after running for 20 seconds.

Originally Posted by Hombre de Mundo

They had some good stuff like that in Assassin's creed, like you could fall over, bump into people and so on... I wouldn't mind seing that incorporated. It'd also be nice if you crashed a little if you run straight into a wall with full speed, instead of just stopping.

With that said, these are pretty minor things that won't interupt the flow of the game.

I completely disagree, that was the one thing I disliked about AC. It kind of ruined the experience for me. The stumbling was just infuriating.

If you look at videogame Mirror's Edge, main protagonist Faith has some similar moves to Link. Thing is, she does freerunning, which is a freestyle running sport involving stunts, tricks, and odd maneuvers, similar to skateboarding, without the Skateboard. She had been perfecting these moves for years, and Link, farmboy sent to save a nation, can pick it up in seconds.

It doesn't make sense to me either. Making a game where Link's limits are visible and acknowledged creates a closer feeling with him, where the player can understand the limits of his abilities. This can tap into making a much more realistic game, so that Link will have to learn everything.

Well, like I said before in TP Link is like...the chosen one and has the Triforce and blah, he starts off with strength and skill. But if you replay OoT you start off not being able to pull a single weed, and then by the end of the game you can lift towers. That's some serious progression.

Originally Posted by Zeldablue777

Well, like I said before in TP Link is like...the chosen one and has the Triforce and blah, he starts off with strength and skill. But if you replay OoT you start off not being able to pull a single weed, and then by the end of the game you can lift towers. That's some serious progression.

I think that TP Link is able to do that due to his back story. He's a ranch hand who wrangles goats and in his spare time, learns the way of the sword thanks to Rusl. And his age is also a factor

In OoT, he's a small scared child who has to mature and become the hero.

I like the idea of Link's appearance gradually changing with his health. I think that his clothes should be torn after frequent attacks. Maybe after a particularly brutal attack, he will require someone to repair his mail or sew up his clothes.

An idea I thought of is when Link gets really hurt, he'll start to get tunnel vision. The images get blurrier, he starts feeling light-headed, and his moves get more sluggish.

Originally Posted by Muhfish

I like the idea of Link's appearance gradually changing with his health. I think that his clothes should be torn after frequent attacks. Maybe after a particularly brutal attack, he will require someone to repair his mail or sew up his clothes.

An idea I thought of is when Link gets really hurt, he'll start to get tunnel vision. The images get blurrier, he starts feeling light-headed, and his moves get more sluggish.

Like in Halo 3 matchmaking when everybody gets swords & when you attack each other at the same time?

Zelda should be as it is

I'm all for visual effects, like the different animations when you are low on health and such; but I do not want stamina implemented as a game mechanic. It would just be tiresome.

Letting the player get more skills to learn, such as having to earn the jump strike or roll-stab, would be great. But otherwise, Link has infinite stamina because it makes the game better.

Would you really want to stand around and wait for your stamina to replenish? Slower moves would lead to worse skills in battle, which certainly wouldn't help the game play.
Losing balance on a rope or ledge would be horribly annoying after you randomly fall off the ninth or tenth time.

Yeah, I've never been happy with the idea of Link's close getting torn and stuff...I mean what happens when he gets a heart BAM clothes are nice and tidy again? Not to mention it would give me reason to hurt Link. X_x

I like the idea of ailments though. Like in Wind Waker when Link is posessed by poes the controls are inverted. Up is down, left is right. And when ReDeads scream Link is stunned. Phantom Hourglass added some more "Human" things like, if Link spins and/or rolls too much he gets dizzy...that was just annoying. xD

Originally Posted by Katuko

I'm all for visual effects, like the different animations when you are low on health and such; but I do not want stamina implemented as a game mechanic. It would just be tiresome.

Letting the player get more skills to learn, such as having to earn the jump strike or roll-stab, would be great. But otherwise, Link has infinite stamina because it makes the game better.

Would you really want to stand around and wait for your stamina to replenish? Slower moves would lead to worse skills in battle, which certainly wouldn't help the game play.
Losing balance on a rope or ledge would be horribly annoying after you randomly fall off the ninth or tenth time.

I never said that he should have limited stamina. Also, any game that has you randomly fall off a rope or ledge is doomed to fail. Instead, I had a much simpler balancing mechanism in mind.

Originally Posted by Zeldablue777

Yeah, I've never been happy with the idea of Link's close getting torn and stuff...I mean what happens when he gets a heart BAM clothes are nice and tidy again? Not to mention it would give me reason to hurt Link. X_x

Of course not. His clothing would stay damaged until he visits someone to get it repaired. You could also work clothing damage into the gameplay as well, e.g. some NPCs will refuse to associate with him if his clothes are too dirty or damaged.

Also, why would it give you a reason to hurt Link? That makes no sense.

And before anyone says it, there would be a point where Link's clothing could no longer receive damage. There will be no naked Link.

Originally Posted by The Great Panda

Also, why would it give you a reason to hurt Link? That makes no sense.

And before anyone says it, there would be a point where Link's clothing could no longer receive damage. There will be no naked Link.

...Oh, okay. xD

Originally Posted by The Great Panda

Of course not. His clothing would stay damaged until he visits someone to get it repaired. You could also work clothing damage into the gameplay as well, e.g. some NPCs will refuse to associate with him if his clothes are too dirty or damaged.

And before anyone says it, there would be a point where Link's clothing could no longer receive damage. There will be no naked Link.

No naked Link!? Damn!

But seriously, I like the idea of clothing damage. Link would look badass after beating a hard foe if his clothes are shredded. Yarr!

Originally Posted by The Great Panda

Also, why would it give you a reason to hurt Link? That makes no sense.

Link is a handsome young man, wink wink.

Dammit, I just now got that. >.<

Have him run around a save sphere and level up.

Well, I guess Nintendo could do that. I mean if I think about it a lot of enemies get stripped down to nothing before being killed. =\ Maybe if Link ran around in full armor from time to time the same could happen to him. Lol.

I always laughed at how Ganondorf had a nice flowing cape before Link fought him in OoT, and then at the end Ganondorf's cute little cape was all tattered. Haaaaaaaaa.

Originally Posted by The Great Panda

There can be a difference between realism and realism. What you're suggesting is too over-the-top. Of course that wouldn't work. What I'm suggesting is that they realize that, while he is a hero, he's by no means a god. He's good, but not perfect, if that makes sense.

Of course. Like you mentioned before hand with him stumbling after climbing a ledge, or struggling going up a hill. Tiny things like that to make him seem only a little more human. It is after all a fantasy game in a fantasy realm, and Link does hold the "golden power" as it has been called. So yes a certain realism to a degree would be great. But nothing like blood, or limping, or fainting from all his running and such, thats just too over-the-top.

Well...I mean, I make enough problems as is. Rolling into walls, falling off cliffs, as Wolf Link I would sometimes stumble over myself and roll off a slope sometimes...the last thing I need is for Link to randomly add more problems to the list. xD

Shadow of the Colossus had a character that tripped all the time...it was kind of annoying, though realistic...still annoying.

Look at Sora, from Kingdom Hearts, who was thrown into a world of darkness, swinging around a keyblade, like it ain't no thang. I guess gamers don't really care or notice how a normal person can become so awesome in terms of combat in the blink of an eye.

However, small changes that make Link seem more real are a rather good thing to add. I like the proposal.