Which would "ruin" zelda more?

Dumbing the story down would be the worst. Changing the setting to FFVIIish would be dumbing it down actually. Hell most of the stuff in the poll would be considered dumbing down the series (aside from voice acting).
I do not want a female link.
I do not want a futuristic Link.
I do not want a ton of cheap knockoffs.
I do not want a repetative game.

I do want Nintendo to decide for themselves whats right for the series. Hell if it were left to some of the fanbase, i shudder to think what it would be like.

Well, assuming casual means "super-accessible, easy and requires low dedication, with little appeal beyond initial fun" then that would be pretty high up there.

Most of the others would be acceptable in one way or another, but still very questionable. And some would just be a complete 50/50.

The one I feel sticks out the most, though, is the genre-changing one, as there are quite a lot of genres I just don't like. As examples there is the RPG genre, especially when no action is involved, i.e. have it turn-based. I honestly know no bore quite like choosing attacks from menus and WATCH DEM NUMERS GO UP over and over through an entire game. Hell, I'm not really fond of RPG elements like level-ups and exp points in general, they tend to undermine genuine skill in favour of...dem numbers? FPS games also don't really agree with me, just aiming and running for cover, constantly dodging bullets headed your way, ammo management (I like that for the really powerful weapons, but not for the main source of offense) and all that stuff. I'd vastly prefer just attacking and dodging by simply moving clear attacks, not running towards the next wall in order to stop lightning-fast attacks that WILL hit you unless said wall is sought. Also, ammo. Basically, the only genres I really fully enjoy are the pure action and action/adventure hybrids, anything that involves rpg, large-scale ammo management, waiting or seeking cover instead of just skill-dependant evasions and others just don't agree with me. So I'm actually VERY sceptic about this one, but if it shifts, say, from action-adventure with puzzle elements to completely linear straight-up action, I wouldn't really mind.

Also, sci-fi etc. isn't really Zelda at all, but then it wasn't really FF either, so who knows...

Maybe I'll go into more detail of what I think about each.

Dumbing down and simplifying the story

Yeah, this would be pretty bad. Story's not the most important thing in a game (most of the time), but still, I'd like to see more story. Especially if it takes an unexpected route like Majora's Mask or the Wind Waker.

Adding optional voice acting

Personally, I would not prefer it. I'm a fan of text dialogue (and if there were voices, the script would have to be tailored so). Objectively, I'm neutral. If they can make it work, then good for them.

keeping every zelda "traditional" (meaning like Alttp, OOT, and TP)

No no no no no no and no. If we get another samey Zelda I think I'll die of disappointment.

Keeping every zelda unctraditional (like MM and WW)

Oh please yes. Majora's Mask is my favorite game in existence, and the Wind Waker was a real fun time and took some risks with the art and story. I'd like to see another unusual outing. Preferably a good overhaul of the series.

Setting Zelda in a modern day/futuristic setting, like FFVII

Eeeeeeh, no. That'd be just weird. I mean, I like the idea of stuff like trains in Zelda, but a FFVII-type setting would just be stupid. That said, a steampunk-kind of Zelda could be interesting if done right.

Introducing a female or non-Link character

Well, the character should be a Link character (unless you play as Zelda, which would also be acceptable). But a female Link would be fine by me. It could be interesting.

Making a zelda game in a diffrent genre (Zelda MMO, Zelda FPS, etc)

Depends on the genre. I don't really see them screwing much with this, but I'd really love to see another game in the style of Zelda II, for instance.

Making Zelda Casual

Bleh. (Anyone who says the series already is is an idiot.) It's probably going to be more so than it is now, though.

Making spinoffs like they did with the Mario series

It already has some.
If you're talking Zelda Kart, I don't even think we have to worry about that.

I voted for a dumbed down storyline but I would say making Zelda casual would be worse. Its only I really want a good story right now =(

Zelda needs a new deep, unique and interesting storyline that actually makes sense and doesn't contradict and confuse. It can confuse on the more subtle "theorising" aspects like does this tribe have a connection to this etc etc but it has to have a clear, strong plot. On top of this it needs extra storyline bits (side-questing) that add to overall awesomeness of the game (like MM).

Casual Zelda would be even worse though, imagine an easier version of TP, no side-quests, a few boring mini-games, boring storyline and uninteresting characters/world.

We need a definition of "casual" that's set in stone. Everybody who's brought it up has defined it differently.

Other: dumbing down puzzles and dungeons.

Personally of all those things the only one that actually bothered me.

"Changing the genre"
Now if you mean to RPG sure. But what other genre could work?
Stealth? Please, Metal Gear Link would just be awefull I believe.
First Person Shooter? It would be very annoying to solve Zelda puzzles by looking around from Link's POV.

I find it interesting that 29 people voted that voice acting would somehow "ruin" the series in the VA thread, but here no one has voted against VA yet. I guess it proves worse things could happen. Now we just need to get Double A over here.

As far as I know, Zelda is a perfect blend of many genres...PH had more stealth action that anyother Zelda and many 3D Zeldas have first person shooting...not to mention Zelda has many RPG elements with item level ups and such.

Zelda can be screwed over easily...besides just having VA.

I really think that dumbing down the story isn't necessarily bad.

I voted for the futuristicness

you cant put mmos and fps' in the same category ):/

Am I the only one who would like a Zelda spin-off with a different story and different main character(s)? I think it would be an interesting idea and a good way for them to try new things without "ruining" the main series.

Originally Posted by Double A

I voted for the futuristicness

Same, that would be the worst I think.

Double A, Lunar6, Maritimus, REBSHADOW09, Senap, you have all lost any respect I may ever have had for you. Congratulations.

Originally Posted by Crab Helmet

Congratulations.

Thanks! But.. are you really saying that you'd like a post-modern Zelda?

Originally Posted by Crab Helmet

Double A, Lunar6, Maritimus, REBSHADOW09, Senap, you have all lost any respect I may ever have had for you. Congratulations.

Well, its my personal opinion that Zelda could not work in a modern setting. If you can't accept this opinion, well... not my problem.

Originally Posted by Senap

Am I the only one who would like a Zelda spin-off with a different story and different main character(s)? I think it would be an interesting idea and a good way for them to try new things without "ruining" the main series.

Yeah, I pretty much agree with this. Having something new going on wouldn't really ruin anything, as long as the whole mythology of Zelda would be present (preferably have Link as an NPC, that'd be pretty cool) even enforcing some different style of gameplay for the new protagonist.

Originally Posted by Senap

Thanks! But.. are you really saying that you'd like a post-modern Zelda?

I'd be ambivalent. Provided the gameplay was excellent, the scenario functioned well, the audio and visual presentation was well done, I can't see why post-modern would be bad. The trouble is, all you people seem to think future/modern means generic titles like Halo or whatnot. What's wrong with a steampunk/cyberpunk future? A surreal dystopia? An abstract alternate? It's difficult for me to describe, but if you watch the cartoon Samurai Jack on YouTube or something, you'll see what I mean. I could imagine Link in a future like that with ease. Going future would certainly not ruin Zelda, and provided it wasn't generic future, may even improve it for one or two games.

I wouldn't mind a post-modern Zelda too much. I at least want them to try something different rather than having each game in similar time periods. It would be an interesting prospect for sure and I'm not really sure how it could be bad.

Originally Posted by Mandrag

If Zelda stays as boring and uncreative as Twilight Princess I will never forgive the Zelda team.

I really don't understand what was so boring and uncreative about this game... I thought it was great.

And yeah I wanted to vote for a lot of things on that poll, so I didn't vote. I think another character other than Link would definitely ruin it for me. I mean, I know it's the "Legend of Zelda" but come on, its actually about Link. And its kinda weird for a girl to be saving a princess, come on.

And though many people think Ganon is over-used, he is the main antagonist, and has come to represent a third of the Triforce, which is what The Legend of Zelda pretty much revolves around, the legend of the Triforce... Ganon is just as important as Link, unless they make another "escape game" where they have Link in some dreamland that may or may not actually exist just to be a little refreshing (as they did with MM, LA, and PH). I mean, those games are great (not PH so much in my opinion) but they need to be rare in order to keep us from feeling everything just fell apart and the creators ran out of ideas. I know everyone thinks those games are more creative and whatever, but hey, all they did was take Link and put him in some other world where things don't exactly have to make much sense, it takes more creativity and brilliant thinking to be able to create a new game in Hyrule, and evolve the legend even more with great story-telling, and connections and all that stuff, ya know what I mean? Don't get me wrong though, MM and especially WW are some of my favorites!! So really, we need a combination of traditional and weird bizarre games in the line-up to keep the series going, and I feel they are doing a good job of that.

Taking out story would suck, thats what makes these games amazing. Seriously, for me WW would have been a pretty lousy game without that amazing story behind it. Fighting was really no fun at all, everything was extremely easy to kill, though the puzzles were cool...

I'm not sure what casual gaming is, but I don't like the sound of it, it seems to belittle everything Zelda is...

A post-modern Zelda... I don't know. I think I hate that idea. Having all the games in a similar time-period isn't stale people... Imagine a game like Metroid in a medieval setting... don't even pretend to think that would be sweet, you know it would suck... Weapons in modern day are really stupid in my opinion. Guns are for lazy cowards. All you do is pull a trigger. A guy grunning around killing things with a gun has NO right to be named a hero... at least not to the degree Zelda calls for. Its just not the game for futuristic type stuff, but there are plenty of games that ARE set in futuristic settings for people to play.

I don't remember what was on the list so I'll quit now...

Originally Posted by Hell Hawk

I find it interesting that 29 people voted that voice acting would somehow "ruin" the series in the VA thread, but here no one has voted against VA yet. I guess it proves worse things could happen. Now we just need to get Double A over here.

Oh for the love of god, don't start this debate up again PLEASE!! Hahaha, I wouldn't be able to take it! This is something that people should just sweep under the rug and not talk about til we have a game with VA, and THEN people can ***** about how it ruined the series or added to the story-telling...