I don't understand something about the timeline...

Originally Posted by xcyper33

I don't think this is a plausible theory. The HH specifically states that Link loses in the final battle. Your 2nd theory is better but nothing beats the LttP theory. That theory goes something like: at the end, when Link makes a wish on the fully sturctured Triforce, he wishes that Ganondorf never be victor again in any battle. This wish goes back to the days of OoT, and helped OoT Link beat Ganondorf, thus creating the 2 splits.

Or that Zelda herself travelled back in time after much studying in the DT, and managed to remove the ring of flames (in the DT fight the flames were there for the entire thing.)

You can blame everything on Wind Waker.

The simplest explanation is that Nintendo didn't want to reference their 10+ year old games anymore, and replaced LttP as OoT's sequel with WW. But then after that, people are requesting the full timeline. They didn't know what the hell to do. I'll bet you the reason it took so long to release it was them figuring out where to put LttP. Then FSA came along, attempting to be the prequel to LttP, but that got nixed late in development for some reason. In the end, they said "to hell with it" and put it as an alternate universe. Because really, where else would it go that makes more sense?

The less you need to think about the timeline, the better.

The DT could not just happen after any Zelda game, because only in OoT and ALttP are there 7 sages.

Originally Posted by Lex

The real reason why it happened: the developers already resolved both timelines that were created by time travel, and neither of those resolutions had anything to do with the classic games.

Couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by Demon King Demise

It's more of a "what if" scenario than a timeline if you ask me...

I still don't understand why people say that the DT is a "what if".
It does happen.

Originally Posted by Kasuto

Not opinion, Kamina - belief

We are not talking about religion here. It's an opinion on the matter based on statements of HH, not a believe in something that may or may ot be made up.

Originally Posted by Cayenne Pepper

I still don't understand why people say that the DT is a "what if".
It does happen.

Not from AT and CT's point ov view it doesn't.

Originally Posted by Kamina

Not from AT and CT's point ov view it doesn't.

And from the DT's point of view, the AT and CT don't happen. Since the original games are on the DT, wouldn't it be more accurate to say the AT and CT are the what-ifs =P

Of course, all three timelines are 'alternate' depending on which one you exist on. All that's different is that two came about as the result of actions, while the other is an alternate timeline.

Logically, I'd expect there are an infinite number of timelines, but we only concern ourselves with the three presented.

It is an alternate universe in which Ocarina of Time ended differently than the Adult Timeline. In theory, every single game may have an alternative "game over" ending resulting in a different future, but we have yet t0 see them. The Decline Timeline is what happens if you get a game over in Ocarina of Time. Its existent was always evident because A Link to the Past could not co-exist with either the events of Twilight Princess or The Wind Waker. If they so desired, the debrloprtd could make future games following yet "game over" endings of previous games.

Originally Posted by Kamina

Not from AT and CT's point ov view it doesn't.

So. From the DT's PoV, neither does the AT/CT.
It still happens though.

They all happen and they are all part of the same reality.

Originally Posted by Kasuto

They all happen and they are all part of the same reality.

At least you more or less understand.

They're separate realities stemming from the same reality.

This leaves the question of Link and his ability to exist and not exist simultaneously.

I thought about that a while back. I think that the spirit is eternal and boundless. It crosses the gap between the branches of reality, thereby allowing people to exist in several branches at once. Link's mind and body are bound to whatever branch he's in, while his soul is not.