Long post ahead. I hope it's fun! *gives you a ladder in case you want to skip it*
Sonic# wrote:A little better, and thank you for taking the effort to write that.
Whew!
Sonic# wrote:I just don't think that your opinion of the game justifies calling Wind Waker a bad game.
Hmmmm...
Sonic# wrote:It is fine to wish it were the more traditional Zelda map, but they often used grids too.
Wait whaaaaaaaat. Never did you have to go to each part of the grid in Zelda 1 to go talk to a fish to feed him something so he draws a part of the map. Each block in that grid can be walked by pleasantly in a few seconds. You get to recognize the places, because each screen has a different layout of mountains and trees/objects. You somehow know what screen is next after you've walked by it once or twice. Just like any other place in games/real life. *sigh* A link to the past hardly counts as a grid
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
that's just 3x3. Each place is just divided by forest, castle, mountain, town, lake...you can also walk through almost the whole map in a few minutes. But look, it's not the fact the it's a grid, its not that I dislike grids, it's the fact that it's too large, too many places you don't need to visit (but end up going to anyway cause you can't just ignore the game!) which wastes a lot of time. And you often see something you can't get cause you don't have the tool to do it yet... so you have to travel here later. In other words, it's broken. It doesnt work. It does not entertain, it's like a job to do, not a game, and the fact that WW is the only Zelda of its kind pretty much proves it. It's not like Zelda Alttp (which itself is an improved version of Zelda 1 and 2), these games inspired all the GB/GBC/GBA Zeldas.
Even Alundra and Brave Fencer Musashi took notice that this gameplay is gold. What games have tried to mimic Wind Waker? Very few, if any...
Speaking of time, I heard Dragon Warrior VII is over a hundred hours or so, the fastest. Sadly, I haven't played it, but just because Dragon Warrior VII is like that, doesn't mean that it's a good thing to do in games! I will likely take points off for that too, just like WW.
Sonic# wrote:Should I resent the dozens of times I had to use the same grappling hook mechanic to open a door in a dungeon?
Well, I am no one to tell you what to resent and what not to resent
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
I know, but if I must:
No, because that's like resenting how many times you've jumped on a goomba in mario. It's just something that takes seconds to do, and is satisfying to see/hear/perform. Everyone wants to play it after they see something like that. So the grappling hook is great.
Sonic# wrote:The many times in Skies of Arcadia that I run back and forth between my ship and the engineer who upgrades my island when I leave the island and return?
I haven't played it but, if it's something repetitive with like nothing new each time you do it, or a repetitive tiring music in the background, or you do a lot of walking to do this and there's loading times on top of that, then yes you should most likely resent it!
Sonic# wrote:The many times I have to travel to a certain place at a certain time to talk to a certain person to obtain a bromide in the first two Lunars?
NEVAR! Lunar has the nicest music out of all these games. The cutest looking graphics, and the most interesting dialogue coming from those NPCs that seemingly change each time something happens. Talking to people in Lunar almost feels like an improved version of real life. It is a rich experience. As repetitive as it sounds to talk to every NPC, this is Lunar we're talking here. The game that is almost defined by its dialogue. I ALWAYS find something that is so much fun that I have to show it to a friend. Bromides are secret extra items, btw, that does not compare to anything in Wind Waker involving heart pieces, charts, maps, upgrades, pieces of the triforce in the ocean, etc...
Sonic# wrote:For instance, Lunar SSSC had Luna accompanying Alex, a significant change to the plot because it gave Luna more presence in the story
That is not a gameplay improvement, that is a story change to offer something new, it doesn't say anything about the original being bad, what that tells me is that the creators want to surprise me with new content. They are too nice! It immediately gives you a sense of wonder and excitement about what else has changed. A game improvement itself would be the smaller dungeons... and nicer sound effects. (TSS has some serious *hit* sound effects in battles and stuff...) Which is easily overlooked because you just can't hear it over the sound of an amazing soundtrack.
Sonic# wrote:What if the next Lunar game were more like Wind Waker
NOHHH
Sonic# wrote:in the sense of allowing travel through the world, perhaps including by boat, with a lot to explore.
Oh, sorry. Well, Lunar 2 kinda already did this! You get to explore part of Lunar 1. And that is just SWEET. That is almost comparable to Zelda's light and dark worlds. In Lunar 3, you should be able to explore how the Lunar 2 world has evolved. So yes!!