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[ywkls]

Destiny of the Oracles- Part 1
 
Part 2

 

And we're back yet again to this quest.

This is the 3rd quest in my ongoing series.

In the original concept, you were going to play as Link and Dark Link respectively.

However, after 2 years of development I was inspired by another quest project to change the protagonists.

Overall, I feel that the results worked better for the overall arc of the story.

 

I chose to make the basic attacks cut grass and bushes only as a way to make other upgrades more significant.

You can pick up many items at a distance with the projectiles. 

As you get other upgrades, the basic attack becomes more powerful.

 

The same is true for the healing ability.

The entire quest is built around to using this power to survive.

It gets stronger as you get the main item from each dungeon.

 

All of Din's enemies are corrupted characters who would normally be allies.

A recurring theme in the quest is one character clearing a path which the other can use to progress.

 

There's going to tons of come back later areas.

These are found even in dungeons.

 

Those clue scrolls are good for both worlds.

They make solving the various sidequests easier.

The lost fairies were not in the original quest design.

They were added as a way to give both sides two groups of ten quests to do.

They follow you outside dungeons but will stop doing so if you die while they're active.

The various quests will give you a clue about where to go if you visit them before you complete their requests.

 

Almost every single dungeon in the quest has different enemies from every other.

Most are unique scripts which I created.

The turnstiles were made a short time before the quest really started production and are one of my favorite inventions.

 

Some items are used by both characters.

These include the shields and wallet upgrades.

 

When you load a saved game, each character will be sent back to the last save point they used.

While inconvenient, this prevents many things from going wrong.

 

[ywkls]

Part 3

 

Even if you run out of MP, all is not lost.

You can still use the primary weapon to fight enemies and thus obtain MP.

 

Later it is revealed that each character knows what's going on in the other realm at all times.

Time passes while you're in each world but that doesn't affect things.

 

All of the colored chests have similar contents.

Gold chests are Magic Containers.

Red chests are Boss Keys.

Blue chests are major items.

Orange chests are Heart Pieces.

 

The sleeping man offers clues to opening the next dungeon for each character.

There's an Armos Knight outside the house with the Crystalline Flame who does the same in the other world.

 

That one blue chest is scripted because of how the Lost Letter quest is set up.

These were changed during the creation of the quest and all the others have boss fights involved.

 

Getting the small blue chests out of order isn't really possible.

So don't worry about that.

There are exactly two important items in them.

[ywkls]

Part 4

 

The Diabolical Factory was one of my more complicated dungeons to set up.

I'm still not entirely sure why I have sideview areas in it but it does.

Also, in a quest with nearly 1,500 strings a typo or two is to be expected. 

 

One thing I did early in the development of the quest was to make most of the enemies in Nayru's level 2 weak to fire.

This makes the Ember Seeds far more valuable.

 

The puzzles where you have to hit switches in order are made possible by Moosh.

They're hard to set up but I enjoy them.

There's no penalty for doing it in the wrong order so you can just use trial and error if you want.

 

The Gale Fruit was heavily inspired by the Portal Sphere from Isle of Rebirth.

It once allowed enemies to use it as well.

Adding in the various puzzles where you can move the projectile was a great idea.

I just which I'd used it more.

Fun fact: the script once crashed the entire engine making the quest unplayable until you reset.

[ywkls]

Part 5

 

Neat arrow puzzle, right? 

Even cooler block puzzle, to be sure.

I wish they'd all turned out so well.

 

There's an unknown glitch with the Gale Fruit which sometimes makes it disappear.

Due to limitations on enemy defenses in this version, the Gale Fruit can't damage enemies.

 

It isn't obvious, but pot and enemy drops are scripted.

Depending on who you're playing as, they change to match that character.

 

I could have made other things work on the crystal switches.

I only did things this way because it was easier.

 

Because of the subtlety of the wall, I added rubble there so it would stand out more.

Hopefully this prevents such things in the future.

 

The mini-boss is indeed Maple.

The Seed Shooter will prove to be a powerful weapon even late in the quest.

 

When you look in the mirror, do you not see yourself?

Having the Evil Oracles was always a part of my plan.

Each one will have the powers you could have acquired by the point you encounter them.

 

Be sure to go back for that large blue chest.

It is definitely worth your while.

[ywkls]

Part 6

 

Getting the pits to work right has been an ongoing labor.

They're probably one of the most complicated parts of the script file.

 

Originally, the Oracle spots were programmed to display both characters if they happened to be on the same screen.

Since that is not possible any longer, they merely transport you.

That one spot in Asymmetry City had bugs which forced me to make it a secret.

 

The Farore Memories act as a form of back story for the quest.

Finding them all is required to access post game content.

You have to access them in a specific order.

 

That expensive item is the Revival Potion.

It is available for much less later.

 

The Masked Marauders each guard a letter.

Because I wanted the 10th to be a boss, one was placed in a blue chest.

They get progressively harder as you advance through the quest.

Each one is modelled after a character from the Zelda series.

 

Every sidequest event gives you a regen token for that character for completing it.

Doing them all is required to access post-game content.

[ywkls]

Part 7

 

The placement of the blue keys and the two items was carefully calibrated.

With the raft in hand, you can actually reach Nayru's level 4 before finishing level 3.

There's nothing to prevent you from doing though you would have to back track for whatever you skipped later.

 

After watching the earlier videos I've updated how the large blue chests work to match the small blue chests.

All armor and ammo expansions are now progressive.

 

The mine cart is Moosh's script.

It is just as finicky as my own.

After wrestling with it here, I decided never to use mine carts in ZC again.

Also, those automatic doors were very finicky.

 

The Crystalline Beasts and Altars are part of the requirements for accessing the post-game.

There are 9 bosses and one free Crystalline Flames which unlock a 10th boss which gives you an item.

 

That fight against Dimitri is actually weighed in your favor.

If you run out of bombs, more fall from the ceiling.

 

When I first thought of the Lightning Rod, I didn't really know how it would be used.

Although powerful, it's generally too MP costly to be a practical weapon.

 

I tried to give each character the same amount of upgrades.

The only exception was the fact that Din has two types of ammo while Nayru only has one.

[ywkls]

Part 8

 

That requirement for Summer's Heat at the end of Din level 3 was added because people kept skipping it.

This made that impossible.

I added those clues about using the boss key because many people seemed to not be able to figure out what to do with them.

I recently adjusted how the blue chests work so that you will get any upgrades in order.

The armor is exclusive to each character and controlled by dungeon map settings.

 

I really like the design of the Uneven Edifice.

It's split straight up the middle between wet and dry.

 

The orange chest is actually a Heart Piece.

You'll need the item from level 5 before you can get it.

 

I wish that there was a way for the space bar map to accurately reflect any secrets that are triggered.

Sadly this is beyond me.

However, the scripted map would show a change.

Those path puzzles get used a lot but not as many as before.

Adding in the portal power seemed like a natural extension of the idea.

This gimmick of doing something and having an event happen off screen gets used a lot in this quest.

 

I ran out of buttons to use for quickly switching your weapon upgrades.

Each one is more powerful than the last and has exclusive abilities.

[ywkls]

Part 9

 

It's safe to assume that the contents of all blue chests are beneficial.

Also, Darunia is the first example of a tendency some of my bosses have to get stuck doing specific things.

 

The power of Summer's Heat had to be carefully tweaked so as not to be too powerful.

This is a recurring issue with other items.

I find it interesting how all of Nayru's weapon upgrades are combat related while Din's mostly solve puzzles.

 

I could have theoretically made the Tokay steal your stuff.

It just felt too complicated to mess with.

 

Level 4 for Nayru is a design I call a dungeon within a dungeon.

This incorporates a new script which basically rewrites screen secrets.

 

The Crystalline Flames aren't bound to a specific altar.

However, there's usually one nearby.

 

Din's level 4 was actually shortened during production.

Also, those moles were very contrary and wouldn't cooperate with being vulnerable to attacks.

The idea is that each horizontal row is vertically aligned above lower rows.

 

The order in which you do each level doesn't matter.

Except when it comes to level 9. that is.

[ywkls]

Part 10

 

When I came up with the idea for Din level 4 in my head, it wasn't nearly this confusing.

The idea was inspired by an infamous dungeon with many holes in an LTTP rom hack.

 

Apparently dodongos don't like to cooperate with scripted bombs.

But they can be killed.

 

The item was originally the Roc's Feather.

However, changing it seemed appropriately funny.

 

Those pits in the second entrance of Din level 4 were recently made more forgiving.

Though it is still possible to fall into a room on the wrong side of the dungeon there.

 

The game over is scripted. Though things didn't work exactly as designed.

Those spikes kill you because I've had a few clever testers find ways to damage boost past them otherwise.

 

Did you know? in this version of ZC I discovered a weird bug associated with graves.

If you don't have an enemy to spawn with them and you press against one, it crashes ZC.

[ywkls]

Part 11

 

The combination of path and Gale Fruit puzzles pretty much hits its peak here.

Thinking out how they can intertwine hurts my brain.

 

Those doors operate on a script of mine called Linked Secrets.

Basically, they override existing screen secrets.

 

During testing of this dungeon, all of my scripts crashed unexpectedly!

Never did entirely figure out why.

 

Originally, switchhook diamonds were moved permanently.

Moosh helped me come up with a way to reset them.

The power of the weapon is heavily nerfed due to how fast it is to use.

 

Strangely, almost everyone seems to explore with the feather before finding the way to open that path.

So hopefully that will make things easier.

[ywkls]

Part 12

 

The Farore quests all involve mini-games.

Some worked out better than others,

The digging mini-game is random every time.

The time limit is a bit tight but the chance of any spot giving you the item is low.

They are in order for the sake of backstory continuity.

 

The one where you ride Epona is my favorite overall.

There's a payoff in the terms of post-game access.

You can then earn a special reward by playing all the games again.

 

The most technically demanding one to make was the octorock army.

Getting them all to move in sync was demanding.

Also, congratulations on figuring out the hint system I built into this quest!

 

It may be tradition in this quest for the trading sequence to be completely ignored.

If you ever get around to it, the reward is worth your time.

 

The various optional bosses are each in an order of difficulty.

You're not guaranteed to find them in that order, though.

Nayru and Din have separate Regen Tokens which heal them.

 

A rare bug with Bow Wow traps you in the room if you die there.

This was fixed by making the ember seeds spawn if you run out.

[ywkls]

Part 13

 

Considering the fact that I helped test Amy Rose 3, having this cameo felt right.

It helped that SCKnuckles was the primary contributor towards the soundtrack.

 

Ironically, that one warp spot at the top of Rolling Ridge only leads to money.

There used to be more involved but it was felt to be too obscure.

 

With the level 5's you've started to experience two-floor dungeons.

This one uses over-under mechanics.

 

The lone gold star prevents cheesing that puzzle.

It instantly activates the secrets.

Similarly, the posts rise in the puzzle with the push blocks and the Gale Fruit to keep you from getting trapped.

 

Due to an oversight in the dungeon's design it is actually possible to miss a key.

This was adjusted in the latest version.

[ywkls]

Part 14

 

I really love how Kalle Demos worked out as a boss.

The smaller vines are weak to the boomerang to make the overall process easier.

 

I'm not particularly good at making ice block puzzles, but I did my best.

I often had to add extra movable blocks so they could be solved.

 

The air vents push you away and keep you from jumping.

Also, that one key by the first ice block puzzle was added after the original version of the quest was released.

 

The chief mechanic of the Subzero Storehouse is switching floors.

This is pulled off by secretly pitwarping you to the same screen on the other floor.

 

In case it isn't blindingly obvious, I scoured the internet far and wide for enemy sprites.

This was to give just about every dungeon unique foes.

 

The Magic Boots were originally mostly useful in this dungeon.

However, I would later expand their powers for Din's level 7.

[ywkls]

Part 15

 

Once you get the Magic Boots, the fastest way to get all keys is basically to circle the entire dungeon again.

Keeping you from jumping prevents you from cheating past the fans.

 

Unfortunately, the size of the turnstiles limits how many I can have in a room.

I tried to use them in as many interesting ways as I could.

 

I couldn't think of a good way to add more locked doors so free money!

There's a little more you can get later to help buy clues.

 

Originally, Fall Breeze pushed you instead of pushing.

However too many people found it hard to understand.

This version works more like Pegasus Boots.

It turned out to be an essential element in the final version of Din level 7.

That handy little shortcut back to the start wasn't designed but interesting.

 

I think that Ruto may be the first boss where you've had to heal.

Things are bound to get harder from here.

This is the numerical halfway point in terms of overall available dungeons.

 

One version of the Crystal Vire split into two upon death.

This was determined to be too hard so I settled on this version.

[ywkls]

Part 16

 

You know, it seems like everyone who plays this quest gets stuck at some point.

Nearly everyone overlooks the trading sequence until very late.

The first part of the trading sequence isn't particularly obvious.

That one switchhook spot by the Zora is only meant as a shortcut.

 

There's actually a way to get clues about the next route to take.

The sleeping man in the info house at the top left side of Lynna City will give advice on reaching the next dungeon.

 

At least your various wanderings allowed you to progress some of the sidequests?

Doing this now means not having to later in order to access post-game.

 

That one spot that opens to access Din level 6 is hard to find if you don't remember where it is.

I may expect too much out of those who play my quest.