4 replies to this topic

[ywkls]

In case anyone is wondering, I haven't stopped work on Balance of Nature. I've got less than one dungeon to go in enemy placement and since I don't know if any of the ones I currently have will be scripted by the time I'm finished, I've started this which has been percolating in the back of my mind since before I began my last idea.

Originally, I conceived of a game called The Four Lands, which would feature Link journeying to Holodrum, Labrynna, Termina and Hyrule. But I soon decided to be less ambitious and concentrate on just one of these at a time and divide the story up between four games. This is the second in the series and picks up moments after the ending of the first. (Which you'll have an idea of whenever you can play it.)

As the description says, time of day plays a large part in my design for this quest. Certain obstacles can only be overcome at specific times of day. For an example, many houses and even Hyrule Castle are closed at night. However, barriers blocking passage across bridges are down. At dawn, the tide is out, allowing you to walk to regions you couldn't reach otherwise. Special posts that allow you to cross some gaps with the hookshot also only rise at dawn. During the day, vines grow up cliffs, letting you access areas you couldn't otherwise get to and some rivers run dry. At twilight, vines which rise out of the ground and prevent access descend and certain gates open. Of course, I may come up with more ways to vary this as I develop the game. One example is dungeons which change during certain times of the day.

Another thing I'm going to do is set up lots of events that take place at certain times of the day and while they can be missed; finding them all will lead to various rewards. For example, there will be chances to talk to one of the guest stars, who can be found in secret locations around the world. Another is where a man and woman are stranded in different time zones. The man will show up in various spots, asking you to get something for him and offering a reward in return. Eventually, you can help them to be reunited. Another is secret treasure boxes. These locked boxes could contain anything and you'll see that they only rise out of the ground at different times of the day. Once you get keys, you'll have to decide which one to open, which means that your reward could be anything from one rupee to a new piece of equipment. Naturally, I'm going to have collectibles and a trading game too.

I should be done with everything I can do without scripts on my old project before too much longer, which means I'll focus on this while that is getting tested. If anybody has ideas about sidequests, or events to feature; I'd certainly like to hear them.

[ywkls]

Design for the overworld is just about complete. It looks like there will be about sixteen dungeons this time, spread out between the different times of day. (I was trying to cut back, but somehow couldn't quite manage to do so.) Also currently considering a system that will reward you for defeating rare monsters. These would be found around the globe at different times of day and while not necessarily harder than normal enemies; would be distinctive so that you'd know they were special. A central location would dispense the reward. Also, there is going to be a lot more freedom than I typically allow in my games. This is because the points that let you travel to another time of day will be available just about all of the time, but you might lack the items needed for some of the areas you'll then have access to.

 

So far, overworld areas include: a large beach, Hyrule Castle and a nearby town, a woodland graveyard, a marsh, three islands of various sizes that can be reached at various points, a marsh, a woodland town, a desolate valley, a snowy peak, a volcano, an area in the sky, a plateau dotted with ruins and a vast plain which really needs some more character than it already has. Maybe a fortress surrounding it and requiring navigation between various parts, like the Gerudo base from Ocarina of Time. If this seems like a lot, that's because each time of day takes up two 8 x 16 overworlds. I've already placed the dungeons I want to have, though I haven't quite decided what to call all of them yet.

 

Once I am done with the design for the overworld, dungeon design comes next. If all goes well, I'll be starting on that before the week is up. I'll also try to post maps of my overworld so people can get an idea of what to expect.

[ywkls]

Overworld design is complete, although I haven't done any of the layers for it. (I usually save that for much later.) Here's the map of my version of Hyrule, as seen in the day time.

 

 

Some of the dungeons will not only serve as places that house items and pieces of the Triforce, but connections between different parts of the world. Of course, they'll be set up where it will be possible to skip to the end after you've beaten the dungeon so you don't have to wander through the whole thing every time you want to get from one place to another. I also haven't placed all of my warping spots where changing the time of day will be possible; although I have decided which areas and dungeons are supposed to be accessible at which times of day.

 

You start near the town on the mid left and journey to Hyrule Castle to recover your sword. After that, you could go back to that town and change the time to day, then enter the tree to the east and travel from there to the desert with its huge fortress. Or you could leave it at dawn (the time it will be upon leaving the castle) in which case the beach to the west will be accessible and the dungeon it houses. Once you do that, you can enter the forest south of Hyrule Castle, where you can either go through the grave to reach the hollow stump east of the castle or acquire the candle, burn the trees west of the castle, then use the nearby ruins to enter the woodland graveyard.

 

After that, other possibilities emerge. The area to the north of the beach can be reached during the day while a cave north of the castle leads to a gate open at twilight that leads to the desolate valley. Once you finish the area on the northern beach, you can cross to the large central island at dawn, defeat its dungeon and enter the woodland graveyard area from the rear; where you can change the time to twilight and access the woodland village and its dungeon. Or you could take the raft from that area to a underwater tunnel that leads to the marsh.

 

In the woodland village is a cave that leads both to the area in the sky and a passage to the top of the volcano. The village in the shadow of the volcano is reached via a passage near a river while turtle rock is accessed via a passage to the south of the original village that is only accessible at dawn and the snowy fortress from a cave you can't reach until you can swim.

 

And the final castle? Atop a mountain on the lower right side, above the beach and to the northwest of Hyrule Castle sits the Temple of Time, where you must use the skills acquired in all four times of day and other dungeons to conquer it. It will have four different versions for each time of day and once you complete all four; you'll access the fifth and final version; the true Temple of Time that will restore Hyrule to the way it should be.

 

I haven't thought of names for all of these places yet, nor which will hold pieces of the Triforce and how many of those there will be. (I'm leaning towards 6.) I have some idea of which dungeons will hold what items, along with items that will be available through shops, events, locked treasure boxes and other things. As you might tell, I'm drawing for LTTP, Ocarina of Time, Oracle of Ages and other sources for my inspiration. I'll next update when I have names for my dungeons.

Edited by ywkls, 20 January 2015 - 02:10 PM.

[ywkls]

Here's a list of my dungeons, the items you'll get in them and a general idea of the order you are expected to be able to finish them in.

 

1. Reptilian Redoubt- Bombs                         A. Gerudo Stronghold- Bow and Arrow.

2. Hollow Stump- Lantern (Candle- Level 2)  B. Forgotten Tomb- Glove.

3. Daylit Crevasse- Pegasus Boots.              C. Windswept Jail- Boomerang.

4. Isolated Isle- Hookshot.                             D. Abandoned Villa- Hammer.

5. Noxious Marsh- Flippers                            E. Floating Labyrinth- Magic Cape. (Boots) 2 Floors.

6. Volcanic Fissure- Roc's Feather.              F.  Eerie Catacomb- Lens of Truth. 2 Floors.

                                 3 Floors.

7. Turtle Rock- Super Bomb, Mirror Shield.  G. Snowfall Resort- Wand, Tome of Knowledge (Magic Book).

                         3 Floors.                                                             2 Floors.

 

Final Dungeon- Temple of Time Dawn: Din's Fire

                         Temple of Time Day: Nayru's Love

                         Temple of Time Twilight: Farore's Wind

                         Temple of Time Night: Sword of Time

                         Temple of Time (True Form): No items. Requires 6 pieces of the Triforce to enter and                                                                            completion of the other four forms. 4 Floors.

 

That's a total of 15 dungeons. (Although the Temple of Time could count as five separate dungeons.) I may change Turtle Rock's name later if I get a better idea, but it seems to fit for now. I'm still looking for music for some of these, as well as trying to decide what shape each dungeon will have. I also haven't decided which of these will house pieces of the Triforce.I probably won't post another update on this project on this topic. Expect another topic once I get some of the details of the various dungeon designs/gimmicks down along with the sidequests which will be available.

Edited by ywkls, 23 January 2015 - 10:25 AM.

[vaualbus]

Can't wait to beta testing the quest. The overworld seem very well done!