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Plus, back when Zelda was new and I was very small, I'd always grab stray sheets of paper and sketch out my own little map ideas. Now 20 years later, I got revisit that time, and in a much more fun and productive way.
I honestly didn't even expect I'd be releasing it to a place like this, since it only began as casual experimenting. But I managed to surpass my own expectations, and hopefully I was able to successfully tap into the design skills I'd developed over years of modding other games and make something that's a little better than just another first quest.
So here it is: http://www.purezc.ne...e=quests&id=566
A couple tidbits:
* 7 "new" items, 11 modifications to existing items
* Over 25 "new" enemies, 11 modifications to existing enemies.
* 1001 new screens. Yes, seriously. I kid you not. That's not counting default caves, item cellars and passageways. You just can't plan things like these.
* 16 new MIDI selections, all remixed/remastered by me for consistency throughout the quest (includes my own personal arrangement of the NES Dungeon Theme for my first dungeon).
("New" is in quotes, because they are all based on existing items or enemies, and use existing item or enemy functions; there is no new code and no new graphics, except for Stone of Gravity.)
New items include:
* Black Ring: Damage divisor of 16; 2x the Gold Ring.
* Stone Of Gravity: Keeps Link from getting bumped when taking damage from projectile assaults, enemy contacts, or environmental hazards. (Particularly useful for charging at Wizzrobe Summoners through their summoned onslaughts.)
* Ultimate Shield: Functions like the Mirror Shield, but also reflects boss fireballs. (Have fun making Patra L3 kill itself.)
Modified items include:
* Cane Of Byrna: No longer uses magic, thus only stuns most enemies as a result. However, now one-hit-kills temporary and permanent disabling bubbles. (Don't worry; it only stuns reenabling bubbles.)
Some design guidelines and gameplay hints I implemented:
* Both the overworld and underworld follow the 1-cave-per-screen standard; if there's a cave, you won't find a secret, and if you've found 1 secret, you won't find more.
* Though they may be jaded or disgruntled, Hyrulians are at least honest. All hints or bits of information they provide are accurate (though some of them may be relatively obscure).
* Dungeon Maps always reveal every room. As a result, they often appear near the end of the dungeon, or are either hidden or well-guarded.
* Most dungeons have more than 1 special item; some have over 4.
* Just because killing all enemies opens a shutter or reveals an item, doesn't mean that a room doesn't have further secrets.
* There are no secrets in Triforce rooms.
* Even though a side-dungeon may become available, you may not find yourself ready for the challenge. Remember, the items - though very useful - aren't necessary to progress, so feel free to return at a later point.
* Despite the complexity of later dungeons, I made sure to give the boss rooms a relatively straightforward path of access from the dungeon entry (yes, even the Frozen Dungeon).
* Caveception: caves within caves. It exists. Be aware.
Some personal anti-annoyance preferences I avoided:
* No blind bombing/burning. I try to put bomb or burn secrets in relatively sensible locations that have some level of indication as to where they may be. It might be a shape, a pattern, a protrusion, a recession, a corner, or simply something that may be "obvious" to seasoned players. That said, they are secrets, so they're not all going to be staring you in the face. But if you ever see a straight rock wall across the top of the screen and wonder if you should try bombing every segment - don't even bother. (Note: I reserve the right to be a little more obscure once I've offered the Lens of Truth.)
* Upgrades are not negated immediately. A lot of games give you an upgrade, only to throw harder enemies at you simultaneously. All this does is retain the same gameplay balance under a new look... and make me wonder, why even bother? When I offer upgrades and other rewards, I want them to be enjoyed for a while.
* No shutter traps. You'll always have the option to retreat if you come across a room that looks too hard. However, in rare instances, the way out may be a door or floor other than the one you entered from. (Note: I may make exceptions in side-dungeons, as they exist outside the standard difficulty progression. To be more specific, the third Treasure Vault has a series of lock-ins.)
* No excess shooting statues. This is The Third Legacy, not The Third Quest.
* No "door repair charge" guys. There's nothing like having your effort in discovering a great secret pay off with you having to pay off. It's a slap in the face to inquisitive players. I want to reward adventure, not discourage it. (Not to mention, rock walls, trees, and desert sands have absolutely no business passing for "doors" in the first place.)
Full listings of items, enemies, gameplay info & tips, and anti-annoyance preferences are in the text file, along with full MIDI credits index.
Anyway, I guess, now that it's in the main database, I'll pull down the screenshots from this page and inactivate it. Thanks everybody for the help and feedback. Hope you at least find it somewhat worthwhile
