General Modern Could Preset Puzzles Work in The Legend of Zelda?

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

What I mean by preset puzzles is when you walk up to a puzzle a difficulty selection screen pops up asking you what difficulty you want the puzzle to be, either easy, medium, or hard. Each puzzle would be preset for each difficulty so pretty much every puzzle has the same concept just by choosing a difficulty you can have the puzzle get some elements took away or add more elements to give the puzzle more depth. It sounds like a interesting concept to me, I'm not sure if a idea like this has been used at such a scale, but I do know that it'd be a first for the zelda series. I think that adding something like this to the series would add a new layer to it, and I think this concept could work with zelda games.

Even though I may sound like I have it all figured out, in truth I have run into some problems. The first problem that came to mind hit me right after I thought out how everything would work. I realised that with the freedom to choose the difficulty of puzzles one could use this to make all the puzzles easier. This is not how I intend people to use such an idea, if anything I would want something like this to add complexity back to puzzles, not make them all easier. So I came up with the idea of a number limt for the easy and medium difficulty options. Let's say I was in a dungeon with 15 puzzles inside it in total. In such a dungeon there would be a number limt on the easy difficulty option of 4, the medium difficulty option 8, the hard difficulty option would have no number limt so that if one so chooses they can make every puzzle hard. If someone doesn't use the easy difficulty options first they will still lose one even if you didn't use the easy option. By doing this it forces the player to use the easy option on the first few puzzles and keeps people from cheating and saving the easy options for the last few puzzles. So they can use 4 easy options, only 8 medium, so inevitably they have to at least complete 3 hard puzzles in such a dungeon


There are still a few other problems I have come across. Such as how can this be implemented into the puzzles outside of dungeons? It would be hard to try doing the number limt thing, and that's the only way I can think of to keep people from using the difficulty options in unintended ways. Also I think people would get tired of a difficulty selection screen popping up a lot over time. These are problems I can't seem to find answers for. I like to think I'm onto something but I guess its just an interesting idea. So my question for all of you, do you think an idea like this could work in zelda? Also if anybody has some input on how the problems I listed could be solved I'd appreciate if you shared your ideas.

 

[MW7]

I really like the idea of having multiple variations of a puzzle with different difficulties. I actually don't think that what you identified as a problem is an issue. Adding more challenge back into the games is great from my perspective and many others, but not everyone wants Zelda games to be more difficult. It wouldn't bother me at all for someone to choose the easy puzzle every time. For instance a way your idea could be implemented would be for the default to always be easy, but players can request any number of medium or hard puzzles to be substituted into a dungeon. Leaving it optional would be easier on less experienced players. Your idea as is would definitely be an improvement from my viewpoint though. I'd love to be able to complete more difficult puzzles. There are tons of ways this could be implemented though. Another way would be as a separate game mode in which you can replay dungeons and choose the difficulty of puzzles at the startup screen. Another idea is maybe the game could have multiple options at the start of a file like all easy puzzles, all medium puzzles, all hard puzzles, or custom in which the difficulty selection screen would pop up each time you enter a dungeon. This way if you wanted all hard puzzles you could skip having to select it at the start of each dungeon. Plus you could leave the option of changing your setting during the game. For instance suppose you choose all hard puzzles as you start your file so you don't have to select difficulties ever during the game. Then during the third dungeon it gets too difficult, and you switch your setting to custom so you can mix in some easy and medium puzzles or you just switch all puzzles to medium. In my opinion you can rarely go wrong with lots of customization and player choices as long as it doesn't slow down the game like you said with frequent screens popping up. So I guess I'm saying there's lots of ways for your idea to work, but as a basic idea I really like it.

 

[Deleted member 14134]

Why not just have difficulty levels to choose from at the beginning of the game that can be changed throughout the play through if things get too rough like other games do. Also implementing completion awards would encourage people to play at the hardest difficulty throughout the game. I'm not sure how much I like this idea, I want to see the retro challenge brought back but I think that this should be implemented into everyone's game. Also the difficulty curb has to climb instead of staying the same throughout the game. Bigger dungeons don't mean harder dungeons. I believe recent mario games have some kind of super power up in the event that you cannot make it through a level, maybe Zelda can raise the difficulty level but have some hand holding mechanic for the people who need it and then reward the players in the end who can go through the game without it.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

Why not just have difficulty levels to choose from at the beginning of the game that can be changed throughout the play through if things get too rough like other games do. Also implementing completion awards would encourage people to play at the hardest difficulty throughout the game. I'm not sure how much I like this idea, I want to see the retro challenge brought back but I think that this should be implemented into everyone's game. Also the difficulty curb has to climb instead of staying the same throughout the game. Bigger dungeons don't mean harder dungeons. I believe recent mario games have some kind of super power up in the event that you cannot make it through a level, maybe Zelda can raise the difficulty level but have some hand holding mechanic for the people who need it and then reward the players in the end who can go through the game without it.

Like I said, to much control could cause people to misuse the idea, but I see what your saying, it makes sense and it could work.

 

[Fig]

It seems like an interesting idea, however, I'm not sure if that will be the case for Zelda U. While I do like the idea of changing the difficulty of puzzles, I personally believe that should be only allowed when you start the game for the first time and the only way to change it is for the player to start anew in their file. There's a reason why difficulties ,for the most part, are set because the player chose that difficulty. Maybe you can change from normal to Hero mode and changes such as having no hearts appearing and the attacks from enemies deal more damage but the puzzles themselves should all be in the same level of difficulty based on what the player selected in file selection screen.

This can be proven with both Skyward Sword and Wind Waker HD. No hearts and the attacks from enemies but the puzzles themselves were kept the same level as if you were playing normal mode. To go even further, I give you Ocarina of Time 3D, more importantly Master Quest. Once the player has completed the game the first time, Master Quest allows you to play the same adventure but to a harder level and the puzzles have been adjusted to accommodate the level of difficulty. With that said, not once can the play have the option to make the puzzles easier at any point during Master Quest and the only way to play the easier versions of the puzzles is by playing the normal quest. I think Zelda U has a higher chance having a Master Quest and have harder puzzles than allowing the player to always change the difficulty of those puzzles.

 

[JuicieJ]

It could be done like in Okami or Kid Icarus: Uprising where the game adjusts to how you've played.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

It could be done like in Okami or Kid Icarus: Uprising where the game adjusts to how you've played.

Maybe that could work, it would eliminate my whole idea but it would be a easier solution I guess.

 

[ihateghirahim]

I think constant difficulty selection screens would be a serious pacebreaker in a Zelda game, especially an open world one like Zelda U. Really, a difficulty selection at the start of the game (or just changing the puzzles for hero mode) would be easier. A good games flows and keeps your interest, and mid-game adjustments like this sound a little to disruptive.

 

[Spiritual Mask Salesman]

I think constant difficulty selection screens would be a serious pacebreaker in a Zelda game, especially an open world one like Zelda U. Really, a difficulty selection at the start of the game (or just changing the puzzles for hero mode) would be easier. A good games flows and keeps your interest, and mid-game adjustments like this sound a little to disruptive.

Yes, and that's why I had that listed as a problem, so I guess that making all the adjustments at the start of the game would solve that problem.

 

[kingofhyrule]

It is an interesting idea, it might be pretty cool to have it. But how would the difficulties change? I mean, they can't change the difficulty without changing the puzzle.