Fifth Quest Planning and Discussion

[CJC]

Actually the rules need a minor facelift. They need to offer more freedom with what you can do, but at the same time place more restrictions on the NES side of it. This sounds kind of stupid, I know, but what's most likely to happen is some otherwise great entries (possibly winners) that just don't "feel" like an NES quest so its score drops considerably.

This is a good reason why the rules need to save people from themselves. :/ ...Removal of the boomerang is certain to make people not like this quest, and technically the hookshot doesn't add much except a lame "you need item to cross" gimmick. The flippers....erm,,might be nice....or not. On a tactical level they are extremely annoying since instead of otherwise using the ladder you are now in water and cannot attack...

On the boomerang:

Spoiler: show

My desire to remove the boomerang comes mainly because it seems to be a pariah item: Quests hide it until late dungeons because it makes the game 'too easy'. My goal in switching it for the hookshot was to maintain the stun mechanic while limiting it to orthogonal directions. It would also add the ability to throw in 'uncrossable' rooms that require the hookshot, yes, to make the item required for progression (I guess that's the equivalent of a ZQuest trope, huh?)
I can work around this removal by adding a 'boomerang block' that triggers secrets in a room, which I could then use to make a bridge appear in a room that would normally be impossible to cross.

On the Flippers:

Spoiler: show

My plan was to convert all shore combos to 'ladder only' and make only the open water combos swimmable (so the Ladder would still be viable in these situations, and without it the only way into the water is a raft pier). The addition of flippers exists primarily to hide more secret entrances in the water, and to ensure said entrances cannot be reached until the flippers are acquired.
If I could find or construct a script that would let Link move freely on water tiles when he has the raft (probably just needs to check for the item, then combo type, then draw the raft on layer 0), the flippers will no longer be necessary.

On the Bait

Spoiler: show

Feed the Goriya rooms don't really add a whole lot to the quest for me. I have a more interesting solution to these roadblocks which I think will be favorable.
As for the bait itself I suppose it's frustration because it is essentially useless in every other room (yeah, there's hunger, but how often is that going to be viable in combat?). I intended to remove the Bait so I could make room for the Hammer, which will play a significant role in Overworld secrets (break those rocks) as well as dungeon combat (Large groups of Darknuts in certain dungeons will be a sign that the hammer is necessary).
I suppose I can adjust my level 2 bomb to serve most of the hammer's functions, though it will complicate matters when hiding secrets on the overworld.

Perhaps we should just let contestants build the quests using the current rule proposal and then--if the 'Classic Zelda' feeling is insufficient (as rated by the public who play the quest)--make suggestions for correcting the issue on a case-by-case basis. There are plenty of places where the Classic feel could be broken, but that is a matter of opinion and it might be better to make corrections rather than restrictions. In other words, leave it up to the majority. Since the quest is for everybody, we should poll if the quest is 'classic' enough.


AH, that's it! Contestants should open a thread when they make the submission and said thread should have poll/feedback to determine how to make the quest 'more' classic.