1st July 2008, 7:12 PM
Are you sure? Everything I've heard says that before widespread literacy, the vast majority of a populace lived in total ignorance of even base things like more than a few generations back in their family (note: I myself live in total ignorance of more than a few generations in my family line, I'm really what you call a "mutt", which is how I prefer it). Aren't there even a few nations in the real world that slowly migrated and over time many forgot they had migrated? I seem to recall some special on the history channel saying something to that effect... I will say this though. It's impossible for that sort of thing to happen NOW. No one is ever going to forget ANYTHING at this point, or at least society as a whole will ALWAYS have all information everything forever. That's why distant future sci-fi stories where everyone for some reason doesn't know where the nuclear piles of today are stored always seem ridiculous. I mean, when you think about it, how many civilizations have ANY tales talking about travelling from Kenya to where they are? That's apparently what happened, prehistorically, but history holds no tales, no myths, that actually reveal this. Some legends have zero truth whatsoever to them. I mean Europe treated Africa like some newly discovered "savage land" rather than the place Europeans came from. I don't think it's all that far fetched that several generations would lead to all but a few scholars and some ancient books in a forgotten language remembering that they actually came from another land of Hyrule ages ago. They do make it clear that the language in OOT is supposed to be the same language as all those ancient scripts in LTTP you have to find some book to translate. Link is a 5th level genius or something, running around solving puzzles in a few minutes that years of research failed to solve. Indy Jones (and Tucan Sam) seem equally capable.
About LTTP's setting, you should note that in neither the US or Japanese versions does ANY in-game text reveal where it's set in the timeline relative to Zeldas 1 and 2, excepting logical conclusions based on the triforce and all that. What is it you are saying we can't be sure of, those interviews with the developers?
The order of tech seems to be bombs, then cannons, then some disaster setting everyone back. One thing's for sure, there's like a million "lost cultures" that seem to develop some really advanced tech, like (namely) hookshots.
I agree that the "developer explanation" of changed landscapes is usually "it was more fun this way". They seem to care a little, but not enough to sacrifice gameplay for it. That's understadable, but it makes things a little tough for me. Castlevania is lucky. They explained fairly early on that Dracula's castle is "simply" a manifestation of Dracula's will and changes in every incarnation because of that. King's Quest also did the logical thing and just decided early on that EVERY game will take place in a brand new country. I'm not saying I don't agree with their move. If Hyrule looked exactly the same every single time, it would get stale really quick. I'm just saying it makes explaining things a little tougher.
However, they don't ignore it entirely. LTTP's official player's guide explains that the land changes over time in their attempt to at least acknowledge the issue. Zelda 2 explains that Hyrule is a much larger place and states that the whole game takes place in a different part of Hyrule. Wind Waker's ending about forming a new Hyrule really does seem inspired by making some sense out of the change in land, even if that was not the point of the game (likely they thought of it some time into the project as an added bonus). But yes, overall they will always sacrifice story to make the game more fun. Blizzard certainly has taken that policy as well.
About LTTP's setting, you should note that in neither the US or Japanese versions does ANY in-game text reveal where it's set in the timeline relative to Zeldas 1 and 2, excepting logical conclusions based on the triforce and all that. What is it you are saying we can't be sure of, those interviews with the developers?
The order of tech seems to be bombs, then cannons, then some disaster setting everyone back. One thing's for sure, there's like a million "lost cultures" that seem to develop some really advanced tech, like (namely) hookshots.
I agree that the "developer explanation" of changed landscapes is usually "it was more fun this way". They seem to care a little, but not enough to sacrifice gameplay for it. That's understadable, but it makes things a little tough for me. Castlevania is lucky. They explained fairly early on that Dracula's castle is "simply" a manifestation of Dracula's will and changes in every incarnation because of that. King's Quest also did the logical thing and just decided early on that EVERY game will take place in a brand new country. I'm not saying I don't agree with their move. If Hyrule looked exactly the same every single time, it would get stale really quick. I'm just saying it makes explaining things a little tougher.
However, they don't ignore it entirely. LTTP's official player's guide explains that the land changes over time in their attempt to at least acknowledge the issue. Zelda 2 explains that Hyrule is a much larger place and states that the whole game takes place in a different part of Hyrule. Wind Waker's ending about forming a new Hyrule really does seem inspired by making some sense out of the change in land, even if that was not the point of the game (likely they thought of it some time into the project as an added bonus). But yes, overall they will always sacrifice story to make the game more fun. Blizzard certainly has taken that policy as well.
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)