23rd February 2003, 6:21 AM
I don't understand why there MUST be a time constriction on Pikmin. Couldn't there just be dungeon-esque areas? Or maybe there could be one gigantic world (a-la Metroid) with multiple onions and warp points? And while we're at it, why can't we mess with the day/night system? Instead of making the game sectioned off into days, the game could simply transition from day to night like Zelda: Oot. But, at night, you really shouldn't leave your Pikmin alone, because there are burrowing nocturnal predators that will eat them if they are not surrounded by light... which opens the possibility for a scarce amount of (natural) lanterns. I think this is the time limitation in Pikmin that I liked so much, not the overall timecap on the game. This obviously makes it necessary for a dynamic world, where plants and animals grow over periods of time. Perhaps this is the limitation you are looking for. In a dynamic world, plants and animals are interdependent, so if you use up all of the animals in the area, the flowers cannot grow, and you must nurture the land to bring it back to its natural climate. Perhaps your "grade" will depend upon this environmental health. Part of the endearing nature of Pikmin was the journal, so, in lieu of journal entries at the end of days, Olimar could make entries after certain accomplishments/observations. As you can see, Pikmin is an idea that does not necessitate a time limit, nor becoming a dumbed-down RTS.