[Concept] Triangle Hunter Early Concepts (Patreon)

I recently made the decision to commit to making a Zelda project in Dreams (PS4), and this post will be dedicated to talking about some of my ideas concerning it. We’re still in the early developmental stage, so it’s important that I give you an idea of what to expect.

Before we go any further, however…

The Elephant in the Room

The Big N has not been known to be kind towards fan-games, so we must accept that there is a very real risk of this project being interrupted or canceled.

This game will have to be made with little, if any, actual reference to the original franchise. This means we can’t get away with directly mentioning copyrighted names like Zelda, Triforce, Hyrule, etc. Now, you and I will know what this project really is, but it will have to appear distinct enough, on paper, to be safe.

Fortunately, titles like Link’s Awakening & Majora’s Mask are proof that we can have great Zelda games without the of series’ staples. This is the direction we’ll take. 

I probably won’t call the game “The Legend of Zelda,” but I’ve yet to determine what I WILL call it. So, I’ve been using “Triangle Hunter” lately. But even that sounds weird...

Concept

When I first approached this idea, I thought it was important to keep the scope of the work simple. I decided to scale the world size down and only feature 4-5 dungeons. But then I got to thinking… That’s still not anywhere near as simple as it reasonable could be.

Let’s be real. I have no experience making games like Zelda. I’m a team of one person. I don’t have any pre-made assets that will make creating such a large game easy. And so many other issues too.

But, what if we did away with the traditional structure of a Zelda game by doing away with the formula? 

Chapter-Based Stories

Instead of an open world with 8 dungeons scattered across it, let’s make something smaller in scope. What if this game was a single adventure that could be completed in 2-3 hours? 

But then we’d make another one. And then another. And another. And so on…

This approach keeps the scope of each project relatively small, so they can be published at a faster rate, and can feature their own unique stories. In a way, it’s almost like a single episode of a Zelda TV show or a single chapter of a comic – but in the form of a game. 

Like… The Adventures of Link.

The smaller scope of each adventure means we can slowly develop our engine and build up our pool of assets with each subsequent project, instead of having to an entire world’s worth of assets before being able to finish the game. Then, we can use all those assets for larger adventures at a later point.

We can still make it feel like a Zelda game, but on a smaller scale. Each story can have its own dungeon, its own quests, its own secrets, and so on. 

Design

Rather than using the buxom design I’ve attributed to my version of a Female Link; I’m going to go with something simpler and much more wholesome. That should better communicate the idea of the hero and will make for an easier design to translate into something simpler.

Although I already designed a character model for Link in Dreams a long time ago, I’d like to redo it now that I’m much more competent at using the engine. The current model’s a bit creepy, so I would like to change some of the shapes and make something cuter.

In the image below, I find myself most inclined towards the proportions of the 3rd illustrated version of the character.

Of course, Link is probably going to need a companion to provide helpful assistance. 

Melanie will provide the player with a consistent character across all the adventures, since they will be separate, isolated stories, and give someone to bounce off Link’s personality.

Gameplay

The gameplay will most resemble the classic, top-down Zelda games, in which the player didn’t have control of the camera. This allows me to direct environmental spaces without compromise. That said, it will still be made within a 3D space, so the camera can be moved in any direction deemed necessary.

This dynamic camera system means it will be easier to appreciate the game world than typically possible in classic 2D Zelda games, which only let you view the world from a single vantage point.

Items like the magic rod, boomerang, or bow & arrow are fun, but add complexity to the programming. Especially if each game is its own separate adventure, making progression tricky, especially if each game is a separate “Dream” in the actual engine. 

So, I think the gameplay should be built around the most basic actions, making sure they’re as fun as possible. If we don’t rely on extra items to make a satisfying gameplay experience, it can be simpler to create.

I don’t want to completely do away with the concept of items, I just want to cover my butt in case I can’t incorporate them as the official games would.

Side Content

As each game is made smaller in scope, there will be less reason for players to continue playing after they’ve already completed the content. I think it’s important that I still create content that can be enjoyed simply for the sake of the gameplay, giving players a reason to come back.

Visual Expression

Of course, a lot of these thoughts don’t mean much if there’s nothing to back up that I’m serious about this as a project. Sure, they’re nice ideas and all, but what will this game ACTUALLY look like?!

I played around with some ideas. While they’re not representative of the final product, they do give us an idea of what the game COULD look like, as well as some notes behind my creative decisions.

Anyway...

That's probably enough for now. This post is getting pretty long.

The project is in its early stages, so there's still a lot of work that needs to be done. I have to design characters, create the assets, program the logic, write the scenarios, and more. But, this post should, at the very least, give you a better idea of what I'm thinking for this project.

I will have more ideas in the future, and I will share them in future Concept Art posts and on Discord, via the newly added #zelda-dreams channel. Channels like this were added so that I can casually show you new concepts without NEEDING to create a big post like this.

Don't forget to eat & sleep.