31 replies to this topic

[TheAvengerLever]

There's one in OoT (where this trope began) then there is one in TWW (which is revealed to be the sprout, or is heavily implied to be the sprout) and then there is the gigantic lifeless tree in TP (which may be the now lifeless Deku Tree) and now there's a gigantic ass tree in Faron Woods in SS.





Are they all the same tree or just four extremely unlikely coincidences?

[MikePetersSucks]

Probably just large ass trees. I imagine they're separate from each other because they're both 1) insignificant, and 2) lolgeography.

It's a magical forest in a magical world where trees have attending spirits and have apparently been planted since the beginning of time. Being huge as all get-out shouldn't be that weird. The singular Colossal Trees are probably the lone ones out in their region because that's how trees work; the taller one tree is, the shorter it's immediate neighbors are going to be.

[Showsni]

Well, gigantic (sentient) trees are fairly common (or at least, not unique) since we also have the Maku Trees in Holodrum and Labrynna, so they could be different trees. I'd say the Wind Waker tree is probably the OoT sprout, but wouldn't link the other trees into it too much.

[Leo Crimson]

I always assumed that the OOT Deku tree and TP Forest Temple are the same in the Child Timelnie, and that the WW tree is the sprout from OOT. Haven't played SS yet, so I wouldn't know anything about the tree in that one.

[Masamune]

The Great Deku Tree from TWW also appears in Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland. Fun fact!

It also has a new sprout in the game. An even cooler fun fact.

[SOAP]

Another fun fact: Baga Tree!

[Masamune]

EVEN MORE FUN FACT! The dead tree for the first dungeon in Legend of Zelda had an ENTIRE dungeon in it. And also compared to the micro-sized trees in the game (or were those just bushes?), that thing was massive.

[SOAP]

Also the talking tree in ALttP's Dark World. Holy Shit, this has been a Zelda trope from the very beginning of the franchise!

[MikePetersSucks]

World Tree, muhfuckuhs.

[SOAP]

^ Making this trope as old as dirt. I need to stop reading TVTropes.org...

[TheAvengerLever]

All this talk of trees reminds me of Picman's tree rape theory.

That was Picman, right?

[MikePetersSucks]

Yes. Oh god why'd you have to remind me.

[Person]

The fact that we have resorted to talking about trees only drives home the fact that Hyrule Historia killed timeline theorizing.

[SOAP]

Hey now, at least other forums like ZI tried discussing other things like Hyrule culture and possible parallelisms between the three timelines. Then again, ZI is getting kinda a dead which is sorta unusual. They usually come up with something to talk about but now it's pretty meh there these days.

[MikePetersSucks]

Person, on 30 May 2012 - 01:49 AM, said:

The fact that we have resorted to talking about trees only drives home the fact that Hyrule Historia killed timeline theorizing.

I wanted to say that I fucking said this would happen and no one listened to me or took me seriously.

Example number 4659 of "MPS being right about absolutely everything and not being believed."

[Sir Deimos]

MikePetersSucks, on 30 May 2012 - 12:11 PM, said:

Person, on 30 May 2012 - 01:49 AM, said:

The fact that we have resorted to talking about trees only drives home the fact that Hyrule Historia killed timeline theorizing.

I wanted to say that I fucking said this would happen and no one listened to me or took me seriously.

Example number 4659 of "MPS being right about absolutely everything and not being believed."

I don't believe you.



Jokes aside, so what? Was debating the timeline all so much fun? I think putting that huge mess to rest is great. It encourages people to look at different aspects of the series. Rather than focusing on the games as a whole, you can analyze them individually and notice details like huge trees. And other recurring themes.

[Masamune]

We're in no worse situation than any other fandom. Maybe by having a timeline, we've realized the Zelda storyline isn't actually that good and there isn't that much to say about it. Now we no longer have a competition to prove who is right or wrong. Now we just have Zelda. And there's not a lot to say about it.

[MikePetersSucks]

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Jokes aside, so what? Was debating the timeline all so much fun?

Of course it was, otherwise people wouldn't of been doing it for almost two decades.

Also the official timeline sucks donkey shit.

[TheAvengerLever]

Timeline theorizing will always be around to be debated.

However, debates will pretty much be just this:

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Also the official timeline sucks donkey shit.

I disagree.

[Showsni]

TheAvengerButton, on 01 June 2012 - 12:17 AM, said:

I disagree.

Does to!

[Doopliss]

MikePetersSucks, on 22 May 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:

Probably just large ass trees. I imagine they're separate from each other because they're both 1) insignificant, and 2) lolgeography.

It's a magical forest in a magical world where trees have attending spirits and have apparently been planted since the beginning of time. Being huge as all get-out shouldn't be that weird. The singular Colossal Trees are probably the lone ones out in their region because that's how trees work; the taller one tree is, the shorter it's immediate neighbors are going to be.

Ever since I joined this place 8 years ago I have admired your non-bullshit common sense mentality with unwavering consistency.

[MikePetersSucks]

Someone has to in this damn fandom, or else we get fucking Tetraforce Kokiri Incest CD-i games are canon with Soul Calibur 2 TREES WILL DRAIN THE OCEAN.

[Masamune]

MikePetersSucks, on 03 June 2012 - 03:54 PM, said:

TREES WILL DRAIN THE OCEAN.

I'll have you know Tingle RPG was an excellent bridge game to support that theory!

[Showsni]

And linking back to the OT - the many trees are so giant because they've drunk entire oceans!

Okay, maybe not.

[SteveT]

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Maybe by having a timeline, we've realized the Zelda storyline isn't actually that good and there isn't that much to say about it.

That and for the more recent games, there's absolutely zero subtlety. Everything important is clearly explained in red text and summarized by someone two seconds afterward.

[MikePetersSucks]

Not that this necessarily had anything to do with the timeline. Most of those red text statements only applies to things immediately relevant to the game itself and then never again.


And that's not necessarily bad storytelling either.

[SteveT]

Not bad storytelling. Just intellectually unstimulating storytelling.

[MikePetersSucks]

What are you honestly expecting from a series marketed as children's entertainment? Clarifying what the player needs to do takes priority over anything else, and it's not like any Zelda game has ever been a Newbury winner.

Anyway, that aside, Zelda's storytelling can be emotionally stimulating, which is always more important than intellectual stimulation each and every single time.

[SteveT]

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What are you honestly expecting from a series marketed as children's entertainment? Clarifying what the player needs to do takes priority over anything else, and it's not like any Zelda game has ever been a Newbury winner.

I'm expecting to need to put down my book to play through it. Skyward Sword was particularly egregious in that Fi's attitude was much like and older sister who just wants to grab the controller and do it for you. In some Zelda games, finding the dungeon, or determining a path to it took nontrivial amounts of effort. Lately, it's impossible not to get to the dungeon when the game wants you to go to one. Likewise, the plots are either hopelessly nonsensical or carefully crafted so you can't miss anything. Link to the Past actually had my favorite plot, due to the mystery and subtle hints about the backstory and Ganon's current plan. You don't wake up to a fairy saying: LINK! LINK! YOU'RE A FUGITIVE NOW! You find your own wanted poster and villagers call the guards on you. You get tiny pieces of the plot at a time. It was fascinating and made me think about the game while I wasn't playing it. With the modern games, the attitude is, "Well, I'll find out next time I play" and as soon as I put the controller down, I'm done thinking about Zelda.

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Anyway, that aside, Zelda's storytelling can be emotionally stimulating, which is always more important than intellectual stimulation each and every single time.

I think I disagree with every point in this sentence.

[MikePetersSucks]

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I'm expecting to need to put down my book to play through it. Skyward Sword was particularly egregious in that Fi's attitude was much like and older sister who just wants to grab the controller and do it for you. In some Zelda games, finding the dungeon, or determining a path to it took nontrivial amounts of effort. Lately, it's impossible not to get to the dungeon when the game wants you to go to one. Likewise, the plots are either hopelessly nonsensical or carefully crafted so you can't miss anything. Link to the Past actually had my favorite plot, due to the mystery and subtle hints about the backstory and Ganon's current plan. You don't wake up to a fairy saying: LINK! LINK! YOU'RE A FUGITIVE NOW! You find your own wanted poster and villagers call the guards on you. You get tiny pieces of the plot at a time. It was fascinating and made me think about the game while I wasn't playing it. With the modern games, the attitude is, "Well, I'll find out next time I play" and as soon as I put the controller down, I'm done thinking about Zelda.

Sounds like a personal thing. I was pretty engrossed in Skyward Sword's plot, regardless of Fi's potential annoyance in actual gameplay.

But then again I don't see what Fi's interference during Gameplay has to do with Storytelling anyway. The two are segregated unless forced to interact, at a primal level.

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I think I disagree with every point in this sentence.

I'm not sure I can help you there, then. If you don't hold emotional investment to be stimulating, then your standards of creative expression as a whole are fundamentally different from mine. All fiction, art, music, and creative expression serves to make people feel something, and only a portion go to the next level of providing intellectual stimulation. And those that are intellectually stimulating without being emotionally stimulating are usually treated as being 'pretentious'.

Edited by MikePetersSucks, 08 June 2012 - 03:36 PM.