So, recently (as in the last couple of days) I started a No-Sword Hero Mode Permadeath run of Wind Waker (really gotta consolidate that into something smaller). It's been incredibly fun, I'd say the most fun I've ever had with Wind Waker. I honestly wish I could document this in some way to show you guys how beautifully and interestingly the game was designed, and touch on how differently it makes you think and act, because it truly is like a completely different game where almost every battle feels like an accomplishment and danger is so much more terrifying and foreboding. If anyone's interested, I'd like to do a write-up of my thoughts on the playthrough afterwards.
Anyway, long story short, after 14 hours, I died. I don't think I've ever, in gaming felt my soul drop as much as I did in that moment. Basically, I was doing the Savage Labyrinth (against my better judgment) and after getting close to the bottom, I was faced with 4 Darknuts. With a sword, that's nothing, but without it I could only say that it's basically the same as two players battling in Dark Souls- it's nothing short of beautiful. That describes 1, at least. Two is more difficult because you have to get behind the Darknuts to take off their armor. From there, they can proceed to kill each other, but once it gets down to one again it's a showdown for the ages, and it's never easy because there's so little that can hurt them and the only things that can strip them of their armor, that I know of, are the Hammer and enemy weapons. So 4, as you can imagine, is nigh on impossible.
...Point is, I died, but I decided to go for a Double-Up Chance, a Last Stand of sorts, and flip a coin. Several times. Turned out to be in my favor (I called Heads (H), and it turned out H->T->H->T->H->H), and I decided to employ a rule for this and future playthroughs that forays into the Savage Labyrinth, apart from for the key item that you need there, will allow you two chances as it is completely optional, superfluous, and the item doesn't really give you an advantage- it's just a neat challenge with a cool little reward (however, to get that second chance, much like this time, I have to win a coin flip). I did a subsequent coin flip (since I learned from Danganronpa that you can't breed great amounts of hope without risking a great amount of despair as well) to decide what the consequence for losing again would be, and it ended up being against me, where if I lose the game is over and I won't get to try a Permadeath run or a No-Sword run of Wind Waker ever again.
But the reason I'm asking for your help is because...well, as I said before, I want a second opinion of this. In one sense, for this specific scenario and, really, in general, I think a luck-based second chance can be pretty neat, as things in life are never so absolute and rarely will you feel as if a character is alive than when there's so much at stake for both them and you. At the same time, a lot of what a permadeath run is is about choice. Every choice in these runs has a weight to them, and when you can't get health anywhere but through potions and fairies and you take so much damage so easily, one mistake can be costly. That may have been my one mistake...but at the same time, that's also why I think this works. It throws a wrench into the normal convention and gives it personality. It gives hope. It's a way of bolstering confidence for the small chance that I can succeed, making victory all the more satisfying and loss devastatingly crushing. It gives the very real idea that making mistakes isn't always the end of the world, but it also does well to lull the player into a false sense of security so that they'll become reckless thinking they indeed have two tries, which I think is a pretty healthy thing to learn from.
So personally, I think it fits, but again, I'd like to hear if anyone really agrees. Really, though, I have to say...I don't think I'll have the stamina to run through this game again anytime soon. I'm pretty close to the end and a lot of things have happened, and as fun as it's been...God, it's tiring.
