2007. Wow. It's been forever since I last posted anything, so I hope that this rant will, at the very least, assuage your concerns (if any), about the lack of vitality here at The Hyrulian Network.There's no excuse for my absence. I haven't been detained with personal affairs, I'm not trapped in my busy life, and I haven't lost interest in the Zelda series. I've always had time for THN, but in the end, I simply stopped updating it on a regular basis.
No, I'm not lazy, and no, I haven't lost my passion for this site.
The truth is, The Hyrulian Network, in its few years of existence, has always been devoid of any content. I started this site simply to help channel my passion for the Zelda series. Since I don't pay to keep this site alive, I've always been extremely limited on what content I can provide, due to restrictions involving just about everything (hard drive space, language support (pHp, Perl - all that other good stuff) , bandwidth (of course, due to the aforementioned restrictions, there wasn't exactly an insane amount of people who visited this site, so in reality, bandwidth isn't really and issue)).
I've struggled to provide content from the very beginning, and at long last I'm glad I can finally be free of such an irritating burden. I always was more interested in interacting with people then I was just hosting files. There are plenty of other "big" Zelda sites out there that can quench your insatiable thirst for information and content. I visit those sites everyday, and what I've found lacking in them is life. I'm not talking about a lack of activity (I have no right to discuss such matters), but rather, about a lack of personal spice. These sites deliver. They present. We all love them. But they're all the same. There's no personal inflection. It's like reading a dictionary.
And if there's one thing I've always given to THN, it's my opinion. And now I realize, that's all THN needs. The one thing this site has always had are my rants. My thoughts, my opinion, my feelings. And that's what THN is, anyway. It's mine.
And having finally understood something so blatantly obvious, I must offer my apologies to those of you who expected this site to bloom into some media shrine. It was never going to happen, and it probably would have ended in some chaotically suicidal destruction.
I'm not saying THN will never have content, but if you've got your hopes up high, I'm sorry, THN isn't the place for you. Return sometime, once again, in the distant future. I hope maybe that which you so desire from THN will then be found.
So.
Why exactly have I just been idly sitting around? Ah. I mentioned this in 2006, and I mention it again: the Zelda series is degenerating - it's in decline. Twilight Princess is out. The Zelda community had fallen, and everyone was hoping that TP would serve as some sort of revival.
But it didn't. The masses didn't return, and the magic OOT once inspired seems lost forever. I'm not surprised. I expected this. The Zelda series is slowly dying. The magic is dying.
Just last week or so, I picked up the Oracle games again. And you know what? I was filled with life. They're so amazing. I don't know why, but they seem infinitely more attractive to me than TP. In fact, let me finally get this out - Twilight Princess is horrible.
You know what? I haven't even beaten it yet. The first few hours were so mundane. There's no excitement. I have no great motivation to play. I played for a couple hours today for the first time in 3 months. The game is ridiculously insipid. TP is actually one of the worst Zelda games I've ever played. And I say that so boldly because after returning to the Oracle series for the first time in 6 years, I was once again reminded of why I like the Zelda series. I haven't grown tired of the same old formula, the same old themes, the same old characters. Twilight Princess just sucks.
Yet the Zelda Community loves it. And that, more than anything else, amuses me. The Zelda community has never been something I've ever really respected - after visiting such a vast multitude of sites and forums, I've seen what we're made of. Yet there are always exceptions to such broad, sweeping generalizations, and I have found, that after making acquaintance with such outlying individuals, that their company has really become the domain of my limited activity.
What I'm saying is, Twilight Princess isn't what everyone says it is. It's not outstanding, it's not impressive, and it sure as hellisn't better than Ocarina of Time, in any sense. Yeah, I know, I haven't played through the entire game. I'm not even half way through it. But from my experience, and from the videos I've seen, and the palaver I've held with others, this game does not present. I'm seriously beginning to doubt if I'm going to beat it this year.
I'd rather spend my times playing Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons again. Twilight Princess lacks the magic that makes (made) the Zelda series so appealing.
I started playing Four Swords again last weekend. I had a blast. The magic was still there, just as strong as ever. So when I say I dislike Twilight Princess, I have a lot to compare it to.
Now there are so many fools out there who have posted random crap like, "you can't compare TP to other Zelda games" and "it stands alone from other games".Isn't the Legend of Zelda a series? A franchise? It sure as hell is, and you can sure as hell be sure I'm going to compare it to the other Zelda games.
If a game sucks, it sucks. 'nuff said.
But anyway, enough animosity thrown at Twilight Princess.
I'm sure by now you've all heard of the death of the creator of Ocarina of Time 2D. What I find pathetic is the number of people who automatically jump to the conclusion that the death is a hoax, an elaborate attempt to end the production of Ocarina of Time 2D, since it "never was going to be finished anyway". I don't care if this kind of thing has happened before, there's still a certain level of respect that can be maintained when discussing such matters. If it's a hoax, then that's just another asshole in the Zelda community. We're full of them. And if not, then I hope you rest in peace Richard.
When I first read about his death, I had absolutely no qualms about the veracity of what I was reading. But the more forums I visited, and the more posts I read, the more I became convinced that a.) the lack of details regarding the event is a little shady (but that doesn't matter), and b.) that the Zelda community is still full of base morons.
I personally believe that he's passed on. That's just me tho'. I could be wrong.
In other news, Darth has some trivia thing going on over at EDNF. I'm not participating, but if you're interested, go ahead and check it out here.
And to sort of bring this jumbled mash of things to a close, I'd like to apologize for my absence. Updates will be made regularly now, even if nothing interesting is happening in the Zelda community. So despite whatever hell that may transpire, know this: I'm back ;)
---
3/27/2007; 10:33PM; InformeroftheSages
No, I'm not lazy, and no, I haven't lost my passion for this site.
The truth is, The Hyrulian Network, in its few years of existence, has always been devoid of any content. I started this site simply to help channel my passion for the Zelda series. Since I don't pay to keep this site alive, I've always been extremely limited on what content I can provide, due to restrictions involving just about everything (hard drive space, language support (pHp, Perl - all that other good stuff) , bandwidth (of course, due to the aforementioned restrictions, there wasn't exactly an insane amount of people who visited this site, so in reality, bandwidth isn't really and issue)).
I've struggled to provide content from the very beginning, and at long last I'm glad I can finally be free of such an irritating burden. I always was more interested in interacting with people then I was just hosting files. There are plenty of other "big" Zelda sites out there that can quench your insatiable thirst for information and content. I visit those sites everyday, and what I've found lacking in them is life. I'm not talking about a lack of activity (I have no right to discuss such matters), but rather, about a lack of personal spice. These sites deliver. They present. We all love them. But they're all the same. There's no personal inflection. It's like reading a dictionary.
And if there's one thing I've always given to THN, it's my opinion. And now I realize, that's all THN needs. The one thing this site has always had are my rants. My thoughts, my opinion, my feelings. And that's what THN is, anyway. It's mine.
And having finally understood something so blatantly obvious, I must offer my apologies to those of you who expected this site to bloom into some media shrine. It was never going to happen, and it probably would have ended in some chaotically suicidal destruction.
I'm not saying THN will never have content, but if you've got your hopes up high, I'm sorry, THN isn't the place for you. Return sometime, once again, in the distant future. I hope maybe that which you so desire from THN will then be found.
So.
Why exactly have I just been idly sitting around? Ah. I mentioned this in 2006, and I mention it again: the Zelda series is degenerating - it's in decline. Twilight Princess is out. The Zelda community had fallen, and everyone was hoping that TP would serve as some sort of revival.
But it didn't. The masses didn't return, and the magic OOT once inspired seems lost forever. I'm not surprised. I expected this. The Zelda series is slowly dying. The magic is dying.
Just last week or so, I picked up the Oracle games again. And you know what? I was filled with life. They're so amazing. I don't know why, but they seem infinitely more attractive to me than TP. In fact, let me finally get this out - Twilight Princess is horrible.
You know what? I haven't even beaten it yet. The first few hours were so mundane. There's no excitement. I have no great motivation to play. I played for a couple hours today for the first time in 3 months. The game is ridiculously insipid. TP is actually one of the worst Zelda games I've ever played. And I say that so boldly because after returning to the Oracle series for the first time in 6 years, I was once again reminded of why I like the Zelda series. I haven't grown tired of the same old formula, the same old themes, the same old characters. Twilight Princess just sucks.
Yet the Zelda Community loves it. And that, more than anything else, amuses me. The Zelda community has never been something I've ever really respected - after visiting such a vast multitude of sites and forums, I've seen what we're made of. Yet there are always exceptions to such broad, sweeping generalizations, and I have found, that after making acquaintance with such outlying individuals, that their company has really become the domain of my limited activity.
What I'm saying is, Twilight Princess isn't what everyone says it is. It's not outstanding, it's not impressive, and it sure as hellisn't better than Ocarina of Time, in any sense. Yeah, I know, I haven't played through the entire game. I'm not even half way through it. But from my experience, and from the videos I've seen, and the palaver I've held with others, this game does not present. I'm seriously beginning to doubt if I'm going to beat it this year.
I'd rather spend my times playing Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons again. Twilight Princess lacks the magic that makes (made) the Zelda series so appealing.
I started playing Four Swords again last weekend. I had a blast. The magic was still there, just as strong as ever. So when I say I dislike Twilight Princess, I have a lot to compare it to.
Now there are so many fools out there who have posted random crap like, "you can't compare TP to other Zelda games" and "it stands alone from other games".Isn't the Legend of Zelda a series? A franchise? It sure as hell is, and you can sure as hell be sure I'm going to compare it to the other Zelda games.
If a game sucks, it sucks. 'nuff said.
But anyway, enough animosity thrown at Twilight Princess.
I'm sure by now you've all heard of the death of the creator of Ocarina of Time 2D. What I find pathetic is the number of people who automatically jump to the conclusion that the death is a hoax, an elaborate attempt to end the production of Ocarina of Time 2D, since it "never was going to be finished anyway". I don't care if this kind of thing has happened before, there's still a certain level of respect that can be maintained when discussing such matters. If it's a hoax, then that's just another asshole in the Zelda community. We're full of them. And if not, then I hope you rest in peace Richard.
When I first read about his death, I had absolutely no qualms about the veracity of what I was reading. But the more forums I visited, and the more posts I read, the more I became convinced that a.) the lack of details regarding the event is a little shady (but that doesn't matter), and b.) that the Zelda community is still full of base morons.
I personally believe that he's passed on. That's just me tho'. I could be wrong.
In other news, Darth has some trivia thing going on over at EDNF. I'm not participating, but if you're interested, go ahead and check it out here.
And to sort of bring this jumbled mash of things to a close, I'd like to apologize for my absence. Updates will be made regularly now, even if nothing interesting is happening in the Zelda community. So despite whatever hell that may transpire, know this: I'm back ;)
---
3/27/2007; 10:33PM; InformeroftheSages