A Legend of Zelda Wishlist

Sounds like there is a new Legend of Zelda in the works, and while details are fairly scarce at the moment it looks to be tied directly to Breath of the Wild.  I've heard some voices of concern over reuse of existing assets, particularly the world map, but I think that they might be jumping to conclusions a bit prematurely.  We really don't know what changes are being made besides a few visual upgrades shown off in the teaser trailer.  Having said that, I do hope Nintendo makes a few adjustments.  Actually, there are several things that I really would like to see implemented.  Call it a wishlist, if you like.

I won't go into detail on this first request, mostly because Joseph Anderson (of Youtube fame) has a video (here) breaking down the problem (among several others) in exhausting detail.  Cutting to the chase, the way weapon damage and armor absorption are calculated under the hood is kind of wonky.  More often than not it leads to situations in which Link only takes a quarter heart of damage per hit, or else loses the entire health bar except for a quarter heart from a single blow.  It's the kind of problem tabletop RPGs sometimes have, a lack of granularity.

On a bit more positive note, I really enjoyed the exploration aspect of Breath of the Wild.  In particular, the ability to climb up almost any surface and glide down from great heights is something that should be included in more open-world games (Horizon: Zero Dawn sequel, please make it happen!).  One more freedom-of-movement feature  I'd like to see is the ability to dive underwater.  Much like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, there doesn't need to be an emphasis on submerged combat just the opportunity to explore sunken shipwrecks, underwater ruins, and maybe even some flooded caverns.

Tangential to my last request, it would be nice to have more compacted zones with a lot of detail.  There was a bit of this in Breath of the Wild when it came to the three mazes and dark forest, but the only other built-up location that felt truly memorable to me was Hyrule Castle.  Certainly more places like that, whether they be dungeons, temples, fortresses or crypts would be a welcome addition.  I guess what I'm really asking for is a bit more Dark Souls in terms of environmental design.

Lastly, I just want to say, I hope it's possible to find a proper sailboat (like the one in Wind Waker) this time around.  The rafts in Breath of the Wild were functional, but a somewhat inelegant method of travel.  Here's hoping if we go sailing again we can do it in style.