I would really like to see a low % run of this game, even if it does end up being somewhat trivial. Maybe a low % all dungeons would be more interesting than pure low %.

I just want to help clear the air about what “low %” might mean. Let’s start by rehashing how OoT defines it:

In OoT, as I understand it, the goal is to complete the category (be it “Defeat Ganon” or “Medallions, Stones, Trials”) with as low of an “item count” as possible. The “top run” is the run that has the lowest item count when it finishes. If multiple runs are tied for lowest item count, tiebreaks are determined by who did it faster.

The real trick is trying to define the “item count.” It’s not obvious. In OoT, “Bombchus” are counted as a single item. It doesn’t matter if you pick up one Bombchu or a hundred, if you can complete the game with just Bombchus your run is still “better” than one that completes the game with, say, Hookshot and Boomerang. Long story short, multiples of stackable items do not increase item count beyond the first.

Additionally, in OoT it is possible to delete items from the menu using glitches. Deleting items from the inventory does not lower the item count. What matters is that the item was picked up, not the final state of the player’s inventory.

How much BotW low % should be like OoT is up for debate given how different they are. I think defining what “item count” means is the most important thing.

My proposed formula for “item count” is:

item count = number of stamina vessels beyond the starting wheel

• the number of heart containers beyond the starting 3
• the number of unique stackable items picked up
• the number of unstackable items picked up

Examples:

A run that picks up 1 stamina vessel, 0 heart containers, 23 arrows, a Boko Bow, and two Boko Shields would have an “item count” of 5 (the arrows collectively count as 1 item, and both shields count as 1 each). However, the real count would likely be 6 because you have to pick up spirit orbs (which stack).

A run that picks up two spicy peppers, cooks both of them them into a single “spicy sauteed peppers”, and then picks up two more peppers and cooks those too would have an item count of 3. All the peppers count as one collective item, even though they’re removed from the inventory. Each dish counts as one item because it doesn’t stack.

Admittedly, my definition is not “low %” in the absolute most zealous sense of the phrase, but I think it has merits:

1. It’s very similar to the OoT definition, including the “stackable vs unstackable” distinction.
2. Putting a priority on uniqueness of stackable items will prevent the category from turning into an arrow-counting game (something that would be more appropriate for a “No %” category).
3. Counting each unstackable item individually is in-line with the spirit of BotW, where getting the most out of every weapon’s durability matters.
4. Not counting map locations makes sense for verification and simplicity purposes. This definition of “item count” is straightforward.

But I’m just one person. I bet some people would rather see runners count every arrow, or maybe they’d rather consider what could happen if 5 boko clubs counted as one item. I’ve just been brewing on this a bit, thought it might be food for thought.