Entrance Randomizer

 

Entrance Randomizer (a.k.a. ER)

The "Entrance Shuffle" setting in the Randomizer allows players to randomize loading zones (also called "entrances") connecting the world. 
Almost all entrances, including dungeon entrances, grottos, houses, great fairies, overworld entrances and owl drops can be randomized, depending on the option selected.

The most important thing to note is that all entrances are kept bidirectional, which means going through a loading zone from one side, then going back through the same loading zone will lead you back where you came from.

Another major aspect is that entrances are always shuffled with other entrances of the same type. For example, dungeon entrances will always lead to some dungeon, and overworld entrances will always lead to some overworld area, coming from an overworld entrance.

Different modes are available, which are incrementally more random and more difficult.

 

Available ER Modes

"Dungeons Only":

Randomize dungeon entrances, which includes all medallion and stone dungeons, along with Bottom of the Well, Ice Cavern and Gerudo Training Grounds, but not Ganon's Castle.

In order to improve dungeon entrance randomization, the Deku Tree and Bottom of the Well entrances are both open as adult, and boulders blocking the way to Fire Temple as child are also removed to allow child to reach the Fire Temple entrance. However, the Bottom of the Well entrance can only be accessed as adult after draining the well by playing the Song of Storms in the Windmill as child.

Lake Hylia will be filled for adult when defeating Morpha, which will also give Link the ability the control the lake water level by using the special Gossip Stone.

Dungeon blue warps will return Link in front of the new dungeon entrance leading to that blue warp.

 

"Simple Indoors" (Formerly "All Indoors"):

Randomize all dungeon entrances as described above along with all Grottos and most Interiors.
Dungeons, Grottos and Interiors constitute 3 different pools of entrances which are only shuffled in their own pool.

Grottos include all grottos in the game, with small Fairy Fountains and the Lost Woods Stage.
Graves can't be randomized yet but they are planned to be shuffled with other Grottos.

Interiors shuffled in this pool include most Houses and all Great Fairies in the game.
This option excludes a few special Interior entrances: Richard's House, Link's House, Temple of Time, the Windmill, the Kakariko Potion Shop and Gerudo Fortress interiors.

When shuffling interiors, adult trade quest timers are disabled in order to avoid issues with them.
For now, this also forces the "Skip Tower Escape Sequence" option to be enabled.

 

"All Indoors":

Randomize all entrances from the "Simple Indoors" option, along with a few extra Interior entrances leading to special places that were excluded from the simple option.

The additional Interior entrances are currently: Link's House, Temple of Time and the Windmill.
However, entrances leading to the Kakariko Potion Shop and Gerudo Fortress Interiors are still not shuffled.

This option is incompatible with closed forest so it forces the "Open Forest" option to be enabled.

Otherwise, the option is the same as "Simple Indoors", and it includes all its changes.

 

"All Indoors & Overworld":

Randomize all Indoor entrances like in "All Indoors", and adds Overworld entrances as a new separate pool.

Overworld entrances include almost all loading zones between overworld areas, for example: Hyrule Field to Lake Hylia.

Some overworld loading zones are kept vanilla to avoid potential issues:

• The Castle Courtyard and Garden entrances (leading to Zelda) aren't shuffled, to avoid various issues.
• Gerudo Valley to Lake Hylia by the stream is not changed and always vanilla, since it is a special one-way entrance.
• Market Back Alley entrances are not changed and kept as a part of Market, to ensure the Richard item can be obtained.

 

Owl Drop positions are also randomized as an extra way to get somewhere in the overworld, but the owl still only takes off from Lake Hylia and Death Mountain Summit when Link is a child.

However, warp songs are not randomized and playing any song will lead you to their usual destination.

Some cutscenes are changed to bring the player to a more suitable place in this mode:

• Impa's escort brings you to the entrance of Hyrule Castle Grounds from the market, instead of bringing you to Hyrule Field.
• Getting caught by Gerudo Guards as child always throws you in the Valley stream, even if you have a Hookshot. And getting caught as adult brings you at the Fortress entrance from Valley if you don't have a Hookshot. But you are still thrown in the jail if you are adult and have a Hookshot.
• Leaping over the fences with Epona in Lon Lon Ranch always leads to where the main entrance leads, acting as if you left Lon Lon Ranch from the main entrance.

 

Includes all changes from "All Indoors" and previous options.