Hints

MMR adds various hints throughout the game to help players through seeds. The exact types of hints available in each seed will depend on the hint settings, which can be found in the seed generator's Comfort tab.

Hints are determined only after randomizing the rest of the seed. Only randomized checks and items will be hinted.

MMR will take enabled victory modes into account when determining importance and hints.

Importance

After placing all items, MMR evaluates every randomized check for its value in logically progressing through the seed. This is called importance. MMR uses importance to determine what Way of the Hero and Foolish hints are possible, and it will be mentioned in location hints if the Indicate Importance option is on.

For items with multiple copies, every individual copy could have different importance. For multi-location checks, every individual location can have different importance.

• An item and check are required if the item must be obtained on that check and at that location in order to logically complete the seed.
• An item and check are important if obtaining the item on that check and at that location would help with progression through the seed, but there is at least one alternative available.

Termina Gossip Stones

The following is for the Competitive hint distribution option.

There are 24 standalone Gossip Stones throughout Termina proper, plus four "gossip grottos" in Termina Field containing four Gossips each. In MMR, each Termina Field gossip grotto will receive the same four blocks of text, making for a total of 28 Gossip slots.

MMR can place 14 different Gossip Stone hints. Each hint will have two copies, and if the hint is for a required item, both copies of the hint will be accessible before that item is needed.

The Free hints option allows players to read Gossip Stone hints without the Mask of Truth. The Clear hints option will cause the hints to give exact names of items and checks.

Location hints

Apparently Butler brings a Blast Mask (not required)...

Location hints name a specific check and the item on that check. If Indicate Importance is on, the hint will add "(required)" if the item is required, or "(not required)" otherwise. A "(not required)" item could still be important! For instance, it's possible for both Gibdo Mask and Garo's Mask to be stated as "(not required)" in the same seed.

A location hint can name multiple related checks at once. Aliens Defense and Cremia are a popular example.

MMR allows location hints to be customized. Competitive settings commonly divide location hints into two tiers:

• Always hints are given in every seed. Runners won't have to do an always-hinted check unless they find a hint that says otherwise.
• Sometimes hints are not given in every seed. Runners still have to consider sometimes-hinted checks when the check isn't hinted.

Some competitive settings use rotating always hints, in which only a certain number of always hints are actually given in the seed and the leftover always-tier checks are junked. The effect is the same for runners: they still needn't do always-hinted checks unless told otherwise. (MMR will ensure that the number of required and important items placed on always-tier checks won't exceed the specified number of hint slots!)

Way of the Hero hints

It appears Pinnacle Rock is on the Way of the Hero...

Way of the Hero hints (or "WotHs" for short) name a region that is guaranteed to have at least one required randomized item.

There are a few exceptions:

• The item cannot be already hinted by another Termina Gossip Stone location hint or another enabled region hint.
• Unless Mix Songs with Items is on, the item cannot be a song that doesn't lock a required randomized item or an unavoidable set of important randomized items. Songs can't be WotH solely for access to vanilla remains or Majora.
• The item cannot be the Fierce Deity's Mask or Giant's Mask for the purpose of defeating Twinmold. (They can be WotH for other purposes if the settings allow for it! But this is unconventional.)
• The item cannot be a Boss Remains, Boss Key, Small Key, or dungeon Stray Fairy shuffled specifically among Great Fairy Rewards or Temples. (They can be WotH if shuffled anywhere and otherwise unhinted.)
• The item cannot be a randomized bottle scoop.

A region with an already-hinted or otherwise un-WotH-able item can still be WotH, but only for a different item.

Each region may only be hinted WotH once.

Foolish hints

They say Beneath the Well is a foolish choice...

Foolish hints name a region that does not have any required or important items that are fully randomized.

A special variant of the foolish hint is the Foolish Except for Song hint, which names a region with only one relevant song and no other required or important randomized items. The song may be required or important.

Some considerations and exceptions:

• Non-randomized items in that region may still be needed. Some examples include boss remains, potions from West Clock Town, and Magic Beans from the Deku Palace Bean Man.
• Boss Remains, Boss Keys, Small Keys, and dungeon Stray Fairies that are shuffled specifically among Great Fairy Rewards or Temples are ignored by foolish hints!
• Scoops are ignored by foolish hints, whether randomized or not.