History Main / StopPokingMe

** Played straight in the first game, the first click (after opening the window) will prompt them to notice your cursor and follow it, the second will quote the trope name word for word sometimes.

* aptitude, a tool in Debian Linux, insists it doesn't have [[EasterEgg Super Cow Powers]] when you type "aptitude moo".

[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquer http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Command_and_Conquer_poke_2051.jpg]]]]

[-[[caption-width-right:350:[[http://skunk-works.deviantart.com/art/Command-and-Conquer-Blues-49287105 Image]] courtesy of [[http://skunk-works.deviantart.com ~Skunk-Works]].\\

[-[[caption-width-right:350:[[http://skunk-works.deviantart.com/art/Command-and-Conquer-Blues-49287105 Image]] courtesy of [[http://skunk-works.deviantart.com ~Skunk-Works]]. Used with permission.]]-]

[-[[caption-width:350:To not lose against the terrorists, don't poke your units]].]]-]

[[GivingSomeoneThePointerFinger Pointing at people is rude.]] [[NoSenseOfPersonalSpace So is poking them.]] [[BerserkButton So is poking them repeatedly for no reason when you already have their attention.]] ''[[SelfDemonstratingArticle Will you please quit doing that already?!]]'' [[WhatTheHellPlayer Sheesh, what's wrong with you, anyway?]]

* Non-game example: the free speech synthesis program ReadPlease 2003. The current voice is associated with the speaker's portrait. Don't click on the portrait.

[[quoteright:350:[[http://skunk-works.deviantart.com/art/Command-and-Conquer-Blues-49287105 http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Command_and_Conquer_poke_2051.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquer To not lose against the terrorists, don't poke your units]].]]

** There's also a "Poke The Bunny" which is somewhat less extreme; it just sinks it's razor-sharp teeth into the finger and doesn't let go.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[CommandAndConquer To not lose against the terrorists, don't poke your units]].]]

--> -- '''Alleria Windrunner''', '''''{{Warcraft}} II: Beyond the Dark Portal'''''

In games that have units vocally acknowledge when you select them, clicking too often can make them annoyed/sarcastic. Originated with ''{{Warcraft}}: Orcs And Humans'' (the TropeMaker and TropeNamer) and became a standard feature of all BlizzardEntertainment's games, and has since spread to other companies.

* BlizzardEntertainment, after [[TropeMaker inventing this]], raised it to an art form. ''{{Starcraft}}'' and all ''{{Warcraft}}'' games (including ''WorldOfWarcraft'') have characters getting angry, doing comedy routines, or just providing additional insight into their characters. The TropeNamer is the original ''Warcraft'' orc's "Stop poking me!"

* CommandAndConquer has a few examples, such as in Tiberian Wars if one man in the GDI sniper team is shot, the acknowledgement will be much more strained and panicky.

** Xzar, who's like, crazy awesome, actually at one point says "STOP ''POKING'' MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!" as a ShoutOut to ''{{Warcraft}}''.

* ''[[{{Warhammer}} Warhammer Online]]'' does this, not just with the {{NPC}}s, but also other {{player character}}s.

* In ''FinalFantasyIX'', if you call the moogle who acts as your save point on the world map without saving enough times, he gets angry and threatens you, first by stating that he's "sharpening his knife, kupo..." before ultimately his dialogue devolves into [[{{Angrish}} "STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT, KUPOOOOOH!!"]]
* Similarly, if you call Mei Ling in ''MetalGearSolid'' too many times without saving, she gets annoyed and sticks her tongue out at you.

* Non-game example: the free speech synthesis program ReadPlease 2003. The current voice is associated with the speaker's portrait. Don't click on the portrait.

** In Tiberian Twilight all units have different responses depending on whether they are in combat or not, and then if they are winning or not while in combat.
* In ''BanjoKazooie'', Bottles offers to give you a tutorial of the game. Should you choose to reject his offer, and but still attempt to talk to him, he will refuse to speak with you. Bother him enough times, and he will threaten to erase your game pak. [[spoiler:Banjo pleads with him though, and he stops.]]

* In the first ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' computer game, examining Rincewind too many times causes him to temporarily steal the mouse cursor.

*** ''Warcraft III'' takes the poking further by having various MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail jokes being said among the human units, and veiled pokes at the ChurchOfHappyology among the Scourge's more intelligible units. Also, several rare/unique units have some ''massively long'' "annoyed" quotes.

* In ''{{Banjo Kazooie}}'', Bottles offers to give you a tutorial of the game. Should you choose to reject his offer, and but still attempt to talk to him, he will refuse to speak with you. Bother him enough times, and he will threaten to erase your game pak. [[spoiler:Banjo pleads with him though, and he stops.]]

* In the first ''{{Discworld}}'' computer game, examining Rincewind too many times causes him to temporarily steal the mouse cursor.

* ''PlanescapeTorment'' likewise. The characters also have quotes for if you try to give them weapons they can't wield or remove items they won't take off.

* ''{{Heroes of Newerth}}'' includes these for all of it's heroes, except the one's who can't talk. This also includes some {{Shout Out}}s such as the Pyromancer who shouts "[[LordOfTheRings YOU SHALL NOT PASS!]]" then chuckles and notes that "...[[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat I've always wanted to say that]]."

* A hilarious variation occurs in ''{{Fallout}}''. Speaking to people multiple times will result in them saying different things, and trying it on a cow yields this:
--> '''Cow:''' Moo.
--> '''Cow:''' Moo, moo.
--> '''Cow:''' [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Moo, I say.]]

* FalloutNewVegas takes a similar tack, as repeatedly giving a follower the same instruction leads to snarking.

* ''{{Heroes of Newerth}}'' includes these for many of its playable heroes. This also includes some {{Shout Out}}s such as the Pyromancer who shouts "[[LordOfTheRings YOU SHALL NOT PASS!]]" then chuckles and notes that "...[[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat I've always wanted to say that]]."

* [[spoiler:Vateilika]] in ''{{Iji}}'', after you see her in the [[spoiler:final Tusan hideout]] and poke her repeatedly, she eventually breaks down and talks about how her relationship with her boyfriend fell apart because he kept poking her.

-->'''Pyromaniac:''' Gah! [[SpaceBalls Can't... Breathe in this thing!]]

* ''Heroes of Newerth'' includes these for many of its playable heroes. This also includes some {{Shout Out}}s such as the Pyromancer who shouts "[[LordOfTheRings YOU SHALL NOT PASS!]]" then chuckles and notes that "...[[IAlwaysWantedToSayThat I've always wanted to say that]]."

* Characters in ''DragonAge'' have Stop Poking Me lines if you select/unselect them too many times in the party selection screen. Shale says the trope namer line.

** A scientist on the salarian homeworld in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' would *really* like you to stop poking the console he's working on. He'll eventually suggest you get your own [[spoiler: feces analyzer]] and stop playing with his.

* ''{{CompanyOfHeroes'' has this. Mostly profanity, though the commandoes break the fourth wall by asking if one of them can range that camera hanging up there...

* BlizzardEntertainment, after [[TropeMaker inventing this]], raised it to an art form ''{{Starcraft}}'' and all ''{{Warcraft}}'' games (including ''WorldOfWarcraft'') have characters getting angry, doing comedy routines, or just providing additional insight into their characters. The TropeNamer is probably the orc's "Stop poking me!"

-->'''Scientist:''' Further abuse of that thing is grounds for further admonishment.