History VideoGame / OracleOfTao

* TooDumbToLive: At one point, a villain asks her "[[StockPhrases Who are you gonna trust? Me, who you've just met? Or these guys, who you've known for months?" Ambrosia can choose the person they've just met.

* BraggingRightsReward: If you can beat the game without a save file, the game awards you with a ton of prizes, including an equippable trophy item. Doing so, however, despite being told of this in the very first savepoint, is [[NintendoHard quite difficult]]. It is doable, thanks to a system that saves you from gameover on death (most of the time), but ContinuingIsPainful, and the game length with grind, plot events, and just finding your way around (not to mention some {{Padding}}) can take over 20 hours.

* TakenForGranite: Anideshi has a {{Naruto}}-style Sage transformation, complete with the risk of turning into stone if things don't work out right.

* GrandFinale. The actual ending of the game, after the main game and the PlayableEpilogue, essentially wraps up the story of three generations of a few family lines (four, on Ambrosia's side), ending in the death and afterlife of our main characters. Unless Ambrosia gets wished back with a DragonBall, there's no viable way to continue this story.

* {{Expy}}: Loads of these, from ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' characters to KingdomHearts. Mainly, these are secondary characters or {{NPC}}s.

** {{Alchemy}}: Less along the lines of FMA-style alchemy, and more JustAddWater.

* [[spoiler: PlatonicCave: It turns out the entire world is an illusion.]]
* PlayableEpilogue.

* PointofNoReturn: There are a few of these.
* [[spoiler: PosthumousNarration]]: [[spoiler: Subverted, in that it's never clear exactly when she starts narrating. She may start at the beginning in fact, but by the end of the game she is dead and in Heaven of sorts.]]

* CerebusSyndrome: Much of the game is SweetDreamsFuel with [[AnAesop various moral lessons about love]] being taught. Then, around the fourth of these, there is everything from a FamilyUnfriendlyAesop to the implication that Ambrosia at some point [[DyingDream died and the other characters are part of a dream]].

** Certain computers, due to the presence of compressed mp3 files. This was fixed by standardizing mp3 to the same kbps rate, with a patch, but since if you don't have the computer there is no way of knowing if the game has good quality MP3...

* BagOfSharing: This is a given for RpgMaker games, without extensive programming.

* LazyBackup: RpgMaker has it designed this way, barring massive coding. Subverted in one bonus castle that actually [[PlotTailoredToTheParty requires teamwork]] from the multiple parties. But still, they won't actually help in battle if your party dies.

* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: An attack called Attack Player targets the screen. Considering this is a sidescroll RPG, rather than vertical format (as is true of RpgMaker XP), this is pretty interesting. If the player dies, the game is over.

An amateur RPGMaker game posted on [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/1760/ Rpgmaker.net]]. The basic premise involves a spunky, tomboyish beggar girl, who is called on a MissionFromGod to save the world by restoring balance... or something. Also, an evil demon is threatening the world and needs to be stopped. Along the way she meets [[FiveTokenBand an assorted group of characters]] starting with her potential love interest, an [[WholesomeCrossdresser effeminate]] swordsman. Beyond the initial story, however, there are numerous side tales that can be gleaned from romantic sidequests, and some random [[BlackComedy dark humor]] by exploring the world. Not to mention some hints about the nature of the hero herself, and the nature of the world.

* ProgrammingLanguage: The game has a few C++ plugins which can do a few things offsite of the RpgMaker program.

** A better example of this is one rare enemies that pops up in the desert. It has about ''nine million'' hp, is deathproof, and can boot the party from battle after 100 of its turns. The battle is a bit like Porky Statue from Mother3, in that it can be killed the easy way, either by depleting 99% health or by poisoning it to death. But that's no fun! [[spoiler: By having a party with agility-boosting armor and really good weapons, it ''may'' be possible to attack faster each turn than it can keep up.]]

* TheGrandListOfConsoleRolePlayingGameCliches: The initial design of the game was designed with many of these in mind.

** Also many {{DeadUnicornTrope}}s. Especially the Cloud {{Expy}}, and the TheGrandListOfConsoleRolePlayingGameCliches.
* TropeTrigger: Ambrosia Brahmin is a Trope Trigger for Elias as [[{{MrExposition}} Mr Exposition]]. Ambrosia's average intelligence and amnesia allow [[{{SmartGuy}} Smart Guy]] Elias to expound on obscure details pertaining to the plot.

* VillainyFreeVillain: Estheriel has all the hallmarks of a WellIntentionedExtremist, but don't really ever do anything bad. His backstory shows him witness the extreme violence of humanity, as a result of TheChainOfHarm mentioned above. What does he do? He heals these people, only to have them kill each other due to jealousy over [[WhatTheHellTownspeople who got healed more]]. He doesn't even hurt Ambrosia if she loses to him in battle! He only wants a world where people don't hurt each other, and is trying to remake the universe so it accepts his goal (there is the small problem of TheEvilsOfFreeWill, making it possible for the audience to still hate him, even though it isn't his fault). His reward for all of this? [[spoiler: [[EtTuBrute His own lackey decides his means of doing this aren't up to snuff]] [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice and runs him through with a spear]].]]

** The battle balance is a little... weird. [[spoiler: Attacks in the early game barely hurt enemies, but then after the tenth epic weapon, and after beating enemies with magic, it's not really so.]] ForMassiveDamage is also a big part of this.

* ICallItVera: Lilith has a giant rock called Christina. This also counts as a ShoutOut to Thadius from SlightlyDamned.

An amateur RPGMaker game posted on [[http://rpgmaker.net/games/1760/ Rpgmaker.net]]. The basic premise involves a spunky, tomboyish beggar girl, who is called on a MissionFromGod to save the world by restoring balance... or something. Also, an evil demon is threatening the world and needs to be stopped. Along the way she meets [[FiveTokenBand an assorted group of characters]] starting with her potential love interest, an [[WholesomeCrossdresser effeminate]] swordsman. Beyond the initial story however, there are numerous side tales that can be gleaned from romantic sidequests, and some random [[BlackComedy dark humor]] by exploring the world. Not to mention some hints about the nature of the hero herself, and the nature of the world.

* LostForever: The Crystal Trophy is the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII Zodiac Spear]] of ''Oracle of Tao''. You have to complete the game without saving, and you have to make the good ending. Unless you're in the top tier of players, and can pull this off, you're unlikely to manage this, and by the EndgamePlus, it's already been awarded if you had it.

* [[spoiler: MyOwnGrampa: Ambrosia is an [[GodInHumanForm incarnation of God]], and God married her mother to make her. So she's her own "father." ]]

* OurMonstersAreDifferent.
** OurAngelsAreDifferent: There are two type of angels, the modern {{WingedHumanoid}}s, and the older {{EldritchAbomination}}s model. This is actually justified, explaining that traditionally angels ''were'' all like the EldritchAbomination mentioning this story, but because humans have a [[AllMenArePerverts great tendency for interspecies relationships]], current angels are actually a watered-down breed.
** OurDemonsAreDifferent: Demons are supposedly the same initial breed as angels, just more inclined toward evil. They've somehow bred differently than angels, becoming more the HornyDevils variety, those there are several subspecies of demons. [[spoiler: Children of angels and demons appear human.]]
** OurDragonsAreDifferent: Everything from Eastern, to Western, to Dungeons & Dragons style chrmoatic, metal, and jewel dragons.
** OurElvesAreBetter: Elves are essentially human, but even half-elves have abnormal lifespans and centuries of youth.
** OurGhoulsAreCreepier: The idea was based from the movie [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1069228/ Ghouls]]. They keep coming back, unless somehow sealed away, and come from another dimension.
** OurMermaidsAreDifferent: Everything from merfolk, to water elementals, to sirens.
** OurMonstersAreWeird: You fight everything from Elder Gods, to robots, to Stonehenge. Super-cute anime style sirens, ShoutOut enemies, and truly freakish monsters populate the game.
** OurVampiresAreDifferent: Vampires are subject to silver and holy effects, and vampire lords can only be killed by destroying their coffin. Vampires protect one of the towns, in exchange for their food. Stakes are never mentioned, and vampires actually like garlic. Vampires are more like some wild beast than true undead, and can probably mate.
** OurZombiesAreDifferent: There are three types, conventional (undead), diseased zombies (which can best be killed by wounding their brains), and Thriller zombies (ShoutOut to Music/MichaelJackson).

* DemocracyIsBad: The current Earth is run by a group dedicated to [[LogicBomb organized anarchy]]. That is, a [[OneWorldOrder world government]] is set up, ''[[NoExceptYes in order to ensure cities cannot form large governments and oppress people]]''.

* ChandlersLaw: Creator/RaymondChandler actually appears as a [[PeopleJars preserved holograph]] in a futuristic town, partially explains the trope [[InstantAwesomeJustAddNinja (with ninjas dramatically popping up, walking up to the hero and attacking, and disappearing before anyone can figure out what's going on)]].

* [[{{Laozi}} Lao-tzu]]: Well, duh. It's a Taoist ReligiousEdutainment game. You get to beat him up in battle too.

* BonusBoss: [[{{Expy}} Zakum]] from MapleStory. It has several ''million hp'' and has numerous attacks that '''will''' kill you.

* YouWannaGetSued: The game's BonusBoss is [[MapleStory Zakum]]. Right before the battle starts, you get this exchange.

* LovecraftLite: Turning EldritchAbominations into overpowered yet beatable enemies, check. Tentacle hentai jokes, check? Having a side character say stuff about Cthulhu when she dies from an effect, check.

** [[spoiler: Even the best ending makes no sense, as it turns out the main hero was [[GodInHumanForm God]] all along (she's told this by God), and now has the choice while sitting in a WhiteVoidRoom on whether to create the universe or not (and she can definitely choose to just become God and sit by herself for all eternity). What?!? ItGetsBetter, though.]]

** Also averted NoPeriodsPeriod: Uses the [[TheSlayers Lina Inverse rule]] of magic loss during the [[MenstrualMenace menstrual cycle]]. This is a balance to the above advantage for females.

* TheSevenBasicPlots: Most of these apply, starting with Rags to Riches.

** LanguageOfMagic: Angels can use true names to learn spells (similar to the TreasureOfTheRudra)