History Main / SuicidalOverconfidence

* ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander'' is geared toward massive attacks with hundreds of units, for which the savvy player will prepare with walls of automated defenses. Such massive attacks do occasionally come, but they're all scripted - between them the AI, left on its own, constantly sends small groups of medium-level units to smash harmlessly against your impenetrable base, again and again and again. Granted, the game has unlimited resources, but you'd still think the AI would at least try to stockpile units for bigger assaults.

** This is ''somewhat'' justified. The ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' universe runs on [[HonorBeforeReason honour much more than it runs on reason]], especially when it involves with the Clans, to the point that many proud pilots will ''refuse to eject'' from a critically damaged Mech - despite it being a perfectly sensible choice - on the ground of it being dishonorable. Mercenary forces are a notable exception, but anyone who isn't fighting for money will very likely follow orders to the letter, even if said orders demand using a couple of scout Mechs to stop an onslaught by massed enemy heavies.

* ''Videogame/{{Yakuza}}'' has street punks walking up to you, challenging you to a fight if you're on their turf. They often have you outnumbered, but even so, you have random street punks harassing a not-harmless-looking clearly-a-Yakuza, or even worse solo fighters challenging built-like-a-shit-brickhouse-on-steroids Saejima.
** This is Justified half the time because Kiryu and buddies often find themselves on the wrong side of the local yakuza family, who send out low-level thugs to rough them up. This is despite how legendary Kiryu is by the later games, having crushed the [[spoiler: Tojo Clan Chairman]] single-handedly multiple times and even [[spoiler: ''became'' the Chairman at one point]]. The few times he ''isn't'' being hunted is this Trope.

* Enemies in the ''[[VideoGame/PoliceQuest S.W.A.T.]]'' series of TacticalShooter[=s=] aren't just capable of retreating, they can also surrender (or [[ISurrenderSuckers fake surrender]]) and drop their weapons if you can pin them down, allowing you to restrain them.

* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', the enemies will actively run away from you if you're too powerful for them, although if you like you can catch up with them and instantly defeat them for free Experience points. Also, if you defeat the boss of a dungeon, even if the other inhabitants are around your level, they will flee from you because you kicked the butt of the strongest creature in the area.

* The worst offender is likely ''VideoGame/TheDarkness'', where the player has demonic, flesh-eating tentacles growing out of him. Despite this, the enemies all don't seem that worried. Interestingly, whipping out your tentacles during battle DOES scare foes, but not arriving at a fight with them already equipped. It's the startle factor. When an empowered human charges across the room at you with CombatTentacles, you start shooting. When the guy you thought was an easy target suddenly sprouts a pair of extra arms and charges, you might get a bit unnerved.
** To be fair, the enemies have lines showing that they're ''freaking out''. They just don't stop shooting. Seeing how FiveRoundsRapid will actually kill you pretty fast outside of a dark corner, this isn't that unjustified.

* In ''VideoGame/MasterOfOrion'', the AI players will eventually declare war on another empire (yours or an AI empire) with complete disregard for the strengths of the respective empires. Particularly in the second game, at higher difficulty levels {{NPC}} empires will refuse to surrender even if their empire consists of only one population point on a planet blockaded by a fleet of warships that can [[EarthShatteringKaboom turn the world into a rubble pile]] and [[FinalSolution eliminate the offending empire entirely]].
** Ditto for the [=iOS=] port ''VideoGame/StarbaseOrion''. ArtificialStupidity means that the enemy AI will frequently send a single destroyer against your fleet consisting of a mammoth, several titans, a dozen battleships, scores of cruisers and destroyers, and a hundred frigates. It's even worse when the AI does this with unarmed troop transports, sending one after another at a defended planet, meaning they are automatically destroyed. Also, the AI will keep declaring war only even if you have conquered all but one of their planets and their defenses are nonexistent.

* Played straight in ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'', but averted in ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors''. In DW enemy privates will stay around so long as there's someone to fight. In SW, killing their officer will send the remaining four or so footmen [[ScrewThisImOuttahere fleeing]].
** Not completely played straight in DW. Subgenerals will flee as soon as their superior is killed. Everyone else stands around and lets you kill them, though, but it may also play into the fact that without their lead general, completely demoralized troops become much less focused; as a result, they don't actively attack you unless provoked. Though in later ''Musou Warriors'' games, they actually give more various forms of behavior to the enemy AI mooks, which varies from them running away or like in older titles, not paying attention to your presence as effectively whenever you kill their leading officer.
*** Tying into the above, any enemy who sees you kick enough ass in ''VideoGame/WarriorsOrochi'' will turn tail and flee. It's harder to invoke this if there's an enemy officer present as apparently, no one wants to be charged with desertion. The Warriors series is about taking on entire armies nearly by yourself, and this whole thing makes it even easier to remove large groups of enemies from the battle; kill a few in a spectacular fashion, and the rest will run away like cowards.

** This is ''somewhat'' justified. The ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' universe runs on [[HonorBeforeReason honour much more than it runs on reason]], to the point many proud pilots will ''refuse to eject'' from a critically damaged Mech - despite it being a perfectly sensible choice - on the ground of it being dishonorable. Mercenary forces are a notable exception, but anyone who isn't fighting for money will very likely follow orders to the letter, even if said orders demand using a couple of scout Mechs to stop an onslaught by massed enemy heavies.

* In ''VideoGame/{{X}}3: Reunion'', while most pirates will mindlessly try to kill you (sometimes entirely on their own accord) even if they are in a puny M5 light fighter and you are in a M7 light capital ship that just slaughtered an entire squadron of Khaak fighters on its own, pirate freighters carrying illegal goods will often choose to avoid a fight they can't possibly win and surrender their cargo if you order them to do so.
** Occasionally averted in ''X3: Terran Conflict''. Every once in a while somebody in a flight of fighters has a flash of brilliance and runs for his life.

* Early in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', which for some reason is ''not'' the TropeNamer, Reno yells at his Mooks to "Attack Attack Attack". They are then promptly massacred singlehandedly by the resident WhiteMagicianGirl.

* ''VideoGame/PaperMario''. It eventually gets to the point where ''you'' will be running away from low-level enemies because fighting them takes too long and has too little pay-off. The First Attack, Spin Attack, and Bump Attack badges allow you to dispose of them instantly by attacking, spinning into, or simply touching them if they're weak enough, though.
** Weirdly inverted in the first two ''Paper Mario'' games; [[MetalSlime Amayzee Dayzees]] will run away even when they could destroy Mario with a single attack (which is quite often, [[BossInMookClothing as they are among the most]] ''[[BossInMookClothing powerful]]'' [[BossInMookClothing enemies in the game]].) Since they also give the highest amount of star points (EXP) in the entire game, they will flee to prevent you from leveling up too quickly.

* In ''VideoGame/CompanyOfHeroes'', infantry units without rocket launchers or anti-tank grenades literally do no damage to tank units, yet will still attack them if they get into range. The troops you are commanding will comment on this, with US rifle squads asking whether you are high when you order them to attack tanks, and the airborne yelling "Fire your rifles, we can distract them at least!" The game encourages you to retreat if there is no chance of winning. All infantry have a button to make them retreat back to your base.

** Avoided, however, with the battle AI. There is a morale system that applies equally for both your troops and any enemies. If you pull a flanking maneuver and your opposition is overmatched, or even if they are not, they may scatter and rout. Your own troops are subjected to this too.
** The battle AI would also occasionally order a TacticalWithdrawal if the situation was clearly hopeless.

** Kai Leng definitely fits the "over-confidence" part, considering himself far better than Shepard (he's good, but he's not ''that'' good; he only managed to walk away from his first direct fight with Shepard because he had the presence of mind to being a ''gunship'' to the fight) and he cheats like crazy when he does fight Shepard). His boss, [[WorthyOpponent who holds Shepard in extremely high regard despite being enemies]], tells him not to underestimate Shepard but he may as well be talking to a brick wall. He even takes being compared to him/her as an insult to his skills. Shepard relishes in flinging this in Leng's face during their final fight, noting that he ran away from every fight and royally pissing Leng off (not that this makes him fight any better). When Shep finally puts him on the ground, they add insult to injury by not even bothering to finish him off. Leng [[TooDumbToLive still doesn't get the hint]] and tries to attack Shepard when his back is turned...who promptly dodges/breaks his sword and stabs him in the gut, putting Leng down for good and not-so-politely [[AndThisIsFor reminding Leng of what he did to deserve this.]]

* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', the enemies will generally avoid engaging you in combat if they are weaker than you, although Unique Monsters and most plot-related non-boss enemies will attack you on sight no matter what.
** This holds true in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'' as well. Also, while piloting a [[HumongousMecha Skell]], most of the smaller monsters will no longer attack you regardless of level difference, though on the flip side some larger ones will now see you as a threat.

** In [=ME2=], Jack's recruitment mission is basically one mercenary/prison warden thinking that trying to hold one of the biggest badasses for ransom, along with their squad[[note]]who could be any of the following: [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke a genetically engineered Cerberus operative]], [[MilitaryMaverick an ex-Alliance shock trooper]] who [[MindOverMatter could send you flying in range of his]] shotgun with his brain, a DeadlyDoctor [[MotorMouth who refuses to shut up]], a [[BackFromTheDead supposedly dead]] mercenary [[TheDreaded who pissed off, and subsequently took down, every major gang on Omega]], tank-bred [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy krogan]] SuperSoldier, [[SergeantRock the guy who co-founded the mercenary group said warden belongs to]], and [[InTheHood a hooded]] Japanese [[KleptomaniacHero master thief who would put]] [[VideoGame/{{Thief}} Garret]] to shame.[[/note]] was a ''good'' idea. For extra stupidity, he lets them keep their guns, and the icing on the cake is that his plan was basically present Shepard with a cell, and have them walk into it. There's stupid, there's moronic, there's idiocy, and then there's this [[TooDumbToLive dumbass]].[[labelnote:*]]Just to make matters worse, the place where he intended to ambush Shepard was ''right next door'' to the resident TykeBomb currently sealed in cryo, and his mercs lock the door Shepard came in through and basically lead Shepard's team ''straight to'' the Tyke Bomb's cell. Oh, and the release for her cell isn't even secured, basically just a big button that screams "Push me to make all hell break loose!"[[/labelnote]]

** [[spoiler:Maya Brooks]], at the end of the ''Citadel'' DLC. The character in question, a former Cerberus agent with extreme proficiency in subterfuge and hacking, begins trying to break the omni-cuffs she's been detained with after the crew retakes the ''Normandy''. If the player fails to convince her to go into custody willingly,[[note]]by pointing out that their attempt to talk her down isn't for ''their'' safety, but ''hers''[[/note]] she breaks the encryption and tries to flee, despite the fact that (a) the Normandy is still in the air and has been retaken by the crew -- it was clear at this point that all of the CAT-6 mercenaries (barring the pilot) are either incapacitated or dead; (b) there are three of the strongest participants in the Reaper War still facing her, which may include Garrus, a.k.a. Archangel, [[spoiler:a fact she is likely aware of, given how she assembled the dossiers when [[VideoGame/MassEffect2 Shepard was resurrected]]]] and[=/=]or one of several powerful biotics who are expressly said in the following party to be powerful enough to seize people and make them float without breaking a sweat; and (c) a ship's AI that is expressly said to have been restored and is back to normal operation, meaning she sees everything in the ship. As a result, [[spoiler:Brooks]] is unceremoniously shot dead by either Shepard or their squadmate, who [[AddingInsultToInjury twist the knife further]] by cracking a joke as she dies.

** ''Max Payne 2'' lampshades Max having the highest mobster body count ever by having Vladimir Lem capitalize on this by having Max help him out with against Vinnie Gognitti's mob war that Vinnie started. Despite Max's reputation, nobody seems to respect that Max is tearing through mobsters even better that in the first game. [[spoiler: However, we learn that Vladimir Lem is up to no good himself and eventually deems Max has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived]] his usefulness and tries to have him killed, succumbing to overconfidence along with his Cleaner-commando mooks. Max Payne turns on him openly in Chapter 3 after being tipped off by Alfred Woden.]]

** ''Max Payne 3'' has Max fighting his way up an organized crime ladder, dealing with the Commando Sombra street gang, the Crachá Preto private military group, and the corrupt UFE paramilitary police force. The later two are practically militaries in their own right so Max shouldn't even stand a chance, but they underestimate Max all the way to the defeat of their organizations.

** ''Max Payne 3'' has Max fighting his was up an organized crime ladder, dealing with the Commando Sombra street gang, the Crachá Preto private military group, and the corrupt UFE paramilitary police force. The later two are practically militaries in their own right so Max shouldn't even stand a chance, but they underestimate Max all the way to the defeat of their organizations.

** ''Max Payne 2'' lampshades Max having the highest mobster body count ever by having Vladimir Lem capitalize on this by having Max help him out with against Vinnie Gognitti's mob war that Vinnie started. Despite Max's reputation, nobody seems to respect that Max is tearing through mobsters even better that in the first game. [[spoiler: However, we learn that Vladimir Lem is up to no good himself and eventually deems Max has [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived]] his usefulness and tries to have him killed, succumbing to overconfidence himself along with his Cleaner-commando mooks. Max Payne turns on him openly in Chapter 3 after being tipped off by Alfred Woden.]]