Needs work (new crowner Oct 21): MK Walker

Laconic: Computers Are Fast
Computer Players with amazing reflexes are easy to make.

Laconic: MK Walker
Extremely difficult video game boss that walks toward the character while blocking every attack.

Yeah... They're not the same.

It is true that "blocking every attack" with pixel-perfect precision and split-second timing is due to Computers Are Fast, but that's not the entirety of the trope.

God, that name is just as bad, since the term could imply loads of things.

This is basically Computers Are Fast as applied to fighting games, yes. I don't think there's a real need to have them as separate tropes.

Nothing about "walks slowly toward the player, doing nothing unsafe" is part of Computers Are Fast. They only overlap in the "instantly counters you" part.

edited 28th Aug '11 10:09:02 AM by Shale

but without "instant counters", you don't have a MK walker. Just walking forwards is People Sit On Chairs, and "doing nothing unsafe" is pretty easy as well (just read the move list and memorize which ones are safe).

The big thing about this trope is when they block it moves you or them into a perfect position for them to strike. When you block them it still puts you in a bad spot for the half a second you drop your guard or worse a Guard break.

It's not just Computers Are Fast, It's Computers Are Fast + The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard + SNK Boss with the tools to make your life hell, in a very specific recognizable and highly copied way.

edited 15th Oct '11 2:14:40 AM by Raso

That's not how chairs works, Spark.

edited 28th Aug '11 10:59:13 AM by Stratadrake

Blank page action crowner hooked.

Regarding thread title change. Enough, already, with the "What is this I don't even:" stuff, okay? Old lame meme is old and lame.

edited 14th Oct '11 7:51:53 AM by FastEddie

What happened to concise? Old meme would have sufficed.

Crowner shows 2.67:1 consensus for renaming. Switching crowners.

Just clarifying, is Perfect Play A.I. an accurate description of the trope's definition, or is there more to it than that?

The Trope Namer generally limits it to Fighting Games.

Yeah Perfect Play A.I. sounds like a super trope to this not this trope itself and that would probably be wrapped into Harder That Hard. None of the titles get the point of the trope across and will be just asking for more misuse.

edited 22nd Oct '11 10:27:30 AM by Raso

The trope isn't limited to just fighting games, and indeed has a few non-fighting game examples.

That said, "Perfect Play A.I." is a very good description. As the trope page says, "What is it like to challenge a perfect opponent? ... type of Video Game AI most commonly found in Fighting Games that correctly blocks or evades every attack and move the player is capable of performing". Yep, sounds exactly like a perfect play AI to me.

If I may rephrase that, Keeping a reference to the Trope Namer implies that it's limited to Fighting Games.

but the title is not limited to just perfect play AI or any Harder Than Hard difficulty would fit this or playing chess with the Deep Blue computer.

This also has the requirement of you getting moved backwards when they block your attacks (only so far away then the knockback stops) putting you in a perfect spot for them to attack. As well as they can inch forward when blocking which will pin you in a corner for the AI to Juggle Combo you against a wall. (Hence the whole "walker" thing in the title)

While not limited to fighting games it is limited to Action games. Dynasty Warriors (Lu Bu) and Zelda (Dark Link) both use this. (Dark Link might be an Unbuilt Trope for this)

It's a specific style of a Boss

edited 22nd Oct '11 10:57:59 AM by Raso

Limited to action games, yes.

edited 22nd Oct '11 11:08:32 AM by Stratadrake

Considering Tropes Are Not Narrow, and considering the trope has already attracted examples that aren't about a fighting game boss, I see no reason why we would explicitly restrict this trope to fighting game bosses.

Those examples should be in a super trope to this they are not this trope which is a specific, highly copied, and easily noticeable boss style.

edited 22nd Oct '11 11:19:44 AM by Raso

On closer examination, no, it isn't even a boss trope.

That should be pretty obvious since the examples start with every character from MK 2, MK 3, and Virtual Fighter, and nearly every character from SF 2 but particularly Zangief (who is not a boss in any Street Fighter game). Followed by every character (again) from Killer Instinct, One Must Fall, Face Breaker, and Soul Calibur.

It's an AI trope, not a boss trope at all.

Calling it on Perfect Play AI.

Bump. Can we get a star on this thread? We've got some rewicking to do.

MK Walker and Flawless Fighter are now redirects for Perfect Play A.I.. The wicks should be fixed, the old laconic page was sent to the cutlist with a new one being made in its place, and there are notes about the change on the Renamed Tropes page and in the renamed tropes thread. I also sent a report to move the discussion page.

Feel free to check my work here.