Description is all over the place (It's A Small World After All): Ptitleoa48fdbm

I can see tropes in here. But I can't tell what it's supposed to be.

Seems to be intended as a science fiction trope and an Acceptable Break from Reality (which makes me wonder how it has Troper Tales). Name is bad, based on a popular song and a common phrase, neither of which fit the trope even slightly (probably why the Troper Tales are there). Description could definitely use some re-working. Nevertheless, it seems fairly clear to me: Planets are big, but this doesn't matter in fiction, because you can always find what you're looking for on a new planet without half-trying.

As far as I can tell (and I agree, the description is ugly), the trope is about how, no matter how big of an area our heroes traverse, they'll always encounter the right people, the right places, and the right things, even if they're not looking for them.

For instance, if you're in a Space Opera, it stands to reason that a random NPC you met on one planet has next to no chance being seen on another—but of all the systems in the galaxy, on the planets in the system, all the cities on the planet, in increasingly small increments, you do see them again.

Even for smaller shows, no matter the land mass, you'll encounter the same people again.

My personal view:

The first part seems fairly clear and tropable: characters fairly easily find a person/an object when realistically it would be a needle-in-a-haystack search. I think this is good, provided there isn't another trope like that.

The bit about it being a Single-Biome Planet seems to have no logical connection to the rest.

The last bit about videogames I don't know what to do with. Seems pretty unrelated.

I don't think the title is that terrible as long as it refers to the first part of the trope: "It's a small world" is a Stock Phrase for when characters run into someone they know in an unexpected place.

edited 12th Aug '11 10:17:08 AM by DoktorvonEurotrash