World's Toughest Milkman
Should I take silence for assent? It would be nice to knock this one out quickly.
I really don't see why fighting, or multiple characters, should be a necessary part of this trope. Surely one man, with his hands finally on the ancient artifact, should be able to contemplate his future and come to this realization.
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
Sounds good to me. Though might want to wait more than one day.
World's Toughest Milkman
I figured I'd probably do a draft in this thread before doing anything drastic. :)
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
World's Toughest Milkman
One question I'd like to throw out: should it be necessary for at least one character to realize this situation? I'm not sure how else it could be made clear that this trope is in play, but I might be overlooking something.
Anyway, here's my first draft for a rewrite. Comments and criticisms welcomed:
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility, but Power Corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Some powers—and responsibilities—are too great for anyone to be trusted with.
A character may realize this on his own—perhaps the Big Bad has just been defeated, and his Ancient Artifact is now in The Hero's control. After contemplating all the good he could do, The Hero may realize that he can't take away people's free will. He may experience a "We're Not So Different" moment, and gain some sympathy for his enemy.
Alternatively, the party may begin fighting over who should control this power, demonstrating their inability to be trusted with it. Eventually, a wiser member will point out that the only possible solution is for no one to have it.
In any case, the choice will usually be clear. The source of power must be discarded, destroyed, or sealed back in its tin. This may be a final resolution, a return to the status quo, or even the beginning of quest to get rid of the power. If the proper choice isn't made, this may mark the Start of Darkness.
See No MacGuffin, No Winner when the power is lost as a karmic punishment, rather than a willing decision in fear of the consequences. Also compare It Belongs in a Museum. Does not refer to powers that only women have, or should have.
See also: The World Is Not Ready, Status Quo Is God, and Reluctant Mad Scientist.
edited 10th Jul '12 2:00:28 PM by Xtifr
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
World's Toughest Milkman
Bump. It's been a day without feedback. If this keeps up for another day or two, I'll assume my rewrite is acceptable, so speak now or forever hold your peace.
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
I like your version, sounds good to me.
World's Toughest Milkman
Ok, it's been a couple more days with no objections or suggestions for improvement, so I went ahead and put my new description in. This is a wiki, so my version isn't written in stone, but it seems to be good enough. This thread can probably be closed unless there's any last-minute suggestions.
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.
The trope name seems broad and reasonably clear. The description seems far too specific, focused on a party fighting over an item. Having been looking for a broader trope that matches the name over on Lost+Found, it was suggested that I bring this here to see if people think that broadening the description might not be a good idea.
eta: I picked this from my list of to-repair tropes because it seemed like one that could probably be resolved relatively quickly.
edited 8th Jul '12 7:09:33 PM by Xtifr
Speaking words of fandom: let it squee, let it squee.