Spoiler: Previous Player Character Cameo

I've had some discussion on the trope's discussion page. It boils down to: The current image (Pokémon Gold/Silver's Red appearance as a true final boss) is a hell of a spoiler to people playing the game.

I could suggest putting up the GTA San Andreas appearance of Claude, but since that was been discussed already here as being not much illustrative, i'm not really sure what else to put.

One thing is sure, though. We need to get rid of that True Final Boss spoiler...

It's only so-so for people who don't play the game. Dunno about spoiler, though.

He might be a True Final Boss, but it isn't possible to see it in the picture.

I think the image have other problems, like it requires/assumes people recognise Red as a player character from another game.

So the person who put up the picture thoughtfully potholed True Final Boss in the caption. :)

Missed that...

I question the decision to put up an image showing a True Final Boss here, since that trope is said to be pretty much all spoilers...

edited 19th Feb '14 6:44:54 AM by theAdeptrogue

Well if Pokemon can't be used as the image then maybe the page should go without an image, Unless you want to use an example from the Disgaea games, but that may run into similar spoiler problems.

Is "X is a Player Character" really a spoiler? I don't know the games but that is very far-fetched.

I think the current could be a good enough picture as long as it's not linked to the True Final Boss page. That's the spoiler more than the fact that he's in the game at all.

I agree. The current image can stay. Just don't link it to the True Final Boss page.

I don't think the link matter. If you're familiar with the game, you know he'll appear at some point, which is going to be later and later the further you play. It's a spoiler. If you're not familiar with the game and don't recognise him, it's not illustrating the trope. The text does reduce the amount of required knowledge to at least knowing the name of the game he's from, but it's still very weak.

Overall, it's just not good enough to justify the spoiler. I say pull.

I don't think it's very spoilery. Knowing the boss exists in the game is a far cry from knowing where and when you meet him. You don't fight Mewtwo until the postgame, but a picture of Mewtwo in battle would hardly be considered a spoiler.

(...Okay, the caption is pretty weak, but still.)

And between the caption and the visual similarity between the two characters, it has enough context to stand on its own. Keep Until Better Image Suggested.

edited 25th Feb '14 12:55:45 AM by troacctid

I definitely think the pic is a spoiler. It robs the player of a nice surprise. Besides, the True Final Boss page itself definitely seems to imply that the trope is inherently a spoiler, and there doesn't seem to be any denial that the pic is an example of it.

QED.

edited 25th Feb '14 1:51:09 AM by Leaper

Why don't we just put a spoiler or note over the True Final Boss link rather than remove it completely... or would that still give it away at least somewhat?

Yes spoiler tags inherently do mean it's a spoiler.

There's no way around that, if its hidden then there's no surprise it's a surprise.

edited 27th Feb '14 6:17:43 PM by Paktra

The Gold/Silver YMMV page itself has Red's appearance listed under "It Was His Sled". I've always been under the impression that it was common knowledge by now — the games are over a decade old, after all. If you think it's still too egregious a spoiler I won't protest its removal, but personally I don't have a problem with it, and I think it works as a decent example all things considered.

I don't think it's a bad spoiler. I just think the image itself is weaker than that.

Honestly without context for the readers, I'm not sure what its spoiling.

It would only matter to those in the know, and even then, like already stated ,wouldn't spoil anything.

Clock is set.

Either True Final Boss is a spoiler trope or it isn't. If it isn't, that page needs to be tweaked. If it is, then I don't see why the pic is being kept.

I have to go to work now so it'll be brief but the Newgrounds flash RPG crystals Story Player character appears as a old elderly village bar keep in the sequel crystal Story 2.

They even make a reference to that and call him "Old whatever his name is". Any tells you that I've been in your footsteps or something like that and make some cryptic jokes that only players of the first game understand.

He looks just like his younger self same costume and everything just old wrinkly with a beard and a cane.

Gonna take a wild stab here. This pic show's Link from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask in Twilight Princess. Yeah, it may need some explanation, and it used to be a WMG, but it was officially confirmed in Hyrule Historia. Would text in the image help?

Well, it doesn't need more of an explanation than the current. The only thing would be that Link is a Legacy Character, but that's sort of implied by the image anyway. And it's less of a spoiler.

Good example, good game, not quite so good illustration. Still, it works.