Discussion Main / ControllableHelplessness

Are Amnesia and Slender really examples? You can't fight/kill the monsters, but you're not just waiting for something to happen, your actions still actively decide how the game plays out (especially with Amnesia, which has several different endings)

Both Batman: Arkham games have a scene where Batman's trapped in an elevator and can't do anything except pace and listen to a "The Reason You Suck" Speech. Do those fit here? What about the scenes in Arkham City (right at the beginning, and just before the Demon Trials where all you can do is walk where you're told? Or is there some broader, parent trope for that kind of glorified cutscene?

I'd be inclined to include Assassin's Creed II in this trope, in particular the scene at the beginning of the game where Ezio is born. Giovanni Auditore is trying to get the new born Ezio to breathe and all the player can do is push buttons when prompted. What do you all think?

Removed:

• Toss The Turtle has you shoot the titular turtle, who can't refuse to follow the resulting trajectory and ensuing hilarity. However, he can slightly move with the WASD keys, to get some cash and kill some goombas.

Again, how is this an example? You fire the turtle and can influence its trajectory (to an extent). At what point is the control taken from you?

Non-video game examples:

Tabletop Games

• In the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons mega module Scourge of the Slavelords this happens to the players at at least one point in the game, where they're chained up and forced to watch a pirate captain who's captured them dump their precious magic items over the side of the ship, unable to do much about it... except threaten to lynch the DM...
  • In any adventure and any game, actually, if your DM is sufficiently evil. Of course, players can find things to do even in such situations, potentially freeing their characters and allowing them to obliterate the DM's plot...

It's not clear how Scourge of the Slavelords is an example (due to a vast difference between tabletop roleplaying and computer games). Okay, the PCs are made helpless - but that would have made the trope too general, to the point of People Sit On Chairs. As for Railroading - it's not the same thing as this trope, but somewhat similar - perhaps it could be mentioned in the article lead.

Edited by MikeRosoft Long live Marxism-Lennonism!

Also, how is Toss The Turtle an example?

Long live Marxism-Lennonism!

Mike Rosoft: Re: Scourge of the Slavelords - I don't want to add even more natter in the entry, but dumping the precious magical items overboard and keeping the PCs ... wouldn't it make more sense to dump the PCs and keep the magical items?

• Okay, presumedly he wants to sell them to slavery. Why doesn't he sell the magical items to a fence as well?

Edited by MikeRosoft Long live Marxism-Lennonism!