History Main / DuelsDecideEverything

-->'' Nothing is ever solved by diplomacy or politics in the world of [=RPGs=].''
--> - ''TheGrandListOfConsoleRPGCliches'', [[ConsoleRPGCliches97To120 #117]]

And, yes, even if the villain has just lost in a game of ''table football'' he will just helplessly stand there, shaking his fist in frustration. Because, well, what can he do? He's been beaten in a game of table football. Game over for him, really. Maybe he'll beat the hero in a game of table football the next time they meet. Fighting the hero in any way that doesn't involve table football doesn't cross his mind. Guns? Swords? Subterfuge? Fiddlesticks.

And that will be it for the whole EvilPlan- [[NoOntologicalIneertia upon the villain's defeat the whole operation will fold up on itself and disappear]]. The EvilArmy will not rally. There is no plan B. The superweapon TheHero managed to destroy while StormingTheCastle will have [[NoPlanNoPrototypeNoBackup No Plans, No Prototype and No Backup]]. Whether the stakes are trivial or world-shatteringly huge, DuelsDecideEverything.

The "beat the snot out of them" should not be read literally. It means once the confrontation is on, TheHero will have to show the villain that [[MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours Their X-fu Is Stronger Than Theirs]]. Sure, if you're watching ''Tales of the Knights of St. Bob'' you're probably looking at a swordfight waiting to happen, but it's equally possible that you're watching something like ''Super Table Football Superstar'' and after an interminable glare-off TheHero will dramatically [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome challenge the villain to a game of table football]].

And everyone seems to have absolute respect for the authority of the ''fu-du-jour'' to decide who gets to walk away the winner. If X is arm wrestling, after TheHero has won and is walking away the villain will not even contemplate the possibility of [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim shooting him in the back]]. If X is psychic manipulation and TheHero has just won a tiring BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind, it will not occur to the villain to jump at them, pin them to the floor and start punching them in the face. After being bested the villain may raise a racket about how this isn't over, but they're defeated for all practical purposes. At worst, they may resort to calling up for backup that will inevitably consist of {{Mooks}} doomed by the law of the ConservationOfNinjutsu.

Every problem will inevitably lead to a climatic direct confrontation. Is TheHero facing the threat of war? A terrible plague? An economic recession? Inevitably, there's a someone responsible for it and the solution is to find them out and beat the snot out of them. Regardless of their motivations, both heroes and villains caught in the focal point of the conflict will not even bother with diplomacy, threats, subterfuge or otherwise tactics employed by people in similar RealLife situations. If they do, you can expect these strategies to backfire spectacularly, or at best delay the inevitable face-off.

-->'' Nothing is ever solved by diplomacy or politics in the world of [=RPGs=]....''

InAWorld where FooFu is SeriousBusiness, {{conflict}} resolution often boils down to an Foo-off.

InAWorld where X-fu is SeriousBusiness, {{conflict}} resolution often boils down to an X-off.

Conflicts will inevitably boil down to a direct confrontation. Is TheHero facing the threat of war? A terrible plague? An economic recession? Inevitably, there's a someone responsible for it and the solution is to find them out and beat the snot out of them. Regardless of their motivations, both heroes and villains caught in the focal point of the conflict will not even bother with diplomacy, threats, subterfuge or otherwise tactics employed by people in similar RealLife situations. If they do, you can expect these strategies to backfire spectacularly, or at best delay the inevitable face-off.

We have {{Conflict}}. Our hero is glaring at a foe, who's glaring right back. The foe will not let the hero have his way, no matter what, and vice versa. Means of conflict resolution the audience would consider normal are obviously out of the question.

Now, if the show you were watching was ''Tales of the Knights of St. Bob'', there would be a swordfight about to happen. If you were watching ''Bullets From Guns'', a firefight would soon ensue, while in ''Furious Fists 3: Fiery Fist Fight'', they'd be punching each other to a bloody pulp. But you just happened to be watching ''Super Table Football Superstar'', so the hero [[GoKartingWithBowser challenges the foe to a game of table football]]. And the foe accepts, and loses, and decides to just leave and let the hero do whatever it was that the hero wanted to do.

The foe's boss (if he isn't the BigBad himself) will inevitably be furious with him, but what can he do? He's been beaten in a game of table football. Game over for him, really. Maybe he'll beat the hero in a game of table football the next time they meet. Fighting the hero in any way that doesn't involve table football doesn't cross his mind. Guns? Swords? Subterfuge? Fiddlesticks. Whether the stakes are trivial or world-shatteringly huge, DuelsDecideEverything.

When DuelsDecideEverything, characters are almost universally incapable of resolving their disputes by any means the audience would consider normal. Instead, disputes are settled by the outcome of a "duel." This is not a ''real'' duel with pistols or swords, but some other contest — [[GoKartingWithBowser usually a game or sport]]. Of course, the specific form of contest is considered SeriousBusiness by the characters, even when it is a ludicrous CookingDuel.

Sometimes the consequences hanging on the outcome of the contest are trivial, but they can just as easily be life-alteringly huge.

Compare CombatByChampion.

* In ''{{Bionicle}}'', the residents of Bara Magna decide who owns resources by having [[strikethrough: gladiator]] Glatorian battles (which are more like tournaments, rather than a fight to the death.) Justified, since it prevents the villages from going to war with one another.

* ''ChangelingTheLost'': The true fae are {{Reality Warper}}s so any duel actually does decide everything, Changelings on the other hand are stuck with less powerful versions.

* The basic plot behind most of the {{''Touhou''}} games: something bad happens, and the protagonists set out to find the ones responsible and BulletHell them into submission. The Hakurei Shrine Spellcard Rule System ensures that even in disputes between people with wildly different power levels, non-lethal spellcard battles decide everything.

* The basic plot behind most of the ''Touhou'' games: something bad happens, and the protagonists set out to find the ones responsible and BulletHell them into submission. The Hakurei Shrine Spellcard Rule System ensures that even in disputes between people with wildly different power levels, non-lethal spellcard battles decide everything.

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/duel_2556.jpg]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/duel_2556.jpg

-->'' Nothing is ever solved by diplomacy or politics in the world of RPGs....''

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* The 1998 MadeForTVMovie ''[=FutureSport=]'', where the title game was invented as a substitution for gang violence, and ends up being used to avoid a war.
* One ''JudgeDredd'' comic included a heavily satirical televised battle between the Soviet and American cities. Each battle is five-on-five, no holds barred, and the winner is awarded a piece of territory. This form of warfare works for a while, but does not prevent a nuclear war later on.
* ''TheKarateKid'': Battle with karate.

* ''ChangelingTheLost'': The true fae are {{Reality Warper}}s so any duel actually does decide everything, Changelings on the other hand are stuck with less powerful versions.
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-->'' Nothing is ever solved by diplomacy or politics in the world of RPGs.... Every problem in the universe can be solved by finding the right long-haired prettyboy and beating the crap out of him.''
--> - ''TheGrandListOfConsoleRPGCliches'', [[ConsoleRPGCliches97To120 #117]] and [[ConsoleRPGCliches169To192 #189]]

When DuelsDecideEverything, characters are almost universally incapable of resolving their disputes by any means the audience would consider normal. Instead, disputes are settled by the outcome of a "duel." This is not a ''real'' duel with pistols or swords, but some other contest — usually a game or sport. Of course, the specific form of contest is considered SeriousBusiness by the characters, even when it is a ludicrous CookingDuel.

* ''The Karate Kid''

* ''[=~Pokémon~=]''