History Main / MyRulesAreNotYourRules

* Used liberally in ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore''. The player has to constantly balance their weapon's ammunition, their energy generator's reserves, and various sub-functions of the titular AC units. Despite ostensibly using the same parts and mechanics as you, however, the AI has infinite reserves of it all and can swap weapons, use extra functions and the like without batting an eye. A shoulder-mounted heavy weapon will force the player to take a knee and potentially even manually aim it, locking you in place, while the AI will shoot at you with terrifying accuracy in the midst of overboosting their thrusters through the air. Some of this is justified in-universe by the [[SuperSoldier Human-PLUS]] experiments that explicitly give the non-infinite advantages, and the player can acquire them through non-intuitive means (or cheats) in the early series; other cases are against a literal artificial intelligence explicitly cheating with non-usable parts and no human limitations. Most of the time, however, it's just the AI being a cheating bastard for the sake of a harder fight.

* ''VideoGame/CrashBash'' had the crystal challenges, where special rules were placed on the humans. Depending on the mini game that could mean the stage hazard was a one hit kill for you or you couldn't use a certain ability (as such picking up crates in ThreeRoundDeathmatch stages). Computers would exploit them constantly.

*** In ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', the Legendary Bird that you're chasing [[note]]dependent on which Mon you chose as your starter[[/note]] will flee the first ten encounters with the player, who does not get to use a move to try and trap it. "Trapping" Abilities like Arena Trap and Shadow Tag also do not apply to these encounters. Furthermore, though the encounter is played out like a "battle", the player does not even get an opportunity to select a move or use an item, preventing the player from even trying to catch it until it's good and ready to be fought properly, despite the fact that in all other battles, trainer actions (like item use) take place before Pokémon actions.

[[AC: Non-Video Game Examples]}

* ''TabletopGames/DungeonsAndDragons''

** IN dnd, and, by extension, ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', Players can reach the LevelCap of 20 after only a year or two of adventuring in game. However, there are numerous npcs that are hundreds or even thousands of years old that are less than level 20, despite having plenty of time to get there. With regards to ''Pathfinder'', WordOfGod has outright said that npcs don't use the same xp tables as pcs, and are just whatever level the plot requires.

[[AC: Non-Video Game Examples]]
* Spellcasting in ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' mostly averts this, with each spellcasting monster having either the Innate Spellcasting feature (which a PlayerCharacter can get through racial feats or simply picking the right race), or are assigned a spellcasting class and level, and they can then access spells available to that class at that level. Played straight in a few examples, such as the lich Acererak or the half goddess Laeral Silverhand, both of which are described as lv. 20 wizards, but have access to more spellslots than a player character could ever get.

** Actually downplayed in the Battle Maison for ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY''. There are instances of abilities/items unavailable for this generation, such as Contrary Serperior or Snow Warning Aurorus [[note]]programmed in and intended as Hidden Abilities, but unreleased[[/note]], and Jaboca Berry [[note]]available in Gen V, but unavailable in -- and cannot be transferred via Pokémon Bank to -- Gen VI, etc.[[/note]], but they are examples of moves/items that were DummiedOut for some reason, not illegal moves and items per se. Playing fair: Pretty much everything else. With the exception of the above, all movesets/abilities of opponent's Pokémon are obtainable by the player, and the legendaries being used in the consecutive battles are all legal in rated battles.

Sometimes this is actually inverted for the player's benefit to provide a fair challenge -- in games which value input speed and assume equal footing of both sides (such as fighting games), the AI simulating the opponent has to naturally be handicapped so that the player has a fighting chance, considering the computer has no need to physically bash buttons, [[ComputersAreFast is capable of perfect timing]], knows ''every'' move and would never fumble a special attack unless some kind of restriction is in place. In games like RealTimeStrategy, this generally ensures the computer opponent won't try cheap or underhanded tactics (such as foregoing base building, investing everything in a ZergRush of starter units to win quickly). In fighting games, this has its own subtrope in the form of the SNKBoss.

Sometimes this is actually inverted for the player's benefit to provide a fair challenge -- in games which value input speed and assume equal footing of both sides (such as fighting games), the AI simulating the opponent has to naturally be handicapped so that the player has a fighting chance, considering the computer has no need to physically bash buttons, [[ComputersAreFast is capable of perfect timing]], knows ''every'' move and would never fumble a special attack unless some kind of restriction is in place. In games like RealTimeStrategy, this generally ensures the computer opponent won't try cheap or underhanded tactics (such as foregoing base building, investing everything in a ZergRush of starter units to win quickly).

* ''VideoGame/{{Inscryption}}'' is framed as a versus CardBattleGame, yet the mechanics of using cards for you and the AI opponent are completely different from each other. The goal of the game is to use your minions to deal enough damage to tip the scale in your favor. You have a deck plus a side deck and most minions require sacrificing other minions or Bones from fallen minions to summon, and if you run out of cards to draw, it puts Starvation units on the opponent's side of the board each turn until they eventually overwhelm you. Your opponent has no concept of a deck or resources and just summons minions arbitrarily and they have to queue what they'll summon the next turn, which leaves them open for overkill damage.

* ''VideoGame/{{Inscryption}}'' is framed as a versus CardBattleGame, yet the mechanics of using cards for you and the AI opponent are completely different from each other. You have a deck of minions and you need to summon bigger minions by sacrificing ones already on the field or using Bones obtained from fallen minions and you need to deal enough damage before your deck runs out, which puts Starvation units on the opponent's field, which prevent minion attacks and eventually overwhelm you. Your opponent has no concept of resources or a deck and just summons minions arbitrarily and they always reveal what they're going to summon the next turn.

* The Japan-only smartphone game ''Anime/KemonoFriends Festival'' works like this: You choose a party of four characters, then you and the AI (who can not only have more characters on the field than you, but also have duplicates of said characters) take turns attacking each other. You're limited to attacking in the order you set your party up in (meaning, of course, you can't attack with the same character twice in a row), while your opponent can attack you in any order they want. Not only that, but the AI's characters have their own HP meters, while you have only one for your entire party. To make matters worse, in the boss fights against the [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Celliens]], the AI can attack multiple times per turn.

* ''VideoGame/{{Inscryption}}'' is framed as a versus CardBattleGame, yet the mechanics of using cards for you and the AI opponent are completely different from each other. You have a deck of minions and you need to summon bigger minions by sacrificing ones already on the field or using Bones obtained from fallen minions and you need to deal enough damage before your deck runs out, which summons Starvation that prevent minion attacks and eventually overwhelm you. Your opponent has no concept of resources or a deck and just summons minions arbitrarily and they always reveal what they're going to summon the next turn.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':

* In ''VideoGame/{{Inscryption}}'', you have a deck of minions and you need to summon bigger minions by sacrificing ones already on the field or using Bones obtained from fallen minions and you need to deal enough damage before your deck runs out, which summons Starvation that prevent minion attacks and eventually overwhelm you. Your opponent has no concept of resources or a deck and just summons minions arbitrarily and they always reveal what they're going to summon the next turn.

* ''VideoGame/LordsOfMagic'' is notorious for the computer not giving a single damn about the rules. One of its many tricks is siezing only a mage tower and using it to make units (normally, the associated city also has to be taken to produce units) and said mage tower can also produce units that can are normally only produced from the Great Temple instead of the mage tower. Most notoriously, it can also produce as many of the top tier Great Temple unit (normally only one can be summoned per game, even if it dies) as it desires.

** This can actually be seen as more of an aversion/inversion. Their rules ''are'' your rules. They can attack first like you normally can. They can dodge, like you normally can. The one exception is that [[spoiler:he can attack during your turn.]], but you beat them by [[spoiler:getting another attack off during ''his'' turn]], showing that you're capable of it too.

* ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'' and ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse2'': In certain Parallel Quests, the AI uses versions of Vegeta in his Saiyan Saga and Namek Saga armors and Captain Ginyu [[GrandTheftMe in Goku's body]] who can all turn into Super Saiyans, despite the former canonically not obtaining the transformation until the Android Saga and the latter being fought and defeated a bit of time before it was introduced. Meanwhile, the player cannot do the same without modding.

Compare RulesAreForHumans, which applies to adaptations of existing games, and SecretAIMoves, which is about differences in character movesets. Contrast PlayerExclusiveMechanic, where the player can do things the AI cannot.

* In ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}: Digital Card Battle'', most enemies avoid this, but one of the bosses fights with a deck containing all the top cards and which doesn't have to be shuffled, while simultaneously moving the player's partner cards to the bottom of their deck. The game explicitly states he's a cheater. However, this trope is used to your advantage in ''VideoGame/DigimonWorld3'': the player has access to a set of Digimon other humans don't; others have a separate pool to choose from where their forces can only have three moves.

* A minor case in ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'' and ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse2'': in certain Parallel Quests, the AI uses versions of Vegeta in his Saiyan Saga and Namek Saga armors and Captain Ginyu [[GrandTheftMe in Goku's body]] who can all turn into Super Saiyans, despite the former canonically not obtaining the transformation until the Android Saga and the latter being fought and defeated a bit of time before it was introduced. Meanwhile, the player cannot do the same without modding.

* Some of the ''Franchise/YuGiOh'' games allow the AI to break the limit rules, allowing the AI to build illegal decks with multiple copies of game-breaking cards you're only allowed one copy of.
** In World Championship 2004 the Rare Hunters all have decks with three copies each of Raigeki and Dark Hole -- both of which destroy everything on your field at a moment's notice.
** 7 Trials to Glory was far worse- having Shadow Duels where any enemy could build such illegal decks, like Yami Marik -- who had three copies each of the hideously broken Black Luster Soldier -- Envoy the Beginning and Chaos Emperor Dragon -- Envoy the End; both of which basically ended the duel once they hit the field. However, this trope gets subverted once you realize that while in that area with Shadow Duels, '''you''' are also allowed to build and use an illegal deck.

** In other games in the series, this is played mutually when you're able to choose between multiple ban lists; the player is forced to abide by them, but the AI decks remain the same, following the default ban list (usually the one that was in place when the game was released) no matter what. This means that the AI will be able to use cards you can't (if they were banned after the game's release), but it also means the player might potentially be able to use cards the AI can't (if they were ''unbanned'' after the game's release).

** ''VideoGame/MortalKombat2'': The AI jumps ''while its sprite is still in the "laid on the floor" animation'' to counter any hope of continuing a combo after a knockdown.

* In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat2'', the AI jumps ''while its sprite is still in the "laid on the floor" animation'' to counter any hope of continuing a combo after a knockdown.
* Occasionally, the AI in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'' can preform moves that are completely impossible for any human player to pull off, such as using Cyrax's net twice in a row.

** The AI seems to be CrosshairAware[[note]]though this has yet to be concretely confirmed[[/note]]. Leading to droids suddenly dodging from your sniper shots halfway across the map when the enemy is nowhere near them.

** The player has to attack multiple times in order to build up enough energy to cast high-level magic and skills, and can only cast one spell (max) per turn. The computer is ''completely unbounded'' by this rule. It can cast magic and skills from the first turn of battle, on consecutive turns, or in some cases, more than once in a single turn, without ever having to build up energy with standard attacks. (However, enemies have predictable patterns instead. So if you know what's coming next, you have the advantage. This is actually VITALLY NECESSARY to get the best ending.)
** In addition to the above, there are spells that can only be used by characters with the same innate color as the spell. Some bosses are able to use these spells despite having a different innate color. Grobyc, for example, can use the blue-innate-character-only spell Vigora, even though he is black innate. (This is also purely for show, since Vigora regenerates stamina; player characters need Stamina to act, but enemies don't HAVE stamina and, as noted above, can already act however often they're scripted to.)

* In ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Dual Strike'', units which are controlled by an AI are able to load their air units into the naval aircraft transport units on an allied team (including your own units controlled by you). When under the control of the player they appear colored as your own units (despite that fact that they are not yours) in the status window and the menu. When unloaded they momentarily appear as the same color as the transport unit, then resume their normal coloring. When the transport unit is owned by an AI player, they will always unload the unit after they move it unless they are attacking another unit, they also have no problem unloading an aircraft unit in range of twenty or more enemy carriers and missiles.