Line #18 SoYouWantTo/WriteAMetaGame


1	True metafiction PlayedForDrama is HARD. It requires one or more of the characters in the work to [[NoticingTheFourthWall realize they're in a work of fiction]], and for that to impact the plot.
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3	You could, for instance, [[{{VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub}} have your characters directly interact with the game itself]]. You could [[{{VideoGame/Undertale}} make traditional gaming concepts into actual parts of the universe.]]
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5	!!Necessary Tropes
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7	* ExploitingTheFourthWall: If you're going to play meta elements for drama, you'll need your villain to have powers related to the fourth wall.
8	* NoticingTheFourthWall: At some point, the meta character(s) will need to realize the existence of the player. This can happen before the story (see ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'', most routes), or during the story (also in ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'', try [[spoiler: deleting Monika before the start of Act 1]] and [[NoticingTheFourthWall watch]] [[DrivenToSuicide what]] [[BadEnding happens]])
9	* RealityWarper: Obviously, having fourth wall powers makes someone so overpowered they can be considered a MarySue without question. Your villain should probably be some form of a RealityWarper, who will need similar levels of reality warping (either from in-universe or from you, the player) to defeat.
10	** Occurs twice in ''{{VideoGame/Undertale}}'':
11	*** The final boss of a neutral run [[spoiler: has six save files to his name, and is more than willing to use them. He can only be defeated by [[HoistByHisOwnPetard making the SOULs he's using to save and load rebel against him]].]]
12	*** The final boss of a genocide run [[spoiler: breaks all the typical rules of the game: he starts first (typically only you can do this), overrides your InvincibilityFrames so he can be extremely competent despite having only 1 ATK, [[FragileSpeedster dodges every single attack so he can survive your]] OneHitKill attacks (he's the only monster who does this), ''attacking you in the menu'', and going to sleep during his turn so you can't do anything. He has to be defeated by maneuvering the bullet box over to the Fight button.]]
13	** In ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'', [[spoiler: Monika deletes her potential romantic competition from the game so you can only choose her, then locks you in a room with her where she literally does nothing but talk. The only way to defeat her is to go into the game directory and delete characters/monika.chr, at which point she will have a HeelRealization and [[DyingMomentOfAwesome restore the other characters]]. ]]
14	** ''VideoGame/{{Inscryption}}'' begins with the only option available to progress being to continue the game rather than to start a new one.
15	* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: Otherwise, your player will utter the EightDeadlyWords and stop playing forever. That's not to say that you have to utterly trash the player's computer: ''VisualNovel/DokiDokiLiteratureClub'' was actually pretty tame by the creator's standard, because he didn't want to mess with your computer too much (which would make the game essentially a playable virus). Despite this, [[spoiler: Monika still knows your name (she gets it off of your user account).]]
16	** There is some room to play here, though, if you're careful. {{VideoGame/OneShot}} opens system dialogs on your computer (the kind error messages usually pop up in) and {{VideoGame/Imscared}} creates files on your desktop.
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18	!!Recommended Tropes
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20	* CallAHitPointASmeerp: Perhaps more descriptive names might be better for the traditional concepts.
21	** In ''{{VideoGame/Undertale}}'', EXP and LV stand for [[spoiler: Execution Points]] and [[spoiler: Level of Violence]] respectively, which is fitting for a game about pacifism.
22	* HeKnowsAboutTimedHits: A frequent manifestation of a fourth wall breaker is to use it to explain how to play.

Context SoYouWantTo / WriteAMetaGame