It seems to be two tropes to me.: Bug War

One trope is that humans and bug like aliens won't get along, the other is a plot set up where the war is a "no quarter given" type that will only end with one side exterminated.

Eh? Seems like a fairly good trope to me. The trope is "humans fight a war against bug monsters", and it talks about both the literary reasons for the trope and its historical use. I don't see a need for any change.

The second part is a distinct trope to me. Being bugs is just a common way of implementing it.

I'd say YKTTW the latter trope, then adjust the description to point out that this is the former and that it's often caused by the latter.

Any ideas for a title? I'm currently leaning toward No Guilt Enemy or something. I think zombies fall into this most of the time.

Agree that there is a difference between "humans vs. bugs" and "enemy that can be wiped out without guilt".

How about Guilt Free Enemy for the new trope?

I'm with Native Jovian — I find the existing text and title describe a trope quite well.

I think Guilt Free Enemy would be a supertrope right? Zombie Apacolypse and Robot Rebelion would be similar as you're not supposed to feel sympathy, it's a simplified plot.

Actually, many Robot War stories make the robots somewhat sympathetic.

Yeah, but equally many don't. Star Wars prequels, anyone? (Or do those not count because the robots are working for organics?)

edited 29th Jan '11 5:24:15 PM by Nyktos

I find it surprising we don't already have Guilt Free Enemy as a supertrope. Well spotted.

• Faceless Goons — guilt free through depersonalisation: face covering helmets.
• Asshole Victim — guilt free via misdeeds of the victim.
• Bug War — guilt free since it's a different species we can't relate to, etc.
• Mooks — guilt free via sheer numbers and lack of characterisation?

edited 29th Jan '11 9:09:38 PM by Camacan

Well, What Measure Is a Non-Human? partly covers it. Guilt Free Enemies or whatever we call it would be a subtrope of that, I think.

I don't think What Measure Is a Non-Human? can be a super to Guilt Free Enemies since GFE (presumably) covers both human and nonhuman enemies. But What Measure Is a Non-Human? is related to Bug War, for sure.

edited 29th Jan '11 8:51:39 PM by Camacan

• Hive Mind: Guilt free coz they aren't individuals.

See also What Measure Is a Mook?, which examines the morality of killing these enemies.

Given we've got these well-developed articles discussing various Guilt Free Enemies, maybe what we want is a short article tying them together. More of an index.

Sounds good. I'd hesitate to put any humans or mooks on there. There seems to be a difference to me, "enemy you can kill without remorse" and "enemy you can exterminate without remorse".

edited 30th Jan '11 1:33:37 AM by Deboss

Yeah, I'm not actually sure how many of those other then What Measure Is a Non-Human? fall under this idea. There's a difference between "it's fine to kill these random Mooks" and "it's fine to wipe out this entire species".

Fair enough — but that difference isn't clear from Guilt Free Enemies which sounds like Exactly What It Says on the Tin: the most general supertrope possible, covering everything from smallest scale to the largest. To get at what you are interested in I'd tentively suggest Guilt Free Genocide. Or Guilt Free Total War.

edited 30th Jan '11 6:56:03 PM by Camacan

Guilt Free Total War sounds better because using genocide is likely going to invite soapboxing about how it's bad to do this.

Or possibly Extermination War.

edited 31st Jan '11 5:28:41 AM by Deboss

This question of a race/species that one can feel free to exterminate — are these essentially races/species that are AlwaysChaoticEvil?

-K

It serves the same narrative purpose in that it creates an enemy you don't have to feel bad about wiping out. I think there's a difference, but I'm having a hard time articulating it.

Is this still open? I'll go start the YKTTW?

Guilt Free Extermination War YKTTW started.

edited 17th Feb '11 9:12:15 PM by Deboss

Go for it. I'll lock up behind you if we're done here.

Started.