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Nightmare Fuel vs. High Octane Nightmare Fuel

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neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#1: Mar 6th 2011 at 6:58:17 PM

Nightmare Fuel

High Octane Nightmare Fuel

Supposedly, the distinction between these two tropes is that the former is for what was accidentally scary, and the latter was for what was scary on purpose.

Well, for one thing, in practice this is often not the basis on which they are used (see this post where someone claimed they thought it was about scary for kids vs. scary for adults; a misinterpretation that was shared by Kobold in the page history of the video game section of HONF. (Search "Sly Cooper")

In any case, intentional vs. accidental seems to be oversimplifying it; things like in what sense they are scary, or to what extent, ("scary" is more of a continuous sliding scale than a binary all-or-none distinction) are not taken into account.

That said, I do think there is some value to the distinction; they still seem to refer to different kinds of scariness. Nightmare Fuel has various subtypes associated with it; sometimes it is used for that which is accidentally scary, and sometimes for that which is mildly scary but on purpose, but I would say the distinction between the latter of those and High Octane Nightmare Fuel is that H.O.N.F tends to involve things that are scary in far more unconventional ways.

Just look at the H.O.N.F sections of Pans Labyrinth, or The Legend Of Zelda, or Web Animation; notice something? These tend to display bizarre forms of scariness as opposed to the deliberately mildly scary stuff associated with Nightmare Fuel, which seems to often be associated with conventionally scary stuff in the cliched halloween-ish sense, (stuff like witches, vampires, etc.) the kinds we have gotten so used to that they are the often subjects of parody.

Am I onto something here or is my interpretation off?

edited 6th Mar '11 7:00:18 PM by neoYTPism

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#2: Mar 6th 2011 at 7:37:31 PM

All I know is that, if Nightmare Fuel really means "scary to kids", then judging by the omnipresent potholes to it, the majority of tropers are a lot younger then they seem.

Personally, I think they've both decayed into meaninglessness, and it's just not worth the effort to try and clean them up.

edited 6th Mar '11 7:37:40 PM by nrjxll

Jackerel SURPRISE from ur sentry Since: Feb, 2011
SURPRISE
#3: Mar 6th 2011 at 8:03:16 PM

Actually, High Octane Nightmare Fuel is for extremely terrifying things, Nightmare Fuel is only creepy, and loltroperhate

Was Jack Mackerel. | i rite gud
PDown It's easy, mmkay? Since: Jan, 2012
It's easy, mmkay?
#4: Mar 6th 2011 at 9:51:45 PM

Eh, it seems like people follow the official definitions to me.

At first I didn't realize I needed all this stuff...
neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#5: Mar 7th 2011 at 7:43:58 AM

[up] [up] That seems to be more often how they are used in practice, but even then, the distinction seems more continuous rather than just one or the other, so at what point along is the boundary between the two?

SomeNewGuy Since: Jun, 2009
#6: Mar 7th 2011 at 10:26:25 AM

...Dear lord, you're still going on about this?!

dontcallmewave Brony? Moi? surely you jest! from My home Since: Nov, 2013
Brony? Moi? surely you jest!
#7: Mar 7th 2011 at 10:28:03 AM

This again?

He who fights bronies should see to itthat he himself does not become a brony. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, Pinkie Pie gazes Also
halfmillennium Since: Dec, 1969
#8: Mar 7th 2011 at 12:51:43 PM

You know, there's a basic solution.

Scrap High Octane, let people post whatever they think is scary on Nightmare Fuel and don't mention it where it's not necessary.

edited 7th Mar '11 12:52:50 PM by halfmillennium

neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#9: Mar 7th 2011 at 12:56:27 PM

[up] [up] [up] In case you had not noticed, I am taking a different approach this time.

edited 7th Mar '11 1:15:46 PM by neoYTPism

dontcallmewave Brony? Moi? surely you jest! from My home Since: Nov, 2013
Brony? Moi? surely you jest!
#10: Mar 7th 2011 at 12:59:51 PM

yeah, , even though its a different approach, it is still the millionth time this topic came up.

He who fights bronies should see to itthat he himself does not become a brony. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, Pinkie Pie gazes Also
neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#11: Mar 7th 2011 at 1:15:30 PM

Meant to respond to someone else. I shall fix that.

neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#12: Mar 8th 2011 at 5:26:06 AM

But still, my point remains; the current distinction (or at least the official one) just does not cut it. I would say either merge the two or reconsider how the distinction is defined.

edited 8th Mar '11 5:26:26 AM by neoYTPism

dontcallmewave Brony? Moi? surely you jest! from My home Since: Nov, 2013
Brony? Moi? surely you jest!
#13: Mar 8th 2011 at 5:30:05 AM

This isnt the first time this came up. And every time this was brought up, consensus was to keep it the way it is. What makes you think that this time will be any different ?

He who fights bronies should see to itthat he himself does not become a brony. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, Pinkie Pie gazes Also
neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#14: Mar 8th 2011 at 4:01:26 PM

[up] Because I am putting forth different interpretations of the distinction, including one that does not seem to be mentioned very often in the context of these discussions.

Cider The Final ECW Champion from Not New York Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
The Final ECW Champion
#15: Mar 8th 2011 at 8:29:43 PM

Nightmare Fuel is a term older than the wiki. High Octane Nightmare Fuel is a bad name at worst but it means stuff that was meant to give grown people nightmares. Its actually more related to Defanged Horrors, stuff meant to scare kids.

Because people liked the page it was kept Just for Fun, Adult Fear is the real trope, Defanged Horror is for stuff meant to scare kids and Nightmare Fuel is for stuff not meant to be scary but scared kids anyway. Get it?

Modified Ura-nage, Torture Rack
DoktorvonEurotrash Lex et Veritas from Not a place of honour (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#16: Mar 9th 2011 at 4:59:43 AM

On that subject, I really need to take Defanged Horrors to Trope Repair. That name is completely counter-intuitive.

BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#17: Apr 11th 2011 at 11:59:29 PM

I just wanna know why the High Octane Nightmare Fuel pages have received such a massive overhaul. It seems to have become the Lighter and Fluffier version of its old self. Not that I should prbably be complaining...

Do not obey in advance.
dontcallmewave Brony? Moi? surely you jest! from My home Since: Nov, 2013
Brony? Moi? surely you jest!
#18: Apr 12th 2011 at 4:47:52 AM

When did they receive the overhaul ?

He who fights bronies should see to itthat he himself does not become a brony. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, Pinkie Pie gazes Also
neoYTPism Since: May, 2010
#19: Apr 12th 2011 at 9:08:52 AM

Well, now that we have Accidental Nightmare Fuel, I suggest turning Nightmare Fuel into an index, which lists related tropes like Accidental Nightmare Fuel and High Octane Nightmare Fuel and the sources thereof. (There's already a fair bit of overlap between sources of the two anyway.)

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