Multiform Balance

When does Multiform Balance not coinicide with a Swiss-Army Hero / multiple-form Henshin Hero?

When someone has Involuntary Shapeshifting(not often).

Any of the Combiner Mecha shows that feature multiple stars. Unless you want to count the robots as "the hero".

Elaborate, please?

A number of shows (Genesis Of Aquarion comes to mind) feature a Combining Mecha, and what abilities the mecha has depends on what form they combine in. Now, if you're complaining about somebody writing the page with one or two examples clearly in mind with some "oh, and there's a couple of general uses for this trope as well" bits tacked on, feel free for a rewrite.

edited 24th Jan '12 4:53:55 AM by Deboss

Well, if you think about it, such a Combining Mecha would count as a Swiss-Army Weapon in Humongous Mecha form, right? Maybe the trope should be extended to include Morph Weapon-type Swiss Army Weapons.

Now, that leaves Involuntary Shapeshifting (as mentioned by Cider); how does the involuntariness of a character's Shapeshifting preclude Multiform Balance?

Not all Combining Mecha would be a Swiss-Army Weapon,

Like Voltron isnt a Swiss-Army Weapon.

But Gundam Impulse from Gundam Seed Destiny, V2 Gundam in Victory Gundam are one as the mech treats its Combining Mecha like different types of Mecha Expansion Pack s.

edited 24th Jan '12 5:29:09 AM by Raso

Swiss-Army Weapon's problem is that it's written videogame specific.

Yeah, I meant Combining Mecha that have multiple forms with different ability sets depending on the combo's configuration.

How so? I don't see any game-specificness in the description, and the examples are pretty much from every possible medium.

edited 24th Jan '12 6:28:13 AM by MarqFJA

Whoopsies, mistype, Swiss-Army Hero.

Well, it seems that it originated in video games (as a way for Competitive Balance), but the article still acknowledges that it also happens outside the game medium, since it has a non-video game example section; you would have to scroll down considerably to see it, though.

Hmm I was very much expecting Swiss-Army Hero do be a completely other trope than it is

I was thinking the trope would about how the hero always learns a variety of stuff especially early on like Attack skills, Healing spells, utility like ports while other party members specialize till you get more party members then he might specialize.

Like say every Dragon Quest lead which learn heal, a lightning spell, Zoom etc. Especially DQV, VI, VIII, IX.... in VI and IX lets you open up customization options later.

edited 24th Jan '12 7:36:29 AM by Raso

Raso, you should change it back to that. It is a trope all its own that I have noticed.

Preclude means to prevent as I know it, so I'll ask you a question back. Why would Involuntary Shapeshifting Multiform Balance? Perhaps John has more stamina as a Werewolf but has the disadvantage of not being able to carry water so in the end he still can't run any further? Perhaps the guy takes another form when in the Mirror World and has a different way of moving through the landscape that proves different but as effective?

Maybe their is somebody with a remote control forcing him to switch to the most appropriate form for any given task regardless if John wants to do it or not?

Huh?

Eh, I mistook you for the launcher, sorry. Still why not just edit the page to be what you wanted it to be then ask special efforts for help? Then we wouldn't be having this confusion.

@Cider: When I asked "When does Multiform Balance not coincide with Swiss-Army Hero / Henshin Hero", I was referring to how Multiform Balance's current description implies that a Swiss-Army Hero / multi-form Henshin Hero does not always have Multiform Balance, even though Swiss-Army Hero's description specifically states that each of the SAH's forms are typically adapted for specific circumstances/targets/enemies (and thus no form is absolutely better than the others), and AFAIK multiform Henshin Heroes are also Swiss Army Heroes.

edited 24th Jan '12 3:58:46 PM by MarqFJA