Ambiguous Name: Complacent Gaming Syndrome

Needs a new name due to rampant misuse. Well, less misuse and more something differentiating it from subtrope Player-Preferred Pattern. A ridiculous amount of the entries on CGS are PPP, to the point that the page image is actually of PPP.

The issue I think stems from the fact that the names seem like they're referring to the same thing. I'm not sure if CGS should be broadened, or if PPP should be narrowed, but as-is there's a lot of misuse and I am not surprised given the names.

The descriptions sound exactly the same.

I think PPP is supposed to be the "video game only" version of CGS. That's not a very good reason to have it under a different name, though.

Abridged Arena Array is also fundamentally the same trope.

Lump them all together.

Pretty much this. Since Player-Preferred Pattern and Complacent Gaming Syndrome are almost completely the same trope you might as well just merge them.

Abridged Arena Array specifically applies to maps, but it's still the same basic concept and could easily be absorbed into a new, all-encompassing trope.

Agreed. Both Player-Preferred Pattern and Abridged Arena Array are The Same But More Specific of Complacent Gaming Syndrome.

Now if I had my druthers, I'd pick PPP for the merged name. I like the alliteration.

edited 14th May '13 5:54:37 AM by StarSword

I'm all for merging.

CGS has more than twice as many wicks as PPP and AAA combined, though. Still not THAT many (212), but if it affects our decision on which one to keep, well, just saying. Honestly, they're both good names that can functionally be used interchangeably. PPP has the alliteration, but CGS has a nice clinical feel and is more widespread.

Regardless of the name, I think the image for CGS should be used.

edited 14th May '13 6:14:52 AM by Larkmarn

Since this trope isn't necessarily about "patterns" and since it has more wicks, I support CGS as the main name.

If CGS is supposed to be a generalized trope (such that PPP is needed as the "video game only" version of it, then the CGS description doesn't do any sort of job at expressing that.

Another thing is that I often see CGS used to mean "Player uses the same move/tactic over and over" (like spamming a Game-Breaker), but that definition isn't clearly in the description. I mean, it's covered by "players prefer certain techniques" but for such common use it should get... a bit more description, I think.

CGS is also mostly a video game trope; most of the examples in other categories are either about videogames anyway (e.g. a gaming comic) or are just incorrect (e.g. most items under "other").

I have no problem including the Tabletop Games examples though, and those are not videogames, but still games.

edited 15th May '13 6:11:27 PM by RoninCatholic

Any media with game-like qualities would work for a game-specific trope, as long as said game-like qualities are relevant for the trope. A trope about a type of choice in games would allow for any media with choices of that nature. The question is, if the choice is made in a non-game environment, does it cease to be the trope? I mean, is always buying the same toothpaste despite the myraid available options still the trope? (And why?)

A game trope parodied in a non-game is still a game trope in a non-game media. And stories about games can also fit a lot of game-specific tropes.

Yes, that's why I call it a "mostly" gaming trope instead of an "exclusively" gaming trope. The Duck is quite correct that it can have examples from other media, even if most of the examples will be from video gaming.

...but that does mean that since (1) CGS is mostly a gaming trope, and (2) PPP is the "gaming" subtroppe of CGS, PPP is actually the exact same thing as CGS.

I think Abridged Arena Array can remain as a subtrope, since it's rather well-defined what it means, and it is a notable variant of the supertrope. From what I can see there's very little misuse as well. It also differs a little, since it's more of a collective choice than a personal one.

The other two... I don't see a notable difference. Player-Preferred Pattern defines itself as the choice between a few different aspects, which may or may not be equivalent between games. They are character-related choices, though. Except for play style, which is a player-related choice. Which kind of breaks it down.

edited 16th May '13 11:41:49 AM by AnotherDuck

But CGS already specifically covers' AAA.

EDIT: Eh, forget it.

edited 16th May '13 1:47:45 PM by Larkmarn

That's the meaning of a subtrope. Any supertrope that doesn't cover its subtropes is not a supertrope to those tropes.

As much as I love lumping, I'll agree to allowing Abridged Arena Array as a subtrope with a separate page, for the reasons the duck said.

Considering AAA has a decent amount of examples, I have no objection to that. But I do think we should merge PPP and CGS.

Sounds like a pretty solid agreement on merging PPP and CGS, while letting AAA be its own subtrope.

Thoughts on which name to keep? I personally say CGS since it has more wicks.

PPP—>CGS. Do we rollcall or crowner here?

As much love as I have for alliteration, I think Complacent Gaming Syndrome is the stronger name of the two.

And I think that Player-Preferred Pattern is both clearer and has better rhythm.

Crowner written.

edited 20th May '13 7:14:19 AM by StarSword

And has far less inbounds, too.