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All-Purpose Policy and Meta discussion: Administrivia.Trope Repair Shop

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Before making or posting in a thread, read the Trope Repairing Guidelines to see whether a thread you're considering making actually should be made, as well as what is and isn't allowed in an open thread.

This thread is a metathread for Trope Repair Shop discussion. Things like TRS policy, what is needed in a TRS opening post, questions about whether a certain topic is TRS-worthy and questions about why a thread wasn't opened go here.

Some guidelines for when/whether to use TRS:

  • If the trope is fine, but has some bad examples, feel free to clean them up or to start a cleanup project at Projects: Short-Term. Trope Repair Shop is for when cleaning isn't sufficient.
  • If you think there's something wrong with the trope that systematically attracts improper examples, start a discussion at Trope Talk. Use a Wick Check to see whether there's an issue present (and if there is, what the issue is). The following methods are two possible ways to do a wick check (though not necessarily the only ways):
    • You can go ahead with the Wick Check without a discussion if you know what you're looking for. While it's not mandatory, feel free to ask someone for help confirming that you got the issue and the numbers correct.
    • Consult the Wick Check Project thread to collect evidence if you need help.
  • Depending on a trope (or non-trope) in question, a wick check may be determined to not be required, such as for tropes that are not thriving (per the standards for trope health listed on the Wick page). However, there is no problem if you want to do one anyway.

For a more detailed introduction to this forum, click here.

For related projects, see Wick Cleaning Projects and the Wick Check Project.

For a list of wiki pages related to thread outcomes, see the following:

Edited by GastonRabbit on Aug 12th 2025 at 11:35:13 AM

GoldenCityBird from the UK Since: Oct, 2018
GastonRabbit C'est la vie. (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
C'est la vie. (he/him)
#4352: Apr 8th 2022 at 12:07:02 PM

[up]It looks fine, and I can see why it's frequently misused, since the Trope Namer isn't even an example of the trope, since the trope requires a thin structure to be present while the Trope Namer didn't have that aspect.

Honestly, I think the examples that use it like the Trope Namer (standing above your opponent for a tactical advantage) is more tropeworthy than the current definition. Do we even have a trope for that?

Edited by GastonRabbit on Apr 8th 2022 at 2:08:45 PM

I got a rock for Halloween.
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#4353: Apr 8th 2022 at 12:08:18 PM

Seems like something that could be TLP-split and disambiged...

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
GastonRabbit C'est la vie. (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
C'est la vie. (he/him)
#4354: Apr 8th 2022 at 12:13:41 PM

Now that I think of it, if we don't have a trope that covers the Trope Namer for I Have The High Ground, I suppose one option would be to do a Trope Transplant by moving I Have The High Ground's current definition to a new name and using the name I Have The High Ground for the use of elevation as a tactical advantage.

I got a rock for Halloween.
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#4355: Apr 8th 2022 at 12:58:09 PM

Geo Effects? It's even in the image. Agree that IHTHG is an unfortunate name, but I'd leave that for TRS.

Edited by Amonimus on Apr 8th 2022 at 10:59:59 PM

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
GastonRabbit C'est la vie. (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
C'est la vie. (he/him)
#4356: Apr 8th 2022 at 1:03:45 PM

[up]Ah, so Yes, We DO Have This One. So I suppose the plan would be to rename I Have The High Ground and transplant examples similar to the Trope Namer to Geo Effects.

Anyway, I'll save further discussion for the thread whenever it gets made.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Apr 8th 2022 at 3:04:35 AM

I got a rock for Halloween.
harryhenry It's either real or it's a dream Since: Jan, 2012
It's either real or it's a dream
#4357: Apr 8th 2022 at 8:39:57 PM

Should Toyline-Exclusive Character actually be Trivia? It relies on meta knowledge of a toyline, since for the trope to count it has to be merchandise for a work.

I've also seen The Merch listed as a contrast to Merchandise-Driven, i.e. it's just about supporting a work that didn't initially have merchandise, which is indicated by its description. But does that go against it being a Super-Trope for just merchandise in general?

themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#4358: Apr 10th 2022 at 1:51:00 PM

~Number9Robotic, I noticed you did not include the wick checks you did in your OP in the queue. Are the wick checks stored anywhere on the wiki? Wick checks need to be visible for a TRS thread to go through.

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
number9robotic (Experienced Trainee)
#4359: Apr 10th 2022 at 4:42:47 PM

[up] I have my findings listed in a Google Doc, but I wasn't sure where it was supposed to go since none of the other OPs in the sandbox visibly their full wick checks there — forgive me for being a clod when it comes to this and the guidelines on how to keep up with it seem to be scattered in various pages.

Thanks for playing King's Quest V!
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#4360: Apr 10th 2022 at 4:43:39 PM

We just post them in sandboxes and link those sandboxes.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
number9robotic (Experienced Trainee)
#4362: Apr 10th 2022 at 5:02:51 PM

Much obliged! Will be writing out the post and linking it to the TRS queue post in a bit

Thanks for playing King's Quest V!
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#4363: Apr 11th 2022 at 5:27:24 AM

[up] Thanks. I'll admit I was kind of curious to see myself what kinds of use Undermined By Reality gets. I wouldn't be sad to see it go personally—it attracts contentious examples and Overshadowed by Controversy is a better item with an active cleanup thread that covers the concept better IMO. But I'll save my arguments for the TRS thread.

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
GastonRabbit C'est la vie. (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
C'est la vie. (he/him)
#4364: Apr 11th 2022 at 9:40:27 PM

I closed Ending Aversion's thread after taking care of the last dozen or so wicks, so I made Tropers/Amonimus's Adjusting Your Glasses thread (since permission was given).

I got a rock for Halloween.
Infitroper Since: Oct, 2016
#4365: Apr 12th 2022 at 9:15:05 AM

[up][up] I disagree with the sentiment that Overshadowed by Controversy covers Undermined By Reality. OBC explicitly requires that the controversy has to become the most notable thing about the work, so folding UBR into OBC would, in most cases, be misuse of OBC. I feel it's more accurate to say that they're sister tropes.

Edited by Infitroper on Apr 12th 2022 at 12:15:19 PM

mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#4366: Apr 12th 2022 at 9:19:48 AM

Plus, OBC doesn't have to relate to the work's content like UBR does.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#4367: Apr 12th 2022 at 9:39:41 AM

My main issue with UBR is that it attracts possibly contentious examples.

I don’t know, maybe it needs a cleanup in Short Term.

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
mightymewtron Word Up from New New York Since: Oct, 2012 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Word Up
#4368: Apr 12th 2022 at 10:32:23 AM

It needs to be YMMV for sure. Like Hindsight, we can check which connections are tenuous.

I do some cleanup and then I enjoy shows you probably think are cringe.
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#4369: Apr 12th 2022 at 11:47:07 AM

Hey, so if one wanted to re-open the Acceptable Targets discussion, would a wick check be needed? The trope is in a pretty bad place right now because the last thread made it IUEO, decided months later that that was a bad idea, and then unceremoniously closed without fixing any of the mess that was made.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the "Retromancer"
#4370: Apr 12th 2022 at 11:58:27 AM

It also can't decide if it's not actually YMMV just by looking at use count.

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#4371: Apr 12th 2022 at 11:59:34 AM

True. We did have a wick check for the other thread IIRC, which is part of why I'm asking. If that other thread gets resurrected, it's possible to go at it with a fresh POV and all the old context preserved. If we make a new thread, then we probably would need a wick check.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall
Amonimus the "Retromancer" from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
Tonwen HoMM Fan from Axeoth Since: Dec, 2021 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
HoMM Fan
#4373: Apr 12th 2022 at 12:31:25 PM

I've put Dynamic Character into the queue, as it's not only a near Omnipresent Trope, it already has all of the actually tropeworthy parts of itself in Character Development. My intent is to make the page definition only, although if a wick check is needed, I can do one.

My reasoning for probably not needing the wick check is that Dynamic Character's own description is basically just "Character who undergoes Character Development", which is accurate to what a dynamic character is, but makes its existence as a trope rather than a definition redundant with a much more popular trope.

Edited by Tonwen on Apr 12th 2022 at 2:37:27 PM

"Grandmaster Combat, son!"
themayorofsimpleton Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him from the Island of Koridai (Captain) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
Short-Term Projects Herald | he/him
#4374: Apr 12th 2022 at 12:38:24 PM

I'm thinking of bringing in Unfortunate Implications after the Trope Talk thread agreed that it needs TRS (and that a wick check isn't needed.) Should I do it, or should someone else?

Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
WarJay77 It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000) from My Writing Cave (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
It's NaNo, Bay-beeee! (8,356/50,000)
#4375: Apr 12th 2022 at 1:11:32 PM

[up][up] Note that, for whatever reason, it's on TNTRS under "should be merged", though if we make it def-only then that fixes the problem entirely I think... More here.

Working on: Author Appeal | Sandbox | Troper Wall

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