TheRemake - questions about how far TropesAreFlexible and if "reboot" is a SquarePegRoundTrope

Do you think every episode of an episodic series takes place in an Alternate Universe from the last one?

Just because the new episode has a different plot doesn't mean the plot of the previous episode didn't happen.

Yeah that is splitting hairs. Continuity is more than just the story. Any sort of continuation of performers, visual design or even just the name can be grounds for a Soft Reboot.

Exactly. And Pokemon RSE is definitely in the same continuity because there's loads of references to the previous games, it's just that the story and characters and region are a separate entity with no connection to the story, characters and region of the previous games. But not being connected plotwise =/= being an entirely new canon.

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Continuity is just all things that actually happened in that fictional reality. If all the things from previous seasons or books or whatever actually happened to the characters, then it's in the same continuity. If what happened in previous stories didn't happen to those specific characters, but to some other version of them, then it's not in the same continuity.

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Thank you to everyone for sorting this out! I'll have to improve trope distinctions list with these.

"But not being connected plotwise =/= being an entirely new canon."

That sounds like Alternate Timeline.

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HOW?

Prove that a work that isn't directly related plotwise to the work before it but is still proveably in the same universe is somehow an Alternate Timeline or a Continuity Reboot. We've been explaining this over and over again, so explain your point.

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Another explanation: Season Fluidity shows a spectrum of shows from Negative Continuity to full Continuity Reboot (Soft Reboot shows up in "Highly-distinct seasons, purely self-contained"). Does that help?

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.

Any given example may count as several of the tropes we are talking about. Alternate Timeline is that there is a divergence from established history, not about the lack of continuing plot points.

I think it might be better to think of it as similar to Like Reality, Unless Noted, only this case it's "like the previous installment unless noted". Even if the new installment doesn't explicitly bring up the previous events, as long as it doesn't intentionally flat-out contradict what came before it (introducing new origin stories or something) it's not a new continuity.

To piggy-back from , even an Alternate Timeline doesn't mean it's a new Continuity. The page quote is an example of Alternate Timeline used to create a Soft Reboot.

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.

• Mega Man Battle Network: the backstory for this game series mirrors that of Mega Man Classic, with a twist: Dr. Light (now renamed to Dr. Hikari) developed internet technology instead of robotics, and after he gets approved by the sponsors, the world later runs mainly on that technology instead of robotics (as was the case of Classic series).

The story after that goes very differently, too.

I wouldn't call that Alternate Continuity as the 2 timelines share a common past, so they're Alternate Timelines. BN also isn't the case of Continuity Reboot because the Classic timeline is still ongoing (although indirectly, through Mega Man Zero).

Would you call this Soft Reboot?

(Oh, and I'm gonna delete Mega Man X example from that page)

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Battle Network is not a Soft Reboot (or any other kind of reboot), because it's explicitly an Alternate Continuity. Dr. Hikari and Dr. Light serve the same role in their respective narratives, but they are not the same person. There's no shared backstory between BN and Classic Mega Man, they are completely different worlds.

And go ahead and delete the Mega Man X example, because that's not a Soft Reboot either, it's a Sequel Series.

Edited by Primis on Feb 2nd 2019 at 10:42:50 AM

I agree on Battle Network not being a reboot of any kind, it's too much of a spin-off with other series continuing the main continuity.
I would argue for keeping Mega Man X as a Soft Reboot, though. It serves to reboot the series, leaving behind all characters and plot points other than Doctor Light being a robot design expert, with all relevant elements being introduced fresh for new players. The biggest point against it is the subsequent release of Mega Man 7, but leaving the original continuity open for more content is one of the biggest reasons for making a Soft Reboot rather than a full Continuity Reboot.
Making a Sequel Series, especially one with a significant timeskip, is a common method of creating a Soft Reboot.

My understanding is that a Soft Reboot doesn't contradict any of what came before it (and might even reference past events), it doesn't conflict with any of the previously established story, and doesn't supply any evidence that it exists in a different continuity. A Soft Reboot would by nature be more or less an independent entity in the timeline, making it an easy point for new fans to jump on, but for the reasons I stated above it wouldn't be excluded from the overreaching plot/timeline for any reason. It's still part of the overarching story.

A Continuity Reboot is when the new work actively seeks to create a new canon. It'll change or contradict older plot events, in the process setting itself apart from the previously established series. Anything that follows suit is part of the new continuity. It wouldn't matter if Bob was able to fly in the previous work- if the new work says that Bob doesn't even like the idea of flying, the new canon is that Bob hates to fly.

An Alternate Timeline is, well, a divergence in the in-universe timeline where different events occur. It doesn't mean a Continuity Reboot, since there might be an in-universe reason as to why this happened and it might be running alongside the original timeline. In other words, it's an in-universe concept that has no bearing on the out-of-universe status of the work.

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Perhaps you mean, in Soft Reboot, the story does "continue", but only in a spiritual sense (i.e not physically)?

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No.

The story does continue in the literal sense. If I hadn't meant it literally, I would've said so.

It's just that a Soft Reboot isn't bogged down in continuity. The story is still happening, but the events of the previous works aren't necessary to understand to understand the new work.

Edited by WarJay77 on Feb 3rd 2019 at 5:34:03 AM

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Do these example distinctions work for this hypothetical animated series?

Original Work: In The Adventures of Alice and Bob, Alice and Bob are fighting to stop Captain Jerkface from taking over Troperville. In the process, their loyal dog Tropey gets killed dramatically.

Soft Reboot: Alice and Bob travel to Trope Island, which is ruled by Lady Evilface, a new villain. They gain new powers and eventually try to defeat Lady Evilface. Their old powers aren't relevant, and most of the old characters aren't around. Once, Bob mentions how he misses Tropey, but it's not important to the plot.

Sequel Series: Same as soft reboot, but now it's called Alice and Bob: Tales of Trope Island and is marketed as a new series.

Alternate Timeline: After the big battle, Alice goes back in time to save Tropey from Captain Jerkface. Due to For Want Of A Nail, this leads to Lady Evilface usurping Captain Jerkface, and now they have to fight her instead.

Continuity Reboot: In this series, released some time after The Adventures of Alice And Bob Lady Evilface is now menacing Troperville and there's no mention of Captain Jerkface. Tropey is alive and now has superpowers. May or may not be made by people who made the original, and there's no in-story reason why Lady Evilface is now in control.

The Remake: Created 30 years later by a different animation studio, it has the same plot as The Adventures of Alice and Bob but different voice actors and art style.

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Everything looks correct to me.

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The only thing I would add is Sequel Series has points where previous series' elements are clearly referenced without being fully reexplained. New viewers may be confused if they haven't seen the original.

The definitions are excellent. No complaints at all!

Only thing missing is Alternate Continuity and Ultimate Universe as trope distinctions for the hypothetical animated series.

That can apply to Soft Reboot as well. If done well, it's a Noodle Incident. If done badly, it's a Plot Point, and Continuity Lockout may still be in effect.

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.

Part of the point of a Soft Reboot is that it is newcomer friendly while also trying not to alienate the established fans, not that it is completely divorced from any connections to what came before. That is often the core purpose behind Sequel Series and even New Season, New Title and that's why there is overlap.