Trope Idea Sounding Board

Nebulous Evil Organization exists.

Hey, so I don't think we have this one, but it might be a good idea. This is a Video Game trope- the Invisible Maze, which combines Invisible Wall with The Maze. Basically, you have to navigate a seemingly empty room that actually has walls laid out like a maze, but all the walls are invisible, so you have to feel your way around. The most recent examples in games I have played are BoxxyQuest: The Shifted Spires and Veins, but I remember there being more I have come across.

Oh yeah. Invisible Maze! It does subvert the idea that mazes are visible.

Some relation to Trial-and-Error Gameplay, if the page image is any guess.

I know we've got Plant Person and Plant Aliens, but as a Sub-Trope of it:

• "Plant People Dickheads" - not the actual title, but taken from Humans Through Alien Eyes which had something from Irregular Webcomic! where a Plant Alien declined to enter a florist because it was his reproductive organs on display. Basically, Plant Persons or Plant Aliens depicted as having flowers for a head - analogous to WesternAnimation.Assy Mc Gee where the Cowboy Cop was literally a talking asshole.

Where it differs is a folder for straight examples, and examples where Plant Aliens don't have flowers as their head etc.

Is this too specific as a trope, or a good way of reflecting the fact some Plant Aliens are shown as having flowers for a head (although there are some like Groot, a flora colossus, or WesternAnimation.Darkwing Duck 's Bushroot, their eco-terrorist Anti-Villain and ComicBook.Swamp Thing, where the titular Swamp Thing isn't a plant alien, but another species entirely).

Edited by Merseyuser1 on Mar 17th 2021 at 9:03:24 AM

I think a Plant Person with a flower on their head is the same but more specific, while the flower on the head being something sexual or inappropriate seems too rare to trope. We have Fantastic Arousal, if that covers anything.

Yeah, the wording confused me, I thought it was related to the sexual organs thing. Still seems TSBMS to me though.

Edited by mightymewtron on Mar 17th 2021 at 5:08:47 AM

Good point; what I was implying was the flower used as a head.

I was talking more from a biological than sexual point of view, though.

Edited by Merseyuser1 on Mar 17th 2021 at 9:04:05 AM

Would 'Momentum Physics' be a good trope? I was trying to look for something to list as an example explaining how Sonic's speed works in the classic titles, but my search came up with zero results.

We have Jump Physics but nothing involving using momentum to gain speed.

You might wanna pick a different title. 'Momentum' is a term used in physics.

Something Something Inertia? To play on No Ontological Inertia?

Momentum Based Gameplay maybe?

Games About Going Fast?

Endless Running Game variant? Speed Game??

Was gonna Trope Idea Salvage Yard this, but wanted to get your thoughts on the scope fight. Should Ace Attorney count? Or is that just too far?

• Conversation Is Combat / Gaming The Conversation: Where a [s]battle[/s] conversation system and a fighting system, or a Minigame are the same thing, a Video Game trope. Like in The Logomancer, where it's literally true, Griftlands, where the same system is used for both combat and conversation, or Signs Of The Sojouner, where there's no combat, but conversation is played out through cards. Ace Attorney, where only conversations and court arguments are a minigame of sorts.

https://scifi.stackexchange.com/a/281523

Edited by Malady on Dec 7th 2023 at 5:10:15 AM

Would this trope idea work?

There's Lighter and Softer / Darker and Edgier, but what about a trope for when a work simplifies its character designs (different to Art Shift) as a visual equivalent of Lighter and Softer since the two tropes are about tone, but this one is more about visual mediums like anime, comic books and animation.

Example: Comic Books

• Supergirl has done this a few times over the years, changing the artwork from ornate comic-book to much more simplified artwork. Let's go through them step-by-step:
  • Supergirl (1996) redesigned the protagonist so she was more simple in character design and somewhat resembled a more generic blue-eyed, blonde "American Girl".
  • Supergirl (2011), a Continuity Reboot that was within the New 52 Universe, also redesigned Supergirl so that she was simplified in design compared to her 2005 counterpart.
  • Supergirl: Being Super, a non-canon one-shot storyline redesigned Kara Danvers in such a way she was simpler in character design.
  • Supergirl Cosmic Adventuresinthe8th Grade, an Alternate Continuity takes this to the extreme; she's very Off-Model in design, but this is justified due to the younger audience it's aimed at.

Edited by Merseyuser1 on Mar 19th 2021 at 12:53:31 PM

- That's not Off-Model, which is for errors like too many fingers, noses, etc.

It's Super-Deformed, I'd think?

The first Monkey Island game has a sword fight with pirates where the victory is decided by the insults. I guess it's viable.

That's the basic premise of Oh...Sir!! The Insult Simulator, too.

Name: B-Video Game

Description: A low-budget video game, characterized by a cheesy plot and often high-genre. This type of games are often developed by non-indie low-tier developers for quick buck.

Examples:

• Bad Day L.A.
• Drakengard

I wonder if there might be merit in a "Memetic Abomination" trope. Like the "Lovecraftian [[Music/Dolly Parton Jolene]]" meme.

Could this one work:

• Temporary Patrician / A Day In The Rich Life: The protagonist or main characters experience the life patricians / the uber-wealthy live, often as a contrast to their own lives. Not always involving a life swap, this sometimes happens due to the Mistaken for Index. Not to be confused with Mock Millionaire which is about impersonation, not mistaken identity. Will often be a case of Status Quo Is God.

Examples:

• ChuckleVision had the episode "Rich for A Day", in which Paul Chuckle somehow got into the lifestyles of The '90s wealthy people, although in actuality he won the second prize and the plot revolved around one of the many Inexplicably Identical Individuals of No Slacking, here as a butler.
• Johnny Bravo had the episode "Charm School Johnny" where Hollywood Nerd Carl Chrynizzwics tried to turn Johnny from a boorish Elvis into a gentleman.

Edited by Merseyuser1 on Mar 20th 2021 at 11:28:14 AM

A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted? For the status quo part at least.

the first thing that came to mind was the spongebob episode Porous Pockets, which is indeed listed under A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted. there's also Rags to Riches but that generally implies the money being kept in the long term (though plenty of examples on that page also fall under the Status Quo Is God variant)

The only other examples I could think of were Prince And Pauper scenarios.

You guys think Anti-Alcohol Aesop would make a good trope? I'd take it to TLP myself, but I don't have any examples.

I'm surprised if we don't already have one, similar to Drugs Are Bad.

I'm certain we don't have it. It's not mentioned on An Aesop or Stock Aesops.

I still wonder if the concept of 'B-Video Game', defined as a low-budget video game, characterized by strong adherence to genre conventions and usually cheesy/odd plots is considered tropeworthy.