Opening.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Gentleman Troper!
I agree that the description is a mess.
It seems that a lot of the examples on the trope actually belong on Leave Me Alone!, The Hermit, Ineffectual Loner, and Informed Loner. I'm not sure there's enough of a trope left after that, really.
Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!
NaNo 4328 / 50,000
added banner
Disambiguate like
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
says is probably the right action.
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
Usage is pretty consistent on not wanting to work with others, though. Does that automatically make them one of those? Leave Me Alone! is a stock phrase that isn’t just about working relationships and The Hermit leaves somewhere remote by themselves. Informed Loner and Ineffectual Loner probably have the most overlap with that concept but still require the character not actually being a loner.
I Work Alone and Ineffectual Loner seem to be about the same phenomenon. A loner will learn the hard way to accept assistance. Compare the third paragraph of the former with the fourth and sixth paragraph of the latter.
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
Disambiguate.
Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
Yeah, a disambiguation seems best.
I'd like to apologize for all this.
Don't understand. Turning I Work Alone into a Disambig page?
she/her
Yes, the disambig would list Leave Me Alone!, The Hermit, Ineffectual Loner, and Informed Loner.
NaNo 4328 / 50,000
Yeah, because a lot of examples are also Leave Me Alone!.
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
You can't escape this monster
What about Aloof Ally?
I'm mainly a fan of underrated media.
I disagree that I Work Alone is already covered by Leave Me Alone!, The Hermit, Ineffectual Loner, and Informed Loner. The latter two don't cover those who really do work alone, The Hermit isn't about working relationships at all, and Leave Me Alone! is about attitude — it can overlap with I Work Alone, but both can occur independently of the other.
I can think of at least one example of I Work Alone that doesn't fall into any of these other tropes. The character has no problem teaming up when necessary, but typically works solo and turns down offers of team membership.
NaNo 4328 / 50,000
That sounds exactly like an Informed Loner.
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
No, because working alone is the default for her, while team-ups are the exception, and end with But Now I Must Go.
NaNo 4328 / 50,000
Page image is Batman. Working alone is the default for Batman. Either Informed Loner is severely misused, or it doesn't mean what you think it should.
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
Eh, depends what version of him.
Gentleman Troper!
I thought the default for Batman is that he always has a sidekick (the various Robins), sometimes two (adding Batgirl), often teams up with Supes and/or the Justice League, cooperates with Catwoman, and has loyal support at home.
...how exactly is that "alone"?
Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!
NaNo 4328 / 50,000
Well, there's far too many comics to double check, so let's go to the adaptations... Live-Action TV
- 1966's Batman — Has Robin the entire time, sometimes adds Batgirl as well (team)
- On Star Commercials — Batman works alone
- Arrowverse — focus is on Batwoman, Batman works alone
- Gotham — focus is on Gordon, set before Bruce becomes Batman
- Titans — focus is on Dick Grayson, Batman has a Robin?
- Pennyworth — focus is on Alfred, set before Bruce is born
- 1943's The Batman — Has Batman and Robin
- 1966's Batman: The Movie — Has Batman and Robin
- 1989's Batman — Batman works alone, third film adds sidekicks
- 2005's The Dark Knight Trilogy — Batman works alone
- 2013's DC Extended Universe — Batman works alone, then forms the Justice League
That's not to mention the memetic
ways in which he's "known" to be a loner. You wouldn't go "where's Jason Todd?" if you read a comic or a book that featured Bruce Wayne, you'd just assume "oh, he's not working with anyone in this story".
Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
The loner aspect of Batman is mostly his brooding and "I am the night" schtick. As pointed out he has Alfred and at least one Batkid hanging around. Even Nolanbats, which excised the Batkids, kept Alfred.
We'd probably be better off examining the wick check examples of I Work Alone to see if Informed Loner can apply to them.
Edited by Synchronicity on Dec 14th 2020 at 8:50:16 AM
So what'S the difference between I Work Alone and Ineffectual Loner?
My understanding of I Work Alone is it's about the moment when the Ineffectual Loner is forced to work on a team. The character is resentful of being forced to change their usual means of operation, and is forced into Teeth-Clenched Teamwork, typically with a team member of contrasting personality.
Admittedly a lot of the examples on the page do read more like Ineffectual Loner.
"It's just a show; I should really just relax"
I personally read I Work Alone as more of a personality trait — the refusal to work with others, or the preference of working by themselves. Whether or not they actually do end up working with others is not that relevant. I’m not sure all people who prefer to work alone turn out to be Ineffectual Loner.
Edited by Synchronicity on Dec 15th 2020 at 4:50:13 AM
I read it the same way.
Edited by Twiddler on Dec 15th 2020 at 3:08:52 AM
Crown Description:
What would be the best way to fix the page?
I Work Alone has a really bad case of Example As Thesis, and the Stock Phrase title doesn't help. The description is somewhat complainy as well. At least one other user said
that they coudn't tell what it is supposed to be about. Many of the on-page examples are ZCEs or think it's about the Stock Phrase, but the wicks seem to reflect consistent usage. (A character refuses/dislikes to work with others.)