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Reminder for anyone who doesn't know: Idiot Plot is not "this plot is idiotic", it's "this plot only works because the characters are idiots".
Trouble Cube continues to be a general-purpose forum for those who desire such a thing.
Exactly, and that's not what this plot is, just two instances of two characters (Dad and Eden) making questionable decisions.
Overall agree, but I do have to say that just because the Stupid Sacrifice is retconned away, doesn't mean it's moot. Setting aside the contentious issue of what is and isn't canon, there's still the fact that the game exists and was released where that is the only option.
Found a Youtube Channel with political stances you want to share? Hop on over to this page and add them.
^Agreed. We can still mention Mass Effect 3's original ending, for example.
Keet cleanup
I'm good with adding it to the main page under Stupid Sacrifice, I'm surprised it isn't there already. I'll add Dad's sacrifice too - it's been noted that even if he let the Enclave have the Purifier, they didn't have the means to activate it anyway, so his sacrifice did nothing.
Stupid Sacrifice added to the main page, removed Idiot Plot from YMMV. I'd previously told the troper who added it that there was a discussion in ATT about it but he hasn't commented here yet.
I'm not gonna defend myself because it's clear that I misunderstood the original trope. I'd interpreted it to be "the plot would have been avoided if the characters weren't idiots" which would be translated into "people wouldn't have died and you wouldn't have been kicked out if Dad hadn't been so reckless and irresponsible."
Instead it turns out the real definition is "the plot only works if everyone available is a moron." So I concede.
I do, however, vehemently disagree that some points I bring up are nitpicking. The central premise is completely undermined by the surrounding environment. i.e. We are told that water is an issue when our interactions with the world show that that it is so very clearly is not.
If pointing out the plot is completely disjointed from the world surrounding it is considered nitpicking, I think that it's a disservice to the idea of media criticism. It would be like forming the Avengers in a world where regular law enforcement services are sufficient.
^ That sounds like a violation of Show, Don't Tell, not an idiot plot. Given the post-apocalyptic nature of the Fallout series, exactly how are you so sure that nobody has died of thirst? Your argument is like walking into a town where everyone is dead, seeing signs that say "DANGER - PLAGUE" and then saying the signs are wrong about the plague because you don't see any sick people.
Cutting off a brewing edit war at Fallout 3. I'd previously removed the Idiot Plot entry and a user added it back. Here is the entry:
A lot of these points are nitpicking ("no one needs water but the beggars", "the game pulls But Thou Must! at Little Lamplight") and full of natter (most of the secondary subbullets). The only thing approaching a legitimate complaint is Dad and Eden's decisions, but Dad doesn't destroy the purifier he floods its control room with radiation to keep the Enclave away from it, and the speech check with Eden is very difficult to make and the entire idea of the Speech skill is talking people into agreeing with you, so this is less a case of idiocy on Eden's part and more the developers didn't write good dialogue. And the Heroic Sacrifice ending has been retconned away so that point is moot.
Overall this is just a misuse of Idiot Plot and not applicable.