Hilarious list of RPG cliches

[DancingFlameDragon]

I actually stumbled across this list awhile ago and it's been around for longer than that, but I was just reminded of it again.
The Grand List Of Console Role Playing Game Clichés (http://project-apollo.net/text/rpg.html). This made me laugh really hard, and I figured those of you who haven't seen it yet would also find it funny (and completely true)!

On another note, this (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilOverlordList) list isn't SPECIFICALLY about video games, but it applies in most cases all the same. Plus, this site is fantastic for all kinds of random information about tropes, cliches, etc. from almost anything you can think of.

Enjoy! :D

[Myrph]

Ah, those are brilliant! So true though, which is what makes them hilarious! Good Find!

[RetroVortex]

All that list makes me want to do is make a joke RPG, paroding those tropes.

[Myrph]

Except, considering how many of those you'd likely end up using in a serious RPG, you'd have to make it REALLY obvious that you were trying to take the mick, else it would look like any other generic RPG!

[Swish]

I think that making a Japanese-style RPG that sends up those tropes today is pretty much as impossible as making a spoof Visual Novel.

The genre has become so self-referential and knowing that the actual tropes are basically parodies of themselves.

A friend of mine is writing a spoof VN. It didn't take long for it to become apparent to her that it's actually just a really straightforward one. It led me to theorise that for the last decade the Visual Novel genre has been entirely populated by failed attempts to mock it.

[RetroVortex]

Except, considering how many of those you'd likely end up using in a serious RPG, you'd have to make it REALLY obvious that you were trying to take the mick, else it would look like any other generic RPG!

Thats what breaking the fourth wall's for! :D

[Swish]

Thats what breaking the fourth wall's for! :D
You say that, but actually most of the time you come across those tropes these days, they do break the fourth wall. Even in unbearably bad games like Enchanted Arms they play their cliches for knowing laughs.

[DancingFlameDragon]

I guess that no matter what anybody thinks of, there will always be cliches of some sort. The key is to turn them into something that the audience feels like they've never seen before, even if they sort of have. I mean, Star Wars is filled with elements from countless other stories and myths, but it's put together in such a way that it still seems new.

[RetroVortex]

I guess that no matter what anybody thinks of, there will always be cliches of some sort. The key is to turn them into something that the audience feels like they've never seen before, even if they sort of have. I mean, Star Wars is filled with elements from countless other stories and myths, but it's put together in such a way that it still seems new.


After all, its no so much about the story that you tell, its how you tell it!

[Songbird]

LOL! Those are so funny!

I wonder if any game developers has ever read those before making a game? I mean I know that some do it intentionally, but then they get blasted for "not being original." - even though the game play is good. It's hard to make stories which doesn't have any ties to previous tales.

Actually, this list would be somewhat helpful for people righting fanfics. Granted, if you're writing one which was mentioned several times in the list it's somewhat difficult to wright a story without cliches; a person can make a really innovated story line, but still have cliches. Of course, that shouldn't automatically make it a bad story.

[don]

All that list makes me want to do is make a joke RPG, paroding those tropes.

What about VGL, The Game ? You'd play as a 3 element party, Tommy, Jack and third recurring one for the first 2/3rds of the game, and after that you could costumize your party.

The battles would be turn based (not because it is a cliché, but because real-time battles tend to go awfully wrong). You could cast magic spells and summon creatures. (Just for the fitness, the cast of such magick would be done by a guitar hero sequence).

Characters would level up and gain new powers as well extract powers from equipment.

Life and magic yould be mesured, respectivelly, by health points (HP) and mana points (MP).

Don't forget the 2 hour bosses and over-exagerated secret fights.

[DancingFlameDragon]

What about VGL, The Game ? You'd play as a 3 element party, Tommy, Jack and third recurring one for the first 2/3rds of the game, and after that you could costumize your party.

The battles would be turn based (not because it is a cliché, but because real-time battles tend to go awfully wrong). You could cast magic spells and summon creatures. (Just for the fitness, the cast of such magick would be done by a guitar hero sequence).

Characters would level up and gain new powers as well extract powers from equipment.

Life and magic yould be mesured, respectivelly, by health points (HP) and mana points (MP).

Don't forget the 2 hour bosses and over-exagerated secret fights.

And one of those fights would have to be against Sephiroth (while the orchestra plays "One-Winged Angel" of course) while the audience assists the party with their fanboy/fangirl reactions (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door style). Some sort of reference to Sephiroth and/or Final Fantasy VII is almost a requirement these days! :p

[Songbird]

And one of those fights would have to be against Sephiroth (while the orchestra plays "One-Winged Angel" of course) while the audience assists the party with their fanboy/fangirl reactions (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door style). Some sort of reference to Sephiroth and/or Final Fantasy VII is almost a requirement these days! :p

Wouldn't that be a bad idea? The crowd would mostly cheer for Sephiroth instead of the characters versing him.

[DancingFlameDragon]

Wouldn't that be a bad idea? The crowd would mostly cheer for Sephiroth instead of the characters versing him.

Hm, that's true. Well, maybe we could get some little kids dressed up as Mario, Pikachu, and Link, and they could use their ultimate attack - Fanservice - which would feature Cloud, Zack, Organization XIII (particularly Axel and/or Demyx) and an army of ninjas beating up on Sephiroth while saying "All your base are belong to us." Can even Sephiroth overcome the fan reaction for that?

[Terraguy]

...I sense someone using RPG Maker will be here to speak soon.

[Songbird]

Hm, that's true. Well, maybe we could get some little kids dressed up as Mario, Pikachu, and Link, and they could use their ultimate attack - Fanservice - which would feature Cloud, Zack, Organization XIII (particularly Axel and/or Demyx) and an army of ninjas beating up on Sephiroth while saying "All your base are belong to us." Can even Sephiroth overcome the fan reaction for that?

I'm not sure, but his loyal fans would start throwing "Dis-pears" on the stage. No offense to the fans, but what worth would Deymx have in that battle? The only thing he does best is being lazy and whining.

[don]

Why not make Sephiroth a dark, maybe secret summon?

Here's an ideia: he'd be maken very influent in the plot, but normally only mentioned and not actually seen, like Sauron in TLotR. But he could be accessible as a dark summon if fulfiled a secret sidequest.

[Myrph]

...I sense someone using RPG Maker will be here to speak soon.

You called?

That being said, I'm actually already partially involved in a project using that, so with the time taken up by my studies and the obligatory time spent gaming, I'm not sure if I'd be able to fit it all in!

... and an army of ninjas beating up on Sephiroth while saying "All your base are belong to us." ...

Wouldn't it be more appropriate to use an army of George Takei (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIRPcICB-iY)?
Or does that technically count as an army of ninjas anyway?

[DancingFlameDragon]

I'm not sure, but his loyal fans would start throwing "Dis-pears" on the stage. No offense to the fans, but what worth would Deymx have in that battle? The only thing he does best is being lazy and whining.
Sephiroth never did like dumbapples very much... he likes dis-pears much better.
And yeah, I was never much of a Demyx fan myself (although he can be pretty funny sometimes), but he has developed a fan following and considering he's supposed to be such a bad fighter, he's much tougher than he seems.

Why not make Sephiroth a dark, maybe secret summon?

Here's an ideia: he'd be maken very influent in the plot, but normally only mentioned and not actually seen, like Sauron in TLotR. But he could be accessible as a dark summon if fulfiled a secret sidequest.
Well, Sauron was sort of a secret-ish character in BfME2, and even though he's not much use in a real battle because of the amount of work to get him, he's pretty entertaining.


Wouldn't it be more appropriate to use an army of George Takei (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIRPcICB-iY)?
Or does that technically count as an army of ninjas anyway?
Hm, that might still count go under the category as "army of ninjas." Although I think I'd also include Shredder, who has the ability to kill you in one hit after you fought through hours of insane difficulty and frustration (arghh stupid bombs in the river) trying to get to him, only to get a rather unrewarding ending if you do manage to win.