RPG Cliches

[CoolZidane]

I know this has been posted before, but I wanted the new users to be able to bask in the humor of this list.

http://project-apollo.net/text/rpg.html

And feel free to counter any cliches in this list.

[seby_2_hell]

are we suppose to read everything???

[PyroAlchemist]

AHHHHH!!!! THE TRUTH BURNS!!!!!!

[blackskullwarlock]

That list is 'everything that has been done atleast once' so not ALL of those are uber clichés.

[blaman]

I've read it before. Sure are alot of them.
Some of them didn't make much sense to me.
 

"Let's Start From The Very Beginning (Yuna Rule)
Whenever there is a sequel to an RPG that features the same main character as the previous game, that character will always start with beginner skills. Everything that they learned in the previous game will be gone, as will all their ultra-powerful weapons and equipment."

If you still had all that super equipment and all those super skills, the game would be too simple, or make the world seem like an EXTREMELY dangerous place. (Monsters will need to be stronger for a challenge.)

[Osmose]

Originally posted by blaman
I've read it before. Sure are alot of them.
Some of them didn't make much sense to me.
 

quote:

"Let's Start From The Very Beginning (Yuna Rule) Whenever there is a sequel to an RPG that features the same main character as the previous game, that character will always start with beginner skills. Everything that they learned in the previous game will be gone, as will all their ultra-powerful weapons and equipment."

If you still had all that super equipment and all those super skills, the game would be too simple, or make the world seem like an EXTREMELY dangerous place. (Monsters will need to be stronger for a challenge.)

It still makes no sense, as the main character wouldn't be stupid enough to just throw away his Ultimate Weapon.

[Drace]

*Game ends*
Yuna: Let's go on a new adventure! *trips and drops magic, weapons and everything else in the sewers* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.....................................................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[blackskullwarlock]

FFX-2 happens in the very same world than FFX so if Yuna kept her old equipement, the monsters would either be very very easy or the world would have become obscenely dangerous, even with Sin and Yu Yevon gone.

[CoolZidane]

These cliches crack me up.

Bad Is Good, Baby!
The heroes can always count on the support of good-hearted vampires, dragons, thieves, demons, and chainsaw murderers in their quest to save the world from evil. And on the other hand...

Good Is Bad, Baby!
Watch out for generous priests, loyal military officers, and basically anyone in a position of authority who agrees to help you out, especially if they save your life and prove their sincerity innumerable times -- they're usually plotting your demise in secret (at least when they can fit it into their busy schedule of betraying their country, sponsoring international terrorism, and stealing candy from small children) and will stab you in the back at the most inconvenient moment, unless they fall under...

General Leo's Exception
Honorable and sympathetic people who work for the Other Side are always the genuine article. Of course they'll be busily stabbing you in the front, so either way you lose. Eventually though, they'll fall prey to...

The Ineffectual Ex-Villain Theorem (Col. Mullen Rule)
No matter how tough and bad-*** one of the Other Side's henchmen is, if he bails to the side of Good he'll turn out to be not quite tough and bad-*** enough. The main villain will defeat him easily. But don't weep -- usually he'll manage to escape just in time, leaving you to deal with the fate that was meant for him.

[BlackIceAdept]

#191. The Ultimate Rule
Anything called "Ultima (whatever)" or "Ultimate (whatever)" isn't. There's always at least one thing somewhere in the world which is even more.
#192. Know Your Audience (Vyse Rule)
Every woman in the game will find the male lead incredibly attractive.

that sums up my most hated of them all!!!

[FFL2and3rocks]

Weapon Rule
There's always a hidden creature who is much harder to defeat than even the ultimate bad guy's final, world-annihilating form. It's lucky for all concerned that this hidden creature prefers to stay hidden rather than trying to take over the world himself, because he'd probably win. As a corollary, whatever reward you get for killing the hidden creature is basically worthless because by the time you're powerful enough to defeat him, you don't need it any more.

Heheh, so true.


But They Don't Take American Express
Every merchant in the world -- even those living in far-off villages or hidden floating cities cut off from the outside world for centuries, even those who speak different languages or are of an entirely different species -- accepts the same currency.

This can be true even on different PLANETS in some games, like Phantasy Star or Star Ocean 2 and 3. o_0 Even if the two planets don't know that the other planet exists, they use the same currency.


Fake Ending
There will be a sequence which pretends to be the end of the game but obviously isn't -- if for no other reason than because you're still on Disk 1 of 4.

Lol, this is definately true.

[AsakuraHao2004]

There is a sticky for posting sites!

Lock.

[Drace]

I have a few more:

The Blatter Rule:
No matter how long you play the main character and his party never have to go to the toilet.

The Toilet Rule:
The main character and his party will also allmost never encounter toilets. Even if they're in houses, military bases or a big castle with lots of guards.

The Food Rule:
The main character and his party only have to eat when talking to the king, villian or any other important plot character.

The Dawn, Day And Night Rule:
Allmost every town never changes from dawn to day to night, but will stay in dawn, day or night even if you return days later.

[Dragonium]

There's a few more to add.

 - The Concenience of Trade Rule.

If there is only one person in the entire world who sells something, or knows how to make it, they will either be lost, killed, or kidnapped by the villian, right before you need whatever it is.

 - The Chronic Insomnia Rule.

If a person is outdoors, they will never go inside. Even at midnight when there are wolves prowling around, they will not go to bed. Corollary: People who are already in bed when you find them will never go outside.

 - The Flash of Inspiration Rule.

Approxiamtely 2 seconds before being killed by the villian, the hero will suddenly think of a way to save himself. This method will never fail or be stopped by the villian.

 - Slack Tongue Syndrome.

When he finally gets the hero where he wants him, the villian will reveal his new weapon, and immediately tell the hero everything about it, including its weaknesses and a detailed account of how to destroy it. Corollary: This new weapon rarely, if ever, works correctly.

 - Two's a Crowd (Ormi and Logos rule).

If the villian (Or whoever is pretending to be the villian) has two associates, they will fail consistently. A team of any other number is usually successful, however, a pair will be thwarted almost without fail.

 - The "Why did we do that again?" Rule.

There is always one chest which you cannot get at. However, a while later in the game, an event will occur, or your party will aqcuire a skill which allows you to get it. In this case, the chest will contain a Hi-Potion, and nothing else.

 - The Thick Skinned Rule.

Characters can have hundred ton weights dropped on them, be burned, frozen, electrocuted, obliterated by lasers, crushed by gravity, torn apart by claws, eaten, and blown up, and the most they will do is sway for a second and say "Uh", then return to their original poses like nothing happened.

 - I Refuse To Die! (Auron Rule)

When a character's HP reaches 0 during battle, they will not immediately die. However, they will sway on the spot (Sometimes dropping their weapons) for around 20 seconds, before finally collapsing, while the other characters fight on like their most powerful character was not just killed by a hummingbird.

 - The Killer Bunny Rabbit Rule.

Animals that already exist are much more powerful than ones that already exist. Corollary: If you meet a creature late in the game, which is also very cute, run. It is around three times as powerful as the villian, and is also faster, despite the fact that you can't attack it because it isn't sportsmanlike. "Awww", can quickly become "Aaaargh" in these situations.