Undocumented Features/YMMV


 * Archive Binge: Close to 30 megs of text dating from 1992.
 * Archive Panic: Close to 30 megs of text dating from 1992 is quite a lot to absorb.
 * Bellisario's Maxim: AKA "Gryphon's Law".
 * Crowning Moment of Awesome: Many, many, many.
 * Crowning Moment of Funny: Also many.
 * Draco in Leather Pants: Because some characters are too cool to be Card Carrying Villains.
 * God Mode Sue: Gryphon, Gryphon, Gryphon. This particular Author Insertion is immortal, superbly skilled with just about any weapon you care to name, plays guitar with two highly popular bands, can cut anything in half with a sword, can pull power armor out of Hammerspace, is a master designer of spaceships, and sleeps around with multiple hot anime chicks, including his own best friend's girl at one point. In addition, he previously was in charge of the galaxy's most powerful military force, and has 'only' stepped back to commanding the galaxy's most powerful law enforcement organization.
 * He gets a pass for mostly only showing up in "harried manager" or "comforting father" modes in stories not specifically about developing his character.
 * At least he started with immortality, so he could spend a few centuries building that list. Yes, even the multiple hot anime chicks.
 * Magnificent Bastard: Largo occasionally, Akio almost constantly
 * Some Anvils Need to Be Dropped: Time and again, Undocumented Features shows us that redemption is always possible, even for those who are perilously close to the Moral Event Horizon. And often, all it takes is for the villain to choose to walk away and try to make amends for their past mistakes. Moreover, Forgiveness can be difficult, but being able to forgive is a good part of what makes the characters heroes. Without forgiveness, the galaxy would fall into chaos -- or perhaps not exist at all (just imagine the consequences if Gryphon and Kei hadn't forgiven each other after the Exile). And most of all, they show that redemption and forgiveness are freakin' cool.
 * Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: Fortress Maximus vs. Surtur. Imperial Star Destroyer vs. the Macross. The Big O vs. an Evangelion. The list goes on and on. Got a favorite? It's probably here somewhere. Or will be.
 * Unfortunate Implications: This one tends to start flame wars, but it has not escaped people's attention how many of the female characters in the earlier stories tend to end up judged by who they marry and who they give birth to as opposed to their other qualities...
 * Wall Banger: The sidestory "Justice and Mercy" could qualify for inclusion from the get-go, with a scene shoving Kei and Eiko through the Chickification wringer. But what truly kills it comes later. One of the main characters sees a group of orphans beating up another orphan. His response? Go into giant-robot mode and kill their ringleader. This isn't hyperbole - he explicitly thinks to himself that the kid will not survive impact after being kicked into the sky! Sure, the kid was a bastard, but does that justify murder? Our hero, ladies and gentlemen. Doubling the damage: the orphans being abused are Yakko, Wakko and Dot under slightly different names. This is played dead straight.
 * Wangst: The main weakness of the early Core stories, especially Kei and Yuri's disappearance in UF1, most of the plot of UF2: The Long Road that resulted in the entire cast becoming immortal, and the downfall of the WDF in UF3: Out in the Cold.