Anthropic Principle: Difference between revisions

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* This trope is surprisingly often [[Defied Trope|defied]] by critics reviewing [[Comic Book]] [[The Movie|film adaptations]] and [[Fantasy]], when they dismiss an entire genre in its opening paragraph by pointing out that the very premise of the story is realistically impossible and rests upon [[Character Archetype|childlike simplifications]] -- and anyone who takes such stories seriously must by definition be irresponsible and childish themselves; see [[Complaining About Shows You Don't Like]].

* Conversely, the need for the plot to work ''as an actual story'' is a problem for [[Fan Dumb|overzealous fans]] who attempt to [[Doing in the Wizard|explain away]] an aspect of the story that requires [[Broad Strokes]]. They may foreswear any [[Death of the Author|literary]], character-driven, or [[Epileptic Trees|other]] interpretations, placing [[All There in the Manual|rigorous consistency]] above whether or not it makes [[Rule of Drama|a good story]]; and apply [[Armed with Canon|similar standards]] when judging film adaptations, even when there'd be no film if their proposed changes were made.

* Sometimes the author is dissatisfied and rebels against the underlying premise. Changes to the basic premise to make it "consistent" or "relevant" (due to [[Cerebus Syndrome]] or [[Executive Meddling]]) will require a [[Continuity Reboot]] or a total [[Retool]] of the premise. Compare [[They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot]].

This is why [[Fan Fic Header|FanFic Headers]] need to warn for [[Alternate Universe Fic]], and why [[Transplanted Character Fic]] is despised by more discerning [[Fanfic]] readers.

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=== This will be for shows, games, ''etc.'' where the Principle is [[Lampshading|mentioned]], [[Invoked Trope|invoked]], or demonstrated particularly well. ===

* The game ''[[~~Bioshock~~]]''. Near the end of the game, it is revealed that every action the hero has taken {{spoiler|was the result of post-hypnotic suggestion compelling him to act}}. If you attempt to defy the {{spoiler|mind control}} earlier in the game, [[No Sidepaths, No Exploration, No Freedom|not only do you not progress]], but you never even get to the point where you can discover the true reasons behind your actions. Of course, if this happens, the plot stalls. There is only an interesting game in the first place because the plot proceeded the way it was meant to - you are playing it only because it happened that way.

* The game ''[[BioShock (series)]]''. Near the end of the game, it is revealed that every action the hero has taken {{spoiler|was the result of post-hypnotic suggestion compelling him to act}}. If you attempt to defy the {{spoiler|mind control}} earlier in the game, [[No Sidepaths, No Exploration, No Freedom|not only do you not progress]], but you never even get to the point where you can discover the true reasons behind your actions. Of course, if this happens, the plot stalls. There is only an interesting game in the first place because the plot proceeded the way it was meant to - you are playing it only because it happened that way.

* The game ''[[Prince of Persia|Prince of Persia: Sands of Time]]'', lampshades this. Whenever the Prince dies, we hear him tell us,"No, no, that wasn't how it happened. Hold on." Because to have the Prince die would mean that the story of the game that is interesting would not be told, that he would not be there at this very moment to tell the story of his adventure to begin with.

** A similar situation occurs in ''[[Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge|Monkey Island 2 Le Chucks Revenge]]'': there's no way to die in the game, except one time where you are disintegrated in acid. The person you are telling the story to immediately calls you on this, as you can't have been disintegrated if you're there telling the story, looking very integrated indeed.

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:* [[Kyo Ani]] evidently likes this trope; Kagami and Konata [[Seinfeldian Conversation|discuss]] this same thing in [[Lucky Star]].

* ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' uses this to [[Hand Wave]] a traditional video game trope. The plot of the game involves a man reliving the memories of an assassin ancestor using a special machine that reads genetic memories; what would be a [[Life Meter]] in most games is called a Synchronization Meter, explaining how in synch he is with the historical events. Performing actions that are badly out of character (like killing innocents) or just plain inaccurate (like dying) lower the Synch Meter. Incidentally, it was made by the same team as the ''Prince of Persia'' series, mentioned above. Logically, this implies that Altair was an ''incredible [[Badass]]'', since being hurt at all lowers synchronization- thus he never got hurt...

** In turn, we also know that Altair and Ezio must at some point have children, since they eventually become Desmond's ancestors. So when we meet Sofia in Assassin's Creed Revelations, It is even more obvious than usual that she is the Love interest.

* In ''[[Metal Gear|Metal Gear Solid 3]]'', the death of Naked Snake or Ocelot both result in the infamous "time paradox" game over screen. The future course of the story depends HEAVILY on these two characters, so it just wouldn't do for them to die in the prequel.

** In ''[[Snatcher]]'', while the Continue function works as standard, the Chief will shout at Gillian after the factory opening if he dies during the attack of the Insectors. "Do you hear me, Seed? No more Game Overs!" In ''[[Policenauts]]'', Jonathan will [[Have a Nice Death|complain]] if you get too many [[Game Over|Game Overs]], and then suggest hints (and if you carry on failing, simply say "I'm going to get him this time.") In the original ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'', Mantis comments on how many traps Snake has fallen into - the traps are instant-death pits, suggesting Mantis is able to see Snake's Game Overs. [[Hideo Kojima]] likes this trope a lot.

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* The [[Discworld]] series have this as a major theme in general: Discworld is a world of stories. The world often conspires to get the people in the stories to play their roles, no matter what the consequences. The people often aren't happy with this.

** One book mentions the Unseen University Professor of Anthropics, who has created the Extreme Anthropic Principle: the theory that the universe is here solely for the Unseen University Professor of Anthropics. It is further mentioned that everyone, with a few changes of the Insert Name Here variety, secretly believes the same thing.

* In the ''[[Chzo Mythos]]'', as the game "Trilby's Notes" is a recollection of the main character, it only makes sense that he must survive to write them. Should he die at any time during the game, the game mentions how the notes "mysteriously end" at that point, and perhaps were not actually written by the protagonist.

* In ''[[Space Quest]] V'', Roger Wilco must keep his love-interest, Beatrice Wankmeister, alive, or else get a game over. Why? Because the fact that she and Roger eventually have a son is part of the premise of the time-travel laden ''[[Space Quest]] IV'', as the son saves Roger in the opener of that game. If Beatrice does not survive, Roger Jr. will not be born, cannot travel back in time to save his dad, and thus ''[[Space Quest]] V'' can not happen!

* Given a [[Shout-Out]] in one ''[[BattleTech]]'' novel, where it's revealed that {{spoiler|Vladimir Ward}} firmly believes in a personal version of this -- that is, he's earnestly convinced that the Star League fell and the Clans came into being just so that ''he'' could be born at just the right time for the invasion and go on to conquer the Inner Sphere. To him, that's actually the simplest and most logical explanation for everything in his life up to that point.