Dude, Where's My Respect?: Difference between revisions

** ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'' finally averts this, what with {{spoiler|the Reapers knocking down the galaxy's front door}} and Shepard basically being given the most right to an "I told you so" ever. Almost every sidequest is simply overheard whilst Shepard roams around, and the few people that actually tell Shepard to do something (such as Aria T'Loak) are revered badasses, old friends, or both. People will also frequently point out who Shepard is and how s/he deserves some respect.

** Also, during the mission where {{spoiler|the citadel is under attack by Cerberus, when you are trying to protect the council from assassins, Udina tries to convince the others that YOU are the assassin, since he is the actual traitor. If you saved the Salarian councilor earlier, the Asari councilor will side with you, saying that you have been right every time up til now.}}

** The former can create moments of hilarity due to the limited dialogue options in the game. For instance, if you sneak up on a pair of bandits, you might hear them singing your praises (literally, in some cases) as they banter with each other. But that won't stop them from trying to kill you the moment they lay eyes on you.

** Played with in ''Knights of the Nine'', the expanded content mission, where you require the approval of a prophet before going on a crusade for the gods. Boast of doing good deeds and he'll just mock you and refuse to help you; you have to either be humble, or confess to (i.e. boast about) evil you've done to gain his help.

** [[Double Subversion|Doubly subverted]] in the ''Shivering Isles'' expansion pack. After {{spoiler|taking the mantle of the Madgod}}, most of the realm's populace, including the haughty guards, will express their respect/reverence to you, and you cannot be arrested for crime (though you still have to pay the fine or be booted out of the city until you do). Unfortunately, you are still forbidden from entering the Saint/Seducer sanctuaries, Zealots will remain hostile toward you, and do not expect anyone in Cyrodiil to believe you.

** After closing the Oblivion Gate outside a city and completing a minor side quest for the countess (which she delegates to you because "you seem like the trustworthy type"), you approach her to buy a house in a city, only to be told, "I don't trust you enough to talk about that."

*** You do get respect for completing the main quest (to the point that you can walk around in your underwear and many NPCs will ''still'' just gush about the mighty player character deigning to speak to them), and the mechanisms of the game means that members of a faction you are the head of tend to treat you better. Not because your rank as such, mind (''that'' is limited to switching one word to your current rank), but because to get to a higher rank you have to increase your reputation in that faction... which, in turn, makes members of that faction react more positively to you. In other words, they do not give you the respect you deserve, but they do, at least, tend to react to you as a friend rather than as scum.

*** Another is that sometimes people (mostly guards) will mention a quest you did or group you joined (e.g.: "I've seen you in the company of the companions"). Initially, they will treat you like a newbie (e.g. "Now I remember - you're that new member of the Companions. So you what - fetch the mead?"). There are additional lines for when you gain more status in each faction, but these do not override the earlier ones - you can and will both be greeted as their leader and as some random new member within the same day, from the same NPC.

* Mostly averted in ''[[Quest for Glory]]'' but played straight in the fourth game. In it, the character is magically teleported halfway across the planet to a small, isolated village that's highly distrustful of strangers and has no way of knowing all the amazing stuff you've done (like, oh, saving the entire world from total destruction twice over). Only three characters in the entire game respect your abilities, two of whom are returning [[Big Bad|Big Bads]] ({{spoiler|Baba Yaga and Ad Avis}}) and the other being this game's [[Big Bad]], who is the master of the latter.

** In the [[Updated Rerelease]] for [[Nintendo DS]], you do get some statues built in your honor. Too bad the village that does this is in [[Another Dimension]]...

* ''[[Terranigma]]'' has got to be one of the most extreme examples of this trope. Thanks for reviving the world, defeating all the villains and monsters who were threatening it, and sealing away the very spirit of darkness, Ark! Now go ahead and die, we're done with you.

** [[Lampshaded]] particularly well in Oasis Town, where the heroine directly asks what quest this town is going to give her, and the response is to 1. Collect 5 cough grass to make cold medicine, 2. gather 5 mountain grapes in a forest you have to plant, 3. kill 10 venombugs eating the mayor's garden, 4. Go pick 10 birthday flowers, 5. Light bonfires to attract firepigs, which are a nuisance, so kill 10 of them after you bring them here, and 6. collect 10 Magic Fellworts. This is just the stuff the mayor spat out at you before the princess interrupted him screaming that she's not his maid.

* [[Gaia Online|zOMG!]] actually averts this. Once your level reaches a certain point, the NPCs who give you the repeatable quests say "I should stop wasting your time here, you probably have better things to do. I'll handle the rest myself." Of course, then you can [[Willfully Weak|suppress your level]] and they'll get right back to bossing you around.