Invisibility Flicker: Difference between revisions

Line 36:

** Subverted also in ''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]'' with the ''Scimitar'', which can fire while cloaked; there's a whole scene devoted to Picard figuring out how to counteract this.

*** The ''Countdown'' comic (prequel to the ''[[Star Trek (film)|Star Trek]]'' film) shows that this ''Scimitar'' was only the first of many. Apparently, the Remans have made at least two more. It is unknown if all of them are equipped with impenetrable cloaks that allow a ship to fire, engage shields, and enter warp without becoming visible. It can be assumed they lack the thalaron weapon, though.

** This becomes the plot point of an episode of ''[[Star Trek: ~~Deep Space Nine|Star Trek~~ Deep Space Nine]]'', where Worf is on trial for destroying a Klingon transport ship. Worf was waiting for a Klingon Bird-of-Prey to do an Invisibility Flicker before raiding the convoy and fired at it as soon as he saw the blink, which turned out to be the transport decloaking. Of course, {{spoiler|the Klingons set up an empty transport ship in order to set up Worf for murder, expecting his kneejerk reaction}}.

** This becomes the plot point of an episode of ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'', where Worf is on trial for destroying a Klingon transport ship. Worf was waiting for a Klingon Bird-of-Prey to do an Invisibility Flicker before raiding the convoy and fired at it as soon as he saw the blink, which turned out to be the transport decloaking. Of course, {{spoiler|the Klingons set up an empty transport ship in order to set up Worf for murder, expecting his kneejerk reaction}}.

* The {{spoiler|Nox}} in the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode "The Nox" turned invisible, but then would reappear when {{spoiler|healing or resurrecting someone.}}

* Shadow battleships from ''[[Babylon 5]]'' were not invisible but they phased in from hyperspace in a very blink-like manner (every other type of ship needs to open a GIANT glowing wormhole). Sometimes they did it right before obliterating enemy ships thus earning their place on this page.

Line 42:

== Tabletop Games ==

* In most varieties of '[[Dungeons ~~and~~ Dragons]]'', "attacking" cancels out invisibility spells or items affecting a character. But not bashing inanimate objects with a club, or stabbing a willing target, or opening a cage with dangerous things in it. It's apparently a very intelligent spell...though really, how hard is it to detect "directly inflicting harm on an unwilling target"? Anyway, it is the literal truth (in most cases) that [[A Wizard Did It]].

* In most varieties of '[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', "attacking" cancels out invisibility spells or items affecting a character. But not bashing inanimate objects with a club, or stabbing a willing target, or opening a cage with dangerous things in it. It's apparently a very intelligent spell...though really, how hard is it to detect "directly inflicting harm on an unwilling target"? Anyway, it is the literal truth (in most cases) that [[A Wizard Did It]].

** Then there's ''greater invisibility'', which subverts the trope - ''nothing'' makes it blink until its duration runs out. One gets the feeling a very bruised wizard looked at the ''invisibility'' spell in his spellbook, muttered, "Sod this!" and began to touch it up with a pencil. Of course, this version has a much shorter duration, but it's frequently worth it.

** Which is why some of the Fairy-type monsters are such godawful bastards to fight. Pixies have ungodly dexterity, NPC ones usually carry ''memory-erasing crossbow bolts'', and they can use greater invisibility ''whenever they damn well feel like it.'' In fact, the 2nd edition "Book of humanoids" explained that a pixie was ''naturally invisible''. It actually used magic to make itself visible when it needed to.

Line 68:

** While not quite the same, the Spy's disguise ability masks their presence to enemies much like the cloaking device, by making them appear to be someone on the enemy side. As soon as you attack the disguise immediately dissolves.

* ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'s'' Infiltrator class can cloak nearly perfectly, until the first shot is fired. This works great with sniper rifles, but leaves you exposed while both working the action on the notoriously slow weapons and waiting for the cloak to cool down for reuse.

* ''[[~~Starcraft~~]]'' has various units (Ghosts, Wraiths, Scouts, Dark Templars, etc.) that are temporarily or permanently cloaked, i. e. invisible. You may catch a glimpse of an odd ripple where they are if you're lucky (many games, movies, and shows use this, in fact), but your units won't see 'em... unless they walk too close to a building or unit that is a Detector, which reveals them for all to see. (Using certain special abilities on the area also reveals them for a while.) Same goes, of course, for the cases when you're using them. Plenty of base defense tactics involve not leaving yourself vulnerable to cloaked attackers.

* ''[[StarCraft]]'' has various units (Ghosts, Wraiths, Scouts, Dark Templars, etc.) that are temporarily or permanently cloaked, i. e. invisible. You may catch a glimpse of an odd ripple where they are if you're lucky (many games, movies, and shows use this, in fact), but your units won't see 'em... unless they walk too close to a building or unit that is a Detector, which reveals them for all to see. (Using certain special abilities on the area also reveals them for a while.) Same goes, of course, for the cases when you're using them. Plenty of base defense tactics involve not leaving yourself vulnerable to cloaked attackers.

** Unusual in the Protoss Dark Templars are permanently cloaked and can attack (very effectively) without becoming visible. The Dark Templar hero is horrifyingly effective for just this reason, especially as he wields an [[Infinity+1 Sword]]. Oddly, in a midgame cinematic, Dark Templar hero Zeratul keeps blinking in and out of cloak while facing off against Zerg Queen Kerrigan.

* In ''[[Eternal Darkness]]'', a vampire-zombie-critter-thing with invisibility magic has this trait, which, combined with its complete lack of strategic ability, makes it pretty easy to defeat even without casting the Reveal Invisible spell.

Line 128:

[[Category:Invisibility Index]]

[[Category:~~Invisibility Flicker~~]]

[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]