Plot-Sensitive Button: Difference between revisions

This is most commonly the result of a set constructed with lots of control panels, but no one keeping track of which button serves which purpose in the context of the story.

 

{{examples}}

 

* In ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'', the Ganmen's controls don't have a clear connection to the operation. When asked how to operate one, Simon says you just move the levers back and forth and it does what you want.

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' - Any time Kaiba uses his hax skills. Summed up quite nicely in [[Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series|the abridged series]]:

'''Kaiba''': That's because I learned how to hack by watching old episodes of ''[[Star Trek]]''. }}

* In ''[[Heroman]]'', the remote control that Joey uses to control Heroman only has one button.

* In ''[[Firefly]]'' there are three switches that the pilot, Wash, always flips whenever he starts doing something. This is remarked on by the actor in one of the commentaries.

* In the ''[[Red Dwarf (TV)|Red Dwarf]]'' episode "Parallel Universe", Holly invents the "Holly-Hop Drive", a device intended to move the ship instantly to any point in space (although it actually instead moves the ship into an [[Alternate Universe]]). Much to the crew's scorn, the drive is just a red box with two buttons: "Start" and "Stop". In the words of Holly: "If you want to start it, press Start, and you can work out the rest of the controls for yourself."

** The sonic screwdriver seems able to perform any and all tasks required, just by pointing and buzzing. It has cut, welded, unlocked locks both electronic and mechanical, detonated marsh gas, disabled androids, changed channels on a military communications screen, manipulated multiple computer systems and, of course, unfastened screws. No explanation for its versatility-sans-external-controls has ever been advanced onscreen, but when Amy Pond had to use the screwdriver in "Let's Kill Hitler", Rory commented that it (at least that incarnation of it anyway) had a psychic interface.<br /><br />Specific settings have been referenced. in The Empty Child, he tells Rose which one reattaches barbed wire. We don't know how settings are selected. In ''The Keeper of Traken'', however, the Doctor explicitly states that it can't do anything against purely mechanical locks. Also, since it can only manipulate one device at a time, it can't open deadlocks.

*** On occasion, the Doctor gives the screwdriver to a companion to use. His instructions (except for the barbed wire case above) are never more complicated than "point and click", though.

* Many games have a context-sensitive button for the player to use in an effort to simplify the control scheme. With exceptions like Conker above, they don't actually appear in the game world.

** The "A" button in ''[[Gears of War]]'' is a catch-all button for the gameplay's duck and cover system. You slide into cover, switch pillars with a swat turn, jump over barriers, roadie run, anything you can think of. In fact, it's ''so'' frequently used that players and critics have complained about the button causing the wrong thing to happen because the context changed ever-so-slightly just before they pushed it.

** One specific action button in ''[[Beyond Good and Evil (Video Game)|Beyond Good and Evil]]'' allows the player to fight, take pictures, pick up objects, use special keys, jump, talk, climb, kick things and turn pillars. A different action button makes your partner perform some of these actions.

** The all-purpose "action" button in ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' is used to shoot, grab hold of ledges, climb out of pools, or push boulders.

== Real Life ==

 

* Cellular telephones often have keys below the screen with just a dot or line on them, and they do whatever it says on the screen directly above them. These are literally called "context keys".

* Also the [[Nintendo DS]]. Or any other device with a tactile-sensitive screen. That was the driving principle behind inventing them, after all.

[[Category:Applied Phlebotinum]]

[[Category:Plot Sensitive Button]]