Stupidity Is the Only Option/Headscratchers

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Why do they berate you afterwards?

  • So, I understand why sometimes in a video game you're forced to use this trope. Sometimes the player just have to get captured and all that. Obviously, it's better to make it more organic but that's hard and sometimes there just isn't any reasonable why. I understand that, I can work with it, and it won't hurt (too badly) my suspension of disbelief. However, I can't stand when NPCs berate you for doing it. From villains gloating about how stupid you were to friendly NPCs making fun of you or weepingly asking how could you do such a thing or the main character angsting about it. The longer it goes on, the more it makes me want to scream and/or punch the designer. In effect, the developers are punishing the player by making them listen to this claptrap because the developers are bad writers. Yeah, thanks for that. If you really need the main character to do something, just force it , and move on. Don't punish the player.
    • First of all, isn't it natural that NPCs would berate the character for doing that? You expect them to just say that the stupid thing was totally justified and they shouldn't worry about it? And secondly, pulling this trope is a jerky by the developers, so when they do berate you, it's icing on the...um...jerk...cake. It's supposed to make you mad.
      • The thing is, I don't think it's the developers intention to piss me off. I mean, we're not talking about Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, here. I think it's more like the developers write themselves into a corner (or are making a game based off a book or movie and have to make the player do something the character did), use this trope, and then realize - as you pointed out - that the NPCs would realistically react in a certain way. However, since I never had the chance to do anything else, it's still the equivalent of the NPCs just being bitchy. It's the equivalent of a bully who's hitting you with your own hand while shouting "Stop hitting yourself!" Maybe you're right, maybe the developer is doing it with full knowledge of what they're doing, but that doesn't mean that it's fun for the player or a good game.