Stupidity Is the Only Option: Difference between revisions

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** There's a scene in Count Bleck's castle where the wizard Merlon shows up out of nowhere, and tells the player to hit a switch. Now, any player with a memory that works is going to know that it's really {{spoiler|Mimi, the Count's shapeshifting minion}}, but you can't advance without following directions. If you press the issue, and speak to Merlon multiple times, he'll eventually [[No Fourth Wall|say something about]] [[Event Flag|event flags]]. This particular event comes with a minor aversion, though. Earlier, this character asks you to fill out a survey of what you're most afraid of - and then fill up rooms with these things. You have the option of saying you have crippling aversions to healing items.
** There's a scene in Count Bleck's castle where the wizard Merlon shows up out of nowhere, and tells the player to hit a switch. Now, any player with a memory that works is going to know that it's really {{spoiler|Mimi, the Count's shapeshifting minion}}, but you can't advance without following directions. If you press the issue, and speak to Merlon multiple times, he'll eventually [[No Fourth Wall|say something about]] [[Event Flag|event flags]]. This particular event comes with a minor aversion, though. Earlier, this character asks you to fill out a survey of what you're most afraid of - and then fill up rooms with these things. You have the option of saying you have crippling aversions to healing items.
** Earlier in the game, you come across an urn resting on top of a coin block. There appears to be nowhere else to go, aside from a section above you that requires you to jump on the block to reach it. In short, there is nothing to do but jump on the block or hit it. Either way, the urn falls and breaks, and you are accused of breaking it and forced to pay back its value if you wish to proceed. The rest of the chapter consists largely of paid slave labor. This one was also Mimi's doing. Basically, this seems to be Mimi's gimmick. She sets very obvious traps that you have to set off to keep the game going. Such as the time in Sammer's Kingdom where the Sammer King suspiciously shows up about 1/3 of the way through the chapter to just ''give'' you the Pure Heart. Instead of just giving it to you, he tells you that it's in that totally unsuspicious treasure chest that was just left on the arena.
** Earlier in the game, you come across an urn resting on top of a coin block. There appears to be nowhere else to go, aside from a section above you that requires you to jump on the block to reach it. In short, there is nothing to do but jump on the block or hit it. Either way, the urn falls and breaks, and you are accused of breaking it and forced to pay back its value if you wish to proceed. The rest of the chapter consists largely of paid slave labor. This one was also Mimi's doing. Basically, this seems to be Mimi's gimmick. She sets very obvious traps that you have to set off to keep the game going. Such as the time in Sammer's Kingdom where the Sammer King suspiciously shows up about 1/3 of the way through the chapter to just ''give'' you the Pure Heart. Instead of just giving it to you, he tells you that it's in that totally unsuspicious treasure chest that was just left on the arena.
** Similarly, in ''[[Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door]]'', Crump places a trap in a room, badly-disguised as a pedestal of the kind used throughout that dungeon. In order to get through you have to get caught by the trap and use a new way out made by Crump. In another scenario, when preparing for a sea voyage, Lord Crump appears as a badly disguised crew member. When he's introduced, he'll loudly declare that he's a loyal crew member and then shouts for "You! Yes, [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|you, on the other side of the screen]]! Don't tell Mario who I am!"
** Similarly, in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', Crump places a trap in a room, badly-disguised as a pedestal of the kind used throughout that dungeon. In order to get through you have to get caught by the trap and use a new way out made by Crump. In another scenario, when preparing for a sea voyage, Lord Crump appears as a badly disguised crew member. When he's introduced, he'll loudly declare that he's a loyal crew member and then shouts for "You! Yes, [[Breaking the Fourth Wall|you, on the other side of the screen]]! Don't tell Mario who I am!"
** In the original ''[[Paper Mario (franchise)|Paper Mario]]'', one of the Koopa Bros. is seen setting up a trap. It's completely obvious that this is a trap, even for new players. Of course, you still must activate the trap to continue the plot.
** In the original ''[[Paper Mario (franchise)|Paper Mario]]'', one of the Koopa Bros. is seen setting up a trap. It's completely obvious that this is a trap, even for new players. Of course, you still must activate the trap to continue the plot.
** Look back as far as the original ''[[Super Mario RPG]]'': early in the Moleville mines, you reach a circular dead end. There's a trampoline in one of the rooms, and the only way to get deeper into the mines is to jump on the trampoline, hit your head on the ceiling, and pass out. When you come to, all your money and items have been stolen.
** Look back as far as the original ''[[Super Mario RPG]]'': early in the Moleville mines, you reach a circular dead end. There's a trampoline in one of the rooms, and the only way to get deeper into the mines is to jump on the trampoline, hit your head on the ceiling, and pass out. When you come to, all your money and items have been stolen.
** After a [[Meaningful Name|Midbus]] fight in ''[[Mario and Luigi Bowsers Inside Story|Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', [[Big Bad]] Fawful treats [[Anti-Hero]] Bowser to a large buffet of unhealthy food to celebrate. Even though it is entirely plausible and even likely, given the incidents that started the whole plot, that the food is drugged, you are still forced to approach and eat six of the dishes yourself. Naturally, it's a trap, though not necessarily in the way anyone expected.
** After a [[Meaningful Name|Midbus]] fight in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', [[Big Bad]] Fawful treats [[Anti-Hero]] Bowser to a large buffet of unhealthy food to celebrate. Even though it is entirely plausible and even likely, given the incidents that started the whole plot, that the food is drugged, you are still forced to approach and eat six of the dishes yourself. Naturally, it's a trap, though not necessarily in the way anyone expected.
* In ''[[Earthbound]]'', there are reports of a suspicious woman loitering outside the hotel in Threed. If you follow her inside, the hotel is suddenly abandoned (even the concierge at the front desk is missing) and the music is a warped, discordant perversion of the hotel's usual beguine. You are free to turn and run, but you can't progress in the game until you follow the woman all the way through the hotel, until she sics a group of zombies on you and locks you in a tomb in the local graveyard.
* In ''[[Earthbound]]'', there are reports of a suspicious woman loitering outside the hotel in Threed. If you follow her inside, the hotel is suddenly abandoned (even the concierge at the front desk is missing) and the music is a warped, discordant perversion of the hotel's usual beguine. You are free to turn and run, but you can't progress in the game until you follow the woman all the way through the hotel, until she sics a group of zombies on you and locks you in a tomb in the local graveyard.
* ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldurs Gate]] II: Throne of Bhaal'':
* ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldurs Gate]] II: Throne of Bhaal'':
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** In another example from the same game, you later encounter your foster father and mentor Gorion, whom you saw die in the beginning of the first ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldurs Gate]]'', who starts [[Hannibal Lecture|lecturing you about the evils you've done]]. Given that your character has ''already'' been forced to endure a [[Shapeshifter Guilt Trip]] back in the first game (which you had the option to interrupt the moment it showed up), you'd think the main character [[Never Heard That One Before|would outright reject this one too]] and reply with a [[Talk to the Fist]]. But no. You have to sit through the entire several-minute long spiel, as will your [[Love Interest]] (despite one of them knowing Gorion as well ''and'' having canonically been there during the last [[Shapeshifter Guilt Trip]]). The kicker: If you have a high enough Wisdom, you can reject it as a lie... ''At the end of the tirade''.
** In another example from the same game, you later encounter your foster father and mentor Gorion, whom you saw die in the beginning of the first ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldurs Gate]]'', who starts [[Hannibal Lecture|lecturing you about the evils you've done]]. Given that your character has ''already'' been forced to endure a [[Shapeshifter Guilt Trip]] back in the first game (which you had the option to interrupt the moment it showed up), you'd think the main character [[Never Heard That One Before|would outright reject this one too]] and reply with a [[Talk to the Fist]]. But no. You have to sit through the entire several-minute long spiel, as will your [[Love Interest]] (despite one of them knowing Gorion as well ''and'' having canonically been there during the last [[Shapeshifter Guilt Trip]]). The kicker: If you have a high enough Wisdom, you can reject it as a lie... ''At the end of the tirade''.
** Another example from the first ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldurs Gate]]'': many a player might very well break the ingenious code and guess that Koveras is really {{spoiler|Sarevok}}. You still can't stop him from framing you though, or do anything about him when he's standing right in front of you in Candlekeep, alone, unarmored, and apparently unarmed as well.
** Another example from the first ''[[Baldur's Gate|Baldurs Gate]]'': many a player might very well break the ingenious code and guess that Koveras is really {{spoiler|Sarevok}}. You still can't stop him from framing you though, or do anything about him when he's standing right in front of you in Candlekeep, alone, unarmored, and apparently unarmed as well.
* ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion]]'':
* ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'':
** The next-to-last mission for the Fighters' Guild quest series has you infiltrating the Blackwood Company, the evil unscrupulous murderous puppy-kicking rival to the Fighters' Guild. Despite having been warned repeatedly that the Blackwood Company hires people out for any job, however illegal or unscrupulous, despite the fact that your sole mission in this company is to find any incriminating evidence against them, and despite the fact that you are handed a flask of what they ''tell you'' is a highly illegal berserker drug and ordered to drink it as part of your induction into the Blackwood Company. Needless to say, by the time you snap out of your drug-induced walking hallucination/berserker rage, you've helped massacre an entire village full of innocent people while under the delusion you were just fighting goblins. Well, hey, at least you got your evidence, right? Oh, wait. Your ''next'' mission is to now go back to the Blackwood Company hall (which you are now a deserter from, thus meaning you have to fight your way back in against ''the entire Blackwood Company staff in residence''), go into the basement, and destroy their drug production lab. Granted, it's possible to play out that first bit of the aforementioned example without killing the villagers yourself. You still have to go back in and shut them down though. More specifically, you can leave the village during the attack without harming anyone.
** The next-to-last mission for the Fighters' Guild quest series has you infiltrating the Blackwood Company, the evil unscrupulous murderous puppy-kicking rival to the Fighters' Guild. Despite having been warned repeatedly that the Blackwood Company hires people out for any job, however illegal or unscrupulous, despite the fact that your sole mission in this company is to find any incriminating evidence against them, and despite the fact that you are handed a flask of what they ''tell you'' is a highly illegal berserker drug and ordered to drink it as part of your induction into the Blackwood Company. Needless to say, by the time you snap out of your drug-induced walking hallucination/berserker rage, you've helped massacre an entire village full of innocent people while under the delusion you were just fighting goblins. Well, hey, at least you got your evidence, right? Oh, wait. Your ''next'' mission is to now go back to the Blackwood Company hall (which you are now a deserter from, thus meaning you have to fight your way back in against ''the entire Blackwood Company staff in residence''), go into the basement, and destroy their drug production lab. Granted, it's possible to play out that first bit of the aforementioned example without killing the villagers yourself. You still have to go back in and shut them down though. More specifically, you can leave the village during the attack without harming anyone.
** Another ''Oblivion'' example is the sidequest "Where Spirits Have Lease". You're supposed to evict the spirit of an ''Evil Undead Wizard'' from a haunted house. When you find his tomb, he asks you to rejoin his hand to his body in order to give him rest. Any [[Genre Savvy]] player's first thought is, naturally, "Trap!" Naturally, you can't just toss his evil corpse into the river. You have to rejoin the hand, causing you to have to fight a very powerful lich in order to destroy the spirit. The spirit even lampshades your gullibility.
** Another ''Oblivion'' example is the sidequest "Where Spirits Have Lease". You're supposed to evict the spirit of an ''Evil Undead Wizard'' from a haunted house. When you find his tomb, he asks you to rejoin his hand to his body in order to give him rest. Any [[Genre Savvy]] player's first thought is, naturally, "Trap!" Naturally, you can't just toss his evil corpse into the river. You have to rejoin the hand, causing you to have to fight a very powerful lich in order to destroy the spirit. The spirit even lampshades your gullibility.
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* In ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]'' you are forced to let the obvious traitor steal the cure to the plague. Telling everyone about him doesn't work, obviously. But more [[Egregious|egregiously]], you are forced to let him get away. Attacking him doesn't work. If you manage to physically block his path by standing in front of the portal, everyone will just sit there until you let him run away. And in ''[[Expansion Pack|Shadows of Undrentide]]'' you have to step into the oh-so-obvious cage trap in the Kobold lair (it's got a ''[[Schmuck Bait|glowing red arrow pointing into it]]'', for Pete's sake) before the game will unlock a locked door and allow you to proceed further into the lair.
* In ''[[Neverwinter Nights]]'' you are forced to let the obvious traitor steal the cure to the plague. Telling everyone about him doesn't work, obviously. But more [[Egregious|egregiously]], you are forced to let him get away. Attacking him doesn't work. If you manage to physically block his path by standing in front of the portal, everyone will just sit there until you let him run away. And in ''[[Expansion Pack|Shadows of Undrentide]]'' you have to step into the oh-so-obvious cage trap in the Kobold lair (it's got a ''[[Schmuck Bait|glowing red arrow pointing into it]]'', for Pete's sake) before the game will unlock a locked door and allow you to proceed further into the lair.
* At one point in the third chapter of ''[[Marvel Ultimate Alliance]]'', you beat [[The Mighty Thor/Characters|Loki]] (who's famous for his [[Master of Illusion|illusions]] and [[The Trickster|trickery]]) in what seems to be an [[Anticlimax Boss]]. Then [[Nick Fury]] calls and tells you to collect 4 swords to get the armor Loki was trying to get, even though you would have absolutely no reason to do this. To nobody's surprise, this is a trick by Loki to get the armor. Naturally, you have to do this.
* At one point in the third chapter of ''[[Marvel Ultimate Alliance]]'', you beat [[The Mighty Thor/Characters|Loki]] (who's famous for his [[Master of Illusion|illusions]] and [[The Trickster|trickery]]) in what seems to be an [[Anticlimax Boss]]. Then [[Nick Fury]] calls and tells you to collect 4 swords to get the armor Loki was trying to get, even though you would have absolutely no reason to do this. To nobody's surprise, this is a trick by Loki to get the armor. Naturally, you have to do this.
* ''[[Star Ocean the Last Hope]]'' at one point you apparently {{spoiler|(it's actually an alternate universe)}} time travel to Earth in 1957 where you cheerfully agree to hand over your power source technology to a woman who may as well have "I AM A VILLAIN" tattooed on her face, she's so [[Obviously Evil]]. After only a ''few minutes of talk'', at gunpoint, during which she promises to save the world with the technology and assures you that the party member she is holding prisoner is just fine. It doesn't occur to your character to confirm any of this before going further in your dealings with her. Instead you hand over the power source and are shown to the room where your party member is being held. It looks suspiciously like a cell and your party member is unconscious and appears to have been the victim of an "enhanced interrogation." Still no concern is shown by your character and your entire party crams into the cell to see her. The cell door slams and locks behind you. The villainess then proceeds to {{spoiler|blow up the planet with your technology}}.
* ''[[Star Ocean: The Last Hope]]'' at one point you apparently {{spoiler|(it's actually an alternate universe)}} time travel to Earth in 1957 where you cheerfully agree to hand over your power source technology to a woman who may as well have "I AM A VILLAIN" tattooed on her face, she's so [[Obviously Evil]]. After only a ''few minutes of talk'', at gunpoint, during which she promises to save the world with the technology and assures you that the party member she is holding prisoner is just fine. It doesn't occur to your character to confirm any of this before going further in your dealings with her. Instead you hand over the power source and are shown to the room where your party member is being held. It looks suspiciously like a cell and your party member is unconscious and appears to have been the victim of an "enhanced interrogation." Still no concern is shown by your character and your entire party crams into the cell to see her. The cell door slams and locks behind you. The villainess then proceeds to {{spoiler|blow up the planet with your technology}}.
* In a fitting turn of events in ''[[Demons Souls]]'', Patches the Hyena, one of the only NPCs you meet not out to drink your blood, who is skinny and evil looking sets you up twice, planning probably to have you killed and then loot your corpse. The first time you meet him, he gladly encourages you to walk under this rickety platform with a two ton flaming bearbug on top of it, which of course falls and then you have to kill it (it explodes like a nuclear weapon when you do, so you have to kill it and run), and he taunts you and runs away. When you find him in a separate world, he's standing before a pit, talking about the wondrous treasures down in it, and offers you to take a look. When you do, he kicks you in, and you get a wonderful [[Boss in Mook Clothing|Black Phantom]] fight. On the flip side, you also get to rescue Saint Urbain, who will allow the player to learn Miracles. Somewhat averted as both of these are optional.
* In a fitting turn of events in ''[[Demon's Souls]]'', Patches the Hyena, one of the only NPCs you meet not out to drink your blood, who is skinny and evil looking sets you up twice, planning probably to have you killed and then loot your corpse. The first time you meet him, he gladly encourages you to walk under this rickety platform with a two ton flaming bearbug on top of it, which of course falls and then you have to kill it (it explodes like a nuclear weapon when you do, so you have to kill it and run), and he taunts you and runs away. When you find him in a separate world, he's standing before a pit, talking about the wondrous treasures down in it, and offers you to take a look. When you do, he kicks you in, and you get a wonderful [[Boss in Mook Clothing|Black Phantom]] fight. On the flip side, you also get to rescue Saint Urbain, who will allow the player to learn Miracles. Somewhat averted as both of these are optional.
* In ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'', when you rescue Jack you are forced to hit a button that releases every prisoner on the station, one of whom confessed to murdering about 20 people and blowing up a habitat, which he says is minor compared to most of the guys around.
* In ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'', when you rescue Jack you are forced to hit a button that releases every prisoner on the station, one of whom confessed to murdering about 20 people and blowing up a habitat, which he says is minor compared to most of the guys around.
* ''[[Dragon Age]]'':
* ''[[Dragon Age]]'':
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* In the Knight chapter of ''[[Live a Live]]'', {{spoiler|Straybow}} casts a spell on you, so that you see the good king as the demon king, the villain of the chapter ({{spoiler|Or at least that's what everyone believes}}). They could have just made the protagonist walk up to the "demon king" in a cutscene, but no, you have to actively walk into him and engage him in battle because you can't progress otherwise.
* In the Knight chapter of ''[[Live a Live]]'', {{spoiler|Straybow}} casts a spell on you, so that you see the good king as the demon king, the villain of the chapter ({{spoiler|Or at least that's what everyone believes}}). They could have just made the protagonist walk up to the "demon king" in a cutscene, but no, you have to actively walk into him and engage him in battle because you can't progress otherwise.
* This is a strategy in the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' games. If your opponent has a face-down monster on the field, you may be forced to attack it, despite this usually being a very obvious trap. If you don't destroy it, your opponent will simply flip it on the next turn, activating its effect, and then sacrifice it to summon an even stronger monster. Also seen with trap cards, where they're very obvious, but often time, if you don't set them off, you can't go any further.
* This is a strategy in the ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' games. If your opponent has a face-down monster on the field, you may be forced to attack it, despite this usually being a very obvious trap. If you don't destroy it, your opponent will simply flip it on the next turn, activating its effect, and then sacrifice it to summon an even stronger monster. Also seen with trap cards, where they're very obvious, but often time, if you don't set them off, you can't go any further.
* ''[[Rhapsody a Musical Adventure]]'' has the protagonist cheerfully walk through a "spa" that is ''blatantly'' preparing her as a meal for the monsters inside.
* ''[[Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure]]'' has the protagonist cheerfully walk through a "spa" that is ''blatantly'' preparing her as a meal for the monsters inside.
* In ''[[Dragon Quest VI]]'', there is a treasure chest at the bottom of a lake. An NPC says that he would "sell his soul to the dark side" to see the lake drained and asks you whether you would do the same. Even though you are {{spoiler|in the ''realm of a mighty force of evil'' and are given various clues that he or some of his servants are listening to this conversation}}, you must say that, yes, you would, in order for the game to progress. However, in order to avoid a loop of the same scene, you must {{spoiler|take the longer way down to the chest, opening it ''without'' talking to anyone, else they'll just be killing each other and, ultimately, you'll have to fight and kill one of the people there, restarting the scene}}.
* In ''[[Dragon Quest VI]]'', there is a treasure chest at the bottom of a lake. An NPC says that he would "sell his soul to the dark side" to see the lake drained and asks you whether you would do the same. Even though you are {{spoiler|in the ''realm of a mighty force of evil'' and are given various clues that he or some of his servants are listening to this conversation}}, you must say that, yes, you would, in order for the game to progress. However, in order to avoid a loop of the same scene, you must {{spoiler|take the longer way down to the chest, opening it ''without'' talking to anyone, else they'll just be killing each other and, ultimately, you'll have to fight and kill one of the people there, restarting the scene}}.


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