The Universal Genre Savvy Guide: Difference between revisions
→Villain or Antagonist
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{{How-To Guide}}
{{quote|''"[[Dead Space (series)|Isaac Clarke]] is basically the character who does everything we keep yelling at people in horror films to do. He has a suit of armor that he never takes off, he uses convenient high-powered cutting tools to carve his initials into slime monsters, and he [[Heroic Mime|never speaks]], because he knows his dialogue would have to come from the same God-awful script that all the other sods are using."''
|[[Ben Croshaw|Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw]] on ''[[Zero Punctuation]]'', about ''[[Dead Space (video game)|Dead Space]]''}}
Why should the [[Evil Overlord]] have all the [[Genre Savvy]] [[Evil Overlord List|knowledge]]? Anyone can know what to do, depending on what kind of fiction they are in, and what kind of character they are.
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* If [[Right Makes Might|my strength is as the strength of 10]] because my heart is [[Incorruptible Pure Pureness|pure]], I will not pick a fight when there're 11 bad guys.
* Before carrying out any [[Time to Unlock More True Potential|ritual to increase my power]], I will read up on any [[Psycho Serum|psychoactive]] [[Deadly Upgrade|effects]] the ritual may have, and take appropriate medication.
* If I suddenly realize that the [[Big Bad
* If I am a CEO business woman who disguises herself as a idol singer, I try to tell my boyfriend about my secret identity as soon possible.
* I will not assume that the villains plans on whom they will attack all revolve around me. Whether its my friends and family to even some innocent nameless villagers, Villains are generally not picky on whom they want to do bad things to.
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** The "[https://web.archive.org/web/20120110142829/http://www.herogames.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-22741.html When I Am The Benevolent Ruler]" list begins with, "As a general rule, I will remember that I am not the [[Evil Overlord]], and should avoid doing things that confuse people on this point."
*** Something about this list makes this troper feel like it was written by [[Discworld|Lord Vetinari]], particularly lines like "The Evil Overlord kills for fun and profit. The Good Overlord kills for the good of his nation".
*** I will try to be as [[Lawful Good]] as possible and to be a [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]. Being [[Lawful Evil]] is obviously out of the question but it would most likely do me some good that I not become [[Lawful Neutral]] either. (In other words, don't assume that doing
**** Besides one other advantage to being a [[Reasonable Authority Figure]] is that if you do a good enough job at it even IF you have to deny the heroes for requesting your aid there is actually a good chance you
*** One point was [[Double Subverted]] over the course of two
** Make sure you correctly determine where you stand on the [[Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism]]. Generally, if people are [[Dying Like Animals]], you're on the cynical end, and should be quite careful. If people rarely, if ever, die, you're on the idealistic end, and can take it easy: Unless you're a completely nameless [[Red Shirt]], you're immortal and will win no matter what.
** If you are a [[Red Shirt]], you're screwed. There are a few ways to maximize your lousy chances of survival. Try to avoid going on away missions with [[The Hero]] and his band. Also try striking a working dynamic with another [[Red Shirt]] to become [[Those Two Guys]]. Last but not least, try to get some engaging and sympathetic character development and don't wear a face concealing helmet unless you're in a warzone. With luck, you might become a [[Mauve Shirt]].
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* If I come to my trusted uncle with some great secret that I haven't told to anybody, and he asks me: "[[Have You Told Anyone Else?]]?" I will reply "Yes," and proceed to list off the names of everyone else I trust. On the off chance that he was the one responsible for the secret in question and is trying to eliminate witnesses, he will have to choose between simply letting me go or hunting down everybody else on my list.
* If possible; my team will consist only of mature, well-adjusted adults as emotionally unstable teenagers are all too easily lured to the dark side. If having an emotionally unstable teenager on my team is unavoidable, he will be encouraged to come straight to me with whatever is troubling him, I will do my best to help rather than dismissing his fears and he will under no circumstances be allowed to spend any time alone with some creepy old guy.
* I will never accept candy - [[The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe| especially Turkish delight]] - from someone who might be a witch, and [[Hansel and Gretel| entire houses made of it are best avoided]].
* "Trust no one" can be excellent advice, but as such, I will make a point not to trust whoever gives this advice.
* If I ever have to fake my own death, I will make certain to inform my family and loved ones first.
* I will not [[Dating Catwoman|date someone known to be a villain]] (especially if I've opposed her before personally) unless she is showing honest effort towards reforming. Such liaisons almost always end tragically.
* On a similar note, when dating someone whom you believe to be a vampire, it's a good idea to make reservations at a French, Greek, or Italian restaurant, as many entrees there include garlic. However, should your date be repusled by such fare, one must not jump to conclusions - many humans also dislike garlic.
== Villain or Antagonist ==
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* And [https://web.archive.org/web/20150212074453/http://www.kaila.pl/rpg/vampire.htm here's] a list for [[Our Vampires Are Different|vampires]].
** I will know that all villains are somewhat alike. Therefore the other lists might apply to us vampires as well.
** As all villains are alike, I will know they are also different. For example, if one Evil Overlord thing does not apply to vampires, at least I will ignore it and find one that does.
** If my religious beliefs determine what religious symbols can stop me, I'll find a dead religion from somewhere a long way from where I reside and worship the [[God of Evil]] who's only symbol is a 6-legged [[Everything's Worse with Bears|polar bear]] being ridden by a [[Everything's Better with Penguins|penguin]] and who's worship was banned under pain of death. Atheism is useful in the short term, but being held up by ''The God Delusion'' isn't fun. If nothing suitable comes up, I'll [[Start My Own]] and then set the local [[Moral Guardians]] on them, with the added benefit of keeping their attention away from me whilst the cult dies.
** If I require an invitation to enter a house, it is often much easier to convince the occupants to leave it. Arson is always an option.
** It pays to be wary of a female [[Recruit Teenagers with Attitude|teenager with attitude]] known for snarky dialogue, especially those with enough attitude to initiate a confrontation on her own - never engage [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer| such a foe]] alone or unprepared.
* ''If you are none of those, refer to this very page.''
** I will not be a [[Designated Villain]]. They have a good chance of biting it, even when they don't really deserve it. If [[You Can't Fight Fate|I can't avoid dying]], I might as well be a true [[Card-Carrying Villain]] and ''earn'' my [[Karmic Death]].
** I will not use a gigantic death machine to kill my victims, I will simply [[Just Shoot Him|shoot them]]. If I must use a death machine, I will wait and watch their demise. And if I absolutely must leave, I will have several dozen guards posted, in case of his inevitable escape.
*** If I must use the death machine, and I
* A warning: if you do decide to be [[Dangerously Genre Savvy]] with this advice, but mess up ''even once'', the Good Guys probably won't pull any punches and might actually ''kill'' you [[Deader Than Dead]]. A safer, if less profitable, route is to deliberately hold the [[Villain Ball]]. The [[Discworld|old Count Magpyr, Evil Harry Dread]], and [[The Venture Brothers|the Guild of Calamitous Intent]] prove that [[Contractual Genre Blindness]] has its advantages as well.
* Also, if you're a Villain, do try to take the time to notice what is the general mood and setting of the story you're in and go from there. If you're in a darker, more serious-mannered storyline, then feel free to stick around as a Villain. Sure, if you mess up, there is a good chance you will suffer a rather gruesome [[Karmic Death]], but there is actually a pretty good chance that you will be allowed to ever win at anything at all. However, if the story is more light-hearted and it looks like it will stay that way, do yourself a favor and try to come up with a remotely convincing [[Heel Face Turn]]; otherwise, chances are you'll never know what Victory is like.
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** If he ''does'', avoid the [[Not So Different]] approach, it is never convincing.
** If ''he doesn't'', avoid [[Brainwashing]] him; even if it works, such a method is never foolproof nor long-lasting, and will likely make for a much more dangerous enemy later.
* If a [[Virgin Sacrifice]] is required for a task, the intended victim's ''actual'' purity is directly proportionate to the intelligence (or lack thereof) of the ones making the offer, and ''inversely'' proportionate to the consequences for offering a non-virgin. Therefore, such a
* I will ''never'' [[The Princess Bride (film)|get involved in a land war in Asia]]; going in against a Sicilian though (even when death is on the line), is doable.
* If I become skilled enough at dark magic to become a lich, I will not choose to live in some dreary, dusty old tomb. Magic used to pose as a human should be easy to use, and there is no point in living forever if you can't live somewhere nice.
== Other Characters ==
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** If I am driving, and a high-speed police chase/illegal street race is approaching, I will pull over and let it past, rather than dawdle in the middle lane and end up plastered over the bonnet of one of the racers.
** If I am a pushcart vendor, I will not work in any city with resident superheroes or other action heroes. If such a hero emerges where I live and I am unable to relocate to another city, I will avoid working busy downtown neighbourhoods at peak periods, and make sure my cart and goods are insured for as much as I can afford.
* The [[If I Am Ever Head of an Alien Monitoring Agency]] list contains much of value for all big shadow
* If I see an older guy with a full beard, [[
** Aside from the previous case, if I am in a martial arts film and I see anybody with [[Beard of Evil|any other form of facial hair]], I will run far, far away from them.
* If I encounter anyone with a name consisting of a [[One-Letter Name|single letter]] I will understand that they are not to be trifled with.
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** Or maybe if I ''am'' on their side and it would work well enough. I am capable of anticipating [[Hero Ball|patterns]] in their actions, after all.
* If I am being pursued by a hostile enemy, and reach a fork in the road, neither side of which has obvious advantages, I will not [[Too Dumb to Live|default to inaction]]. I will instead turn to [[The Kirk|Jim]] or [[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Picard]], and say: [[Spock Speak|As you are the captain, I will defer this decision to your own judgement]].
** I will
** Alternatively, I will flip a coin and [[Space: Above and Beyond|take a chance]].
* Knowing that evil robots' lives are considered to be [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?|less morally reprehensible to terminate]] than a regular [[Villain]], I will choose to be [[Character Alignment|good-aligned]], or at least be [["Three Laws"-Compliant]].
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*** I will not cheat unless I'm on the team that features [[The Hero]]. If I'm on any other team, we will not only be mercilessly beaten, but we will be exposed as cheats.
*** I will avoid actions that make me a [[Complete Monster]]. I want to survive past this [[Tournament Arc]], so I will avoid that. If possible, I will inform [[The Hero]] as to the weaknesses of the [[Big Bad]].
* If I live in a universe with [[Power Levels]], I will attempt to discern if the scale is linear,
* If I am minding my own business, and suddenly a hot member of the opposite sex or cute little critter comes along and offers me the chance to do something really cool (such as pilot a giant robot, become a magical girl, or travel to another world), I will [[Bokurano|make]] ''[[Narutaru|damn]]'' [[Now and Then, Here and There|sure]] [[Neon Genesis Evangelion|the]] [[My-HiME|setting]] [[The Twelve Kingdoms|is]] [[Puella Magi Madoka Magica|not]] [[Deconstruction|a Deconstruction]] before I accept.
* If I am ''ever'' in a [[Mons]] setting, ''especially'' if I am among the main cast, I will learn about any form of combat or [[Mons]] neutralization that is not dependent on [[Mons]] and train myself in it ''immediately''. No matter how skilled I am at commanding [[Mons]], I will invariably be separated from my team and attacked or otherwise put in peril without them, and waiting for them to save my hide is asking for trouble. If my enemy is on the same level of pragmatism as [[Pokémon Colosseum|Cipher]], I will take extra lessons and ''expect'' to be attacked in these circumstances.
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* I will keep my hands in my pockets at all times around women. Failure to do so can have [[Thanks for the Mammary|unfortunate]] [[Accidental Pervert|consequences.]]
* I will memorize a large list of [[Innocent Innuendo]] and avoid using any of it, especially when talking to my female costars.
* I will stay ''away'' from the hot spring, especially if it is clothing optional. This goes double for
** If avoiding the baths is impossible, I will invest in a check-in sheet for the door, so that I do not end up entering while someone of the opposite gender is inside.
*** Even with that precaution in place, I will make sure to knock and ask if someone is inside at least three times before actually entering. Loudly slamming the door is a good idea, too.
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** Caveat: most of the above advice is intended to avoid serious injuries delivered by pissed-off girls. Taking advantage of the situation has been known to result in an ''instant'' [[Karmic Death]].
*** [[School Days|Or worse.]]
** If I have a potential love interest but if I find out that there is someone else who has known him/her well and cared for them since childhood and is quite possibly in love with them (even if they won't admit it at first) I will back off and not be a potential threat to their
*** This policy may be modified if they faced a long separation and seeing each other for the first time several months after I met my love interest. In that case I still stand a chance. Naturally, I will still be as nice as possible, but I may use this opportunity to act conspicuously insecure somewhere my love interest can see me.
** If I am trying to be a [[Victorious Childhood Friend]] I will persevere but do it in the friendliest way possible, while it is true that if I do end up to be an [[Unlucky Childhood Friend]] I will most likely appear to be quite sympathetic. (However I should be really careful and try not to [[Took a Level in Jerkass|take a level in Jerkass]]; otherwise that would make any sympathy go away.) But if I can't avoid being an [[Unlucky Childhood Friend]], and if I have a choice in either [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy]] or [[Took a Level in Jerkass]], I will definitely choose the former.
*** For that matter, if I find myself having romantic feelings and/or attraction to my childhood friend, ''I
===== If I am a love interest... =====
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=== Cosmic Horror Story ===
* I will not treat things as a ''[[Scooby
** I will avoid associating myself with ''anyone'' who does the above, lest that person ends up taking me with them to their graves.
* I will not waste time trying to get my friends, family, etc. to believe me. This is a lovely way to get institutionalized.
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*** Alternatively, I will [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here|''put as much distance between myself and the conflict as I can altogether'']].
** If Harry is accused of a horrific crime, I will assume he's innocent right away. I will also hide Hedwig and his photo album from everyone else until his innocence is proven.
*** If a key part of the evidence against Harry is that the Marauder's Map said he did it, I will remind everyone that one of the Map's co-creators is a known Death Eater. I will also remind everyone that the last time they assumed someone was guilty just because all the evidence
* If a character becomes [[Ron the Death Eater]], I will assume they are completely evil and irredeemable now, no matter how nice they were in the canon.
** If such is the case, I [[Screw This, I'm Outta Here|would have already left the story]] long ago.
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** If I hear the police are going to search the area where I might have left some evidence, I will weigh the risks of them finding it against the risks they've already found it and are trying to induce me into looking for it.
** If I have killed somebody and hidden the body, then it looks like the person is still alive, I will not check whether the body is still there. There's nothing to be gained, and it would probably just lead the police to the body.
* When I arrive in a city and begin setting up my plans for crime, I will first check the Yellow Pages for [[The Dresden Files|"Wizards"]]. If I find ''any'', I will call them and act like a potential customer. If they are legit, I will find a new city. Not only will their presence be a detriment to my plans, but the [[Weirdness Magnet|strange
* If I am asked questions which imply that I may have killed a loved one, and I didn't, I will suppress my natural indignation as best I can and remain courteous and [[Be as Unhelpful as Possible|helpful]], including owning up to any [[Murder the Hypotenuse|affairs]] I may have been having. The cops ''have'' to ask these questions and the smoother the investigation goes, the sooner they will realize my innocence. Being a [[Jerkass]] will drastically increase my chances of being [[Acquitted Too Late]].
** If I ''did'' do it, I will still be helpful (too much defensiveness just makes me look guilty) and find someone to frame. I should have done this ''before'' the murder, but better late than never.
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* Never dress up as a ghost or monster—otherwise you might be saying the following to a group of kids and their pal: "[[You Meddling Kids]]!"
* If I am a detective and am interviewing the first suspect I will assume he is innocent.
** Unless he happens to be the accomplice . Then he will be murdered in a
** If there is something suspicious about the first suspect he is just covering up an adulterous affair. The first suspect is ''never'' the murderer.
** Rather, the one I start tracking leads on will be the wacky bit character I met at the beginning of the episode. Even if he's ''unrelated to the case and supposedly several hundred miles away'', it's [[Scooby
* If one of the suspects is a [[Beauty Equals Goodness|beautiful maiden]] I will assume right away that she is innocent.
** However if it was a professional job, it is not unknown for a [[Lady of War|hired killer]] to be a beautiful woman. If I suspect this, I will assume she is the most [[Badass|most formidable]] killer I have ever met.
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* I will avoid the following known catalysts for bizarre transformations and/or magical powers if I want to stay a normal human:
** Crossdressing. It may become permanent. Not that the costume will be unremovable, but it will turn you into a girl. Too many [[Deviant ART]] examples to list.
** [[Clingy Costume|Weird blobs of latex]]. Also too many
** Strange chemicals and substances. Specifically, do not ingest, sniff, or otherwise use as recreational drug.
*** I will never drink anything glowing faintly green, fizzling, randomly hidden in a strange lab's fridge, or that that [[Jerkass|friend of mine]] gives to me while smirking.
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** A family member's lab, if they are a geneticist of some kind. If unavoidable, follow said relative at all time and do not touch anything if not wearing thick gloves.
** I'm aware that you may be into some of this stuff and want it to happen to you, but that just increases the possibility of an incoming [[The Mind Is a Plaything of the Body|partial to total mindwipe]] or that you may be in a [[Genre Deconstruction]]. The risks sort of outweigh the benefits.
* If I am a guy, I must remember that the [[
** The best option is to find a friend and become [[Those Two Guys]]. This isn't an 100% effective strategy, but it does make it far more likely that any "incidents" will be temporary. Otherwise, our value as a [[Greek Chorus]] would be ruined.
*** I will avoid anything that will get [[Yaoi Fangirl|certain elements of the fanbase]] [[Shipping]] us. Having a runaway love affair with your best ''male'' bud is awkward at best, even if one of you is currently sporting a pair of C-cups.
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*** Grenades/Explosion things
** I will not be too cheap to use them as and when necessary.
** Alternatively, in the case of limited
* Rather than using my time warping powers to revive myself after death (loading game), I will learn to harness it into time travel and instantly win.
* If I can level up my magical abilities by using magic, I will constantly use it over and over while doing everything. For example, [[EverQuest|by setting the same button that makes me walk forward, to "Cast Spell #1".]]
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* If the commercials have more than their share of [[Accidental Innuendo]], and I don't have any ties to the criminal underworld, I will move away from the city before I get run over by a [[Drives Like Crazy]] protagonist or [[Saints Row|have my property devalued by a septic truck]].
* If I find myself in a [[Roguelike]]... no, wait. I'm screwed anyway if that happens, so may as well go on an omnicidal rampage.
** Contrariwise, said rampage will be tempered by caution. Any monster I have not seen before can potentially end me. Therefore, I will think before attacking. If they turn out to have the armour class of a
** Bad weapons are better than no weapons. I shall remember that "Weapon proficiency (Stick)" also covers quarterstaves.
** I will remember that any entity that starts walking towards me is bad news.
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* I will never assume that a fight is almost over. My enemy might have/probably has a [[One-Winged Angel]] form or [[I Am Not Left-Handed|has been fighting with his left hand]]. A fight is either over or it isn't.
* If there is a [[Fighting Game|fighting tournament]] being held fairly regularly that I frequently participate in, I will not be very likely to win unless [[It's Personal|I have a deeply personal issue with the person conducting the tournament]]. This will not stop me from participating in each and every tournament, because otherwise there would be some fans out there clamoring about [[Put on a Bus|my disappearance from the scene]].
** Likewise, if my opponent is a tough bastard who's very likely to kick my ass, I will not wait for him to get up for a second round and instead [[Kill Him Already|pummel him to unconsciousness]]. This will
* If I realize I am ''not'' the protagonist, I will find out who is: (s)he'll be the guy [[Talk to Everyone|talking to everyone]], [[The Only One|making himself/herself more useful than anyone else]] and [[Kleptomaniac Hero|stealing everything not nailed down]]. I will then make certain that person [[Nominal Importance|knows my name]].
* If I ever find myself in a horror video game, I will do the following:
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** If my game doesn't allow me to fight back the monsters, I will designate a handful of areas per location to serve as my hiding spots.
** I will listen intently to both the music and the player to when or if there is a monster in the area.
** I must never waste my items.
*** If my sanity depends on light, I will always make sure I have at least five tinderboxes/matches/lighters/etc. If I have less than that number, I will always consider whether or not to light that candle/torch.
** If I am running from a monster, I must
** If I am not the main character, I will expect to not make it. There's a chance that I might, however.
*** If I do survive the entire game by sheer dumb luck or some other reason, I will [[We Are Not Going Through That Again|not return for the sequel]] [[Sudden Death Sequel Syndrome|lest I end up dying somewhere around the first ten or so minutes]].
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** If I encounter a [[Breather Level]], I will assume that there are worse horrors ahead.
** Depending on the game I'm in, [[Bring Me My Brown Pants|I will either wear a diaper or a pair of brown pants.]]
** If the monsters are zombies or zombie-like, I will
*** Unless I happen to be on a spaceship named the [[Dead Space (video game)|Ishimura.]] or I hear mention of a [[Artifact of Doom|marker]] then CUT OFF THEIR LIMBS.
** If there is a prison/dungeon level, expect there to be monsters.
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