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Unwinnable Training Simulation: Difference between revisions
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The former [[Trope Namer]] is the training simulation shown in the first scenes of ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan]]'' where a bunch of Starfleet cadets attempt a simulated rescue of the space freighter ''Kobayashi Maru'' in hostile Klingon space. Compare [[Danger Room Cold Open]], in which an [[Unwinnable Training Simulation]] (or some other "safe" action scene) is used to introduce the characters and their abilities before the real action starts.
An [[Unwinnable Training Simulation]] may double as an [[Hidden Purpose Test]], often of how the trainees deal with unwinnable situations. If this type of scenario is featured at the beginning of an episode, the character flaw the rest of the episode focuses on will either be the character's own pride or inability to accept that sometimes, [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog|crap happens]].
Occasionally, this will be subverted in that the character ''will'' win the scenario, by 'cheating' (which is how Kirk in both ''[[Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|The Wrath of Khan]]'' and [[Star Trek (film)|the 2009 reboot]] became the only cadet to ever win).
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*** The failed invasion of a Borg ship to steal some [[Phlebotinum]] that leads to Borg storming the ''Voyager'' proves to be a simulation. Also, "Learning Curves" subverts the No Win Scenario with a test similar, but not identical to, the original Kobayashi Maru is used by Tuvok when assigned to instruct some unruly ex-Maquis in the Starfleet way. It ends the way the original Kobayashi did. However, Tuvok suggests that the test is built with a victory condition: retreating. had they tried to run they'd have lived and passed, while [[Stupid Sacrifice|dying pointlessly]] helped no one.
*** Tuvok provides an interesting twist in the episode ''Worst Case Scenario'': Paris discovered an unfinished "Maquis Rebellion Scenario" that Tuvok never completed since he saw the Maquis having virtually zero problems fitting in. Paris and Torres have fun trying out different scenarios, and it proves to be so popular among the crew that Tuvok is pressured to complete it. When Tuvok and Paris attempt to modify the simulation, however, they find that former Maquis (and defector to the Kazon) Seska had discovered it and rigged it to be a true no-win scenario with [[Everything Trying to Kill You]], and with the safeties disabled, Tuvok and Paris would be [[Killed Off for Real]]. The bridge crew couldn't shut it down quickly, but they did have access to the writing interface. So Janeway stepped in by becoming the [[Deus Ex Machina]] until they could turn it off.
*** [[Fridge Logic]]: Why is it so easy to remove all safety locks but [[Are These Wires Important?|so hard to just turn it off?]]
*** "Threshold" starts off with Tom Paris trying to break the Warp 10 limit in a shuttle. As he reaches Warp 9.95 the nacelles are ripped off and the shuttle explodes. Paris appears sitting on the holodeck floor and B'Elanna Torres says "You're dead." How they were able to program a simulation for what would happen at Warp 10 without any data one what happens when you approach Warp 10 is unclear, but that's the least of the problems the infamous episode has.
** Mackenzie Calhoun found an interesting way to get through the Kobayashi Maru in ''[[Expanded Universe|Stone And Anvil]]'': {{spoiler|he gives the orders to destroy the ship himself.}}
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* In ''[[CSI]]'', David Hodges also mentions that he called his cat Kobayashi Maru (affectionately known as 'Kobe' or 'Mr. K').
* The third season premiere of [[Chuck]].
* Happened a few times in [[ER]]. Abby was working with a dying patient, with [[Dr. Jerk|Romano]] briskly telling at her to move faster, only for the patient to die. Then, just as Romano solemnly and brutally told her that the patient was dead, the camera swivelled around to show us that the patient was a dummy.
** Another time was when Sam and a much taller, muscular man were yelling at each other when suddenly the man tackled Sam to the ground, where we can see that there are mats on the ground. Turns out it was a training session for nurses to deal with violent patients.
* One episode of [[Cleopatra 2525]] featured a variant of this trope where one character had to learn the nearly impossible route and hazards of a rescue mission using a virtual reality simulator (in time to actually make the run and save a teammate). Of course, nobody bothers to tell her it's a simulation the first time so for her the trope is in effect like she's in the audience until she fails and sees her friend die before the simulation resets.
* An episode of ''[[JAG]]'' ends with Harm crashing on a carrier landing. Turns out Harm was running a simulation of the doomed flight of the Defendant of The Week. It's implied that Harm's run the simulation several times, crashed every time, and went down with the jet, rather than eject, every time.
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