Here's a semi-complete list of overused game play and plot elements from the genre of console role playing
games. Interestingly, many of these cliches still ring true even when applied to the now-dominant MMORPG genre.
Favorites:
-
Guy in the Street Rule: No matter how fast you travel, rumors of world events always travel faster. When you get to anywhere, the people on the street are already talking about where you've been. The stories of your past experiences will spread even if no witnesses were around to see them.
-
Wait! That Was A Load-Bearing Boss! Defeating a dungeon's boss creature will frequently cause the dungeon to collapse, which is nonsensical but does make for thrilling escape scenes.
-
Law of NPC Relativity (Magus Rule): Characters can accomplish superhuman physical feats, defeat enemies with one hand tied behind their back and use incredible abilities — until they join your party and you can control them. Then these wonderful powers all vanish, along with most of their hit points.
This list has been around for a while, but sort of predates Joystiq, so we can share without feeling guilty for having missed it the first time around.
[Via digg]
