History Main / YouHaveResearchedBreathing

* The ''Webcomic/VGCats'' parody of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' [[http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=240 used as the page image]] is not that far from the truth. Some Pokémon don't learn an attack move until double-digit levels (for the uninitiated, sample low-level attacks include "Tackle" and "Peck"), Poochyena's species' is "Bite" but it doesn't learn how to bite until ''level thirteen'', and even more mind-boggling, Pidgey - a pigeon - ''never'' learns to Peck, and neither do several other evolutionary lines of bird Pokémon.

* Naegi in ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'''s original [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]] release [[RelationshipValues needed to spend time with]] resident GenkiGirl Asahina before he could [[RunDontWalk gain access to the run button]]. Since this mechanic [[{{Padding}} slowed investigations to a crawl]], it became a default ability in the UpdatedRerelease on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationVita Vita]].

* In ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'', every weapon but the Wrench has skill requirements that must be met, or you can't use them at all. Notoriously this means that if you choose the OSA class (psychic black ops super spy) you can’t use the ‘’starting pistol'' without installing cyberpunk brain chips. A Marine or Sailor can at least use the pistol, but need to spend a whole ''year'' in advanced weapons training to use a shotgun as well. An assault rifle requires a skill level of 6, and thus it is impossible for even a guy who spent 3 years in the Marines to start with the ability to shoot one. The crystal shard is an even more blatant example - it’s literally just a stick you beat people with, but you need high research skill AND a rank of exotic weapons in order to use it.

* In ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'', every weapon but the Wrench has skill requirements that must be met, or you can't use them at all. Your character goes through basic military training if he joins the Navy or Marines, which only makes you capable of using a pistol. A Marine spending a whole ''year'' in weapons training will let him use a shotgun as well. An assault rifle requires a skill level of 6, and thus it is impossible for even a guy who spent 3 years in the Marines to start with the ability to use. The crystal shard is an even more blatant example. You need high research skill AND a rank of exotic weapons in order to use it as a glorified club.

** Some fans give this whole concept the justification that the Pokémon are able to perform the actions behind the moves at all times, but aren't proficient in utilizing them for combat unless they learn the corresponding move (which merely represents this proficiency). This is supported by some of the moves' description giving them a specific flair, e.g. Growl is not just any growl, but specifically a growl that ''intimidates''. So it's quite likely that Growlithe can produce a growl, it's just not all that impressive.

** Growlithe never learns the move Growl, even though, like the above case, '''it's in its name'''. But it does learn Roar. So, it can make a loud noise with its mouth, but not a quieter one.

** In the ''Enemy Within'' expansion pack, one of the "superhuman" gene mods you can install into your soldiers is ''depth perception''.
** ''VideoGame/XCOM2'': You need to complete a lengthy research project if you want to make use of all those GunAccessories you keep looting from dead enemies. While this may make some sense with ADVENT's literally alien magnetic and plasma weapons, your ballistic starting weapons sport several very obvious Picatinny-style hardpoints for GunAccessories, something anyone who has ever handled a gun in their life should know how to utilize, but XCOM bootcamp training apparently doesn't include lessons in how to shove a bigger magazine into an assault rifle.
** ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'': Terminal and Patchwork both need to spend 3 days training to learn how to carry an extra utility item. Also, Torque's final tier ability is simply biting enemies with her fangs, and Axiom's is a simple smash attack.

* ''[[https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=820260968 The Road to 56]]'' and ''[[https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=702800402 Expanded Technology + Industry + Equipment]]'' [[GameMod mods]] for ''VideoGame/HeartsOfIron IV''[[note]]the former is an overhaul of the base game including a custom tech tree, and the latter is a stand-alone version of ''The Road to 56'' tech tree[[/note]] require to manually research the first level of the Winter Clothing tech at the start date, despite said tech's flavour text describe it as simple wool clothes. Seems like, in the Thirties, nobody thought yet about outfitting with wool uniforms troops deployed in cold places. Even cold countries (Canada, USA, USSR, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Nepal...) must manually research this tech at the game's start. There's also a Desert & Jungle Clothing tech (cotton clothes for hot areas), which is somehow not available at start by countries living in those climates.
** There are also nations which don't start off with Artillery, a type of weapon which has been in use since the 1400's, with breech loading rifled guns since the 1840s, finally to what was considered the first 'modern' artillery piece, the French 75 built in 1897.

** And in most games the player character is apparently incapable of running without special shoes. Maybe they are wearing sandals. Or are extremely LiteralMinded and assume that the existence of "running shoes" means that one is not allowed to run in any other kind of shoes.

** Cities can be built right away but Agriculture must be researched, despite the fact that in the real world, agriculture is what led to the development of permanent settlements. In Civ V, every civilization starts with Agriculture already researched.

* For whatever reason your character in ''Videogame/{{Borderlands 3}}'' cannot carry more than two weapons at the start of the game until they hit arbitrary moments when they realize they can hold another gun. There's not even a valid reason as to why, just suddenly you can do it as if they forgot how their holsters worked until that exact moment.

** While those who remember their ancient history will recall 2nd edition ''D&D'' where the separation of rules governing various class abilities lead to some significant logical flaws (not to mention the lack of flexibility and additional complexity). For example climbing was a thief skill. Therefore the implication was that the only way your character could have any chance at all of climbing anything harder than a ladder was to be a thief. Of course being a tabletop game your DM could work around that, but still. In 3rd edition they fixed this with the introduction of a universal skill system that all classes have access to...which unfortunately meant the thief (or rather [[AdaptationalNameChange rogue]]) no longer had his unique out of combat abilities to make up for his mediocre combat power.

** It also has skills for Sitting, Spitting and ''Tasting''.

** You need to craft a hammer in order to pick up items you've placed in the overworld.

* ''VideoGame/{{APICO}}'''s beekeeping manual starts off with just one open chapter and it covers the basics of how to navigate the game world and how to use a few of your tools. The more you do, other chapters are unlocked and only having them unlocked allows you to perform the tasks they talk about.

* ''VideoGame/{{APICO}}'''s beekeeping manual starts off with just one open chapter and it covers the basics of how to navigate the game world and how to use a few of your tools. The more you do, other chapters are unlocked and only having them unlocked allows you to perform the tasks they talk about.

* The Zerg of ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' have to learn how to burrow. The only unit that doesn't have to learn it is the Lurker, probably because if they can't burrow, they can't attack; on the other hand, they are also the only unit that can burrow but takes a substantial amount of time to do so (there is some variation in the others, according to unit size, but nothing so marked).
** Zerg Queens have an upgrade called "Gamete Meiosis" - if taken at face value, that means they have to research the ability to produce reproductive sex cells. [[note]] The ability upgrades queens' energy and spellcasting ability.[[/note]] Although, since the Zerg reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis (which one of their ''[[LivingStructureMonster buildings]]'' does), this is actually quite the mutation.
** Protoss High Templars in the first game have no weapon and start out with no psionic abilities, rendering them incapable of doing ''anything'' until their abilities are researched. The only thing these expensive units ''can'' do until you sink some minerals into training them is... [[FusionDance sacrifice themselves]] to create an Archon that does have an attack. Keep in mind they are not trained on the field but gated in from their home planet like that.
** A strange case happens with Swarm Hosts. In ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm'''s campaign, they need a special mutation to burrow whenever they attempt to root. Contrast it with literally every other grounded Zerg unit being able to burrow without requiring a specific mutation, and Swarm Hosts themselves being able to burrow without upgrades in multiplayer.
* In ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'', Raynor's Raiders, a 5-year old rebel group shown in the first game with full and competent arsenals of all Terran units, starts out able to build only marines and medics with no available upgrades. By the end of the game, you are able to build every unit from both the first and second games (minus Valkyries, but also several units that were scrapped for multiplayer) plus you have many upgrades that would be game breakers in multiplayer, all in an in-game timespan of a few weeks.

* In ''VideoGame/NoUmbrellasAllowed'', Darcy's manual should give you everything you need to know about item appraisal from the start, but once you receive it, you start out with just guides on how to check an item's damage and material with your starting tools. As you get more tools during the story, you unlock more pages in the manual.

* In ''VideoGame/GameDevTycoon'' it takes eight and a half years of in-game time to pass before you can research sequels, despite the fact that after eight and a half years of making games most companies have several sequels out. This can lead to some silliness, as there's nothing stopping you from making games ''named'' something along the lines of "Kill Butt" and [[LetsPlay/{{Videogamedunkey}} "Kill Butt 2"]], that are in the same genre and use the same theme, but are not considered sequels. Additionally, you have to research different settings for games that can often seem like this, such as researching how to create a game set in space or a fantasy world (an option that may not even be available for some time).

* ''Videogame/KerbalSpaceProgram'' starts you out with manned rockets and simple other rocketry systems, but after that there's little rhyme or reason to the tech tree. Thermometers are pretty high up on the tree, while flat pieces of metal and octagonal scaffolding are apparently more advanced than nuclear rocket engines. You can unlock new technology by performing science experiences, such as by discovering that water is wet (though many player read a great deal of sarcasm in the low-return science replies).

* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsIII'' has a downplayed example. Most cultures need to research Primogeniture, which is reasonable because of historical realism. But it's researched in the Cultural Tradition tree, next to things like "knowing how to build cities" and "being really good at navigating forests". ''All'' Cultural Traditions take decades if not centuries to implement. So decreeing "I want my oldest son to get everything" is as complicated and time-consuming as learning urban architecture.

* Lampshaded in ''[[VideoGame/Deltarune Deltarune]]''. While a major part of the gameplay is the option to defeat enemies by [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath ACTing]] instead of fighting, [[PlayerCharacter Kris]] is the only one who can act in the first chapter and for the start of the second. Then the party encounters a [[DualBoss group of three minibosses]] who can only be defeated by using an ACT on all three at the same turn[[note]]and can [[HealingBoss heal themselves indefinitely]], so fighting won't work on them either[[/note]], which makes it seem like [[HopelessBossFight there's no way to actually win the battle]]... Until [[DeadpanSnarker Susie]] questions why only Kris is allowed to ACT in the first place, at which point the rest of the party gains the ability to ACT independently.

* ''VideoGame/BookOfMarioThousandsOfDoors [[Book of Mario 64]]'': When Mario rescues one of the Stellarvinden, he gains a rather useless ability.

* Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/Deltarune [[Deltarune]]''. While a major part of the gameplay is the option to defeat enemies by [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath ACTing]] instead of fighting, [[PlayerCharacter Kris]] is the only one who can act in the first chapter and for the start of the second. Then the party encounters a [[DualBoss group of three minibosses]] who can only be defeated by using an ACT on all three at the same turn[[note]]and can [[HealingBoss heal themselves indefinitely]], so fighting won't work on them either[[/note]], which makes it seem like [[HopelessBossFight there's no way to actually win the battle]]... Until [[DeadpanSnarker Susie]] questions why only Kris is allowed to ACT in the first place, at which point the rest of the party gains the ability to ACT independently.

* Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/Deltarune''. While a major part of the gameplay is the option to defeat enemies by [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath ACTing]] instead of fighting, [[PlayerCharacter Kris]] is the only one who can act in the first chapter and for the start of the second. Then the party encounters a [[DuoBoss group of three minibosses]] who can only be defeated by using an ACT on all three at the same turn[[note]]and can [[HealingBoss heal themselves indefinitely]], so fighting won't work on them either[[/note]], which makes it seem like [[HopelessBossFight there's no way to actually win the battle]]... Until [[DeadpanSnarker Susie]] questions why only Kris is allowed to ACT in the first place, at which point the rest of the party gains the ability to ACT independently.