History WebVideo / RatsSMP

** Olive's 1st episode opens with an excerpt from the rats' VillainSong from ''WebVideo/RatMovieMysteryOfTheMayanTreasure'', which is also included in the introductory cinematic of Apo's [=YouTube=] episode. Owen has also been nicknamed "the big rat who makes all the rules" for being a server admin.[[note]]Apo is also a server admin, but the Ratsgiving event clears it up by referring to them as "the ''small'' rat who makes all the rules".[[/note]]

* RedSockRuinsTheLaundry: The premise of the quest "Laundry Mishap", in which someone, possibly the Maid, prepares to wash Mr. Icraga's shirts in anticipation for his arrival home from the war, but is sent into a panic after ending up with a laundry load full of pink shirts, possibly ''because'' of a red sock. On Day 37, Will, Bek, and Apo complete this quest by re-dyeing the clothes different colours.

** After finding out the Maid's name is 'Haru', Martyn insists on calling her "Hafu", the screen-name of a fellow content creator.

* HumansAreCthulhu: The humans are several times taller than the rats, who all but live in perpetual terror hiding from them. While the rats gradually get used to the humans' presence and later [[DidWeJustHaveTeaWithCthulhu help resolve conflicts between the NPCs from afar]], and the humans occasionally ''do'' help the rats in turn with problems like magical mishaps, the inherent threat of being trapped in a cage with no one to save them in time is always daunting for the rats and a constant in their life in the Mansion, and there are many aspects of human society and culture that few of the rats are remotely able to comprehend despite having civilizations of their own.

* {{Lilliputians}}: All of the main cast are rats, and are under one block tall with varying heights. The non-human guest stars, being other animals, are also typically shorter than the the human [=NPCs=].

** Bek learns from Scott how to make tiny ''VideoGame/AmongUs'' crewmates using the Chisel and Bits mod early in the series and goes on to spread them throughout the entire Attic; Sneeg also builds one lying outside Martyn's [=@/ Bar=] during his guest appearance on Day 57.

*** Most of the ''Outsiders'' veterans have mentioned having a distaste for mazes and being trapped in them, with Acho and Krow explicitly citing it as a "distant memory" or "''déjà vu'' trauma" on Day 1. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kyle, who makes a guest appearance on Day 42, claims to love mazes.

On the SMP, all the players are RatMen living in a large Mansion in the countryside; however, the Mansion is also inhabited by human [=NPCs=], who will attempt to catch and either trap or kill any of the rats if they see them. If a player dies three times, they are KilledOffForReal and sent into Spectator mode. Between server events, the rats must complete various quests to establish a closer relationship with other Mansion inhabitants and guests or prevent the humans from discovering their presence in their walls.

** Olive's 1st episode opens with an excerpt from the rats' VillainSong from ''WebVideo/RatMovieMysteryOfTheMayanTreasure'', and Owen has been nicknamed "the big rat who makes all the rules" for being a server admin.[[note]]Apo is also a server admin, but the Ratsgiving event clears it up by referring to them as "the ''small'' rat who makes all the rules".[[/note]]

** Acho has made passing allusions to the ''WebVideo/OutsidersSMP'' as a "movie" he and his fleas watched once; his content creator counterpart was ''on'' said SMP.

* CelebrityParadox: Sneeg and Philza from the ''WebVideo/OriginsSMP'', a different world, make guest appearances in the series. Aside from a few comments that they look or sound familiar (and Sneeg gifting Scott a [[CelestialBody Nether star]] on arrival), the series attempts to side-step the issue that cc!Scott is on ''both'' servers. cc!Scott also logs onto the server still wearing his ''Origins'' skin on one occasion (admittedly non-canonically), and tries to write it off as him attending "[=RatCon=]".

* SpecialGuest: Multiple fellow content creators have made one-off or voice-only appearances in the Rats SMP, including Ponk (as a badger), [=TommyInnit=] (as an indefinite winged, rat-like creature), Philza's wife Kristin (AKA "Mumza", [[VoiceOnlyCameo as Mrs. Icraga]]), [=GeminiTay=] ([[VoiceOnlyCameo as the Daughter]]), Seapeekay (as the Fox), Philza and [=KaraCorvus=] (as crows), Billzo (as a goat), and [=SmallishBeans=] ([[VoiceOnlyCameo as Mr. Icraga]]).

** On Day 47, Scott attempts to {{invoke|dTrope}} this by attempting to brew potions that can turn the cats into rats, so he can kill them in revenge. [[SubvertedTrope Unfortunately for him and the other rats]], brewing potions is ''not'' like cooking as he assumed; under the potion's effects, the two cats multiply in numbers, one of the 'clones' gets killed by another clone, two more suddenly drop dead, and the other, newer clones shift in sizes -- either enlarging to half the height of a human or shrinking to the size of a termite. The resultant disaster, which Scott ultimately ''very much'' regrets, ultimately causes two canon deaths.

* FesteringFungus: After the explosion of the Boiler Room, a deadly invasive species of warped fungus begins to grow in the Mansion, concentrated at first in the garden, then in the destroyed Boiler Room as Owen decides to plant a mushroom to get rid of the bug infestation there. Inhaling its spores in large amounts is deadly to rats ''and'' humans, granting long-lasting Slowness and later Wither effects, the latter of which can be lethal; even inhaling too much of the fumes in which the fungus is burnt can kill in three days. So far, it has (directly or indirectly) claimed the lives of many of Scott's unnamed family members [[spoiler:and Owen (life #1)… but not Shelby, who's [[BrooklynRage from New York]] and is joked to be Built Different™]].[[labelnote:Explanation (Spoilers)]]In actuality, Shelby just downed a bottle of milk, which can clear one potion effect -- in her case, the Wither effect inflicted by the spores.[[/labelnote]]

The ''Rats SMP'' is a private, modded ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'' multiplayer server hosted by [=POWCreations=], which was founded by Apokuna and [=OwengeJuiceTV=]. It features several prominent Minecraft YouTubers and streamers, especially from the ''WebVideo/OutsidersSMP'', the ''WebVideo/EmpiresSMP'', and other adjacent series.

On the SMP, all the players are RatMen living in a large Mansion in the countryside; however, the Mansion is also inhabited by human [=NPCs=], who will attempt to catch and either trap or kill any of the rats if they see them. If a player dies three times, they are KilledOffForReal and sent into Spectator mode. In between server events, the rats must complete various quests to establish a closer relationship with both other Mansion inhabitants and guests, or prevent the humans from discovering their presence in their walls.

-->-- '''Narrator'''

----

** A locked door branches off from the Library, with hinge-holes so small that not even the smallest rats can fit through; during Sneeg's tour through the Mansion on Day 57, he's sent in to investigate the contents of the room, being tiny enough to fit through the holes, and finds a study on the other side. %%[[spoiler:In the finale, …]]

** On Day 64, the Grandmother writes to the rats in her Christmas note to stay warm, and how it's difficult to do so after "that nasty Janitor [[spoiler:broke the boiler]] before he left". The rats, knowing full well who actually did that [[spoiler:and having instigated a FrameUp afterward]], can [[BrickJoke only laugh]].

* SpecialGuest: Multiple fellow content creators have made one-off or voice-only appearances in the Rats SMP, including Ponk (as a badger), [=TommyInnit=] (as an indefinite winged, rat-like creature), Philza's wife Kristin (AKA "Mumza", as Mrs. Icraga), [=GeminiTay=] (as the Daughter), Seapeekay (as the Fox), Philza and [=KaraCorvus=] (as crows), Billzo (as a goat), and [=SmallishBeans=] (as Mr. Icraga).

* MassOhCrap: The rats collectively have one on Day 85 when [[spoiler:the Father pulls out a ''medieval crossbow'' after first spotting them spying on him]], and proceed to scamper back to the Attic when [[spoiler:Lizzie gets shot]], in order to come up with a new plan of action. [[spoiler:Many of them pack up and prepare to run, while those on reconnaissance find the Father calling the Janitor to get back to the Mansion.]]

* UnnamedParent: Played straight for most of the rats who have their parents mentioned in their backstories.
%%** {{Downplayed|Trope}}; the Icraga parents are only known by their surname.

* UnderTheMistletoe: On Day 64, the Maid writes a note about looking for mistletoe [[InvokedTrope so she can make a move]] on her crush, the Chef, during the festive season. The rats manage to find some to speed the two humans along in their RelationshipUpgrade.

* UnderTheMistletoe

** When the Ballroom is opened, Martyn, Scott, and Bek start singing "[[WesternAnimation/BeautyAndTheBeast Be Our Guest]]".

%%* Under The Mistletoe

* DramaticIrony: On Day 19, Oli finds out garbages memoirs to the Butler has been stolen from the Blue Room and starts threatening any rat whom garbage believes to have ever taken it from its "rightful" spot… in front of Will, who took the book earlier that day out of curiosity about what the words inside say and was told by Oliver to keep their mouth shut about it.

[[folder:[=A–M=]]]

[[/folder]]

[[folder:[=N–Z=]]]

* ExtremeOmnivore: The rats, being rats, are prone to eating just about anything and everything. There have been mentions of them eating glue, apple seeds, paper, Bottles o' Enchanting, candle wax, cherry pits (which have ''cyanide'' in them and are toxic to rats in real life), and Tide Pods, and gnawing on the wires and walls.

* NeverLearnedToRead: Several of the rats are illiterate at the beginning of the series, often due to starting out in positions where they were never able to receive a modern, human-equivalent education. Most of them end up learning over the course of the SMP.

* FesteringFungus: After the explosion of the Boiler Room, a deadly invasive species of warped fungus begins to grow in the Mansion, concentrated at first in the garden, then in the destroyed Boiler Room as Owen decides to plant a mushroom to get rid of the bug infestation there. Inhaling its spores in large amounts is deadly to rats ''and'' humans, granting long-lasting Slowness and later Wither effects, the latter of which can be lethal; even inhaling too much of the fumes in which the fungus is burnt can kill in three days. So far, it has (directly or indirectly) claimed the lives of many of Scott's unnamed family members and Owen (life #1)… but not Shelby, who's [[BrooklynRage from New York]] and is joked to be Built Different™.[[note]]In actuality, Shelby just downed a bottle of milk, which can clear one potion effect -- in her case, the Wither effect inflicted by the spores.[[/note]]

* TheGroundIsLava: The "Party Room" of the International Cat Station from the future on Day 60 is essentially a game of this mixed with [[WebVideo/MinecraftChampionship Hole in the Wall]], requiring players to move to stand on blocks of a certain colour, as blocks of other colours on the dance floor would disappear just moments later.

** {{Discussed|Trope}}; Martyn claims to have [[ExplosiveBreeder 500 children]] by the time the series takes place, though none of them are ever seen in the livestreams or episodes.[[note]]A later livestream has him claim that he only has two kids, which is likely a reflection of his content creator counterpart's family life.[[/note]]

** When [[spoiler:the Janitor enters the attic on the hunt]], the rats flee onto the roof and Oli proposes choosing a rat to eat to survive the winter. [[SubvertedTrope Everyone objects to this plan of action]].

* ScriptSwap: On Day 39, while going down to visit the Magical Squid to obtain the Glitter Sac, Oliver asks to read their book of instructions again, only to be accidentally passed Acho's poetry book. Then ''multiple other books'', none of which are the right one. Justified from an in-game perspective, as all of them are untitled books and quills with the same outward appearance.

* StuffBlowingUp: After Apo gets kidnapped by the Janitor on Day 29, Bek, El, Jimmy, Krow, Oli, Oliver, Will sabotage the Boiler Room so that the pressure in the machinery builds up, causing a massive explosion and much destruction. El attributes it to AlcoholInducedIdiocy from finding the Wine Cellar earlier that day.
* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: While asking Owen about how the boiler works on Day 29, most of the rats present are quick to affirm that they ''definitely shouldn't'' press certain buttons or flick certain levers to increase the pressure, lest the boiler explode. Having just suggested to sabotage the Mansion so that the Janitor has more work to do and would be too distracted to go rat-catching, [[StuffBlowingUp no guesses what the rats in question do next]].

* VillainyFreeVillain: The human [=NPCs=] and cats are by all means reasonable to want rats out of the house -- especially the Janitor, who knows the rats are sentient and can do great damage if they want to. However, since the story is told from the perspective of the rats, these antagonistic figures are still unpleasant to be around, and the Janitor in particular is presented as overzealous and ''terrifying'', even to the Icraga children.