Line #8 Administrivia/SpeculativeTroping


1	Speculative Troping is the unfortunate habit of troping based on what is "likely" within a work, instead of what's ''actually'' in the work.
2
3
4	!! Tropes Are Uncertain
5	It most often occurs when a troper spots a {{Cliche}} and they've Administrivia/SeenItAMillionTimes. The LovableRogue has abandoned the heroes before the final battle, but is [[ConscienceMakesYouGoBack feeling pangs of guilt]]. The lead characters in a LoveTriangle just shared their FirstKiss, to the [[LoveHurts heartbreak]] of the third party. Clearly, these plot developments are going to end with the rogue going "I ChangedMyMindKid" and pulling a BigDamnHeroes moment, and the RomanceArc is going to end with FirstGirlWins! Except...those tropes haven't happened yet. Yes, these are the classic setups for those tropes, but that doesn't mean the creator intended to [[SubvertedTrope follow through on the trope]], or that they [[FlipFlopOfGod won't change their mind]], or [[ArmedWithCanon hand off the story to a new writer]], or just flat out [[LeftHanging leave the story hanging]]. For all we know, [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome this is the last time the rogue will ever appear]], and the FirstKiss was also the LastKiss. While many would argue that doing this probably wouldn't make for a good story, don't forget that [[SturgeonsLaw there's a LOT]] of bad stories and, yes, this might be one of them.
6
7	!! Audiences Are Uncertain
8	It also happens to AudienceReactions, such as when a show does something that some of its fans don't like. That doesn't mean a BrokenBase is inevitable; even fans who disagree may feel that their angry kin have a point and the two may never come to blows over it. And just because [[ProtagonistTitleFallacy the title character is NOT the protagonist]] doesn't mean we'll end up with a case of IAmNotShazam. These reactions require that audiences ''actually'' react that way, and in enough quantity that they're a rule and not an exception.
9
10	!! Intent Is Uncertain
11	WordOfGod aside, there's no sure way to know what a creator ''intends'', thus it can be hard to distinguish between this and a DownplayedTrope or ImpliedTrope. There's no hard line separating them, but it all comes down to how far your logic is leaping. If two characters are flirting, the DressHitsFloor, and then [[SexyDiscretionShot the scene cuts away]], it ''may'' imply that they were intimate.
12
13	But ''that's ALL'' it implies. Just because a work used ''one'' trope doesn't mean it used [[SisterTrope similar tropes]]. Without any other context, tropers can't just leap to other conclusions. This doesn't automatically make them an OfficialCouple. It doesn't mean one or more of the characters [[RedemptionEqualsSex have redeemed past deeds]]. Heck, it doesn't even mean they ENJOYED it. The only information we can convey from that basic scene is that something naughty ''may'' have happened, but it's still only ''implied''.
14
15	And conversely, just because a work ''isn't'' using a specific trope doesn't mean it's automatically using another one. Just because a villain isn't a NoNonsenseNemesis doesn't mean they qualify as having BondVillainStupidity. The former is the antithesis of the latter, but its absence doesn't ''guarantee'' that the villain is that impractical.
16
17
18	!! Related Tropes
19	See also NeverTrustATrailer, because trailers, previews and the like may differ from the published work.
20
21	See Administrivia/CreatingAWorkPageForAnUpcomingWork, for how to avoid speculation when creating a page for an upcoming work.
22

Context Administrivia / SpeculativeTroping