Discussion Main / CriticalExistenceFailure

Hang on- what IS the opposite of this trope, where a unit's effectiveness is reduced as it takes more damage, representing the effects of attrition (e.g like in Civilization and the like)? The closest thing I can see is Unstable Equilibrium, but that's more like a situation as a whole getting worse the worse it gets rather than an expected consequence of normal combat (Civilization is listed on the Unstable Equilibrium page, but only in regard to the research race, empire expansion, and a unique unit in the Fall from Heaven mod which was a Game-Breaker for the player that got him, rather than what I'm talking about, so I don't think it fits). Combat Breakdown isn't quite it either since it more relates either to non-video game fight scenes, or losing weapons, rather than a general loss of combat effectiveness. Subsystem Damage isn't it either. I can see a couple of examples of this on the Video Game sub-page for this trope, but they just list aversions. I was sure we had a specific trope for effectiveness degradation, but I can't remember what it was, or I may have just been imagining it.

Edited by ArcaneAzmadi Always expect the worst and you can only be pleasantly surprised.

Linking to a past Trope Repair Shop thread that dealt with this page: We should probably rename this., started by SoWeAteThem on Jul 22nd 2011 at 7:50:27 AM

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

There's something wrong with all the folders. Their markup is displayed directly, and they can't be closed. Despite my best attempts, I can't fix it.

Is the Goldeneye example under Video Games really a spoiler?

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Can this trope be justified with the fact that adrenaline helps the characters to still be able to perform just as well even when their health heavily drops? As in lower health means they'll be physically weaker but then lower health also = more danger = more adrenaline which makes up for being on low physical health.

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Has anybody else noticed that there are 16 entries in the Tabletop Games category and 14 of them are aversions? Only D&D and Magic: the Gathering are described as playing the trope straight (and Magic is already listed under another category). If there are so many tabletop games where non-lethal injuries hamper your character, the aversions are not notable. I don't see a reason for them to be listed here instead of in Subsystem Damage.

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Does the Samurai Shodown series count? You can cut your enemy in two, make them spray blood and fall over, or just kill them cleanly (and have them carted off in a coffin)... just by having the last attack of the last round being a slash.

I deleted this: "* Averted and played straight in Metal Arms: Glitch in the System: most enemies in the game can take body part damage, such as: arms that hang limply unless firing (where recoil takes over), limping and blowing off their head or even their whole upper body, leaving a pair of legs to run around wildly until they are destroyed. Glitch, however, remains fine until all of his energy is gone, causing him to explode spectacularly." because there was another entry for this game. I preferred the other one because it was bigger and had a rationalization for the trope.