The earliest (modern, post-printing-press) example of the trope appears to be in A Tale of Two Cities, which was published in 1859. I’m sure there were plenty of other instances of it, before the arrival of the 20th century, but it looks like it wasn’t until the amnesia trope started appearing in various silent-era movies that it really became a cliché.
But it’s a total cliché. And it has been one, for a very long time. That doesn’t mean you can’t employ it, successfully. But if you choose to put that shit in your fiction, you are giving yourself an enormous extra encumbrance. It’s like running a marathon with extra weights strapped to your legs. Succeeding will be much more difficult, and you should only attempt such a flex if you’re REALLY GOOD AT WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
And the dipshits who made “The Witcher” just weren’t good enough. Even without that extra difficulty, they were already writing cringe-ass dialogue and generally doing everything in a low-quality manner.
Listen, I’m working my way through a bottle of Jamison whiskey as we speak and can barely understand what you’re getting at. I read something about amnesia though, which reminded me of my aunt’s exorcism, which also reminded me I still have fries i.N my toaster oven from earlier, so thanks. Good name btw.
Amnesia isn’t an encumbrance for writers, it’s a crutch. When you aren’t good at writing characters and settings with logical depth, you give your main character amnesia. That way anytime something needs explaining you just have your character ask why something is the way that it is. If you need a Deus ex machina to solve a writing mistake you just pull something out of the blue and claim it was always a likelihood.
I basically agree. It’s not something that can NEVER be done. Tropes like that can be used with extreme care, and can sometimes pay off.
My opinion is that it’s an encumbrance and a tool only to be wielded by experts AT BEST. At worst, it’s just a bomb covered in shit that will utterly turdify any media it gets tossed into.
I want a “main character has amnesia” game about an average joe who was in a car accident, suffered brain damage, and no longer remembers his job, his wife, or his kids. I want it to be full of drama and character, and I want the characters all to struggle with their new reality, with lots of tear jerker scenes like “Daddy, don’t you remember me?” I want a story about struggling to live with a life changing illness, and having to redefine your own identity and relationships from the ground up.
Dude, that needs to be the next version of “The Sims.” Unironically.
It would give an in-universe reason why this fucker needs a godlike presence, to guide him through his life, through a creepy crystal thing, floating over his head.
Agree to most but, memory loss overdone a la 2007? So a game.yhat was developed in the several years prior even?
The “main character has amnesia” trope was already overdone in 1907, bro.
Example?
The earliest (modern, post-printing-press) example of the trope appears to be in A Tale of Two Cities, which was published in 1859. I’m sure there were plenty of other instances of it, before the arrival of the 20th century, but it looks like it wasn’t until the amnesia trope started appearing in various silent-era movies that it really became a cliché.
But it’s a total cliché. And it has been one, for a very long time. That doesn’t mean you can’t employ it, successfully. But if you choose to put that shit in your fiction, you are giving yourself an enormous extra encumbrance. It’s like running a marathon with extra weights strapped to your legs. Succeeding will be much more difficult, and you should only attempt such a flex if you’re REALLY GOOD AT WHAT YOU’RE DOING.
And the dipshits who made “The Witcher” just weren’t good enough. Even without that extra difficulty, they were already writing cringe-ass dialogue and generally doing everything in a low-quality manner.
Listen, I’m working my way through a bottle of Jamison whiskey as we speak and can barely understand what you’re getting at. I read something about amnesia though, which reminded me of my aunt’s exorcism, which also reminded me I still have fries i.N my toaster oven from earlier, so thanks. Good name btw.
deleted by creator
Nice reply
Then you blew it calling developers who made a totally optional game to play dipshits.
Ehhh, that’s fair.
EDIT: The sexcard thing still kinda vindicates me. That is a dipshit move.
Even at the time people commented how weird it was. It was a big dipshit move. I’m glad they improved.
Amnesia isn’t an encumbrance for writers, it’s a crutch. When you aren’t good at writing characters and settings with logical depth, you give your main character amnesia. That way anytime something needs explaining you just have your character ask why something is the way that it is. If you need a Deus ex machina to solve a writing mistake you just pull something out of the blue and claim it was always a likelihood.
I basically agree. It’s not something that can NEVER be done. Tropes like that can be used with extreme care, and can sometimes pay off.
My opinion is that it’s an encumbrance and a tool only to be wielded by experts AT BEST. At worst, it’s just a bomb covered in shit that will utterly turdify any media it gets tossed into.
I want a “main character has amnesia” game about an average joe who was in a car accident, suffered brain damage, and no longer remembers his job, his wife, or his kids. I want it to be full of drama and character, and I want the characters all to struggle with their new reality, with lots of tear jerker scenes like “Daddy, don’t you remember me?” I want a story about struggling to live with a life changing illness, and having to redefine your own identity and relationships from the ground up.
Dude, that needs to be the next version of “The Sims.” Unironically.
It would give an in-universe reason why this fucker needs a godlike presence, to guide him through his life, through a creepy crystal thing, floating over his head.