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Therefore, we have things that are much more "boring" and normal, but these things often contribute more to your success in the long term than the visually more impressive things.
Therefore, we have things that are much more "boring" and normal, but these things often contribute more to your success in the long term than the visually more impressive things.


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In [[Video Games|video games]] and [[Tabletop Games|tabletop games]], the [[Jack of All Stats]] can often be this trope; they may lack the coolest, or strongest moves, but are fairly good at most attributes, and lack the glaring weaknesses of other character types.
'''General examples''':
* [[The Medic|Healers]] in [[MMORPG]]s are often this. [[Playing with Fire|Fiery doom]] or [[Cool Sword|big swords]] are a lot cooler, but [[Shoot the Medic First|you try getting anywhere in a dungeon without a dedicated healer in your group]]. (However, a lot of video games try to circumvent this by giving healing spells effects just as spectacular as their offensive counterparts, such as [[Light the Way|big shining lights]], [[Summon Bigger Fish|summoning gods]], or [[Green Thumb|massive plant growth]].)
* Same for medics in [[FPS]] games that have them. In addition, ammo limitations often make normal guns more useful than sniper rifles or the [[BFG]], or other restrictions on those weapons may render them impractical.
* ... and, working backwards through history, healers in almost any pencil-and-paper roleplaying game.
* Similarly, weapon loadouts that don't require much ammunition or allow you put a ''ton'' of ammunition on your vehicle in things like [[Humongous Mecha]] combat sims. The bigger guns tend to be unable to stock much ammo and take up more space, besides.
* Normal attacks in [[RPG]]s. Special moves and magic are a lot more flashy, but they are usually restricted by something or other ([[Mana]], [[Limit Break]], etc). And [[Useless Useful Spell|some spells might not even work]] when you really need them.
* In platformers, [[Goomba Stomp]] or basic moves, as opposed to the things you can do with powerups. Vital since the said powerups aren't always available, and if you lose yours mid-level, what then?
* In strategy games, the basic combat unit is usually more efficient than the larger (and cooler looking) counterparts. [[Tournament Play|Tournament players]] will often make heavy use of rather basic units in general. Any type of [[Zerg Rush|rush]] depends on this trope.
* Again, in strategy games, [[Worker Unit]]s. These guys have little or no combat capability and present easy targets for your enemies, but without them, you have no economy, and without an economy, you have no army.
* In [[Card Games]], simple and resource cheap cards often reign supreme, with efficiency being more important than raw power.
* Many action and brawler games with unlockable movesets usually fall prey to this. [[Complacent Gaming Syndrome|Players are so accustomed to the initial attacks]] [[Some Dexterity Required|that most new moves are too foreign to properly use or experiment with]].
** This is often particularly true when button combos are required. By the time the new moveset is unlocked, the enemies are too powerful to take lightly by practicing your new attack on, and your own damage output is high enough that failing to activate your new ability will simply kill a mook outright with a mere jab.
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* The [[Jack of All Stats]] can often be this trope; they may lack the coolest, or strongest moves, but are fairly good at most attributes, and lack the glaring weaknesses of other character types.


May border on [[Game Breaker]]. Compare [[Awesome Yet Practical]]. Contrast [[Awesome but Impractical]], [[Cool but Inefficient]].
May border on [[Game Breaker]]. Compare [[Awesome Yet Practical]]. Contrast [[Awesome but Impractical]], [[Cool but Inefficient]].
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{{examples}}
'''''Video Game Examples:'''''
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Action Game|Action Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Beat'Em Up|Beat'Em Ups]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Driving Game|Driving Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Fighting Game|Fighting Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/First-Person Shooter|First-Person Shooters]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Hack and Slash|Hack and Slash]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Mecha Game|Mecha Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game|MMORPGs]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Platform Game|Platform Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Puzzle Game|Puzzle Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Real Time Strategy|Real Time Strategy]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Rhythm Game|Rhythm Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Roguelike|Roguelike]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Role-Playing Game|Role-Playing Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Shoot'Em Up|Shoot'Em Ups]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Simulation Game|Simulation Game]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Stealth Based Game|Stealth Based Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Third-Person Shooter|Third-Person Shooters]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Turn-Based Strategy|Turn-Based Strategy]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Video Games/Wide Open Sandbox|Wide Open Sandbox]]


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{{examples on subpages}}
'''''Other Examples:'''''
* [[Boring but Practical/Anime and Manga|Anime and Manga]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Film|Film]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Literature|Literature]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Live-Action TV|Live-Action TV]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Sports|Sports]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Tabletop Games|Tabletop Games]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Web Comics|Web Comics]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Western Animation|Western Animation]]
* [[Boring but Practical/Real Life|Real Life]]


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 02:46, 31 July 2017

It Really Gets Around.

Tim-Tom: We leave the gas on... They go in their sleep, all quiet-like --
Kevin: Aw, I wanted to hear 'em scream!

Tim-Tom: It's not as much fun, but it will look more like an accident.
—The Venture Brothers

Everyone loves flashy magic, BFGs, and big, thundering tanks. However, the more interesting something is, the more likely it falls victim to the rule of Awesome but Impractical: You can't use it often enough, it costs too much, or it just takes too much effort to get it. You could even have Cool but Inefficient, where it just looks awesome, but that is about it.

Therefore, we have things that are much more "boring" and normal, but these things often contribute more to your success in the long term than the visually more impressive things.

In video games and tabletop games, the Jack of All Stats can often be this trope; they may lack the coolest, or strongest moves, but are fairly good at most attributes, and lack the glaring weaknesses of other character types.

May border on Game Breaker. Compare Awesome Yet Practical. Contrast Awesome but Impractical, Cool but Inefficient.

Examples of Boring but Practical are listed on these subpages:
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