Is there a good article/post on story ideas that work in RPGs versus film/literature

[Johnny1A.2]

Originally Posted by RyanW

And as an extension to that, any plot element that relies on the PCs holding to a specific genre convention that goes against common sense, without a damn good reason. The typical sentai trope of the heroes summoning their fighting machines, then combining them into the super machine, then summoning their ultimate weapon, in response to each villain threat increase is an example. Without some kind of justification, PCs will most likely skip straight to Blazing Sword the moment the monster of the week shows up.

Remember too that PC motives can change without much warning, right in the middle of ongoing events, in ways that don't usually happen in formula fiction. You probably don't have to worry, for ex, about Riker really deciding to backstab Picard at a critical moment (as opposed to pretending too as part of their plans).

But a certain sort of PC might do it just for the heck of it. Or something else equally irrational and inexplicable at a key moment, like suddenly firing his gun in the air for no obvious reason.