Does predictable = 'bad' ?

[Naruzeldamaster]

I'm strongly in the camp of 'not necessarily'
It could be the most 'predictable' thing ever, but if it's executed well and with a lot of finnesse I call it a win, especially if I'm entertained. Case in point, Anything Tom and Jerry or Loony Toons.

There have been many points in games/movies/shows where my 'writing gears' start turning.
'oh character X is going to do y' VERY early in the game/movie/show.

But most of the time it usually happens in a unique/interesting way. Usually the end result is surprising and / or interesting. I like it where I can 'guess' what's gonna happen but what actually happens is (mostly) different.

In Contrast, I also like when you 'predict' something to happen, but it doesn't happen to who or how you predicted it, that's always fun too.

 

[TheCrystallineEntity]

Phineas and Ferb, to go with your cartoon examples, is almost exactly the same in every episode, but it's clever enough to be entertaining.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Phineas and Ferb, to go with your cartoon examples, is almost exactly the same in every episode, but it's clever enough to be entertaining.

Yeah, shake up the formula just enough that the end result is amusing, and that's a win.
Phineas and Ferb had strong humor and didn't recycle jokes (too often, the ones that did were running gags)
Same events happened every episode but they brought different spice and sauce each episode.
It really helped that each episode had a unique plot.

 

[pmmg]

Well, are not romances pretty much predictable? And yet...they sell like hotcakes.

Somethings you just never get tired of.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

Well, are not romances pretty much predictable? And yet...they sell like hotcakes.

It's true, I've seen who knows how many Rom Coms (including my own) that follow pretty much the same story beats. Anime or Otherwise.
Particularly 'frienemies to lovers' some shows / movies that I watch that aren't even Rom Com's have that plot. I love it as long as it's original.

Somethings you just never get tired of.

I grow tired of certain tropes within a genre (At least when they are cookie cutter, again, uniqueness and unexpected results is key) but I don't get tired of watching the things I like.

There's a type of media that I'm slowly growing toward wanting 'family friendly' content of it (probably a good thing) because the tropes that the type of media relies on to be 'engaging' is frankly annoying. It's a large driving force behind what spurred the creation of my King Midas story. I wanted to create a story that contained that 'content' but without the negatives (or at the very least, very little of the negatives). That story at it's core is just meant to be wholesome chaotic fun.

 

[Insolent Lad]

There is predictable and predictable. We can all predict Poirot will solve the case but predicting who the culprit will be is not so simple.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

There is predictable and predictable. We can all predict Poirot will solve the case but predicting who the culprit will be is not so simple.

Same with Ace Attorney, we know the protagonists will get there in the end, but the journey to the destination is wild. About the only thing that's the 'same' every other case is they do the trademark 'the murder actually happened HERE' plot twist. Which is fine, it's always different spins on it.

The good guys almost always win, and even if it seems like they're losing they come back stronger.

 

[Adam Scribentis]

When watching Mockingjay Part 2, I was not surprised by what Katniss did when she turned up to the execution; I had seen it coming, although there was for me a margin of uncertainty since I was not sure whether she would also do to Character A what she was going to do to Character B. For others, there was even more uncertainty, since not everyone (it seems) did see it coming.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Well, are not romances pretty much predictable? And yet...they sell like hotcakes

Somethings you just never get tired of.

There are a couple of reasons for that. Lots of readers find comfort and entertainment in knowing what to expect. There will be adventure and there will be flirting. There will be/won't be sex, and it will have this level of spice (I actually like this euphemism. It's clear but also approachable).

That's how Romance has become the behemoth it is. Comfort and escapism, tailored to order by a world of sub-genres..

 

[Penpilot]

If this were true, would unpredictable = good? I mean, I could rewrite Romeo and Juliet where instead of a tragic end, and completely out of the blue, they both discover a time machine, travel to the modern day, return to the past with machine guns, and mow down everyone trying to keep them apart. Unpredictable, but not good in the least.

The end is important, but how you get there matter's just as much if not more.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

If this were true, would unpredictable = good? I mean, I could rewrite Romeo and Juliet where instead of a tragic end, and completely out of the blue, they both discover a time machine, travel to the modern day, return to the past with machine guns, and mow down everyone trying to keep them apart. Unpredictable, but not good in the least.

I kind of need you to write this one now, even if only as a joke lol

The end is important, but how you get there matter's just as much if not more.

This has been kinda my thinking, especially in a genre of video games that I like (RPG)
These days that genre is, unfortunately pretty formulaic.
BUT it's all in how you get there, the people you meet etc.

That's what I hope for my story that's emulating a role playing game (Both tabletop and video games)
The cast (even the 'divine' entities) don't take the plot overtly serious unless it's required, so I hope people enjoy the ride.