For myself personally? I actually really love LitRPG, but I've noticed some really annoying things in some books (which are usually the ones I just put down). 1. No actual plot/goal/storyline - The writing can be okay, but if the MC(s) don't really have any goals (it can be anything from level to get revenge, get out of the game, stay in the game, just something) it's just really dull for me. I get bored reading chapter after chapter of someone just meandering along, doing random things, and not really progressing in terms of getting anywhere. Like the occasional 'Slice of Life' chapter is fine, but if the entire book is just the MC doing a random thing every day and not really going anywhere/getting anywhere/doing anything, I'm bored to tears. It doesn't have to be some huge, grand quest, just something more than "Welp, guess I'm in the world, maybe I'll just roam around at random and see what happens". Such stories normally end up with an MC that's got 50 million unrelated/random skills and yet somehow is still the baddest of the badasses. 2. Way, way too many game mechanics/skills - Like I know some tabletops are bad about you needing very, very specific skills to do anything, but it's honestly dull in a book to have someone go "Oh, I don't have the skill Turn so I can't open this door!" or something silly. If it some really obscure skill, I get it, but I don't really need to read that someone is gaining mundane everyday skills constantly, such as "Oh, I opened this box, I know have Skill: Open Box. And then I opened a door! Now I can Skill: Open Door!" etc. It just clogs up the story and ups the word count with no real reasoning. 99% of online games don't bother with that because it would drive players batty so no real reason a book needs to do it. 3. Very dull fights - Writing combat is hard. Writing an exciting, intense combat sense and having the reader kind of holding their breath and invested is even harder. I totally get that and I struggle with it. But I get so bored in so many books where the fight scenes are just long boring rambling of game stats, tiny injuries, and long run-on sentences of them babbling pointless info. Especially if it's in First Person. It's just as bad when the MC clearly is so very OP they're in no danger at all. I want the fight scenes to feel exciting and intense. If it reads like the minutes of someone's DnD game read in a boring tone of voice, I'm snoozing or scanning through the chapter just to get to something more interesting. 4. Really Immature MCs - Now it's one thing if they're supposed to be a teenager thrown into the game. I don't mind the MC being kind of silly, lacking common sense, or making tons of horrible jokes. However, if they're supposed to be a 45-year-old programmer with a genius IQ and they keep making really childish fart jokes or something, I'm ready to put the book down. They don't have to be a genius, but if I feel like I'm reading something written by a 13-year-old when they're supposed to be a 30+ year old adult, I spent too much time rolling my eyes and being irritated by that kind of thing. They don't have to be insanely clever, but if they seem far, far younger than their age, it really breaks me out of the story. 5. Whiny MCs (especially if they seem to get everything handed to them) - Everyone has a bad day or wants to whine sometimes, but if the MC does nothing but bemoan how hard everything is for them when they've gotten the hot chick in chapter 2, they're the ruler of the world by chapter 4, and they seem to find at least 5 super secret, super powerful items/quests/whatever every chapter, but they still complain and whine and grumble about how unfair and tough life is, I'm completely done with them. I can't even stand it. Please spare me the "woe is me" nonsense when you literally have every person in the book (except maybe the main baddie) falling over themselves to help you, every female character throwing her panties at you, and every bit of your armor and skills are incredibly OP compared to everyone else. I'll probably think of some more, but those are some recent ones I've run into with some LitRPG books that have bugged me a bunch.
I don't know much about the genre (just found out about it yesterday), but does LitRPG require for the story/MC to be involved in a game, or can the book just have a story like a typical fantasy or sci-fi story with rpg elements (leveling up, skills, occasional fight damage/effects)? If LitRPG must involve a game rpg setting, then that would be a pet peeve of mine lol.
Well I mean, it's hard for something to be a pet peeve if you've just found out about these things. That'd be like saying that I discovered sci-fi yesterday and my pet peeve is when stories use robots, space ships, or cybernetic technology. But generally, it can be either or. Most traditional LitRPG involves a disaffected youth using an FIVR set-up to play a high fantasy or sci-fi MMORPG. Some follow epic plotlines, some are more like playing a bunch of sessions of an MMORPG, but for the most part, the game is set in the game. Enough is set outside of a game in a world that follows game rules (like Scott Pilgrim) that you could call it an alternative style.
"Life as a game", with levels, skills and stats, and PROGRESS, like in RPGs, this is pretty much the heart of litRPG. However, it is really hard to explain why you would see levels, skills and stats in real life in the story, when in real real life you don't. There are quite a few books which explain this scenario somehow - nanites in your body, extradimensional systems that somehow affect every sentient being, etc. etc. but it's actually more believable if you say this is a game. Hence, most litRPG stories revolve around games. Often, this also comes with an aspect that explains why the main character would rather live their life inside the game. Often, the real life and the game life aspect is compared, and real life is found lacking, but ultimately provides things you cannot get in the game. Often, there is a tension in the story that somehow affects both parts - an antagonist that appears in both worlds, for example. I wouldn't say any of these define the genre, though, except for that first statement. But then again, I am just one of the aspiring writers, not a proper critic.
As I mentioned, you can try pulling a Scott Pilgrim and have video game mechanics apply to real life without any explanation as to why they're there as long as it's a comedy in some way, shape, or form (even if it's not a good one). But in that case, it borders on the surreal and probably wouldn't work very well if you tried writing real life as some sort of MMORPG. Not unless you did it like /r/Outside. And in that case, it would probably work best as a deconstruction of the conventions of video game mechanics or real life. Or both.
Insanity can also be a great reason, like in Sucker Punch (well, not exactly, but you get the point) But that comes with its own stack of problems..
One of the things im really getting tired of is these "secondary" main characters who are usually the MCs wife or sister who are supposedly good characters that we are supposed to care about but often wind up being something to make the MC seem like a good person with little effort.
I personally dont think stat screens are really a requirement of LitRPG I honestly prefer books that use stat items or things that indicate power or stats without actualy being magical pop ups ie. SAM in which they can get there MP with a special type of glass and see "levels" by sensing aura rather then it being some guide to the world it makes it feel like an intrinsic part of the world which takes away some of the overpowered feel I usually get from stat screens
So, with other genres - there's already an excessively deep pool of books in them. This makes trope filled stories of low quality a bit harder to notice, as they get lost very quickly unless you're sapping up stuff from a specific author. LitRPG as a 'genre' is narrow enough and 'new' enough that almost all the books are apparent from the get go - at least on a published works standpoint. Most of these tropes (such as the list above about whiny MCs, no actual plot, etc.) are easier to notice because of that. I think in a few years, there'll be books that stood the test of time, those that didn't, an stories with these types of tropes will dilute or get buried. I can say, from personal experience - that putting too much realism into a story, breaking away from the tropes, or tackling realistic subjects that go with virtual diving and video games will turn off a number of the genre's readers. There's a line somewhere in there when you're crafting a story that I tromped right over and have received generally positive, but love/hate responses.
I found another few that really bug me. 1. The MC who does things "so different" and it always works better. - I really get tired of hearing 90% of MCs in LitRPG talk about how "Other players do it this way, but not me, because I'm clearly so much more clever, special, and talented than they!". Honestly, the reason in games that "most players" do it "this way" is that it's more effective and gets the job done better, be it MMOs, Single Player games, or even tabletop. Yes, people can do it "weird", but having someone do "so much better" by doing it in a way that clearly wouldn't work annoys me. It smacks of unfounded arrogance, a huge ego, and a lack of understanding of how gaming even works. I wouldn't mind so much if it was "I prefer to do it this way", but it always comes off as superior "I do it this way because I'm more learned/clever/awesome than those other people". As if their way is the best way, even though logically by "gaming standards", it completely wouldn't work. It immediately makes me dislike an MC, which brings me too... 2. The MC who has the most random arrangement of stats/abilities and it somehow Voltrons them up into the most powerful thing ever. - It really annoys me that 90% of MCs have a random arrangement of stats and abilities, but somehow end up being the most talented/awesome/incredibly dangerous/super powered creature in all of the book's setting. It's really not how gaming works and it just shows a complete lack of understanding of game mechanics. Specialization is what makes a particular character "awesome" at a specific job, which is what 99% of MMOs have. I wouldn't mind if they were just "decent" with some random jack-of-all-trades character that is a mage that can also stab and does okay, but that's never the case. No, they're a master rogue whose also the most incredibly powerful spellcaster as well as probably being the most impressive tank ever! It just breaks the idea of it being a "game" for me and just makes it sound like wish fulfillment to make some self-insert the bestest ever at all things. I'd personally love to see an MC that was a good mage, but not also a very tough tank that can go toe to toe with dragons or something. I'd love to see an MC whose a clever rogue that doesn't cast 15 different spells and is in plate. I'd love to see an MC whose a tough as nails tank (paladin/warrior/whatever) but doesn't always have the ability to sneak like a ninja. I'd love to see MCs that both specialized and had the weaknesses to go with it; not just got to be everything and never have a weak spot. If they're in a game, I wish they would have "game rules" instead of just a loophole of "Well, I want to be able to do everything so I just can." I honestly wouldn't even mind if they were a rather OP "whatever" if they weren't also three other things, equally OP! Where's the challenge if the MC is an uber tank, uber caster, uber healer, and an uber rogue all in one? Note: I wouldn't mind "multi-classing" in a D&D kind of setting, but it would have to not just make the MC incredibly powerful instantly. Like if they're a Rogue/Fighter, that's fine, but that only works if they're not as powerful as a "pure" rogue or warrior equal level, for example. So if they're a level 3 Rogue/Level 3 warrior, a level 6 warrior should be more awesome at fighting/warrior-ing than they are, not weaker.
So basically, “The Elder Scrolls Effect” - where the MC is the archmage of all mages, the guildmaster of all thieves, the leader of all warriors, sole savior of the realm, etc?
the worst part about this is the seem to ignore the first few months of a new game where everyone is figureing out the exact optimal way to play a new player wouldent just randomly be the wierdest either (assuming the game was just released) and if not then the wierd way is usualy not optimal/uniqu
Yes, exactly. I get for some people that's fun to play, but to read, it's just...dull to me. Like where's the challenge? Where's the reason I should care since they're clearly so super OP to everything ever that nothing can challenge how incredibly amazing they are. Plus it makes the whole story predictable. "Oh, no, the MC is taken by pirates....so he's gonna end up their leader by the end of the chapter right? Yep, there it is. He beat their super powerful captain with two blows and now all the pirates have decided he's incredible and are 110% loyal to him. How spiffy..." Exactly. That's how 99% of MMOs work. The first few months have people busting their butts and talking on forums and working together to find out the "tricks" to a specific ability/spec/class/whatever. So doing it some completely random way at the drop of a hat, like "Oh, hey, as a hunter I use mana...I SHOULD UP MY WISDOM! That gives me MORE Mana regen!" and then they're suddenly the hunter with the endless magical shots, even though to even aim they should need high dex or agility. I also love the ones that come up with a completely predictable combo of some race/class, but in the book...no one ever has done it ever. "Elves have super magical ability but aren't normally evil.... But I will be an ELF NECROMANCER! No one else has EVER done that for they are not as clever as me!". And then the whole book everyone is like "An elf necromancer?! I have never seen one ever!" Which is ridiculous because 1) tons of gamers do combos like that because they like being edgy/cool/think the lore is dumb/whatever and 2) if it was such an amazing combo there's no way it couldn't be plastered on every forum that even mentioned the game in under a month. I mean seriously if "Wow, being an elf Necromancer gives me +20 to spells and I can cast this rare spell that's incredibly powerful!"...there would be about 10 million Elf Necromancers in no time on every server.
Ooh. I wonder about a Benjamin-Button-esque LitRPG... where the MC starts OP then gradually LOSES all his power/stats as the book progresses. Hmmm....
I was just about to say its nice how alter world thought of this problem theres mentioned a character with an insane str but no con or dex so hes basicaly a glass cannon with no speed but then you went and said the thing about the elf necromancer that i had forgotten about
That would be depressing although so far the closest thing ive seen to that is sigil online where the MC dies right at the beginning and loses everything they had and is forced to work there way up again so they dont get evicted
I actually had no idea anyone had done that in Alter World. That's one I haven't read yet. I just picked something totally random. I feel clever if I predicted it though!
