well these are tropes i dont like self made man trope yugioh effect where all the characters can just beleve in the heart of the cards and break the game the real/game world is actualy fake/real trope token party trope where the MC has friends who do nothing or are soooo much less powerful then the MC he should just leave them at home
I've been trying to figure out - how to write a real-world "Card Game" type of litRPG. Where the characters have cards that can summon creatures & cast magical spells. So they aren't 'trapped in a game' but more like 'the game has come to life'. If that makes sense at all. I haven't figured it out quite yet.
Just as a suggestion, pick up some of the books for White Wolf games Mage the Ascension. White Wolf games books are all based on the roleplaying side of RPG's and were meant to be used as interactive story-telling. Might have some nice ideas and techniques in there you can grab.
Maybe it's just me, but what's the difficulty? If you see the cards as scrolls then it's really no different than any other fantasy world, is it? All you're doing is summoning the creatures and casting spells from a game world. or are you trying to make it believable, in a sciency kind of way?
Actually, come to think of it, it's very close to the Amber series by Roger Zelazny. His characters had cards they could use for spells.
I have tons I dislike, but I'm trying to think of ones I do like... The Actually Good MC - they don't have to be a doormat, but I'm honestly tired of the 'I'm such a badass' MC or really selfish ones. I'd love to see a few more who are good guys and not out to take what they can and give nothing back. Actually Useful Party - I really like MCs who admit they need help in more than just vague ways or 'boring' ways. I like seeing parties where the MC is good, but the others are just as good and they all work together/need each other to get the job done. Helpful Friend - I like the MC having an "NPC" or "person in the game" or whatever that helps guide and teach them. I like watching the MC have a learning curve but it done realistically. Having someone who they can trust and stay with them is a nice trope, especially if they're an interesting set of friends/work together well/etc. Also a lot of fun if they don't get along at first and gradually become good friends. Animal Companion/Familiar - I like it if it's done well. If it's done in a horrible way (I'm sure people know which Familiar I'm talking about...), it's really just annoying. However, a well-written companion/familiar is nice to me. Maybe it's because I've always loved playing Hunters/Rangers/etc. but I like an MC that treats their companion well and actually have it be a character in the story. It's kind of dull when it's just "I summon my nameless wolf, it dies for me in a fight, and poofs" so it feels more like just a tool than a living creature the MC is supposed to have a connection to. Slow Rise to Power - I don't expect an MC to stay weak or not be able to get stronger, but it's dull when they end up incredibly powerful in the first few chapters and nothing is an actual challenge. It's more fun for me to have them slowly overcome bigger and bigger challenges, fail sometimes, but keep going than just go "Oh, I instantly learned a spell, now I'm unstoppable!".
Divine playing field I've always loved books that have gods and devils as actual characters always makes an interesting story Multi genre multiverse so im a sucker for any kind of multiverse books but ones that have multiple genres are so much better most LitRPGs almost do this with the IRL world and in game world but dont try for it or mess it up which I dont like.
Oh, I thought of a few more! Even The Hero Needs Saving - I like when the MC isn't always the one to "save us all". How about the MC gets himself into trouble and an NPC/someone else actually saves him? The MC doesn't have to pull some magic "game breaking" power out of his butt, but instead has a friend or party member who saves his bacon once in a while. Actual Diplomacy/Deals - I'd like to see books where being an asshat to the other side so the MC gets a good trade deal isn't taken as "diplomacy" instead of just plain old bullying or extortion. Probably falls under the "Actually Good MC" trope, but how about an MC that actually works with others and listens to their problems instead of just shoving around his weight to get what he wants and screw them.
This sounds similar to some thoughts I'm having. Something I'm toying with is foregoing VRMMORPG for Augmented Reality. A game on top of what we normally see that somehow allows interactions, augments people's naturally ability, or can effect the "real" environment. Toying with that blurred line could be fun. But starting with a virtual augmented reality game Yu-Gi-Oh style could lead to some interesting "unfolding" of events that differs from the typical "stuck in an alternate world" VR approach.
I was just asking about AR LitRPG the other day... like that Walking Dead one where zombies pop up in the real world lol
