Working on yet another massive post for LitRPG Reads to draw people here to the forum... Can you help by naming some of the better light novels with strong RPG elements? I'll highlight those in the article/post and then explain to the searcher that LitRPG also deals with RPG in a big way... If you participate, I'll create a limited edition trinket - Virtual First Edition of three D&D booklets! Thanks!
Sword Art Online and Log Horizon. Also Overlord, and most other isekai LNs. Oh and who can forget .hack// even though it's a manga and not an LN
Uh, adding: -Reincarnator has some elements (there's a game structure, but its more a survive a new land created by evil fairies thing), Overlord's the bomb like mentioned already, RE:Monster is about an adventurer who reincarnated as a goblin after his life cut short and now he has to survive, -Tensei Shittara Slime Datta Ken is like the former but with a slime and more light elements, -The First Hunter (korean translated novel on novelupdates) is about a modern-day assassin type (I'm assuming. it's been a while) who gets stuck in some apocalyptic scenario at a supermarket and discovers new abilities (kinda game-ish touch to them?), -Konjiki Wordmaster is light novel series with huge JRPG elements - boy ends up summoned to another world with classmates and walks out when he learns he can't return home. While his naive peers play hero for the king as he plans to wage war on the demons, Hiiro is just focused on living life his way - with books and food and being a loner. But fate has other plans...(yeah, I love it. Its funny and not as hardcore in the beginning as, say, Re:Monster or Overlord but there are like 200 chapters so...) -Dungeon Defense is another but idk its been a while. guy answers a survey in his game and ends up in it. He is now the weakest demon lord in the game. very dark I think. -1/2 Prince or Half Prince is FREAKING HILARIOUS. About a girl in the latest VR game who ends up playing as a guy as a result of her bro teasing her that she won't survive without trying to use her charms (usually forbidden in the game to choose another gender during character creation but she got a prize...). Enter RPG madness as she creates a legend as a 'prince' type character (with lots of beauty points used no thanks to a certain 'helper' and a little bit of hidden bloodlust). Anything by Yu Wo is awesome - her apocalyptic series shows off her family theme and couldn't put it down. -there was another one that was more 'middle age kind of kingdom with game elements' but can't find the title. Also on novelupdates. Guy dies in battle only to gain a second chance in life and uses his knowledge to fulfill his dream of becoming general by aiming for king. (logic: he died trying to be a general and got killed off as a foot soldier. so if he tried his hardest trying to be king, he'd at least make general right?) Really liked seeing his progression. ...Disgaea count? Honesly, there are so much more I'm missing, but that's off the top of my head. Ok fine, off my notepad. Hope this helps!
"Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon" this stuff and "Log Horizon" both managed to suck me into the LitRPG thingie, as well as "Sword Art Online". Some of the stuff hasn't made it to this side of the big blue, so, you might need to do some searching on the Fan Translation sites..."Ark" and "Ark the Legend" are translations of some of the Korean stuff, as well as "Legendary Moonlit Sculptor", they're not japanese light novels, but, they do have some of the close flavor of them.
I am reading The King's Avatar at the moment and loving it at least as much (and maybe even more than) the anime. The great advantage of the light novels is that Hu Dielan goes into a lot more detail about the mechanics of gaming as Lord Grim teaches Soft Mist and Steam Bun Invasion how to use their characters' abilities and skills to maximum advantage. He spends time talking about stuns, knock-downs and knock-ups, combos, etc and also the importance of team play and supporting players. Then there are also the guilds, the difference between the pros and the "normal" gamers, the clubs behind the guilds, etc. All in all, it probably gives the best and most detailed descriptions of the gameplay of a RPG I've ever read, maybe because it doesn't try to go for the futuristic full immersion angle. And it's FUN! Even though I've watched the anime over and over, I still find myself laughing out loud at some scenes in the books. One drawback, of course, is that it's easy to get confused with all the names of the players, their characters and all the different guilds and clubs, especially if you're only used to Western names. Also, the translation and editing are good, better than most amateurs - but not even near flawless by any means.
