It's not "a human playing a different race" so much as it is finding a connection with a character that is effectively non-human. Going back to Star Wars and Star Trek, we see plenty of alien creatures, but rarely do we see them in main roles. Chewbacca serves as a sidekick to Han Solo, the droids are plot devices, Worf gets his share of screen time, as does Spock, but let's face it, Vulcans are just intellectual humans with pointy ears and two hearts, and Klingons are just space orcs. Now, if a story subplot focused on the player learning how to be this other race (elf, catfolk, etc.) and dealing with the differences between the two, that might add some interest, because we know the player is still human, even if the character is not. I do like the idea of anthropomorphic creatures as characters. In fact, it's got me thinking about what to work on after The Aegis Saga...
That's just the thing. In this genre, specifically, your MC is always human (at least to start). I think a subplot that shows the journey of becoming the race would be very interesting. Even in Dragon Seed it's not a huge difference, but the character while human, has an entirely different culture that the character learns at the beginning. In fact every skill up shows a bit more of that culture. It adds interest to an otherwise bland race. As to Star Wars and Star Trek, to be fair those universes were created during a much different time politically. That is reflected in the characters that we see as the MC or even support characters. Not to say they are inferior in anyway just that they came from a more conservative time and it's reflected in the characters. Here, in LitRPG, you have a human who somehow becomes a part of a virtual, or game-like world. So we're already starting with a human as our MC. I agree that a human skinned as an elf might as well just be a human. There is no discernible difference that couldn't be explained by a skill, talent, perk or some other such mechanic. However a gamer choosing a different race at creation, that has actual repercussions in the story (even if it's not main plot stuff...likely not main plot stuff) is something most of us who read in this genre would appreciate. Now I shall sneak off and definitely not be researching Aegis Saga or anything like that. Though to be honest if it's not on KU I can't afford to read it. Still. one must search! onward!
The Aegis Saga is not on KU... yet. It will be, once I actually buckle down and finish writing the first book. *chuckles* I've got a trilogy planned, but who knows what will happen from there? (For the record, I'm loving conversations like this one. I'm brand new to LitRPG; I only found it about three weeks ago! So discussions like this are really helping me refine my ideas.)
But it's not a non-human. It's a human learning to operate using a different ruleset and sensory inputs than they deal with in real life...and how much LitRPG is about someone new to a game, learning how the rules and abilities and game pop-ups work? Enhanced senses, altered body type, and different "instincts" are just another aspect of the game mechanics, like learning how to cast a spell or fight like a berserker or sneak like a ninja. So it's "alien", but the game is going to implement it in a way the player - and therefore reader - can understand, because the player is human.
I'll discuss just about anything LOL I found LitRPG this year and have been in a reading coma...minus the coma part of course, cause you know...i'm reading...a lot. Oh your writing it! how fun. I've got a great story I'm trying ot write..i'm stuck at just over 1500 words. yep. stuck. the scene doesn't want to go on, but I need it to and my brain refuses to write out of sequence so I can't even work on another scene. *sigh* talk about buckling down.
YES! I'm not saying that the MC should be a beholder or an illithid (with their weird tentically faces and hive mind!). I want to see the impact on the player. I want the player to be an elf...but I'll forgive the author if they choose something else...maybe. I might not be able to handle a dwarf fic. I mean elves and dwarves you know?
Though having a player deal with learning how to interact with a hive mind could be fun, too... I get the same way. While some writers can regularly hammer out thousands of words a day, I stress over the smallest advance. The result? After two weeks, I'm only 30 pages in, with around 8000 words.
Wow. dealing with a hivemind as a human. That's ...tough. it would depend on how it's written and the culture of the hivemind itself. Didn't star trek almost cover this with cptn jean luke picard? Ugh. I want to write, i really do. BUt I read that last sentence and my brain is like "that was nice, now it's over". But it's not over! You've left my characters in the middle of the kitchen! This is right at the beginning, it's gotta have impact. Maybe that's my problem. It's the first chapter so I'm having performance anxiety.
They did, with the Borg story arc. They did a good job, but didn't really deal with it as much from the perspective of Picard as a LitRPG story might do for its main character. Are you discovery writer ("pantser") or an architect writer (outliner)? (I'm guessing that, like me, you're a pantser.)
Oh i'm all pantser. My plot is so vague you have to squint to see it. It's really more an idea. It's the essence of plot...with neat characters and worldbuilding (i hope lol) I thought they did. I just have an image in my head of Picard all cybored out!
I'm absolutely a pantser, too, usually. I'm trying something different this time. Mind-mapping, like outlining, allows you to build a story before you start writing, but in a more free-form way, by creating something like a flowchart. So far, the method has been extremely helpful in keeping me on task.
but does it help you when your creativity says "scene finished" but you clearly are not finished? maybe I need to edit again.
That's where we differ. My "creativity" is really just a perfectionist disorder that never says "Scene finished!" even when it clearly is.
yeah. I'd say that would be nice but I can see how frustrating that would be. My creativity just reboots back into world building. ah well. c'est la vie I suppose. I'll blame it on the fact that I'm human. If I were an elf (like I'm supposed to be) I wouldn't be having this problem!
That actually gives me a fun idea for an "NPC" that's a hive-mind to run into... The MC I'm currently worldbuilding around is a Ranger/Hunter type (because honestly I haven't seen one really done in LitRPG and it's always my favorite class for MMO and tabletop) and I was thinking either Elf, Half-Elf, or Elf-Orc cross... The last one has interesting potential because I pictured the MC picking the race on impulse and then being in the world and having to deal with no one particularly liking them due to being a hybrid of two opposing race/species. The other two are more "classic" ranger/hunter, but still have a lot of potential for interesting development if I do my worldbuilding correctly.
Okay that post is just awesome on so many different levels! Taking a 'noob' who had no idea that common lore pits orcs against...well everybody, but elves seem to have a rather strong distaste to them. S/he puts the two together for the stat bonus they'll receive without reading any lore at all. I mean it's *just* an vrmmo right? Hah! that's fantastic. Hive minds are always interesting because they are so diametrically opposed to the human condition. We have a problem connecting even though we're very social creatures. We like to think we're independent. A hive mind really has a lot of potential. It's often done with bugs and robots with a desire to destroy or take over everything....ooohh except for mass effect. I forget their name, the AI construct, but they didn't want to destroy everything! See there is hope! Rangers are awesome. Outside of Drizzt I've not really seen them done well, and even then he doesn't really show any wilderness lore. I dont remember if he even tracks his prey. I do remember him as awesome and has the two bladed sword style.
Elf-Orc cross seems jarring, but it could be interesting, having to deal with the consequences of a hastily-made choice. I'm the ranger/hunter type, too - my main in WoW for years was a Dwarf Hunter - but I'm sticking with an odd class combo for my MC. He's a strange hybrid of rogue and cleric. Like a stealth paladin. Holy assassin.
Yep, exactly. The idea is the MC goes "oh, an unusual race with good bonuses! This will be fun!" and suddenly ends up in a world having to deal with all the problems of being a very disliked combination. Something they never expected to have to deal with. As well as having to deal with different senses, etc. from being nonhuman. I thought it might be an interesting twist since a lot of LitRPGs seem to have the MC unable to do any real wrong and most people just instantly like them, even if they dislike humans or adventurers or whatever else. Drizzt was a childhood favorite of mine too! Re-reading as an adult made me realize there were a lot of issues, but nostalgia is still strong. So I have to say I always had a bit of a soft spot for that series as one of my introductions into rangers, Drow, and the Forgotten Realms. One of the first D&D novels I read. It is a bit jarring, but I found the combo in a homebrew site and it has some interesting lore/ideas to go with it. Definitely interesting. I don't think I'd 100% copy that set-up for abilities, but the idea was intriguing and made me want to play around with the idea. It makes sense. Orcs and elves often come into frequent and violent contact in most lore so it makes sense there would be a byproduct of those raids and battles. And logically speaking if you can have half-elf/half-human and half-orc/half-human than they should be close enough to make an elf/orc since they'd have to be quite close genetically to both be able to breed with humans. Although it can always be handwaved as magic too!
Oh yes, that would be fun! I mean not for the MC of course, but for your reader! that would be a fantastic journey and that's just dealing with the race! Well then, It's agreed. Your new MC will be a ranger and fight with two weapons. I can give or take the magic panther but the swords are a must!
Tolkien orcs were once elves, so if you use those kind (as opposed to Warcraft orcs), you have the genetic link already. And apparently Warcraft orcs are able to breed with just about anything. Somewhere in Zangarmarsh, there's a half-orc, half podling screaming, "Just kill me now!"
