How to explain a complex power system.

[melchi]

I'm a big fan of the KISS principle. (Keep it simple stupid)

If I read a synopsis and the point of the novel is the complex system.... is that really a way to hook the reader? Ask yourself, what would interest you?

Personally, the more complex a system is... I just see Deus Ex Machina, by "....and combining them" something unexpected and amazing happens.

People that practice swords are good at swordsmanship? Is that not good enough?

 

[greyblob]

you dump it in a chapter so regular readers can skip it and the 2% psychopaths can enjoy it

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I'm a big fan of the KISS principle. (Keep it simple stupid)

If I read a synopsis and the point of the novel is the complex system.... is that really a way to hook the reader? Ask yourself, what would interest you?

Personally, the more complex a system is... I just see Deus Ex Machina, by "....and combining them" something unexpected and amazing happens.

People that practice swords are good at swordsmanship? Is that not good enough?

I agree.

you dump it in a chapter so regular readers can skip it and the 2% psychopaths can enjoy it

But this one is better.

 

[Sergeandgreen]

I'm a big fan of the KISS principle. (Keep it simple stupid)

If I read a synopsis and the point of the novel is the complex system.... is that really a way to hook the reader? Ask yourself, what would interest you?

Personally, the more complex a system is... I just see Deus Ex Machina, by "....and combining them" something unexpected and amazing happens.

People that practice swords are good at swordsmanship? Is that not good enough?

Yeah, Kiss is good for a simple power fantasy. But in a way I want the reader to explore the world together with the mc. That means, getting to know side characters that have a real background and motives, countries have their own culture and and a flora and fauna that adjusted to the environment. That doesn't mean that the character has to stop and inspect everything the moment he sees it but the world feel alive. And knowing how the enemies are educated can fulfill so many purposes.
So yes, simplicity is good when its just about beating a bandit or fighting a random cultivator, but I think there are times where showing a bit more is worth it. at least i enjoy a good world building. It just shouldn't slow down the plot too much. Besides that, i think that showing something at the beginning can safe a lot of explaining later on. But maybe we are just different kind of readers and writers.

 

[RepresentingPride]

Thank you for the idea but that was exactly what i didn't want to do.
I always thought it was just a convenient way for a mc to grow step by step and never meet an opponent he can't defeat. So i want to build a completely functioning society with mortals, cultivators, and immortals. (Immortals are so rare that the ascension of one is used as a measurement of time.) Meaning that while the top cultivators and immortals aren't in every city, every big sect will have a person just below the immortal realm. (Which is stage 9/10). My mc has to navigate around those powerful people and, if possible, use them against each other.
But i decided to make a cap on what about cultivation is common knowledge. So the names of the stages up to stage 4 are common knowledge, and anything above that is kind of guarded, as knowing it before hand might cause some newbies or even prodigies to try something stupid for eventual greater gains.

I think i have a lot of time to slowly explore anything beyond stage one, as he will spend a lot of time in the first stage to prepare for those after that. So i will be able to add things step by step. The first stage will be spoonfeed thought as he visits a sect and experiences what a normal cultivator has to learn. I want to show the readers what common knowledge is and how other people rise to power (mc is a demonic cultivator, so he his training is a little more bloody).

I did something in that way for my story. You can come across any level of cultivator anywhere, but the amount of information shared with the "normal" citizen is restricted. The school teaches their student the first levels of cultivation but doesn't give any information about those above.

Only when my MC goes to a better school and after a "crisis" happens that the government changes the amount of information given to "normal" citizens that my MC learn the levels of cultivation higher than the first ones.

 

[Sergeandgreen]

you dump it in a chapter so regular readers can skip it and the 2% psychopaths can enjoy it

10k infodump chapter confirmed.

I did something in that way for my story. You can come across any level of cultivator anywhere, but the amount of information shared with the "normal" citizen is restricted. The school teaches their student the first levels of cultivation but doesn't give any information about those above.

Only when my MC goes to a better school and after a "crisis" happens that the government changes the amount of information given to "normal" citizens that my MC learn the levels of cultivation higher than the first ones.

I already have your story on my to read list. Maybe i should start with it tomorrow.

 

[RepresentingPride]

I already have your story on my to read list. Maybe i should start with it tomorrow.

Don't take my story as a reference, it's horrible. And I did some info dump, in the beginning, to explain the power system, although it's not the cultivation levels, still...

 

[greyblob]

10k infodump chapter confirmed.

I am a pragmatic man. I see hidden master fragment soul trapped in pickle jar explaining the difference between dragon heavenly realm and shadow great emperor realm, I skip

 

[Deleted member 84247]

I am a pragmatic man. I see hidden master fragment soul trapped in pickle jar explaining the difference between dragon heavenly realm and shadow great emperor realm, I skip

Based

 

[Sergeandgreen]

I am a pragmatic man. I see hidden master fragment soul trapped in pickle jar explaining the difference between dragon heavenly realm and shadow great emperor realm, I skip

Just a question. If its not a hidden master fragment but just a normal pickle jar talking to you, would you still skip it?


Also: