Does anyone feel like LitRPG is severely underutilized or am I just ignorant?
I feel like the system could be used in a lot for ways, but it's just opting for the same stats, general level, group stuff, and all the shenanigans.
There also the fact in isekai is just...exist, no reason, it just does while for everyone else in the world, minus the MC or the MC and his class, they have no system or they do sometimes.
(I know Solo Leveling does add an in-lore reason, but as far as I'm aware, that's the only one)
I say this because in my story I'm currently writing on side (not posted), I have decided to add actual lore as to why the Status System Exist
The Lore
The goddess created the system for the four heroes she has summoned in order to force their bodies to be able to use magic, the status system actually being spirits she has enslaved and forced to go through something called 'Volludor', similar to how Valkyries in Shuumatsu no valkyrie bond with the humans to measure their Class(Magic Capabilities), Rank(Potential for Growth), Stats(Physical Capabilities) and, Skill(Skills they have had or experiences they have had in their old lives, translated to power and spells)
Ignorant? Yup. Cause loads of stories justify the existence of the system/explore it's origins and how it works. Some better than others. I think Stubborn Skill-Grinder in a Time Loop is a good example. The System was created by an Eldritch entity that loves life but is anathema to it, as a means to strengthen and help them.
Forerunner's Initiative touches on it as a magical construct though I wish the story continued after they saved Earth and we got to explore the broader expanse of System-space. And Saintess Summons Skeletons explores it, and maybe Unbound? In Chaotic Craftsman Worships the Cube it was created by the gods to prepare the people for when they get invaded by a race of beings that've be conquering the galaxy and wiped out countless planets formerly occupied by the gods that have led and grouped up with the little they managed to save. And that's just the notable ones that spring to mind.
Syl and Magic-Smithing too, Unwilling Eldritch Horror of Fortune, System Lost: My Own Best Friend...
1% Lifesteal touches on it briefly, maybe Low-Fantasy Occultist as well? It hasn't quite gotten to the point of exploring the origin of the system but I'm sure it will eventually, similar boat with System Universe, I'm sure that will come once we finally get to the Origin System. We haven't gotten much definitive in Primal Hunter (at least as far as I read), but there's been some tantalizing hints...
Also the problem of introducing a new system into a world is that that then robs you of the ability to understand power scaling. If everyone has the system it's a lot easier to understand where people stand in the power hierarchy
Ignorant? Yup. Cause loads of stories justify the existence of the system/explore it's origins and how it works. Some better than others. I think Stubborn Skill-Grinder in a Time Loop is a good example. The System was created by an Eldritch entity that loves life but is anathema to it, as a means to strengthen and help them.
Forerunner's Initiative touches on it as a magical construct though I wish the story continued after they saved Earth and we got to explore the broader expanse of System-space. And Saintess Summons Skeletons explores it, and maybe Unbound? In Chaotic Craftsman Worships the Cube it was created by the gods to prepare the people for when they get invaded by a race of beings that've be conquering the galaxy and wiped out countless planets formerly occupied by the gods that have led and grouped up with the little they managed to save. And that's just the notable ones that spring to mind.
Syl and Magic-Smithing too, Unwilling Eldritch Horror of Fortune, System Lost: My Own Best Friend...
1% Lifesteal touches on it briefly, maybe Low-Fantasy Occultist as well? It hasn't quite gotten to the point of exploring the origin of the system but I'm sure it will eventually, similar boat with System Universe, I'm sure that will come once we finally get to the Origin System. We haven't gotten much definitive in Primal Hunter (at least as far as I read), but there's been some tantalizing hints...
Isekai, System, and Regressor are all popular trends In unregulated markets, so they’ve all been done in a million different ways. Obviously the lazy ways are the most commonly seen in free web novels, but everyone has their own twist on things. I assume other trendy frameworks like cultivation are the same but that’s not really my cup of tea.
*massive spoilers for my story, At Least I’m a Magic Pirate Now*
Personally my MC is actually an eldritch entity who was trapped in the space between realities for a subjective eternity and is now possessing a drow sorcerer that accidentally summoned him through an esoteric ritual and his System is just his mind’s way of rationalizing his powers of finding opportunities (quests) and self improvement through effort (leveling up) through a trope that his old self was familiar with.
He isn’t really aware of this, mind you, and if any of you people actually read my story I just spoiled the hell out of the true nature of Curtis and nobody has even commented on any of the hints I’ve been dropping for the last 130 chapters.
A dark cosmic god gives humanity super powers because god is sad
I wouldn't consider my book LitRPG, but I think I've made a system that seems pretty unique for what the story is.
Not talking about Ise-se-Kai 20 btw. IsK20 is mostly just a gag, satire on what I think about Isekai as a genre, it's still a story, but read the synopsis and you'll understand. But then again, someone else will see the gag end of it, and think it's a 'super isekai', or something.. idk.
Anyway, I'm talking about My Little Sister, The Dark Lord.
It's another satire book against religion, and it's views on the afterlife. (Yea more satire), but within it, if anyone picked up on the system itself, I call it, Sufferance. It doesn't make much sense to have it within this particular story because each character already has angelic, demonic, godly, or cosmic powers to begin with, along with immortality, and strength, and speed, ..and normal abilities would just look like more run-of-the-mill added abilities. Period; Nothing special. I think it'll show more so, when average people start to awaken their own sufferance. Spoiler, if anyone is reading my story (which lets be real, my story is incredibly niche, and out of the 'normal', or even 'weird' space. I can tell you myself, It's something nobody should have had been interested in. But I also think, it wouldn't be satire if it was normal, and I think some people latched onto that sense of awkwardness within the book.)
I think explaining what sufferance is will be easier. -and please, tell me what you think, I really want to know, because my entire world/ universe/ characters are based entirely on this system I created for myself. It's part of them, and part of why they are, the way they are.
Sufferance:
"Manifestation occurs during extreme, vicious moments of emotional stress; A place somewhere between deep, unmitigated feelings of despair, and the pure, trapped feelings of encapsulation. This feeling is often called: Falling into the void, or shutting down." ~Aoi Hart - Steadfast Paradesio (Another character from a different book I'm working on.)
When this happens, a person switches to auto, eating, sleeping, or doing what is naturally expected of a person, but won't respond to anyone, or acknowledge anything more than simply keeping the body safe as they fully reset. Their mind goes elsewhere, a place explained nothing more than: A pit of pure darkness; They can't see, or feel anything. They often say something might poke at them, or brush against their hair, or occasionally, try talking to them, only to reawaken from their "fall", or "shut down". Resetting- is reminiscent of rebirth, starting over, waking up with a new update to deal with what made a person full system crash in the first place.
Example: Someone breaks into your house and 's your family while you hide in the dark space of your closet.
This pushes you to shut down/ fall into the void, a sense of hyper depression, and distress.
You might form something like:
-Darkvision, and claws, transforming them from prey to hunter out of pure rage and anger for not being able to do anything
-The element of fire to fight back while also illuminating the darkness that constantly reminds them of that fearful night
-Maybe, they just gain the ability to go invisible because they were too afraid of wanting to fight back, only never wanting to be found.
Every person's abilities would be unique to them, and their personality.
LORE:
Within My Little Sister there's a cosmic god who goes crazy, not because of his own will. and under that madness they destroy everything they love, and hold dear -which is people, their souls, their lives, their memories. It didn't matter what religion you were, what s*x, what color your skin was, where you lived, or who you were, or anything, they just loved humanity. They are a single Minstrel of many, called the Maelstrom (The Maelstrom of Minstrels); Cosmic Gods, and their name was Goliadreoth, the one who created (specifically) the milky way. Their brothers and sisters, created other universes, on other realms, across dimensions, etc etc.
Because of this madness, Goliadreoth, with their own many hands, destroyed not only Heaven and Hell, but Tartarus, and Elysium, Nirvana, Valhalla, Helheim, and every RealmAfter; The planes of dimension they created just to keep the humanity they loved to be happy, and to be satisfied. With everything broken, and destroyed, they abandoned their post, and went to Earth, leaving their cosmic body to float out in nothingness.
In the following books, this husk of a body, that had been taking care of souls for a good portion of its infinite existence, continued to take care of souls. Souls that aren't even dead yet. Even, if they had died, there was nowhere left to put them. The husk started determining, how did they die? okay, let me fix that. Eventually becoming a sort of existence on its own.
(Meanwhile, Goleadreoth, in their want to share their time more closely with humans, grew old, and died on Earth, which was later renamed to Velraum; The Earth they knew from the past was completely changed within the story of My Little Sister.)
The Husk continued working. 'You drowned? you can now breathe underwater'. OH people are now able to breathe underwater? Suddenly, Atlantis isn't just a myth anymore, it's a thriving livable city. 'You died in an avalanche? You are now a human torche! Be revived, reborn, resurrected. whatever may have you. Fantastic four anyone?', -And they'd have that ability until they died of natural old age, where the soul would have to be renewed, and reborn elsewhere; Hopefully living a happier normal life without the need of supernatural abilities.
If the person died again after being reset, and with abilities that were supposed to keep them from dying a second time, they get the choice of being reborn, or being resurrected. If they were a good person, they got a new ability (because the old one obviously didn't work) along with their resurrection. This new ability may, or may not, be useful to them in the next life.
Sometimes, though rare, a person just naturally belongs in another realm entirely, another universe under the different laws of another Minstrel.
(...Enter Ise-se-Kai 20, Question mark????? lol no. BUT maybe?? lol no. Although?? lol)
You can do a system without LitRPG elements, and you can do LitRPG without a system. Unless the situation is a game, you should have an explanation for where the System came from, or what is imposing the LitRPG rules on the setting - even if you never share this reason with your readers.
's your family while you hide in the dark space of your closet.
