Writing Prompt Reincarnated with your abilities balanced

[Deleted member 26725]

I have watched that anime where the MC asked to make her abilities average, but she became average among ALL beings rather than just among humans.
I initially was going to ask that, but I thought of something better: What if you reincarnated with your abilities balanced instead of being reincarnated weak, strong or average?

 

[Deleted member 58005]

Mc's are supposed to be different, whether they be weak or strong. That's what makes them unlike the majority. If I was balanced, I hope I had a distinct and interesting personality at least, something that keeps me out of the norm.

 

[DarkeReises]

I have watched that anime where the MC asked to make her abilities average, but she became average among ALL beings rather than just among humans.
I initially was going to ask that, but I thought of something better: What if you reincarnated with your abilities balanced instead of being reincarnated weak, strong or average?

By balanced do you mean everything equal or stronger magic = weaker physical kinda stuff?

If equal balance, then if everything was increased to be equal to my highest stat, including all forms of hidden stats(essentially each and every individual aspect of my existence) then I'd become a god through the sheer level of my insanity and horniness. Now someone give me a cool god name/moniker(i.e God of {blank}) that fits that

 

[Lloyd]

I would rather the MC abilities be actually balanced. I like the idea of the MC being just like everyone else without OP super abilities. I tried to do that with my MC by giving him support abilities rather than high stats or powerful skills. Personally I prefer the MC's toolkit to be of similar strength to his enemies, if not downright weaker/worse. I don't see the point of having fights in a story just be trivial. MCs need a challenge.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I would rather the MC abilities be actually balanced. I like the idea of the MC being just like everyone else without OP super abilities. I tried to do that with my MC by giving him support abilities rather than high stats or powerful skills. Personally I prefer the MC's toolkit to be of similar strength to his enemies, if not downright weaker/worse. I don't see the point of having fights in a story just be trivial. MCs need a challenge.

And then you make MC so average that he can only win via his plot armor.

 

[Discount_Blade]

I would rather the MC abilities be actually balanced. I like the idea of the MC being just like everyone else without OP super abilities. I tried to do that with my MC by giving him support abilities rather than high stats or powerful skills. Personally I prefer the MC's toolkit to be of similar strength to his enemies, if not downright weaker/worse. I don't see the point of having fights in a story just be trivial. MCs need a challenge.

If we follow this logic, then the MC would basically only ever win via plot armor or asspulls or the typical awful shounen recipe of "muh fwiendship" or "muh feelings".

Sounds absolutely terrible, and is the main reason I avoid shounen like the plague.

 

[Zirrboy]

And then you make MC so average that he can only win via his plot armor.

Speaking from experience, heh?

But yes, if an allegedly average character still steamrolls everything put in their way because there's no other to save the day, it just becomes unbelievable. (This isn't coined towards either of you two's stories, I haven't read them)
If not, you need to account for many more agents than a superhero vs villain story would have to, as the MC's scope of action is unlikely to be exclusively their own.

 

[Akivien]

Even the strongest falls into mediocrety

 

[Forgotten_One]

By balanced do you mean everything equal or stronger magic = weaker physical kinda stuff?

If equal balance, then if everything was increased to be equal to my highest stat, including all forms of hidden stats(essentially each and every individual aspect of my existence) then I'd become a god through the sheer level of my insanity and horniness. Now someone give me a cool god name/moniker(i.e God of {blank}) that fits that

"Annoying over powered fuck" there you go. Your god moniker. you dont have a church... if you dont like it how about "God of depravity"

 

[Lloyd]

If we follow this logic, then the MC would basically only ever win via plot armor or asspulls or the typical awful shounen recipe of "muh fwiendship" or "muh feelings".

Sounds absolutely terrible, and is the main reason I avoid shounen like the plague.

Not really. All the MC would need to do is outsmart his opponent. It would be more akin to a non-battle shonen like death note or promised neverland or something. In fact even something like Jojo or HxH uses balanced powers to an extent.

 

[Aureoled]

Well im guessing youre saying the average stats of the said gender (ie: all 10), if i was in that situation, i probably would first make myself famous with my knowledge from earth and gain wealth to hire guards to protect myself, then i would probably laze around eating mango every day (i love mangos, especially apple mangos)

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Speaking from experience, heh?

But yes, if an allegedly average character still steamrolls everything put in their way because there's no other to save the day, it just becomes unbelievable. (This isn't coined towards either of you two's stories, I haven't read them)
If not, you need to account for many more agents than a superhero vs villain story would have to, as the MC's scope of action is unlikely to be exclusively their own.

Yeah. Almost every Chinese cultivation novel is like that. Except they take it one step further. Chinese make their MCs not average but weaker than most characters. And those 'weak' MCs still stomp on everyone because plot armor always wins.

 

[Armored99]

I have watched that anime where the MC asked to make her abilities average, but she became average among ALL beings rather than just among humans.
I initially was going to ask that, but I thought of something better: What if you reincarnated with your abilities balanced instead of being reincarnated weak, strong or average?

I originally came across that when it was just a manga and I found it incredibly stupid. Like it always picked the best two things and averaged between them. Like the average between human and dragon magic capacity. OK what about the ten billion different insects that inhabit the world I'm sure they're magic capacity would tip the scale far into the opposite direction. The story gave a premise and broke it immediately, which is why I find it most horrid.

 

[Leyligne]

OP or balanced, it’s the ‘reincarnated’ bit that makes the MC the MC. Different soul, different morals and ideas. Some of my favorites are stories where it’s the different way the MC thinks that drives the plot. Even if they end up OP later on. (A certain bookworm comes to mind.)

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Write the story you want to read, and someone else will also love it.

 

[ElijahRyne]

I have watched that anime where the MC asked to make her abilities average, but she became average among ALL beings rather than just among humans.
I initially was going to ask that, but I thought of something better: What if you reincarnated with your abilities balanced instead of being reincarnated weak, strong or average?

Depends on how you find the balance. Bacteria, protists, and insects vast outnumber humans and all mammals while having simple to no mind. So if I were to be balanced, I would put limits on what is selected. If I were pure average for all humans, I would have been born in or nearby China, so that is another thing to look at. I would also want to know if I start average, or if I am updated as an average changes.

If my world of reincarnation has magic of any sort, I will first try to maximize my learning capabilities, but if that doesn’t help I would go for balanced.

Stats
If average human has 1-5 in all stats with an extra 10 points. The human average in each stat is 4, and max is 10.

Intelligence, Strength, Flexibility, Learning Speed, Battle sense, Stealth, Speed, Charisma, Wisdom, Perception, Survival skills, Intuition, and Luck

Sci-Fi
I go for max learning
Horror
I go for survival skills and perception
Thriller
I go for high balanced. I would take a mix of 6’s and 7’s over specialization.
Romance
Just make me average
Western
Perception, Speed, and Intuition must be increased.
Drama
Max out stealth
Slice of life
increase Flexibility, Speed, and learning speed
Shounen
Increase my battle sense

 

[DarkeReises]

If we follow this logic, then the MC would basically only ever win via plot armor or asspulls or the typical awful shounen recipe of "muh fwiendship" or "muh feelings".

Sounds absolutely terrible, and is the main reason I avoid shounen like the plague.

Yeah. Pretty much.
Having the mc be weaker or same strength as their enemies... Is just stupid. Have the mc be a hard worker that trains to keep his strength above his peers and foes so he can actually win. You can still write an average mc by doing that, and avoid giving the mc any protagonist powers, but then the scope of the plot also narrows. MC won't be having any battles against dragons, maybe some nation to nation wars, not even interracial ones, and that's about it. That's in the case of a fantasy novel.

One thing writing requires a lot of, in my opinion, is balance and compromise. I think a story with a truly average mc is possible, but I frankly don't think it will be enjoyable for readers, as the plot would have to be mundane for there to not be 2 mile thick plot armor if it's fantasy, and i think the "i want to be average but i can kill a god with my barehands" trope I'd eat overused. Make it comedy or do something real special if that's the route you're going.