What’s a pet peeve of your’s in stories? How would you make it bearable?

[RootBeerBert]

I honestly hate when I’m reading a fic and I see the Gamer’s Mind, it’s basically a free “get out of a mental breakdown” card for the author to justify the protagonist not turning into mush in life-or-death situations. I get why authors use it, depending on the protagonist’s background and/or the story they’re writing, it’d be hard to progress the plot in a way that makes sense without suspending belief. But it feels so lazy, and either takes away from emotional moments by turning the protagonist into a robot or contradicts itself by having the protagonist lose their calm. There’s only one fic I’ve read that’s actually explored the ability and why always staying calm and logical isn’t a good thing. I’d change this ability to work in combat situations only.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

Level systems.
One-dimensional characters.
Adventurers' guilds.

How do I make it better imo? I removed those.

 

[BLIGHT_ZERO]

I honestly hate when I’m reading a fic and I see the Gamer’s Mind, it’s basically a free “get out of a mental breakdown” card for the author to justify the protagonist not turning into mush in life-or-death situations. I get why authors use it, depending on the protagonist’s background and/or the story they’re writing, it’d be hard to progress the plot in a way that makes sense without suspending belief. But it feels so lazy, and either takes away from emotional moments by turning the protagonist into a robot or contradicts itself by having the protagonist lose their calm. There’s only one fic I’ve read that’s actually explored the ability and why always staying calm and logical isn’t a good thing. I’d change this ability to work in combat situations only.

bro i hate that shit. Life bro, you just saw someone DIE and your like a 20 year old virgin leaving in their parents house. They should be having ptsd and shit but no, they just have some sort of system bullshit that cops them out of actual trauma and dealing with that

 

[ThrillingHuman]

Plush cacti. Alcohol. No, will not elaborate.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

The first time I encountered "the Gamer's Mind" it was refreshing (it was a horror novel, I think a Stephen King one, where the MC tells someone about the unbelievable crap he encountered and they are just kind of blase about it; "Yeah, kind of suspected that was going to happen") - and liked it enough to write it into a character (Between Worlds). It does seem very overdone these days, though, but was cool back around 1990 when I first encountered it.

 

[John_Owl]

Level systems.
One-dimensional characters.
Adventurers' guilds.

How do I make it better imo? I removed those.

I dislike level systems in the sense that it's too overdone. Chapter 1, MC is level 1. Chapter 5, MC is level 99999999. Like no, slow down. That's not how leveling in a game works. Stop using glitches, you hacker.

In one of mine, I do use both a leveling system and adventurer's guilds, but more as background details than the focus of the story. Two Faces, the MC is a monster that just gained sentience at the start of chapter 1. That's literally how the reader is introduced to the world, as the monster is a changeling, so the reader can input themselves. I use the adventurer's guild as a way for them to get to know the world from a more "human" perspective. As for levels... Most of the situations i've used in the story can't be solved with brute force. You've got tree monsters that heal almost immediately from most damage? Can't just brute force your way through that. Gotta get crafty. Need to operate on a person to remove a tumor to save her life? Can't brute force that, need precision. So it always comes down to clever ways to use skills. MC *DOES* have a level, but more as just a background detail. 90% of their powering up is devouring new monsters to learn their skills. which I feel is the right way to use it - it adds flavor, NOT a convenient plot device to explain being massively OP.

I honestly hate when I’m reading a fic and I see the Gamer’s Mind, it’s basically a free “get out of a mental breakdown” card for the author to justify the protagonist not turning into mush in life-or-death situations.

as for my pet peeves... I'd say bad grammer. Grammarly is free, but I can't tell you how many potentially promising stories I've started and dropped less than a paragraph in because the first paragraph is like "anb bun dae de Hiro valkedtoooo da ster da bee a sphoda..." or when "authors" use shorthand text lingo in a narrative that specifically isn't text conversations. I've read many that the writer used "u" instead of "you" in narration. I can give it an easy pass if it's in text, even if it doesn't fit the character (I don't know many 90 year olds that text, and I know even fewer that use l33t or text shorthand, but know what? I'll give it a pass. it's a VERY modern-thinking 90 year old).

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

@John_Owl my issues with level systems stem from my overall dislike for the litRPG genre, mainly because level systems aren't a sign that the character is human. And there are lots of stories where level system is not really needed, or just added liability to story telling. Not to mention, an easy way out of the tedious character development parts.

Adventurer guilds because it's overdone. And there's the mercenary, too, which is more realistic than an 'adventurer'. Imo, adventurer is just your fantasy story 'glorified' mercenary.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

MC that's as dense as the MC in Alya. Basically any blue balling romance.

 

[BLIGHT_ZERO]

MC that's as dense as the MC in Alya. Basically any blue balling romance.

gonna copy and paste what I said to another dude.

 

[John_Owl]

@John_Owl my issues with level systems stem from my overall dislike for the litRPG genre, mainly because level systems aren't a sign that the character is human. And there are lots of stories where level system is not really needed, or just added liability to story telling. Not to mention, an easy way out of the tedious character development parts.

Adventurer guilds because it's overdone. And there's the mercenary, too, which is more realistic than an 'adventurer'. Imo, adventurer is just your fantasy story 'glorified' mercenary.

leveling systems, I do agree. that's why I use it in as a background detail. It's tedious to keep track, but I wanted a system that's a reincarnation (rather than typical reincarnated humans or monsters), and having a level system with systemic magic (the status screen magic) seems to go hand-in-hand rather nicely. And in mine, MC literally isn't human, so that's not really a concern.

And yeah, adventurers are just mercenaries. But I usually think of adventurers as PvE hires, while Mercenaries are PvP hires. You'd hire mercenaries in a litRPG to fight other sentient beings. you'd hire adventurers to go fight monsters or beasts. Obviously not a perfect rule for all media, but it's a good rule of thumb. Basically, I view adventurers as the handimen of fantasy worlds. You've got plumbers, electricians, adventurers, carpenters, mechanics, etc.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

leveling systems, I do agree. that's why I use it in as a background detail. It's tedious to keep track, but I wanted a system that's a reincarnation (rather than typical reincarnated humans or monsters), and having a level system with systemic magic (the status screen magic) seems to go hand-in-hand rather nicely. And in mine, MC literally isn't human, so that's not really a concern.

And yeah, adventurers are just mercenaries. But I usually think of adventurers as PvE hires, while Mercenaries are PvP hires. You'd hire mercenaries in a litRPG to fight other sentient beings. you'd hire adventurers to go fight monsters or beasts. Obviously not a perfect rule for all media, but it's a good rule of thumb. Basically, I view adventurers as the handimen of fantasy worlds. You've got plumbers, electricians, adventurers, carpenters, mechanics, etc.

Nah, my views on mercs reflect the real life motivations for being a merc: guy is bored, and/or needs money, and is looking for adventure, hence he joins a mercenary company.

While there are no problems with both our definitions (yours is game definition, mine is real life), I just find the use of adventurers too stale and overused nowadays.

In leveling systems, I have no issues if it's non-human. Problem is, many stories I read feature level systems and a supposedly human character. It didn't help that it was one way of a lazy author to skirt around writing on the conditions that will lead to character development.

Like, I wanna be charismatic. So, instead of me changing my bad behavior, I'll just level up my stats.

 

[John_Owl]

Nah, my views on mercs reflect the real life motivations for being a merc: guy is bored, and/or needs money, and is looking for adventure, hence he joins a mercenary company.

While there are no problems with both our definitions (yours is game definition, mine is real life), I just find the use of adventurers too stale and overused nowadays.

In leveling systems, I have no issues if it's non-human. Problem is, many stories I read feature level systems and a supposedly human character. It didn't help that it was one way of a lazy author to skirt around writing on the conditions that will lead to character development.

Like, I wanna be charismatic. So, instead of me changing my bad behavior, I'll just level up my stats.

I can see your point with both. For mercs, If the world is supposed to be a game, I feel game-esque properties are appropriate. But if someone is coming from our world, it does seem more realistic that the transferee wouldn't be able to use it, or, in the case of trans-world reincarnation, wouldn't have some innate understanding of it. I've been a gamer for decades, but it still takes me a few days to catch onto the menu system of new games.

For leveling systems, I do agree that that is a common pitfall. I'd rather see genuine character development. It wouldn't be so bad if the leveling system was in tandem with character development, but most authors seem to focus too heavily on one or the other, rather than both. Admittedly, I could likely focus a LITTLE more on my leveling system, but eh, as I said, it's just there for flavor. To give the reader some general understanding of strength-scale. I also use adventurer ranks, which, while overdone in it's own right, I use similarly. Changelings are low ranked monsters, so seeing them achieve sentience is weird. weirder still when you consider MC is only level 8 but S class in power (ranks in my world consider ALL variables. kind of a meta-bit. It's where the reader's expectations should be for things MC will be facing and their ability to get through it).

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

I can see your point with both. For mercs, If the world is supposed to be a game, I feel game-esque properties are appropriate. But if someone is coming from our world, it does seem more realistic that the transferee wouldn't be able to use it, or, in the case of trans-world reincarnation, wouldn't have some innate understanding of it. I've been a gamer for decades, but it still takes me a few days to catch onto the menu system of new games.

For leveling systems, I do agree that that is a common pitfall. I'd rather see genuine character development. It wouldn't be so bad if the leveling system was in tandem with character development, but most authors seem to focus too heavily on one or the other, rather than both. Admittedly, I could likely focus a LITTLE more on my leveling system, but eh, as I said, it's just there for flavor. To give the reader some general understanding of strength-scale. I also use adventurer ranks, which, while overdone in it's own right, I use similarly. Changelings are low ranked monsters, so seeing them achieve sentience is weird. weirder still when you consider MC is only level 8 but S class in power (ranks in my world consider ALL variables. kind of a meta-bit. It's where the reader's expectations should be for things MC will be facing and their ability to get through it).

Yeah true. Focusing too much on the leveling system when you're supposed to be writing a story will only please nerds like me, and might turn off a potential normie reader.

 

[kiss-my-axe]

Romance and harem. I hate this shit. Whenever these genre are in the novel's tag I know somewhere down the line protags are gonna make dumb decisions in name of "romance" or beautiful + highly capable girls will be going crazy to empty protags balls for no reason. They will watch the "love of their life" laying in someone else's arm and decide to get along with the "new sister/comrade" as if its the most natural thing in the world.

I personally never read any Harem books anymore. Romance is still bearable but if things start getting too stupid for me I drop the shit.

 

[Zinless]

Romance and harem. I hate this shit. Whenever these genre are in the novel's tag I know somewhere down the line protags are gonna make dumb decisions in name of "romance" or beautiful + highly capable girls will be going crazy to empty protags balls for no reason.

You're reading the wrong type of romance stories.


My personal pet peeve is when the protagonist has absolutely no empathy. Some authors could make a protagonist like that interesting, but most ended up making their protagonists edgy af. Authors who are bad at making this type of protagonist just makes every other character, especially the antagonists, insufferable or cartoonishly evil.

For example, a story that I had read recently. The protagonist was in an adventuring party, adventured with them for years and built a deep bond. One of the party members happened to embezzle the party's fund to go gambling. Protagonist's solution? Send her to slavery.

Like, I get it, it's supposed to be a "I'm done with bullshit" or a "snap" moment, but it just sound ridiculous at times. No build up, evil for the sake of evil, cruel for the sake of being cruel, shock value, I keep seeing these things in "non-emphatetic" protagonists and I'm a bit sick with reading comments from people saying how badass the protagonist is for being an asshole.

As for how I would make it bearable, add a little humanity to the protagonist, just a little bit. Make them believable for once.

 

[Iceheart]

Misunderstandings. Especially ones that could have been solved with a 5 minute talk if one party was willing to hear the other out. On the one hand its a lazy and unimaginative way to make the plot progress. On the other when its done in the right setting and the right way it can be a very enjoyable read. Unfortunately, the large majority just uses it as a cheap and convenient plot device.

 

[Puji-Maki]

Harem.

 

[IdleYoungMaster]

Overdone conflicts, be it in a slice-of-life (misunderstandings) or action fantasy (where conflicts extend for a long time without any believable reasons). If there are a good explanation/build-up that wipes my frustrations with the said two reasons above, I might be fine with it. Otherwise, it becomes annoying.

 

[Corty]

• Hiding the MC's power or identity.
• Misunderstandings
• Gaining new skills after every encounter
• Letting bad guys go
• Forgiving baddies because friendship and the cycle of hate must be broken nonsense
• Reaching the top of the power scaling just so it turns out there is another new level that never was mentioned restarting it all

Solution:

I just don't do these tropes.

 

[K_Jira]

Amnesia.

It's fine if it's the concept and happens in the beginning of the story. But if it's in the middle, it gives off the impression that the author doesn't have any more idea on what to do with the plot and adds it in just to prolong / stall time. I'd rather they just wrap the story up with a neat red bow.