What exactly makes a LitRPG?

[Elmir_Arch-Ham_of_Omega]

Does it need an info card whenever the MC and his party obtain new skills or equipment?

 

[Deleted member 166076]

So there's actually both Gamelit and LitRPG that have game elements. RR defines Gamelit as "novels set in game-like worlds of any game genre. Does not need to heavily focus on visual statistics." Meanwhile they define LitRPG as "novels where linear progression, such as levels, are main themes of the story. Almost always shows stat boxes, EXP gain, and other notifications." This isn't RR, but they're a big name site for LitRPG and their definitions are helpful, so there you go.

On a personal note, I wouldn't use stat boxes every single chapter. You don't want to show off the same stat boxes every time a minor change happens, just when major changes are made, they are first introduced, or it has been a while and a refresher would be good for the readers.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Does it need an info card whenever the MC and his party obtain new skills or equipment?

It doesn't need any visual indicator. That's just common practice.

Also, not every story that has stat boxes count as LitRPG. It's very difficult for it to not be though.

 

[Tempokai]

A genre where everyone takes imaginary numbers seriously and oftentimes just ignore it because it's imaginary numbers and shenanigans ensue

 

[LilRora]

There's a lot of ways to approach LitRPGs, but game-like systems are by far the most common one. There are many different ways to write a system though.

What you call an info card, I assume that's something like the pop-ups or character panel in most games with item or character stats and a number of other information depending on game and subject like rarity or condition or status effects. Those can be used, but they're absolutely not necessary, especially in regards to items.

A few examples you can check out (I'm not sure whether or not they are on Scribble, if not then RoyalRoad) are Infrasound Berserker, Ghost in the City, Everlast Online, or Stray Cat Strut. All of them are LitRPGs and have many things in common, but their approach to the genre is completely different.

 

[BearlyAlive]

You just need an RPG and burn it.

Oh, you mean the genre? Just like the current need for games to include open worlds, status screens, and levels no matter what, there has been a movement of web novels where writers copy the dragon quest status screen in an attempt to reduce descriptions of character feats down to a simple number. This is what is now referred to as litRPG, a genre where authors gamify the setting or worldbuilding of their stories. Be it full-on status screens with levels, classes, skills, titles, and whatever else the author might stuff in, to matrix-like worlds that are ruled by some computer-like entity that likes to quantify things to (magical) abilities with linear progression. All of them could be counted as "litRPG" among other things.

 

[ACertainPassingUser]

The existence of System

That's about it.

Every chinese story with system qualifies as LitRPG, despite the massive difference in plot, morality, culture, and tones in comparison to western LitRPG

They still qualify as LitRPG.

 

[Elmir_Arch-Ham_of_Omega]

Wait so, what if there is no "system" or "admin voice" or disembodied goddess voices, and the Info Cards are strictly for the readers only... would that count?

 

[uxel]

As mentioned any story that tries to quantify progress/strength into levels/exp/stats etc is a litrpg.

I do not think a strict magical fantasy setting would fall under litrpg even tho depending on the setting "learning magic" might feel a bit gamey. But unless its fully quantified with hard numbers i dont think it counts as litrpg.

A hypothetical "isekai" into skyrim for example would not be a litrpg unless you also take skyrims gamey systems along. You could very well write a non litrpg where isekaied person goes about and learns skyrims spells the "old fashioned" way and as long as no numbers are thrown around its not a litrpg in my opinion.

Wait so, what if there is no "system" or "admin voice" or disembodied goddess voices, and the Info Cards are strictly for the readers only... would that count?

I guess if you post character sheet like info but the story itself remains completely oblivious to the existance of them then thats fine. I believe a lot of japanese light novels that I definetly would not classify as litrpg do provide stats in their character cards.

If you were to not post them and the story would still remain completely coherent and valid then in my opinion all your doing is posting character cards a lot. Not necesarrily something id apreciate as a reader tho.

 

[rain-090]

If it has blue box is litrpg, if no blue box no litrpg.

This is final word as spoken by god.

 

[Lloyd]

Literature with RPG elements

 

[GlassRose]

So there's actually both Gamelit and LitRPG that have game elements. RR defines Gamelit as "novels set in game-like worlds of any game genre. Does not need to heavily focus on visual statistics." Meanwhile they define LitRPG as "novels where linear progression, such as levels, are main themes of the story. Almost always shows stat boxes, EXP gain, and other notifications." This isn't RR, but they're a big name site for LitRPG and their definitions are helpful, so there you go.

On a personal note, I wouldn't use stat boxes every single chapter. You don't want to show off the same stat boxes every time a minor change happens, just when major changes are made, they are first introduced, or it has been a while and a refresher would be good for the readers.

Agreed. Side note, I personally like it when the MC's status screen is in a collapsed box, like a spoiler box, at the end of chapters where it isn't shown, just in case I have a question about something, so I don't have to hunt through past chapters trying to find the last time it was shown. Also might help keep track of small changes.

 

[Elmir_Arch-Ham_of_Omega]

Thanks for all the info! Guess the last one I was working wasn't a real LitRPG since it was just some info cards.

Agreed. Side note, I personally like it when the MC's status screen is in a collapsed box, like a spoiler box, at the end of chapters where it isn't shown, just in case I have a question about something, so I don't have to hunt through past chapters trying to find the last time it was shown. Also might help keep track of small changes.

Thanks for the idea! I'll do just that, collapsible boxes it is!

 

[PancakesWitch]

the game-like approach doesnt even need to have an actual game system, it can be runes that showcase information into your mind through numbrs and letters (and more runes), it can be tattoos written into the main character's skin, it can even be through phones or technological objects that showcase quantiative progress. even something like a cultivation story with a "soul record" ehere the main character can see their progress through numbers, tehcniques, skills, and so on can be counted as litRPG. i think its only gamelit when it doesnt show any of this important information at all, but these powers and how people progress are ever present. like a world where you can level up and gain skills but you can't see your stats or skill list but you just "know" how strong you are.

 

[Cipiteca396]

i think its only gamelit when it doesnt show any of this important information at all, but these powers and how people progress are ever present.

Nah, GameLit is when the characters are in a literal game, like a VRMMO story.

 

[Gryphon]

Bad math and middle school horniness.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

So... hypothetical. Two of the dozen or so stories I am working on (so far have only shared one anywhere) are as follows:

Tumbleweeds: The main character is executed for being a vigilante in this world, wakes up in a world that looks like a Hollywood Western, with a Virtual Interface Command Console giving advice and game stats - and it informs him that he is literally inside a virtual reality game. No "stat cards" are shown, though, just references when his abilities improve (and some visual effects when he triggers special abilities).

Between Worlds: A gamer discovers that he is a wizard in another world. He finds ways to "bounce" between the worlds (something the initial Big Bad Guy has been doing for two decades already), has a "Heads Up Display" he accesses to cast spells... and, in the current chapters I'm working on, he is back in his world, with two friends and two "NPCs" playing in an RPG session set on the other world (and GMed by the Big Bad).

Now would either of these be LitRPG or just GameLit? Or do I have one of each going on?

 

[Deleted member 166076]

So... hypothetical. Two of the dozen or so stories I am working on (so far have only shared one anywhere) are as follows:

Tumbleweeds: The main character is executed for being a vigilante in this world, wakes up in a world that looks like a Hollywood Western, with a Virtual Interface Command Console giving advice and game stats - and it informs him that he is literally inside a virtual reality game. No "stat cards" are shown, though, just references when his abilities improve (and some visual effects when he triggers special abilities).

Between Worlds: A gamer discovers that he is a wizard in another world. He finds ways to "bounce" between the worlds (something the initial Big Bad Guy has been doing for two decades already), has a "Heads Up Display" he accesses to cast spells... and, in the current chapters I'm working on, he is back in his world, with two friends and two "NPCs" playing in an RPG session set on the other world (and GMed by the Big Bad).

Now would either of these be LitRPG or just GameLit? Or do I have one of each going on?

Pretty sure both of your stories are both LitRPG and Gamelit. So, generally, anything with stat boxes is LitRPG and anything that involves anything related to games is Gamelit.

My "Her Beasts" series is gamelit, but its debatable whether it is LitRPG. It has a system, but there is no leveling or progression to it. The MC gets quests and rewards and has access to a shop feature, but she can't increase any stats, there's no significant numbers involved, etc. Meanwhile, my two dungeon series don't have levels, but there are floors to unlock in the dungeon and there is a resource management system, research feature, quests with rewards, etc. Plus, technically adventurers level up, just not the dungeon masters, which is what the MCs are. So, these would fall under both gamelit, since it's very reminiscent of games, and LitRPG since there is a whole system with rules and progression to it, even if there isn't EXP points involved. I hope this helps make things clearer for you!

Nah, GameLit is when the characters are in a literal game, like a VRMMO story.

That's not how that works. Even Google offers this definition

"GameLit is any story that has game mechanics that are important to the plot. It's a new and emerging genre that's really fun for a nerd like me to explore. Overall it contains multiple sub-genres, one of which is LitRPG. LitRPG is similar to GameLit, but it's a little more restrictive."

For another definition, I supplied RoyalRoad's in my initial comment towards the beginning of the thread. Neither definition says it has to be a literal game. Just that there are game mechanics involved.

Wait so, what if there is no "system" or "admin voice" or disembodied goddess voices, and the Info Cards are strictly for the readers only... would that count?

No, that would just be a character sheet used for information purposes, it wouldn't relate to the genre itself.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I'm very glad to see this thread, by the way - until I saw how many things are tagged as LitRPG, I was under the impression that the genre was more akin to the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books with the "reader" playing a character with stats and mechanics to determine outcomes (and what "page" you jump to next), rather than just a work of literature using RPG-like structures.

 

[Cipiteca396]

I'm very glad to see this thread, by the way - until I saw how many things are tagged as LitRPG, I was under the impression that the genre was more akin to the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books with the "reader" playing a character with stats and mechanics to determine outcomes (and what "page" you jump to next), rather than just a work of literature using RPG-like structures.

That's GameBook~!

Even Google offers this definition:
"...that's really fun for a nerd like me to explore..."

Since when does google anthropomorphize itself? AI Generated Overview? /s

More seriously, there are so many conflicting definitions that it's not even worth trying to nitpick someone else's. I usually use Wikipedia's, or ScribbleHub's since we're currently ON Scribblehub.