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The Gamer Discussion, Fic Ideas, and Recommendation Thread

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You know what we need? More stories where the protagonist with the Gamer powers isn't much of a gamer at all, a casual at best and clueless at worst. Where they dont make pro gamer or munchkin decisions but ones that fit thier situation and taste.

The best example of this I can think of is a Familiar of Zero crossover on SV where instead of summoning a familiar Louise gains Gamer powers from the explosion. She reasonably believes shes going insane.

Shield Hero too, I think. He's at least not as much of a gamer as the other 3.


Any other fics, stories, or novels anyone else can think of?
 
TheDivineDemon said:
You know what we need? More stories where the protagonist with the Gamer powers isn't much of a gamer at all, a casual at best and clueless at worst. Where they dont make pro gamer or munchkin decisions but ones that fit thier situation and taste.

The best example of this I can think of is a Familiar of Zero crossover on SV where instead of summoning a familiar Louise gains Gamer powers from the explosion. She reasonably believes shes going insane.

Shield Hero too, I think. He's at least not as much of a gamer as the other 3.


Any other fics, stories, or novels anyone else can think of?
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Over at SB there's "A bad name" (I think, just lazy right now), where a junkie gets Gamer powers.
 
What would you call a story with Gamer like powers that isn't based on the Ganer? Like, what subgenre would things like Solo Leveling and I Am the Sorcerer King be?

Is there a name for it?
 
There are also System novels. Where the MC has a Game like System, but is not a Game Character.
 
So, the Gamer is pretty classless, and it has a One True Build in the form of the INT/Mage build.
This is because the only way to get more MP is to raise INT, and MP is needed for all skills, including those for ""warrior" skills.
Thus, a warrior must have twice the stat points to be as effective as a mage, since they must raise INT and STR.
In addition, Webcomic!Gamer magic, and those that copy it, is ridiculously powerful, versatile, and adaptable. A mage can make themselves stronger and faster with spells. And being good at one type of magic means that you can do any other sort of magic.

So, first, to fix the OTB problem, move MP, HP, and SP (if your system has that) to one stat - END/Endurance. This stat only affects the size and absolute regen of the pools. It becomes an important stat for any build, but cannot be the only stat in the build.

Next, fix the omni-mage problem by not having INT and WIS, but instead having schools of magic as the "stats" for magic. So if you put a bajillion points in "destruction" you won't be any better at healing people or locating magic traps or whatever. It gives the readers some sense of what the characters can do, and what they can pull out of their sleeves.

So, physical stat proposal, based on what I just said:
END/Endurance: Determines size of resource pools, and absolute regen rates.
STR/Strength: Determines power of physical attacks.
AGI/Agility: Determines movement speed and reflexes, but not thinking speed.
DEX/Dexterity: Determines control over movements, maybe also tied into senses?

As for school stats, I'm thinking about using the D&D schools as a starting point.
Article:
Abjuration: Spells that protect, block, or banish. An abjuration specialist is called an abjurer.

Conjuration: Spells that bring creatures or materials to the caster. A conjuration specialist is called a conjurer.

Divination: Spells that reveal information. A divination specialist is called a diviner. Unlike the other specialists, a diviner must give up only one other school.

Enchantment: Spells that imbue the recipient with some property or grant the caster power over another being. An enchantment specialist is called an enchanter.

Evocation: Spells that manipulate energy or create something from nothing. An evocation specialist is called an evoker.

Illusion: Spells that alter perception or create false images. An illusion specialist is called an illusionist.

Necromancy: Spells that manipulate, create, or destroy life or life force. A necromancy specialist is called a necromancer.

Transmutation: Spells that transform the recipient physically or change its properties in a more subtle way. A transmutation specialist is called a transmuter.
 
So, one thing I liked about Moonlite Sculpture was how non combat skills could give boost to combat ones. Like how working on sculpting gave him increased strength in the wrist ir so.thing like that. I would love to see more systems use that.

Like:
Cooking - Increased proficiency with knives, minor heat resistance, posion identification

Blacksmithing - arm strength increase, increase in hammer proficiency, identification in flaws in metals such as armor/weapons

Ect

What are some you can think of?
 
TheDivineDemon said:
So, one thing I liked about Moonlite Sculpture was how non combat skills could give boost to combat ones. Like how working on sculpting gave him increased strength in the wrist ir so.thing like that. I would love to see more systems use that.

Like:
Cooking - Increased proficiency with knives, minor heat resistance, posion identification

Blacksmithing - arm strength increase, increase in hammer proficiency, identification in flaws in metals such as armor/weapons

Ect

What are some you can think of?
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Sewing: precision, dexterity, enchantments.

painting: better illusions, focus, control.

baking: alchemy, precision, strength.

carving: enchantments, dexterity, endurance
 
So...our server started out as a gathering place for dungeon fic writers, and after a while when some of out members started to write other fics, we decided to just turn the server into a place where royalroad writers can bounce ideas and ask for proofreading if their betas aren't available. It's not an exclusive club or anything, we just randomly invite people who's fics we like. The server is mostly filled with royalroad writers and readers, so I think they could help some of you guys to iron out the kinks in your systems since most of the fics use one. All you guys are invited.
Here's the link btw:
Join the Writer's Alliance! Discord Server!
 
Okay, I'm working on a Gamer Urban Fantasy story for Nanowrimo and the system for said story has kinda been put to the side as I hammer out plot and character. Hell, right now it feels like bullet points. Anyways, I could use some advice and pointers to develop it, if people dont mind too much.


The quick and dirty:

(Quick note: Magic in this setting is in part how much mana/aether/magic you can take in from the environment and how well your body can handle it. Stress to body can be midegated by ethier a strong/healthy body or a keen mind, or can be powered through with a strong will)

Stats are all based on things a person can improve:
  • Strength- Physical prowess, muscle power. (Modifier for physical skills)
  • Vitality- Health, constitution, healing, endurance. (Modifier for various skills and amount of magic able to handle)
  • Dexterity- Agility, fine motor skills, reflexes, kinesthetic. (Modifier for various skills)

  • Intelligence- Processing of information, pattern recognition, memorization. (Modifier for magic, modifier for aim)
  • Willpower- Self fortitude, Determination, confidence. (Magic/skill power and potency, energy pool)
*some Gamers can unlock new stats by certain feats, whether extreme or repeated*

5 stat points per level, no autostats.




Menu includes:
Stats
Abilities
Quests
*inventory* (debating making storage a skill)



Class - A specialization that will help develop certain skills. Created/earned by feats and used skills. (Wizard, Monster Tamer, Cultivator, ect)

Title - A bonus effect given after reaching a certain threshold or achieving a certain feat. (Dragon Slayer, Olympian, War Chief, ect)



How are skills gained: several ways
  1. Natural learned skills. Examples being martial arts, first aid, and learning an instrument. With practice and mana they can take these outside the human norm. (Slow, reliable)

  2. Downloads. Dismantling existing data to create a low level skill to improve. Data can be books or video games. (Quick but incomplete knowledge, a boxer who never spared)

  3. Copying. Through observation and inclination the system will help guide the gamers into copying monster abilities. (Slow, dangerous, but versatile)

Level can be increased by becoming more proficient in skills, like Skyrim, as it plays into he one who.created the system wants.


Common Gamer Skills:
  • Running/Parkour: allows for faster and longer lasting sprints
  • Tracking: able to hunt monsters
  • Healing/Durability/pain resistant abilities: things that mitigate damage

Limits compared to regular Gamer stories:
*no observe. Skills similar may pop up but none in the broken fashion of the Gamer*
*No ID create*
*No Gamer Body, though some skills can lead to a similar state*
*No Gamer Mind. Though Garners can earn stats that alter core personality *
*No drop system*
*No sleeping to be instant healed.*


Relevant note: There are over 150 Gamers in the story thought se onlybreally focos on one.



Help? What questions should I be asking myself?
 
If there are multiple gamers and you are adding inventories and other stuff. Add skills that are very difficult to acquire but work as a counter to shutdown gamer powers or affects. Like a skill to lock someone's inventory down. A skill to give someone wrong info about your status. A skill to negate certain buffs and passives. Stuff like that.
 
Reading Inspired Voyage by SIDoragon on SB got me to thinking of other types of powered characters that might work in ST and Gamer seemed like it could be real interesting, Voyager especially. The holodeck could be a legit replacement for the dungeon system, more interestingly if you get nerfed experience for essentially being in a no-harm scenario. The relatively slow nature with intermittent bouts of emergency action could lend towards a good character driven story pace. Say skill training in the holodeck rushes to an intermediate skill level (with some variance on type of skill i.e martial vs intellectual) but is a huge grind after that, maybe with some boost if working with another actual person.
 
I read an alternate to experience points for dungeons and dragons that I thought might be an interesting take on a gamer type power.

It's a challenge based system basically.

You can assign checks for using abilities, when an ability gets enough checks it levels up.

Say you are fighting goblins with a sword. You could give checks to your sword skill, or your strength, or your agility used to avoid attacks, or your hit dice for surviving a hit, or learning a sword trick or something, or give out a check to multiple abilities if the goblins are enough of a challenge to you.

The challenges don't have to be combat either, if it's hard enough you could get checks for picking a lock, using stealth, climbing a mountain, running a marathon, hacking past a firewall, treating an injury, etc, etc

But the number of checks given per challenge, or even if a scenario is challenging enough to give a check is determined by how big the challenge is for the character.

So no ability leveling off of a lone goblin when you can solo ancient dragons unless that goblin is powerful enough to still be a challenge to someone who can solo an ancient dragon.

To my thinking, this solves two potential problems for a gamer style fic.

Grinding is boring by itself, under this system you can only grind when there's a chance for failure, so this adds dramatic tension to grinding scenes.

And no playing it safe by turtling while one tries for apotheosis through rote repetition.
 
Question for the group: What are some of your favorite interpretations of Gamer/LitRPG systems?

Right now my two favorites are in the Wandering Inn and Spirit of the Gamer.

With the Wandering Inn everything is class based with no focos on stats. You can earn multiple classes though this could be a benefit or a hindrance depending on how the characters play it as (kinda spoiler) there is apparently a level cap based on the culmitive level of all your classes, meaning the more classes you have the less like you're going to be a high level anything. On the other hand, you can merge compatible classes to have the benefits/skills of both.


On the other hand Spirit of the Gamer is innovated not only with its Gem Reward system where different colored gems when crushed give different rewards (Red = Offensive skills, Green = Healing/Support skills, Yellow = items/money, ect) but how the stats are unique not only to the Gamer but to each member of the party. The protag has something like Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Energy for stats while one of his party members has stats like Dextierity and Faith.


Both of these are a breath of fresh air compared to the copy and paste of the Gamer's structure.


How about you guys? What are your current favorites?
 
TheDivineDemon said:
Question for the group: What are some of your favorite interpretations of Gamer/LitRPG systems?

Right now my two favorites are in the Wandering Inn and Spirit of the Gamer.

With the Wandering Inn everything is class based with no focos on stats. You can earn multiple classes though this could be a benefit or a hindrance depending on how the characters play it as (kinda spoiler) there is apparently a level cap based on the culmitive level of all your classes, meaning the more classes you have the less like you're going to be a high level anything. On the other hand, you can merge compatible classes to have the benefits/skills of both.


On the other hand Spirit of the Gamer is innovated not only with its Gem Reward system where different colored gems when crushed give different rewards (Red = Offensive skills, Green = Healing/Support skills, Yellow = items/money, ect) but how the stats are unique not only to the Gamer but to each member of the party. The protag has something like Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Energy for stats while one of his party members has stats like Dextierity and Faith.


Both of these are a breath of fresh air compared to the copy and paste of the Gamer's structure.


How about you guys? What are your current favorites?
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Spirit of the Gamer. I admit that I am a bit biased because I love anything that Stewart write, but I still think that it's better than Wandering Inn
 
Spirit of the Gamer for the reasons you gave.

A Bad Name for how it introduced all the classic elements of the gamer power in a way that will fit with Worm's Worldbuilding.
 
I'm pretty fond of the direction The Legend of Randidly Ghosthound is taking it's system. A simple base of stats and skills. Classes are a bit loose and aren't picked immediately. Leveling skills gives you points towards Paths, which are neat. Kind of like a vague perk tree.

But on top of all that, or down below it I guess, is a fully realized "this is how and why it works". Why the system exists, what it does, and why do we care? The recent-ish stuff about Images is super neat, and it all ties in to not just being an interesting system but to storytelling as well. 'Intent' and 'meaning' are two core parts of the system, and a core part of storytelling.
 
TheDivineDemon said:
So, one thing I liked about Moonlite Sculpture was how non combat skills could give boost to combat ones. Like how working on sculpting gave him increased strength in the wrist ir so.thing like that. I would love to see more systems use that.

Like:
Cooking - Increased proficiency with knives, minor heat resistance, posion identification

Blacksmithing - arm strength increase, increase in hammer proficiency, identification in flaws in metals such as armor/weapons

Ect

What are some you can think of?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
After discovering and loving Wabderung Inn I realized just how well this idea would apply to some Wandering Inn fanfiction
 
TheDivineDemon said:
After discovering and loving Wabderung Inn I realized just how well this idea would apply to some Wandering Inn fanfiction
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I want to go back to liking Wandering Inn so much but the Runner girl is just the bitchiest bitch under the sun and so fucking hyper competent at everything except not being a bitch. Even the explanation given for why she has just the right kind of info or life experience is as lazy as the worst DnD player "oh yeah, my dad has such and such job. I listened in sometimes when he spoke so that's why I should have +2 to negotiations...and speak/read fluent Hindi"
Inn girl is just the weirdest little mary sue in that she is actually terrible about most things but just so damn quirky everyone loves her and thinks she's just the bee's knees to the point a character gives their life for her but his boss also is so intrigued by inn girl they bring him back to life just for her.

I like Outer World's skill groupings and how levelling up the group levels everything in that group but only to a certain degree after which you level that specific skill. So "firearms" (i think) is the group which handles "small arms, long arms, and heavy weapons" up to fifty out of one hundred. Sighting, handling, and aiming are fairly standard across the lot but only to a degree.
 
So I've been thinking about writing a Gamer-esque multicross fanfiction, but the twist?

The Main Character is a formerly-human biological-based shapeshifter. Think like the Prototype series of games, where the MC gets biological improvements instead of skills or items. All of this would be under the GAMER DLC: PROTOTYPE system.

For the system changes, instead of skills and armor, there are Traits and Templates. Traits are noteworthy features from a given species, such as dexterous hands or chameleon skin. Templates are the overall shape and physiology from a species, such as humanoid (omnivorous) or quadruped (herbivorous). Templates give physical stats, traits give unique abilities, and both can level up. For most creatures, getting a basic genetic sample would unlock the template and most of the related traits, but some unique or rare creatures require actually defeating/killing the creature to get their stuff.

Some of the usual gamer stats would be there, but there would be a divide between 'physical' stats which could only come from Templates, and the 'mental' stats, which are part of the MC and are independant of the template. Physical stats are divided into 3 parts. Strength is how much muscle power they have, Agility is how quickly they can can move and react, and Endurance is how long the body can last with their stamina.

Each template would have a max limit for physical stats and traits, as well as bonuses for certain traits. A human Template would have a high Endurance limit, and bonuses to the traits of 'Handy', 'Communicative', and 'Socialization'. A tiger Template would have a high Agility limit, and the traits bonuses of 'Clawed', 'Predatory Bite', and 'Camouflage (Jungle)'.
Mental stats are also divided in threes. Intelligence changes what Templates and Traits can be used and how they can be modified. Willpower gives bonuses to physical stats, and some traits benefit from willpower instead of physical stats. Shaping is the final stat, and represents how effective the shape-shifting parts of the MC are. This includes shape shifting speed, trait compatibility, and how fast the MC can 'rediscover' templates and traits from previous universes.

Another mechanic (shamelessly stolen) lovingly homaged is the milestone system and have a choice of one of two passives related to a stat or trait once it reaches a certain level. As an example, the MC reaches 10 in Shaping, they get the choice of 'Chrysalis Shifting', which lets the MC form a chrysalis cocoon for (X) amount of time for (Y) amounts of bonuses on the customization of the next shapeshift, or 'Free Shaper' which sets the default shapeshift speed shifting to 1 minute instead of 1 hour.

For the story start, I thought about dropping the MC in the Half-Life universe, into a bullsquid that got caught by Xen Exploration Team right before the Black Mesa Incident that kicks off the series.

Before I get down to writing, I'd like to ask some advice, first on whether what I've described above would work okay enough to help make a narrative following a shape-shifting protagonist understandable enough for most of the audience.

Second is, I'm undecided if I should have an amnesiac protagonist, as it a simple cliché, or have it be a Self-Insert.
 
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