Discussion The key to a successful VRMMO novel

'Ello gents and ladies,

A friendly rawrmeow to you all.

I've been curious about this subject for a while. We all know Legendary Moonlight Sculptor and it's love/hate relationship with readers, so I wanted to ask you all what YOU think the key to a successful vrmmo would be. I was inspired to ask this after I realized I'd been mislead by a top review of one such vrmmo novel that recently got picked up by WW. Everyone has different tastes, and I was fool to believe the review just because it had the most likes. Noob mistake. Anyway...

Gonna go ahead and shoot down those of you who will want to say "consistency". Sorry. That's too obvious.

I mean plot and game elements, character types, genre inclusions, items, lore, races, etc.

What is that one thing(or a few) you've always been searching for in the vrmmo fiction worlds that the authors just haven't given you?

Edit: Y'all have some great points. What's your opinion on second chance/reincarnation vrmmo's like Rebirth of a Thief? Silly or still interesting?

 

as long it not like SAO everything is good

 

If you look at WoW and TKA novel author , they focus on the game point instead of numbers. This what Butterfly Blue said in one of interview. Sarcastically he said "Chinese game novels compete on making their numbers bigger"

 

Rule 1 dont bring in a shitty harem (to write a good one is hard so just dont)
Rule 2 bring some balance and dont break the boundery of a weapon or skill opnes (i cant recall a normal game where something like this exist and when they usally get nerfd )
Rule 3 stop repeating the tragic or miserable / lonely past of the MC, we get it and get the fuck over it

For myself i want a normal fag, who start this game for fun and just play it and sometimes get the shitbeaten out of him (like losing to a boss,cuz he messed up) a mc who dont have any gamebreaking op skills, maybe a hidden class and just play for the fun, i dont mind if he becomes good in the late game and become the best, but please dont give him cheat abbilities i mean most of the enemies habe real skill to get this far and the mc just overpower the with past knockledge or Op items/skills, why cant a mc just not get put in the dirt (fuck i know such a novel never comes to light cuz boring)

 

a Solid World Building part, and legit Character motivation; those two are the ones i think are most important, the rest comes after. Pop-in a unique ability or two that isn't op, and use it in ways that would make the character stand-out from the rest.

Ps: He doesn't have to be Smart, indecisive and stuff like that, the Character just have to be someone readers could relate with, this applies on most writing

 

yeh, let's be honest, no one watched that for the game or the worldbuilding...

 

To me balance is just as important as consistency. Balance of the RL of the characters and how the game affect each other. Since most vrmmo novels are of the grinding type balance between level, gear, currency, and rivals. I understand that in games it is easy for the elite or no lifers to get ahead of others.

 

I would say something with the well written "action" of SAO or LMS, no freaking stream of numbers (like Zhan Long), comedy like "Only I know this world is a game" or "So what if it is an RPG world", MC and char development (and a bit of drama) like Grimgar.

P.D: About the MC I like to see some surprises, like a healer, potion maker or something (The thing that made, initially, pay attention to Zhan Long)

 

I smell a grimgar fan lol

What would you classify as a legit character motivation?

 

Blue screen!!! That's the biggest key!

 

Grimgar ??? (I think you just got me my next novel ^^)

 

Balance the RL and the Ingame aspect well, make the characters relatable. Make the characters likeable and makes you wish for them to succeed.

 

Hmm let's see... the key is to have a good writing skill and interesting story...

Let's be honest here... the author skill is the most important factor. I for one wouldn't pick up anything by Mad Snail even if his novel has every fetish and kinks that I love.

 

Standard P2W vrmmo is always money, which is an easy out for motivation. This to me could be done better then what has been used for some novels. One motivation that I feel that can be used is the love for the game. Even prestige can be used, I mean really who does not want to feel on top of the world by claiming to be number 1.

 

I liked how Gam3 did it. The VRMMO and Reality should be heavily intertwined, otherwise I may as well be reading a story about someone sitting at their pc playing WoW.

 

important element for me:
- there should be equal rival
- bug in game (nothing perfect)
- required too play hard(a huge amount of online time) not casual one to become top mmorpg, if the casual one like shooter then finding proper teammate.
- lore lead to legendary item(not some bullshit always got lucky in drop item)
- a reason why the mc always play this game
- probably some G.I.R.L(guys in real life)
- balanced war not some crazy one like 1k player in one guild( omg I believe the chat come like a flood)

to be continued...

 

It needs to be Shura's Wrath.

I'd say that it should focus equally on online and offline scenarios. Or at least have some sort of scenes while they're offline.

The protagonist also shouldn't be indecisive, and sticks to his choices.

There needs to be a quest system, level system, and skill system. The skill system should be either focused on proficiency or skill points, and the system should not give assistance (SAO) to the player.

Now that the basics are out of the way, I just want a cute female lead I want the character to not be focused on raising their level and grinding for gold (LMS), but instead focuses more on adventure and action.

The character should be fairly skilled in the beginning, or learns through playing the game. I would say that MC shouldn't be a tank as it's no fun to see an MC who just takes damage. Instead, he should be a berserk class or Melee class. Magic is fine too, but it should only be used on a group of enemies.

I'll end this here before I go on a tangent.

 

Something that would only work as a VRMMORPG. Like Log Horizon.

Anything else can just use another genre.

 

VRMMO genre? I don't know, there's a SAO one (drama tragedy-tryhard), there's OSO (light slice of life), there's LMS (serious shits happen), no matters what character developments are important. Good VRMMO novel makes the readers to relate themselves with the characters imo.

 

Well, that depends on you, i would consider Bardray's Motivation on LMS of conquering the whole continent as a good one, it's a big ambition that allows the author to make up lots of ups and downs down the road. But you could also go for the merry-type story where the Guy just wants to enjoy the game, no motivation or anything at the start, but then you could probably come up of something as you flesh out the world around him/her. That is, until something happens that gives the MC motivation to grow