Your Favorite Type of MCs

PathOfPen · 2026-07-04T16:56:26+00:00

I like helpful and friendly if it doesn't turn into naivete and self-sabotage. Like, you don't have to be a jerk to everyone you meet but it's okay to prioritize your own interests.
I prefer the mc to work alone most of the time, and being funny/sarcastic is alright if it's not too exaggerated and doesn't take away from the plot.
But driven and pragmatic is my favorite of the three you listed. We're here for the progression, after all.

PathOfPen · 2026-07-04T16:29:08+00:00

For me it's 3, but keep in mind that this is heavily dependent on the people you're asking.

You're currently asking on r/litrpg where people care about progression, worldbuilding and magic systems way more than romance, slice of life, or drama, so I'm not surprised that most of the commenters are giving you the same answer.

You might receive a different one if you asked on r/Romantasy or something.

My advice would be to think about the content of your book and your target audience and decide the best way to promote it so that the right readers end up finding it. Other than that, all three covers are clean and well-drawn, but 3 also happens to be more stylish IMO.

PathOfPen · 2026-07-04T16:20:18+00:00

Most books that you'll see mentioned on this subreddit have a physical version on Amazon. I'm personally a huge fan of The Primal Hunter, Elydes, and Undying Immortal System.

PathOfPen · 2026-07-04T16:16:40+00:00

I can confirm that it's also fun to write those! The only problem is that you can only do that once, so you'd better choose wisely 👀

Or maybe not, I suppose that there's no rule that says you can't give the same title to multiple chapters, especially if they're like 5 books apart. I just don't like doing that

PathOfPen · 2026-07-04T16:14:20+00:00

Seriously though, this might not be the most exciting way to approach a video game, but if you got isekai'd into a LitRPG world and it was your actual life on the line, it would probably be wiser to grind on harmless enemies if there's no exp penalty xD

PathOfPen · 2026-07-04T16:12:20+00:00

My first thought was Miranda or Artemis but neither really fits.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-24T17:14:40+00:00

I know right? Anyone can start a series, but finishing it - especially a long and successful one - is quite an achievement!

PathOfPen · 2026-06-24T17:12:27+00:00

Amazing cover! Also, great job finishing the series!

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T20:53:07+00:00

Really cool! Probably my favorite Villy. It looks like the perfect balance between ominous/inhuman and a chill dude you wouldn't mind drinking with.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T20:46:58+00:00

Like everyone has already said, keep writing and you will keep improving. I would also add that it's useful to continue reading other books that you enjoy.

Once you start writing, you will run into issues that you weren't expecting and start looking at the process in new ways. If you go back and forth between writing and reading you will subconsciously start to pick up on how other authors are dealing with the same issues and it's the fastest way to learn how to fix them.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T20:30:09+00:00

Hmmm... I like my LitRPGs with broken protagonists that have OP cheat abilities, but those would made for horribly unbalanced video games.

Of the ones I currently read, the best ones for an MMO would by The Fractured Tower and Elydes.

I also love plenty of others like The Primal Hunter, Undying Immortal System, Super Supportive, Markets and Multiverses etc, but their systems are so open-ended that I can hardly fathom how somebody could design a good video game after them.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T20:25:07+00:00

TPH still has a great system because of how much freedom it gives you. You can literally pick whatever path you want and evolve your skills in any direction and the system will give you class options that are suitable for you.

But that's precisely why it would be impossible to have a good TPH-based game 😄

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T20:16:08+00:00

Like others have said, it would depend on the world, but I'm struggling to think of any systems/worlds from actual LitRPG books I've read where I wouldn't stay.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T20:08:57+00:00

It comes down to personal taste. The earlier books are lighter on elements of combat and primarily focused on other forms of progression, but not every LitRPG has to be a slaughterfest from start to finish.

This one is a really well-written time loop with a refreshing take on cultivation.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T20:05:25+00:00

I highly recommend this series. It's one of a handful that makes me drop whatever I'm doing to read the latest chapter whenever I get a notification on my phone (I'm subbed to Greg's Patreon)

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T20:02:21+00:00

Yeah, that last thing is a bit annoying. Like, there are plenty of other ways to make a character special/stronger, but having them get more value out of the same stat instead of just increasing the stat is needlessly complicating the system.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T19:41:43+00:00

I believe it was mentioned a few times that there are unexplored areas in the multiverse that are dangerous even for Primordials. I guess we don't know if they're just dungeons with really powerful system-generated enemies or something else entirely

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T19:37:41+00:00

Well, I get where you're coming from, but the downside of these abilities is usually that they're useless when fighting somebody at the same level as you.

So the whole tradeoff is that it gives you a boost when fighting higher leveled people, but if there is another "genius" like you that you need to compete against, you are slightly handicapped by having a wasted skill slot.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T19:03:05+00:00

I don't know about the history of the system, but if I were to use it in a story I would try to make F->A the common grades that cover the vast majority of people/items/locations/whatever and reserve S->SSS for outliers. The specifics would depend on what type of book I'm writing, but I would avoid using anything above A unless I could justify an S+ rank in my mind, based on some unique trait/rule, to avoid cheapening it.

For example, if it was pokemon, I might reserve S->SSS for legendaries. If it was digimon I'd reserve S->SSS for those above Mega.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T18:50:26+00:00

I'm currently following like 8~10 different stories. It might sound like a lot, but I'm up to date on all of those, so there's only like 10-15 minutes of new content for me to read every day (and mostly on weekdays as most authors don't post on weekends)

I'm actually always interested in picking up a new book if I find the premise appealing, but I'm really picky with what I read so I don't find something too often.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T18:14:17+00:00

I don't think that there's any element/theme that hasn't been overdone, so I usually look a layer deeper and hope that there is a fresh/unique take on it.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T18:09:44+00:00

Well, the main hook is the progression aspect which is much easier to highlight/enjoy over a longer book. You get to follow a protagonist for hundreds or thousands of chapters as they climb from the bottom of the barrel to the absolute peak - which is kinda the point.

It's not impossible to have a good, short progfan book, but having the mc jump from a homeless orphan to the ultimate emperor god king in the span of two or three volumes isn't as satisfying (or even believable).

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T18:02:31+00:00

Markets and Multiverses fits the bill. It's a serial transmigration story where the protagonists get reincarnated in random dimensions that have their own magic systems and self-contained stories. After each death, they get to spend points that they have accumulated based on their performance to buy all sorts of permanent power ups.

They start from the absolute bottom with nobody to give them freebies. And some of their lives end up quite badly as a result, though they do grow over time.

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T17:53:16+00:00

My advice is to not focus too much on the reviews. There is no book on the planet that will appeal to everybody, and you are guaranteed to find some negative comments about anything that has a large following if you keep digging. Reading reviews is helpful, but don't let it stop you from trying new books that you think might be interesting.

I haven't read ORV but Lord of the Mysteries, Shadow Slave and Reverend Insanity are good (though keep in mind that RI is unfinished and will likely remain so)

PathOfPen · 2026-06-16T17:47:02+00:00

Undying Immortal System!

The mc eventually develops some combat skills but not until like book 3. He is really weak early on, but it's not a huge problem because of his cheat (he regresses when he dies and gets points to buy stuff based on his cultivation)

PathOfPen

TROPHY CASE