Isekais and inserts can be interesting. But super skills take away the challenge of the story - the conflict. At that moment, story becomes predictable, boring, because there is little to none chance of failure.
CHYOA Forum
majus
OccasionalReader
Unless, of course, you're playing Roll for Shoes and have the level 1 skill "do anything"
If you roll a six, you level up to a subset skill relevant to the action you attempted. You may not pass the skill check, but you now have a level 2 skill, which means you roll twice as many dice and can now potentially pass that check next time
If you roll a six, you level up to a subset skill relevant to the action you attempted. You may not pass the skill check, but you now have a level 2 skill, which means you roll twice as many dice and can now potentially pass that check next time
Thorn_
I more mean, the "I'm the F RANK HERO BUT MY LEVEL 999999 CHEAT SKILL MAKES IT SO I HAVE NO SERIOUS THREATENING CONFLICT IN THIS STORY IN ANYWAY! COOL, RIGHT?" No.
OccasionalReader
I mean fair lmao, mary sues are never fun. Unless they're Rimuru Tempest. Rimuru Tempest is fun to watch.
raziel83
Isekai stories are power fantasies and often boring because the main character is way too powerful and there are no real challenges to them. I get that this has a lot of fans, but to me the lack of risk or challenge is boring.
OccasionalReader
@raisel83 eh, I would beg to differ. Part of why I enjoy isekai stories is the the unique challenges the protagonists face. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom, The Rising of the Shield Hero, and Ascendance of a Bookworm are my three all time favorite isekais (season 4 of Ascendance when?)
OccasionalReader
Sure, the protagonists usually end up powerful, but to be honest none of those three have their protagonists start strong. In Villainess, Bakarina's only power is to make a small earth mound. In Shield Hero, the hero starts out with a shield that's pretty freaking useless. In Bookworm, the hero starts out as a peasant with a disease which threatens to kill her.
OccasionalReader
I think it's an oversimplification to describe isekais as power fantasies.
Also, can we please increase the character limit beyond 420?
Also, can we please increase the character limit beyond 420?
raziel83
Well, not every Isekai is a power fantasy but far too often they are. Many of the newer ones also make no use of the MC being from the "real" world and the story would have made more sense had they been a local to the fantasy world.
raziel83
They do keep the "cheat" cliche (which is what makes the MC overpowered usually, if not their modern knowledge) but have the main character have no issues with any of the fantastic aspects or differences in culture, like slavery existing.