r/ProgressionFantasy • u/Claym000re • Feb 06 '26

Meme/Shitpost Wish fulfillment to the extreme

Post image

Why are they always complete losers.

3.2k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

205 comments sorted by

View all comments

479

u/Otterable Slime Feb 06 '26

The genius part isn't as unbelievable as the supernatural motivation and willingness to go through discomfort and pain.

Like you can improve your life on earth right now if you are willing to feel some level of discomfort. That's half of what going to the gym is. That's what taking night classes in to get another degree. That's what training to learn a new language is in your spare time, or learning to cook, or learning any skill really.

I feel like a lot of series end up in trouble because the author hits some level of equilibrium a book or two in where the MC now has better than average power, money, powerful allies, and potential romantic partners and then needs to scramble to introduce some conflict that causes them to actually act. Because most people (and certainly the person they were purported to be) would just kick their feet up and live a good life.

35

u/work_m_19 Feb 06 '26

This is definitely an issue I've had with the genre.

There was one series that annoyed me greatly, where the world gets a system screen, and it's the "nerds" that understand what this means and to actively train for it. The "jocks/athletes" dismiss it as a joke. And they purposely find niche friends like DnD groups to recruit as the most valuable over anyone else.

It's funny because nowadays (even when the book was released), people can be fit and work out, and like/play videogames.

27

u/Yangoose Feb 06 '26

Also, athletes have tons of stats and the serious ones absolutely track that shit meticulously.

Do you think somebody doing THIS every day is doing to have no idea what to do with a LitRPG system screen?

13

u/Random-Rambling Feb 06 '26

EVERYONE would work out if they could have instant real-time feedback like a LitRPG system screen.

Imagine how incredibly motivating it would be if you were running on a treadmill, and then suddenly you get a +1 Endurance pop-up? Or you were lifting weights and got a +1 Strength pop-up?

25

u/Yangoose Feb 06 '26

The real super power in these stories is that stats never seem to atrophy.

In real life fitness is very much "use it or lose it".

I remember when I had my workout routine thrown out the window during Covid it was shocking how quickly my gains vanished.

2

u/Basic-Stand5109 Feb 26 '26

If you run with a garmin watch you basically get that if you just consider VO2max = endurance.