Civ 6, Banished, Frostpunk, Timberborn & The Wandering Village, excluding the first one, all of these games are survival town-builders. Playing these games is probably the closest I've come to playing god. When your every decision can decide the fate of an entire town or civilization... That's some responsibility alright. Now, imagine if you were to become an actual god, can you handle it?
The Protagonist Is a Boss Monster
In every role-playing game, there's always the boss monster. A unit that's a cut above the rest of the mobs. More often than not, it takes a party and lot of strategizing to whittle down their humongous HP bar. They're hard to defeat, but the rewards make up for the effort and expenses. From the perspective of a boss monster, how does it feel to be challenged time and again? I bet it's probably annoying and mildly infuriating. You're stuck in the boss room, so you can't really do much unless you can do more than just wait.
A Story Manifests in Reality
The story within a story becomes real. I have been searching high and low (in google) for these stories, but all I found are the following below. Don't get me wrong. There are certainly others that fit the bill. However, they aren't exactly what I want to read or watch, at the very least, not right now. I've posted about stories where games become real. This time, let's go with stories where a novel, manga or anime manifests in reality.
Growing Stronger by Streaming
This is a new trope that has been very popular recently. With the popularity of streaming and video sharing platforms, it was only really a matter of time until litRPG/fantasy writers found a way to incorporate them in their power systems. A character is basically the streamer/content creator regardless of their will, and the viewers—gods, deities , humans or other races—can donate "coins", items and techniques or become a patron. While there are other variations that uses the likes or view counts, it's generally done this way. Furthermore, although the main character's power growth isn't entirely reliant on streaming, it does play a significant role.
Boss Monster Reincarnates as a Human
There's not of lot of entries to this trope. Well, that's not completely true. There's the typical Japanese fantasy staple where a "Maou" or a demon king dies to the heroes and is reborn as human. If we consider the demon king as a boss monster, it fits. However, I don't want those in this list. It just feels like cheating. Although there's one demon king reincarnation below, it follows a different plot progression compared to the hackneyed stuff.
When Isekai Goes Wrong…
As stated by Murphy's Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. So, it's not odd for bad things to happen to anyone transported to another world. I think it's weird that they just get a cheat, become OP and get everything handed to them. Many isekai stories fail to consider many factors such as the effect of the world's environment to the otherworlder, the otherworlder's psychological state, the feeling of isolation... My point is it is more likely for an isekai to go wrong than not. Don't you think so?
Protagonist Weapons No. 15: Shields
We don't usually consider shields as weapons. In a standard sword & shield combo, the weapon is the sword and the shield is treated as an extension of the user's armor. The only viable way to use a shield as a weapon is through bashing enemies with it which is often done to give the user space to use their sword or spear. But, fantasy doesn't have to bend to the rules of reality; and shields, with a little bit of imagination, can be a standalone weapon. By the way, my favorite shield is the pavise shield that was mainly used by archers.
Protagonist Weapons No. 14: Swords
Swords... Oh sword. It's not a stretch to say that around 70% of the stories I read, excluding those that are about magic casters, have a sword-wielding protagonist. Swords are classified according to many factors such as length, weight, blade, specialization and even the hilt. Historically speaking, the earliest swords were bronze swords from the early Bronze Age, and has since transformed into many forms and composition as blacksmithing techniques and metallurgy advanced through the ages. That said, I personally don't know much about swords. My knowledge about them are quite limited to stories and games, however that doesn't really diminish my fondness of them. Here are the best swordwielders among the stories that I have read throughout the years.
Protagonist Weapons No. 13: Sabers
I am not a blacksmith or sword specialist, however, in the realm of fantasy, at least I want to differentiate sabers from other swords. I do not want to argue with pedantic people out there, but if it's curved, singled-edged and longer than a dagger, that is a saber in my opinion. Sabers can be light or heavy and are generally built for slashing & chopping. Scimitars, tulwars, European sabers, shamshir, Chinese daos & katanas are popular examples of sabers. Most fantasy stories love to call every long-bladed weapon "swords", but not here especially on my watch. Here are saber-users that you might enjoy reading.
Protagonist Weapons No. 12: Spears
The spear is the most newbie-friendly weapon. My source? History. Although the axe may contend against it when it comes to practicality, the spear had been ubiquitous in wars before the invention of hot weapons. Even Chinese martial arts call it the "King of Weapons". I agree. Of course, it's not the best close range weapon; but when it comes to the simplicity in its use. the range it offers and the cost of making it, its overall effectiveness is second to none.
Iyashi's Long-windedness 