I am currently writing and narrating a story (Home Star) about a character who lives inside a video game and it has got me thinking. What sort of life would it be like to live in a large multiplayer video game?
LitRPG is a genre of fiction that focuses on players who live inside video games. Usually they are stuck there or forced to live there by outside factors. These players are usually stuck in the game 24/7 in full immersion capsules and so the virtual world becomes their reality. This leads to some interesting considerations.
1: A different kind of Job
They are living in the game and so your standard 9-5 doesn't exist any more. People want different things in the game than they do in real life. Players don't spend all day filling in forms and sitting in meetings. They gather resources, do quests and complete raids. Jobs in the virtual world usually revolve around grinding resources or leading a clan.
2: Far fewer responsibilities
There’s no job, no need for food, they are usually the only one in the predicament so no friends in need. There’s no need for GCSE or A-Level grades. You don't need a degree in gaming, you just have to show you have the skills for the quest.
3: Progression made simple
Knowing whether you are progressing forward in life is sometimes difficult. Living in a video game makes this easy. There are levels, skill trees and quest logs that all keep track of how you are progressing and what your current abilities are.
4: Clothes actually make a difference
No longer are you choosing which outfit looks best (a subjective opinion anyway). Now you only have to choose which gear gives you the best stat boosts. This also goes for which food you eat though if you are in an immersion capsule then food may still have a taste to it.
5: Other Players
Other players are usually able to log out, therefore our protagonist has to deal with other players not treating the virtual world like the real one. This can lead to others not taking it so seriously or not understanding why some things are so important to the person living in the game.
If you like the idea of living inside a video game check out some of these books and immerse yourself in gaming life: