VRMMO Chronicles of a Solo Cleric ~Surprise! I’m Actually a Berserker!~ - Ch. 3

[MangaDex]

 

[DlolFace]

Let me be the first to judge, I'm not a fan of long strip but i shouldn't judge it because it's long strip. For now I don't see any problem except for the slow progress, but i guess that's just how it is with long strip. For now I won't drop it

 

[VEGEMITE_GOD]

This series isn't giving me great vibes tbh. The art's not great, the characters have as much flavour as cardboard, and there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of substance to the series ngl. Not dropping yet, but it's pretty disappointing so far. I've read plenty of long strip series, but this isn't giving me the vibes of a good one, or even an average one tbh.

 

[Wyrm]

Characters lack characterization.
Everyone is pretty bland and we're given no time for personality traits and development other than "MC wants to play solo because he's not good with people". He doesn't have purpose, he didn't even choose to play the game as it was basically forced on him... by... erm... his friends? Heck we don't even know who these two characters were who gave him the game as a birthday gift. (Different last names, so probably not siblings.) We don't know why he chose a main class that is typically party-oriented when he wants to play solo. (Though, of course he's playing this in an atypical way.) We've got nothing except "MC is playing a solo cleric."

Fights are clearly not the focus either.
Seriously, the MC ends chapter 2 as he's just about to begin a fight against an army, complete with elites and boss... then chapter 3 starts with him back in town helping the damsel in distress. I was sure I was missing something but no, that seems to be the way the author does things. It seems like nothing is a problem for him, so either the game is on super-easy mode, or the MC is awesome at VR games for some reason. (More of a lack of character setup. Great.) So most of the time, we've got a couple of panels of him hitting things... when the author feels like it... then he wins and that's it. If anything, the only problem he had was being too efficient when hunting wolves. (Also, we don't get to see the fights in details... if at all... but there doesn't even seem to be any smart move or strategy. From the little we do see, the MC just brute-forces his way through all the fights.)

As for the pacing... things are super-fast. No time to process what's happening: log in the game, find a hidden quest, fight wolves, get food, logout, flashback on how he completed his first quest and got the follow-up quest, run to goblin army, (skip fighting the army, because that's too much work), save the damsel in distress. There is barely any transition at any time, no time to enjoy the action or see character development during a downtime. Because there is basically no downtime.
There is a story the author wants to tell, but they don't want to let us immerse in it. Just accept that the story is that way and the MC is awesome and that's all.

So, what is supposed to be the focus of this story if neither character development nor action is?
The world? There is no world-building either. Clearly not it. Plus, it's a game. It's not like there is anything at stake.
The story? There is no main thread to the story yet. Just a guy playing a game. Apparently without any challenge.
Pretty colors? Are they addressing a public of 10yo kids?

It's such a bad start I'm tempted to drop it right away. I might give them one more chapter to convince me. If I feel like it.

 

[HaikenEdge]

This seems generic. And dumb.

Most MMOs have a paladin class, which is exactly what this player is already doing. It's not really anything new or fresh.

It's not like he decided to play a greatsword-wielding rogue...