What are the common and obscure types of 'Cheat System'? And how do they work?

[Inedible]

Just the bare bones, nothing too specific. Like for example: A cultivation system, the protagonist usually receives rewards in the form of Martial Skills, Tailsman, Artifacts, etc. Just for completing an extremely specific task or quest given by the system.

I know around two through three types of systems, but my terrible memory can't recall how they actually functioned. I recall there being a quick transmigration, that had a extremely specific task, something about collecting water?(I think it was a pun.) I would appreciate if someone stated the basic structure of a system, just to get a rough idea.

 

[Biggest-Kusa-Out-There]

Status, skills, shop, quests, socials (relations if it's a smut novel with sex related skills/developments).
The mc would receive a quest, like 'bang the president of bangladesh in 30 seconds or die', then receive 10 points, which they can use to purchase stuff from the shop (usually useful things like the tsar bomba, or a kilo of antimatter, you know the drill).
Naturally, the system would push the character into action through threats, because mc's are usually beta incels who havent felt the touch of a woman since their birth or something like that. Obviously you can change this.
Through this shop they might buy skills like cock girth/length/stamina/x-ray vision/resurrect epstein, etc. mundane stuff really. Or increase their stats like strength, speed, immune system, treat skin conditions, their autism, world hunger. Things related to their bodies.
Now, you could go the cultivation path with profound knowledge of the dao to share with everyone but ppl can't talk, or telekinesis so you can split atoms with a thought. Easy stuff, tbh.

An easy example would be as follows:

Name:
Points:
Height:
Weight:
Body Fat:
Terrorist affiliation:
Last time a female willingly touched you:

Str:
Sta:
Con:
Dex:
Int:

Skills: A, B, C, D, self loathing, F.

Quests: Shoot a kid on the knee with a magnum in 5 seconds. Reward: 1 point.

Shop: Cure to cancer: 1000000000000 points. End World Hunger: 9999999 points. Skill to mind control women: 1 point.

Relationships:
Your mom
Affection levels: Loves you but is worried about your chronic masturbation and ketamine addiction.

Pretty standard stuff.
Hope it helps! And good luck!
BTW this is a satirical post about how sarcastic/toxic some systems are, in case it wasnt clear... i don't want to get cancelled.

 

[Jemini]

I think you are probably asking the wrong question here. A cheat system can be just about any obscure idea the artist thinks about. However, if you wanted to ask about categories of cheat systems, that's something that actually can be answered a lot more easily. Although the specifics can get a little wild depending on the artist's imagination, the broad umbrella categories you can place them under are always the same.

You have the "Growth Cheat," which is ultimately the most OP of all cheat types on the list. This is absolutely anything and everything that can enhance the character's growth. Some particularly OP growth cheats can even include abilities to acquire some of the other 4 cheats on the list.

You have a knowledge cheat. This can take the form of anything from a permanently attached helper like Rimuru's great sage, to something more along the lines of having an analyze/scan ability.

There are perception cheats. It could be literal perception such as one or more of the 5 senses being enhanced, it could be a 6th sense, or another common one you wouldn't normally think about as a perception cheat would be the popular mini-map ability. (The ability to have a map of the area displayed in your vision.) Bonus points if the mini-map also displays enemy and ally locations. That's the super-OP version.

There are also ability cheats. This could take the form of an ability available to everyone, except your version is a super OP maxed out version. Or, it could be some kind of super unique skill. This is easily the most diverse of the categories, and can include everything from an attack, crafting, movement, or utility skill. It could be some kind of god-tier creation skill. Or, it can even be something you wouldn't normally think about like possessing charisma and being able to attract a harem of powerful and helpful members of the opposite sex while also charming all the casual passer-by people.

Finally, you have item cheats. You just happen to own an item that is super OP for various reasons.

There might be more I haven't thought about, but for the most part I believe those five should cover it. Really though, the most important part that draws the line between a cheat and just an ability is whether or not it is common for other people in the world to have the exact same ability. For instance, the Khorean webnovel "Solo Leveling" is a story in which the MC is the only person in the world who has the ability to increase his level. Everyone else gains their power and their power is just set at whatever level they acquired when their power awakened for the rest of their lives. This is not all that special an ability in your typical LiteRPG world, but when you are the only person in the entire world with that ability it becomes SUPER OP beyond all reason.

So, when you get right down to it, a cheat has less to do with the MC having that ability and more to do with the author denying that ability to everyone other than the MC. Any ability you establish as unique to the character in question becomes a cheat.

 

[CupcakeNinja]

Just the bare bones, nothing too specific. Like for example: A cultivation system, the protagonist usually receives rewards in the form of Martial Skills, Tailsman, Artifacts, etc. Just for completing an extremely specific task or quest given by the system.

I know around two through three types of systems, but my terrible memory can't recall how they actually functioned. I recall there being a quick transmigration, that had a extremely specific task, something about collecting water?(I think it was a pun.) I would appreciate if someone stated the basic structure of a system, just to get a rough idea.

A Playboy system for example. Flirt with girls, make them blush or whatever. get X amount of points. Use said points to buy shit from a System Store. Can be anything.

Some systems do quests. For example, touch X's ass, get points. Flick X's nipple, get points.

 

[Armored99]

A cheat system is typically any system that gives a character an unfair advantage over others.

This advantage can manifest itself in many ways, but they almost all relate to helping the character become more powerful faster than they really should be able to. Atleast the common ones act this way.

Uncommon ones tend to play more on prolonging the characters journey, they're inconveniences in the short term but have a greater pay off if one persists with them. (The do this quest or die ones don't count here for a variety of reasons.)

 

[Szaku]

id think they'd be something like "progression" system and "augmentation"

progression is the one with quests "complete xx task gain xx weapon/armor/skillbook" etc

augmentation would be like.. "pick up xx attributes/stats/stat points from defeated enemies"

progression would be like the mouthy system that talks to the mc and guides/instructs them to fulfill criteria for a rewards based payout whereas the augmentation basically sits in tune with whatever type of person the mc already is, and just strengthens them according to whatever effort and preferences they put in and make.

 

[aattss]

There's no real limit to how many different cheat systems can be created.

That being said, people tend to take inspiration from other fics they've read, which can lead to trends. A couple I've noticed on some Chinese WN sites are the Login system and the Hint system.

The login system is where the MC gets some random reward for logging in each day, like techniques or magic pills or whatnot. One trend is that the reward depends on where the MC logs in or a place can only be logged into so many times before running out to incentivize the MC to find new places or to explain how their progression changes throughout the story, but in general these MCs don't really have to do much to get stronger, so often these fics skip the boring parts and get to the OP parts sooner.

I also saw a some hint system thing where there's a system that tells the MC about how if you do this you'll die and if you do that you'll find a secret treasure chest or get an OP companion or whatnot, though I never really got into those fics.

 

[Deleted member 45782]

plot armor

 

[GreenHexagon]

plot armor

Simple. A Cheat is basically something plus plot armor or like someone above said, something that is made unique to only the MC.