Omnipresent/ cloning is a bad power to have for writing.

[NotaNuffian]

Like having an OP MC that should not be the focus of the story, letting MC having the ability to clone himself is a bad idea.

So far, Warhammer Wizard (a direct translate of CN name) is one of the viable examples I can name. What make cloning bad is the avility to send them scouting the lands. Making it even worse is having a telepathic link between bodies.

It is a power that should never exist in writing, not in the endgame and definitely not as the starting power.

 

[Cipiteca396]

One of my favorite powers.

Though frankly, scouting is the least important thing you can do with clones. You could achieve the same with a hacker and a bunch of cameras.

 

[PancakesWitch]

you only find it too OP because you can't imagine over the top ridiculous settings, i can think of a million ways to make that power not feel all that overpowered. the power itself is stupid and ridiculous, so why not make the setting just as ridiculous anyways?

 

[NotaNuffian]

One of my favorite powers.

Though frankly, scouting is the least important thing you can do with clones. You could achieve the same with a hacker and a bunch of cameras.

I mean it in the "I am going on multiple adventures whilst sitting in the comfort of my home" type scouting.

Sometimes the author would bother to write out the adventures but most of the time it just serves as justification for MC's retarded ability to learn all and be all.

you only find it too OP because you can't imagine over the top ridiculous settings, i can think of a million ways to make that power not feel all that overpowered. the power itself is stupid and ridiculous, so why not make the setting just as ridiculous anyways?

The only time I can think of it being not OP is having enemies (yes plural) that can do instant soul kill moves that will end the clones and MC at once.

Also, I still think it is ridiculous to have MC travel into multiple worlds (ie multiworld AU fanfics) and have MC becoming an even bigger ponce. The fact that now it is not just a "world" thing, it is multiverse of mess. This serves to make me hate the cloning thing more spiteful.

What will be your case then?

 

[LilRora]

I feel like it's gonna be that bad only if there's no limits to the character's strength. It's fairly easy to limit the clone's usefullness though, for example by making them incapable of independent thinking, only following mental orders, or adding limits to their number or strength, or making them very vulnerable or risky to use in some ways. Multiple of those if need be.

If you mean a clone as in a copy in every possible way including thinking capabilities and strength, it's gonna get trickier, but it's still doable with some creative thinking.

Still, it's definitely going to be one of the easiest abilities to fuck up by not thinking them through properly.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I feel like it's gonna be that bad only if there's no limits to the character's strength. It's fairly easy to limit the clone's usefullness though, for example by making them incapable of independent thinking, only following mental orders, or adding limits to their number or strength, or making them very vulnerable or risky to use in some ways. Multiple of those if need be.

If you mean a clone as in a copy in every possible way including thinking capabilities and strength, it's gonna get trickier, but it's still doable with some creative thinking.

Still, it's definitely going to be one of the easiest abilities to fuck up by not thinking them through properly.

Yes. Those are good ideas.

Which is why I facepalmed hard when recalling a work (I forgot the name) with the MC learning how to clone himself. Just one clone, but with telepathic link and having the LitRPG table that helps skill grind. Wizard, Knight's breathing is doing the same thing and I was slightly put off when the possiblity became clear. It is good that the author is not dumb and immediately put a cap.

For the record, I am fine with one or three clones out in the world doing their thing, I am not liking when the amount went beyond say ten or 20 and each is capable of mentally linking back with no problemo.

Cloning, without numeric limit and capping on mind game is broken as hell. I can somewhat accept Naruto using his clones to learn jutsu, I will have a bitter pill to swallow when he can also send them out into the world.

 

[Terrate]

Boruto wouldn't have much of a family problem if Naruto really did just clone himself 24/7. Yeah, shadow clone jutsu is kinda op.

 

[Woolen_Bat_Monkey]

Clone? Cone? Bone? Dome? Don't?

 

[Comiak]

I feel personally attacked.

 

[TheMonotonePuppet]

I feel personally attacked.

You know, the moment I saw this thread, I immediately thought, "Huh. I wonder how the author who wrote Alysara's power system feels about this." LOL!

 

[NotaNuffian]

You know, the moment I saw this thread, I immediately thought, "Huh. I wonder how the author who wrote Alysara's power system feels about this." LOL!

Reading the thing now.

I feel personally attacked.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Notadate]

Depends on the clone really. A basic, mortal self, then yeah pretty normal.

Does it have mental strain or are they separate, does the mc has a am I real? Etc etc. it can play more into a psychological aspect of having perfect clones of yourself, we’re you a clone who just outlive the mc and your ability is weaker and that’s why your clones do have it?


Shurg.

I see it as a more scouting or GANK EM ability then OP.


Example, mc, basic human has cloning ability. Mindless, but have hints of his personality clones. They can do actions by command and others without commands needed. Mc is stuck in a labyrinth, basic human, so he relies on his clone ability to survey ahead, but he can’t psychically talk to them, just know the clone dies. When a battle happens, he can’t do anything more than his clones. So they are all struggling and some dying to fight of a force. Aka GANK EM BOIS!

His ability isn’t OP, but it allows for growth in the aspect the clones seem to be him, but their own separate entities. They are stuck their and gotta keep main self alive.

 

[TsumiHokiro]

This bird is even more restrictive in its understanding of what clones should be able to do, and not. A Clone should not have its own thinking, should be limited to orders. It might be linked to the creator but it does not possess initiative. If you want something a bit more complex, perhaps creating a Copy of yourself could solve the problem. It knows what you do but it is also independent from yourself. This comes with the problem that unless you convene with your copy, you'd never know what it has known.

The problem with using Clones to learn things, and not information, is that you are not dedicating time to actually experience them. This would enter the realm of sharing information which goes beyond the scope which, by itself, these abilities seem to posses. Cloning does not also come with the ability of processing information in levels beyond human, and in fact, it's something most often authors don't want to surpass and therefore choose to have Clones, or multiple humans, for the job!