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Sure, I guess many of these are just projections of author, including using heroes as mouthpieces for their ideology. There are so many ruined projects. For instance there was Steel Foundations - a 16th century knight from Holy Roman Empire is Isekaied into medieval fantasy world with levels and skills. What an amazing premise. Only the protagonist is not a 16th century knight, but basically your cookie-cutter nerd from San Francisco. He hates religion and he was a secret atheist, he actually hates authorities and he is secretly liberal, he takes shit from girlbosses around him and he is all for women equity. While he is is an atheist who mocks religion he at the same time loves to meditate and treats eastern mystics who know how to brew tea with great reverence and respect. His backstory is there just to make him wear plate armor and Langschwert, otherwise he is just a projection of author.
The same goes for many other things where the social structure is nonsensical. Imagine Walking Dead but dialed to eleven. Yes there is apocalypse, but there is still the same stupid drama as if we are in an episode of Friends with zombies. Rick also dedicates half if not more of his time to just keep bunch of morons in check. He is fighting zombies as much as his stupid wife and other whining morons from his group who complain about lack of toilet paper. It is basically a middle management bad office drama story, cheating wives, stupid kids doing stupid shit but just with zombies. In fact zombies are something like bad weather or environmental hazard, it could as well be a series about bunch of morons being transported to Alaska and slowly dying to diseases by eating berries or going to hug bears just to prove that Rick is incorrect. In fact it is completely good parallel with katana wielding badass diverse character who eventually becomes heroes romantic interest and 50 something abused wife Carrol, who becomes the best tactical genius, sniper and survivalist who single handedly dismantles fortified base of cannibal cultist as some Black Ops genius. But at least they are cooperative and supportive of Rick and his stupid wife died - I would consider it as a rare quality gem in litrpg if Rick had levels. In reality they would also be his wife in one.
My understanding is that's most zombie stories. They're not about the zombies, they're about the people, and the zombies are -- as you say -- easily replaceable by any stressful environmental hazard. They're window dressing for the set.
Sure, the thing is that it is generic modern environmental hazard. Instead of zombies and hostile cannibals it could be local criminals and gals from HR. The structure is completely off and it should be apparent to anybody who reads let's say some war memoires of soldiers or other people in extreme circumstances and how people actually behave.
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Not only that, Rick raises his wife’s affair baby as his own. She didn’t wait very long after thinking he was dead to monkeybranch, letting his best friend rail her and knock her up. Epic handshake potential between Rick and Billy “my wife’s son” Butcher.
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