An interesting Article ?

JD Smith · Post by **JD Smith** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:53 pm

Zombie · Post by **Zombie** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 6:38 pm

It is hard to play an evil character, especially in a social game. Some of the things Malik does just make me shudder. You can also end up with few people to chat with.

I just feel so guilty when my characters do horrible things. It's tricky to distance yourself from that.

Verandis · Post by **Verandis** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:26 pm

I like playing evil, but sometimes it is hard to play. I don't like doing truly cruel things to others PCs , and that goes for my good characters as well as bad. I suppose I am always concerned as to if the other player is having fun too.

On the other hand, being evil and doing cruel acts to NPCs is sort of fun in a creepy 'what the heck is my character doing?' sort of way. So is doing acts you know will have terrible consequences later.

silverdragonams · Post by **silverdragonams** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 7:50 pm

Playing the extreme end of either alignment is very difficult. For the most part we all want to abide by certain social rules: play nice and include everyone, but playing an extreme good or extreme evil character often means breaking those rules and being ostracized.

For me, evil is easier. I log in with the attitude that Tricks is probably not going to win, is probably going to take a beating, and nobody is going to want to be around her. Evil's ultimate goal though is to spread hatred and fear. So, I keep reminding myself that if no one likes her and if she's getting mistreated by the goodies, then I must be doing something right. Like Zombie, I feel guilty for some of the stunts she pulls, but I find that keeping a (sick and twisted) sense of humor about it takes the edges off.

Extreme good has its own problems. Since good generally means sticking to your principles even if its unpopular it often means running into the same old arguments every time you exclude someone from some social event because they've been pillaging and murdering. "He's not evil, he's just misunderstood!" "Maybe if you were nicer to him he wouldn't be evil any more" Give me a break.

Nothing sucks more than being hated for standing up to evil PC's.

Tremayne7 · Post by **Tremayne7** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 9:34 pm

I have to agree with Silver. Playing extremes is very hard. And personally, I can't play evil. Period. Haven't really played Lawful Good either, so I tend to play either Neutral Good or Chaotic Good characters.

orvarg · Post by **orvarg** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 10:26 pm

yeah tell me about it LOL raise your hand if you'd be seen sharing a drink with gus or the helites ...............anyone ?.........................helloooooo..........
but yeah playing evil often means paying alone but i have fun anyway ; )

Samhaim · Post by **Samhaim** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 2:53 pm

Playing evil as a dm is much easier then as a player. Still, I actually enjoy being the villain. As a player, it can be REALLY hard cause no one wants to be friends with the baddies. Playing extreme good can also be difficult, but no where near as much. People like you when your good.

Sable · Post by **Sable** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:40 pm

Tremayne7 wrote:I have to agree with Silver. Playing extremes is very hard. And personally, I can't play evil. Period. Haven't really played Lawful Good either, so I tend to play either Neutral Good or Chaotic Good characters.

um... you are aware that neutral good and chaotic good are just as extreme an alignment as lawful good aren't you...?

/me runs

Xanthalas · Post by **Xanthalas** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 6:35 pm

Good and Evil are such an interesting subject to me. Being as many of us define each very differently.

I personally have found that it's easier to have friends as Evil, than Good.

(Look at Xai compared to Ryk.)

I hate to say it, but I've rarely encountered characters that have ever left me feeling uncomfortable. It's not that there are not characters that do not do very evil things. I just tend to see Evil and Good diametrically opposed in such a way that they stand back to back.

I've had a lot of precedent in game of seeing very peculiar depictions of Evil. There was a moment when one individual stood before me, and started telling me the "what/why/where" of their plans. I was expecting them to start twirling their handle-bar mustache and tie me to some railroad tracks.

While violence and Evil often go hand and hand, they can be mutually exclusive. Things done with righteous zeal sometimes mirror some of the most horrific moments of any villain. Just as often you can find villains portraying some of the most passionate convictions. Albeit to different ends.

There are extremely few characters I've met in game that I would have problems sharing a drink with. (Sorry Orvarg.) Though it should be known that I've actually shared meals with people that are far past being "Questionably ethical."

Not to mention that historically, some of our "Hero" profiles at description can be found to seem not only malicious, but even sinister. The dichotomy of Villains is also persistent in the past of Humankind. Many of the most vile people from the past, actually lived lifestyles that rival those of Piety.

This article happens to point out the darker side of Human Nature, in effect as the game, and others, allows choices to be made, that culturally we find uncomfortable.

I think alignment, in our experience should always be seen as difficult, and no extremes seen. (I've played every alignment over the years, I have never found it easy to portray any of them with persistence. That's the glory of having a gradient of alignment.

Rykolyn's current alignment might surprise some, perhaps not, but he also is close to one, or two borders that indicate how blurry it is. When really investigated not only does it become clear, but allows for a very unique perspective of his particular identity.

It's good to see an objective consideration of the alignments, and hope this further develops more investigation into one of the finer points of RP.

Tremayne7 · Post by **Tremayne7** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 9:43 pm

Sable wrote:
Tremayne7 wrote:I have to agree with Silver. Playing extremes is very hard. And personally, I can't play evil. Period. Haven't really played Lawful Good either, so I tend to play either Neutral Good or Chaotic Good characters.
um... you are aware that neutral good and chaotic good are just as extreme an alignment as lawful good aren't you...?

/me runs

*Grins* Perhaps. But I'll still take that over Lawful Awfully any day.

And Sam is right. He does play evil wonderfully as a DM. Argus is the only NPC I could not hate.

Even though he was bad.

Chemical-Burn · Post by **Chemical-Burn** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 7:16 am

Bioshock and Morrowind let you be a evil person long before this game and im sure there are tons more. I don't think games actually make you evil or anything like that.

Adm.Venge · Post by **Adm.Venge** » Fri Jun 05, 2009 3:14 pm

I have seen threads similar to this come up every so often, on every world forum. How "evil" a character is always depends on the player's concept of "good" and "evil" as it pertains to an online fantasy world.

Classic chaotic evil, as described in popular fiction, is very desruptive to an online community. Often called "stupid evil", charcters of this type murder, steal and do anything they think they can get away with, much to the detriment of other players. While this type of evil is well documented, it is reserved for NPCs on perisistant worlds to make the world more fun for all involved.

So, when it comes to playing evil, it boils down to "how much evil can I stomach being" and "is this to the detriment of another player (not his/her PC".

Far more difficult to play, I think, is a character that is recognized as a "hero". What I mean is that if you asked a player "Which five PCs would you call a hero?", your PC would be one of the five.

This difficulty arises because we all have different criteria for a hero, especially in a fantasy setting. For some, just needing that title of "hero" is such hubris as to automatically disqualify the PC from the title. It is said "one vile deed will erase a hundred good ones". This holds doubly true for heroes. While a villian can get away with a good deed now and then, a hero cannot get away with vile deeds.

In a single player game like InFamous, you can act however you want and the game is programmed to respond in kind. In an online game, however, there is an element of interaction with other players who are not scripted to recognize your PC as a "hero" or "villian". It is winning over the human element that makes it more challenging. And, if you can get your PC's name in the top five, far more rewarding then a single player game.