(07-27-2017, 10:01 AM)Erah Wrote:(07-27-2017, 09:34 AM)Valence Wrote: Well, the world isn't like that. Bad stuff happens. Bad guys don't always get "caught". Lots of petty crimes especially, get unnoticed, or even condoned by the society itself. The 5 Eorzean city states are perfect examples of that. The world is grey. People tending toward black aren't necessarily going to be doomed more than someone tending more to the white.((other rather interesting stuff from Valance cut, I'm just not quoting it all because it's a long but well constructed post. Â Go read it.))
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So, what about all those shades of grey? Why would someone like Lolorito (don't tell me he isn't portrayed a villainous character) would have to be doomed from the beginning?Â
The problem with comparing this to open RP is open RP is there to get noticed. Â If petty crime open RP happens and doesn't draw a response, what is the point other then chest beating? Once a direct action draws a response, a story begs a resolution.
Lolorito is a grand example of a 'good' kind of antagonist to play. Â He rarely acts overtly, he manipulates situations to his own end. Â If he stays subtle there'll be a lot of grumbling about him but nothing actionable. Â Because he doesn't drop to the level of 'stupid evil' he doesn't warrant a direct punitive response. Â In fact he's positioned himself to where a direct response would probably have the actor fall on the wrong side of the law.
Lolorito is the best sort of example of a RP-able antagonist. Â I wish I'd have thought to mention him in my earlier post.
Well I mean, we could even take Thordan. He's portrayed as a villain for the reason the game and narration takes the bias for a conciliatory and open/liberal society, but politically he's actually very pragmatic, protective of his nation, and overall, is a perfect sovereigntist. The ends justify the means, etc. It doesn't sit well with our own usual view (and yet, not so sure those days), and the narrative that takes a very western progressive and liberal view.
The same way people can have a hard time separating IC from OOC, I find they have a even harder time to keep political neutrality in their take on the world. Of course everyone will have more or less strong political views on everything OOCly, but that's 1) not necessarily the case for their character and especially 2) not necessarily how the world works. The world is neutral.
As soon as you try to shift the balance of the world to suit a message through your story, like the FFXIV story does very strongly with with some black and white strokes by the way, then you have to accept that not everyone will subscribe to that view, and I find it safer to just take on the principle that everything is neutral as a basis. It's all about cultural relativism, which is absolutely atrocious at times IRL, but pretty mandatory in my opinion for roleplay.
So... Seeing petty thieves trying to cut purses in public RP is pretty boring in my opinion. If that's what float people boats, sure. But having actual "villains" show up and behave in the boundaries of the law, being very amicable and socializing, is where it shines the most. It is always fun to make goodey two shoes characters and white knights grind their gears by showing up and speaking about touchy subjects. Or just offering a very debatable point of view like "Thordan did nothing wrong, peasants". "Not everyone is born equal and some cultures are better than others" and whatnot. Is that something that a mustache twirling villain would say? Sure. But not only. Just open your eyes and you will see plenty of your average joe around you IRL to have similar beliefs.
And people don't do that a lot because they get immediately dogpiled and shunned by other characters most of the time. Which is to be expected and pretty rational. If you have someone from the nazi party showing up at a commie rally in 1939, you might expect it to end up like that, or worse. This is why I said it's a vicious circle. Nobody plays it, with that fear in mind: everyone is good, so playing a baddie would be social suicide at the very least. And they are right to do so, because alone, that wouldn't work. The question wouldn't even be asked if there was a good ratio of characters with "different views".
Balmung:Â Suen Shyu
