You know, Good and Bad are same sides of a different coin. I like the traditional nine alignments as much as anyone, but there's a distinct lack of realism in defining a set of traits and saying 'now all you are bad guys'.
Well written villains hardly think that they are the bad guy. Moral ambiguity is a big part of writing personality in a realistic way. What's your good is not my good, etc. Everyone always thinks that what they are doing is 'good' in the sense that it is right.
I opted to play a character who was firmly grounded in neutrality, to a fault even. He wouldn't raise a weapon against your cause, but he won't rally for it either. And while that seems fine in concept, it goes as far that he's apt to sit at the sidelines and watch your village be burned to the ground by beastmen for lack of a desire to get involved in the City-State's conflicts. His actions, or inaction, could be perceived by some as 'bad' or even 'evil' because he's not furthering their agenda.
He'd not a mustache twirling menace, tying ladies to train tracks and going on long expositional rants about unmaking the world. He just wants to study in peace... And if you and your people are wiped out all around him, that's just how it was meant to be. Who is he to stand against fate?
HOWEVER, even going on about neutrality and ambiguity and realism, I do think campy evil characters are fun. It's a completely different style, and playing it well is another matter entirely. It's a matter of being clever and genre savvy, but they are some of the best to interact with if you abhor tedium and love mischief.
TL;DR -- This is how I Evil
[youtube]tWYCS6k1IOA[/youtube]
Well written villains hardly think that they are the bad guy. Moral ambiguity is a big part of writing personality in a realistic way. What's your good is not my good, etc. Everyone always thinks that what they are doing is 'good' in the sense that it is right.
I opted to play a character who was firmly grounded in neutrality, to a fault even. He wouldn't raise a weapon against your cause, but he won't rally for it either. And while that seems fine in concept, it goes as far that he's apt to sit at the sidelines and watch your village be burned to the ground by beastmen for lack of a desire to get involved in the City-State's conflicts. His actions, or inaction, could be perceived by some as 'bad' or even 'evil' because he's not furthering their agenda.
He'd not a mustache twirling menace, tying ladies to train tracks and going on long expositional rants about unmaking the world. He just wants to study in peace... And if you and your people are wiped out all around him, that's just how it was meant to be. Who is he to stand against fate?
HOWEVER, even going on about neutrality and ambiguity and realism, I do think campy evil characters are fun. It's a completely different style, and playing it well is another matter entirely. It's a matter of being clever and genre savvy, but they are some of the best to interact with if you abhor tedium and love mischief.
TL;DR -- This is how I Evil
[youtube]tWYCS6k1IOA[/youtube]
