In other games, other RP communities, I've seen bad guys (the unpleasant jerks and the villains) thrive for years time. Part of it is server/community/group climate, the other part is the actual work they did, both in developing the character and socially.
OOC connections/communication/presence seemed to be key for them. OOCly these were some of the nicest and most social people in the community, which probably helped smooth things over when things got hairy. People are also more likely to compromise with someone they're friends with, so for the villains this allowed them to have a much more 'enjoyable' ratio of wins to losses in confrontations -- meaning they're not always getting curb-stomped.
For the villains, their motivations were reasonable and well-thought out. None of them were mustache-twirlers doing evil for the sake of doing evil. They were businessmen and researchers who didn't care about laws, morals, and who they stepped (or tested) on. Religious leaders who followed evil gods, but was on a mission of conversion rather than a mission to sacrifice everyone they come across. One that was entirely focused on bringing down a government organization he thought was corrupt (granted, it -was-, but that was OOC knowledge) that everyone who showed even a bit of sympathy/cooperation with the organization became a target too. One that I remember hearing about, he had periods where he just went feral, akin to one of those man-eating tigers that sometimes go on a rampage around settlements, and the rest of the time he was fairly normal and no-one suspected him. A unit of soldiers that was 'disowned' while still behind enemy lines (I know there's an actual military term for this, I just can't remember it).
The unpleasant jerks, they often had either an important skill that kept people coming back to see them/'force them' to attempt to be social, or had some redeeming quality/trait that they'd occasionally pull out for a few moments. Healers who hate everyone and weren't afraid to scream it from the rooftops, grumpy town/local guards who have a soft spot for kids. An extreme racist who loudly speaks about how the others are filth, but is one of the first to jump to save someone regardless of race because "you may be below me, but a life is still a life". Also consider that being an unpleasant jerk doesn't always mean being the grump. I've seen snobs who don't realize they're being condescending and unbearable. And that guy who swoops and and saves a woman from an 'uncivil' situation, only to turn around and reveal to be chauvinistic pig himself.
OOC connections/communication/presence seemed to be key for them. OOCly these were some of the nicest and most social people in the community, which probably helped smooth things over when things got hairy. People are also more likely to compromise with someone they're friends with, so for the villains this allowed them to have a much more 'enjoyable' ratio of wins to losses in confrontations -- meaning they're not always getting curb-stomped.
For the villains, their motivations were reasonable and well-thought out. None of them were mustache-twirlers doing evil for the sake of doing evil. They were businessmen and researchers who didn't care about laws, morals, and who they stepped (or tested) on. Religious leaders who followed evil gods, but was on a mission of conversion rather than a mission to sacrifice everyone they come across. One that was entirely focused on bringing down a government organization he thought was corrupt (granted, it -was-, but that was OOC knowledge) that everyone who showed even a bit of sympathy/cooperation with the organization became a target too. One that I remember hearing about, he had periods where he just went feral, akin to one of those man-eating tigers that sometimes go on a rampage around settlements, and the rest of the time he was fairly normal and no-one suspected him. A unit of soldiers that was 'disowned' while still behind enemy lines (I know there's an actual military term for this, I just can't remember it).
The unpleasant jerks, they often had either an important skill that kept people coming back to see them/'force them' to attempt to be social, or had some redeeming quality/trait that they'd occasionally pull out for a few moments. Healers who hate everyone and weren't afraid to scream it from the rooftops, grumpy town/local guards who have a soft spot for kids. An extreme racist who loudly speaks about how the others are filth, but is one of the first to jump to save someone regardless of race because "you may be below me, but a life is still a life". Also consider that being an unpleasant jerk doesn't always mean being the grump. I've seen snobs who don't realize they're being condescending and unbearable. And that guy who swoops and and saves a woman from an 'uncivil' situation, only to turn around and reveal to be chauvinistic pig himself.
