rekkampum
N2
Gui meɖi naneke o, gake ŋudͻwͻnu le eŋu
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Mass Effect Legendary Edition
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rekkampum
Gui meɖi naneke o, gake ŋudͻwͻnu le eŋu
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rekkampum
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Mass Effect Legendary Edition
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Post by rekkampum on Apr 24, 2023 11:27:32 GMT
I guess we've all done it at least once.
Load up a game like Mass Effect, or Dragon Age and deliberately select the worst-possible options for every single scenario, being as rude as possible to everyone we interact with, deliberately selecting 'dick move' options that result in death, misery, suffering or alienation. We have a kind of car crash fascination in just how bad we can make things. I've done it myself, and I guess a lot of others have done it too.
Dragon Age Origins has a very large amount of potentual 'dick move' choices - ones that you'd only select out of perverse desire to be as unpleasant or evil as possible. Killing the Dalish is one such example, there's almost no justification for that course of action, along with other utterly dickish choices, such as using the "tell me or I'll kick your head in" dialogue option on the young love-struck elf who's desire will not bond with him as he has failed to pass his hunter trials... before going on to lie to her that the guy was bragging about sleeping with her, utterly ruiniing everything for them both - no justification for doing this save a desire to be as perversely nasty as possible.
But....
Whenever I try to play this way I end up feeling awful. I just can't help it. I end up feeling overcome with guilt, despite the fact it's just a game.
Killing Wrex on Virmire during my 'worst possible outcome' Mass Effect playthrough was insanely difficult to do, I had to mentally force myself to select the option, and I felt terrible afterward.
In a lot of ways I never actually 'enjoyed' these 'evil' playthoughs. They fill me with negative emotions, which is not a good way to feel - though a the same time they're interesting to experience.
Certainly in all my canon playthroughs I've been the most paragonish boy scout imaginable, helping everyone, and being an absolute goody two shoes.
So - to pose the original question: Does anyone out there genuinelly enjoy playing these kind of 'chaotic jerk' characters, and do so in an entirely guilt-free, unattached way? Or are you more like me? Doing so out of interest, but always with a sense of strange guilt?
I made a deal with a desire demon instead of freeing the kid at Redcliffe. |
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sjsharp2010
N7
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard
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Post by sjsharp2010 on Apr 25, 2023 1:13:58 GMT
I think it depends on how we've been influenced over the years especiaslly growing up I've always enjoyed playin gth egood gu ybut then I was influenced quite heavily by cartoons like He Man and She ra i nthe 80's
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Post by Sweet FA on May 13, 2023 5:26:28 GMT
Saints, Psychopaths and Sociopaths
Granted "evil" or renegade choices and behaviour can stray into villainously ridiculous pantomime territory but the flawlessly perfect over worthy paragon setting out on their noble quest with pious pomposity can also wander down the rather dull path of rigid moral rectitude on the other extreme. Personally I prefer a more roguish anti-hero rp, which may on occasion be morally ambiguous yes but without going full on HK-47 or fundamentally being truly evil at the characters core.
In my opinion this might be a more realistic portrayal of a real human personality as who among us are without flaws, I know I'm certainly not perfect or one hundred percent correct and infallible, maybe I prefer a more flawed hero who not only overcomes their enemies but also themselves. Sometimes our own doubts, thoughts and character flaws within us can be a greater threat to our own success and personal wellbeing than any external foe. I like to explore these particular traits and behaviours in fictional characters, I don't know maybe it's a little bit more human not to be perfect, to make mistakes and not always do the right thing.
Unfortunately for me it was difficult to rp this style in the Mass Effect trilogy due to the Paragon/Renegade system which wasn't particularly accommodating to this kind of character playstyle as I regularly found myself making choices that I didn't want to just to max my Paragon/Renegade points and increase my dialogue options. Dragon Age was more friendly to this character type.
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