Top Mud Sites Forum - View Single Post - Why choose something you know you can't be?

Maia · 03-02-2003, 10:38 PM

Personally, I seldom play "evil" characters for the same reason that I seldom play male characters: the greater the difference between my character's personality and my own, the more work I have to do and the greater the chances of me stuffing it up.

That said, one of the beauties of "alternative worlds" is that they afford the opportunity to explore things that I can't or wouldn't want to in real life. Wanton murder is obviously one of these things, and something that many players do seem to enjoy exploring.

And sometimes they do so with very cardboard, one-dimensional characters. I don't consider that these provide the depth to create an immersive, informative experience either for the player behind them or those they come into contact with in-game. Not an issue, obviously, on hack-n-slashers, but it does gall me when I encounter such in RP worlds.

There are players who create murderous characters who were abused as children, are schizophrenic, are fueled by hatred for a race/caste who oppress their own, even characters possessed by the devil or who have inherited vampirsim. All these at least have created the possibility of exploring the reasons for their characters actions, depth enough to determine how to play out their character's misdeads, when they would slay and when they would refrain, even whether it is possible or likely that they would have a change of heart.

Players who create murderous characters who kill just 'because they're evil', are far worse in my books than those who actually explore the nature of that evil.

So, although I admit it does send a few chills up my spine, I don't have a problem with the nature of the bio Terloch posted.

What I do have a problem with, and I suspect this was what Terloch was getting at, is when people work against the vision of a MU*, especially when a player demands that staff implement a feature just because it would suit the player even though it isn't in keeping with the theme of the MU*. In this case, it was vampirism in a world without vampires.

If you don't like the feel or flavour of a MU*, go play somewhere else.

Maia, currently splitting personalities on and .

03-02-2003, 10:38 PM	#11
Maia New Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 13	Personally, I seldom play "evil" characters for the same reason that I seldom play male characters: the greater the difference between my character's personality and my own, the more work I have to do and the greater the chances of me stuffing it up. That said, one of the beauties of "alternative worlds" is that they afford the opportunity to explore things that I can't or wouldn't want to in real life. Wanton murder is obviously one of these things, and something that many players do seem to enjoy exploring. And sometimes they do so with very cardboard, one-dimensional characters. I don't consider that these provide the depth to create an immersive, informative experience either for the player behind them or those they come into contact with in-game. Not an issue, obviously, on hack-n-slashers, but it does gall me when I encounter such in RP worlds. There are players who create murderous characters who were abused as children, are schizophrenic, are fueled by hatred for a race/caste who oppress their own, even characters possessed by the devil or who have inherited vampirsim. All these at least have created the possibility of exploring the reasons for their characters actions, depth enough to determine how to play out their character's misdeads, when they would slay and when they would refrain, even whether it is possible or likely that they would have a change of heart. Players who create murderous characters who kill just 'because they're evil', are far worse in my books than those who actually explore the nature of that evil. So, although I admit it does send a few chills up my spine, I don't have a problem with the nature of the bio Terloch posted. What I do have a problem with, and I suspect this was what Terloch was getting at, is when people work against the vision of a MU, especially when a player demands that staff implement a feature just because it would suit the player even though it isn't in keeping with the theme of the MU. In this case, it was vampirism in a world without vampires. If you don't like the feel or flavour of a MU*, go play somewhere else. Maia, currently splitting personalities on and .