An rpg where you play the villain.

[Stabwound]

Rather than just play an 'evil' character, why not also have in a game an examination of why 'Necros the Necromancer' became so butthurt as to want to take over and/or destroy the world? I'd love to see decent motivation for the big bad in games.

The game could trace the rise to power of the evil hero from fallen good guy or lowly minion until his eventual victory over his/her enemies.

This... would be an awesome game if done correctly. There's a huge difference between that, and Dragon Age style "evil" where you either choose to do the "good" or "bad" thing. Being "evil" in most games is more like being an asshole, not being evil. Commander Shephard punches a bitch in the face. That's not evil, it's just being an asshole.

I want to play a game that shows the progression of the main character into the ultimate evil guy. Maybe a terrible example for this forum, but Voldemort from the Harry Potter books comes to mind. You read about him being a "normal" kid and his eventual progression to getting into the dark magic and eventually becoming pure evil. You eventually understand exactly how and why it all happened.

A game where you play a character like that could be awesome. I'm really surprised there hasn't at least been an indie game like this. If I were a game developer I'd start working on this right now.

 

[laclongquan]

Sengoku Rance

Bullshitz. Rance is an ally of justice and cute girls.

Number one enemy you mean

That's really just a matter of perspective.

If you got a hot wife he's the menacing second to last boss who always want to paw your wife. Of course, because of your HOT wife you might not get killed either.

Rance is a lovable villain.

 

[Mrowak]

Sengoku Rance

Bullshitz. Rance is an ally of justice and cute girls.

Number one enemy you mean

That's really just a matter of perspective.

Yes, but isn't there beauty in it? Behind all that shallowness oozing from the monitor you get a really ambivalent heroe out there - more interesting than anything you've seen in bioware and bethesda crap... If only he could get more mature...

 

[denizsi]

Rather than just play an 'evil' character, why not also have in a game an examination of why 'Necros the Necromancer' became so butthurt as to want to take over and/or destroy the world? I'd love to see decent motivation for the big bad in games.

The game could trace the rise to power of the evil hero from fallen good guy or lowly minion until his eventual victory over his/her enemies.

This... would be an awesome game if done correctly. There's a huge difference between that, and Dragon Age style "evil" where you either choose to do the "good" or "bad" thing. Being "evil" in most games is more like being an asshole, not being evil. Commander Shephard punches a bitch in the face. That's not evil, it's just being an asshole.

I want to play a game that shows the progression of the main character into the ultimate evil guy. Maybe a terrible example for this forum, but Voldemort from the Harry Potter books comes to mind. You read about him being a "normal" kid and his eventual progression to getting into the dark magic and eventually becoming pure evil. You eventually understand exactly how and why it all happened.

Back-history of Voldemort was possibly the only remotely good thing about HP series. He was idiotically preachy, whiny and clumsy when it came to his present villainous presence in the books, though.

 

[Azrael the cat]

Rather than just play an 'evil' character, why not also have in a game an examination of why 'Necros the Necromancer' became so butthurt as to want to take over and/or destroy the world? I'd love to see decent motivation for the big bad in games.

The game could trace the rise to power of the evil hero from fallen good guy or lowly minion until his eventual victory over his/her enemies.

This... would be an awesome game if done correctly. There's a huge difference between that, and Dragon Age style "evil" where you either choose to do the "good" or "bad" thing. Being "evil" in most games is more like being an asshole, not being evil. Commander Shephard punches a bitch in the face. That's not evil, it's just being an asshole.

I want to play a game that shows the progression of the main character into the ultimate evil guy. Maybe a terrible example for this forum, but Voldemort from the Harry Potter books comes to mind. You read about him being a "normal" kid and his eventual progression to getting into the dark magic and eventually becoming pure evil. You eventually understand exactly how and why it all happened.

A game where you play a character like that could be awesome. I'm really surprised there hasn't at least been an indie game like this. If I were a game developer I'd start working on this right now.

Oh dear. We've now reached the point where 'famous really interesting character study of a villain, who starts off ordinary and ends up a manifestation of evil' brings to mind Voldemont from HP, rather than MacBeth.
of Western Civilisation. :D

 

[thesheeep]

SPOILER:

KotOR

 

[Erebus]

Oh dear. We've now reached the point where 'famous really interesting character study of a villain, who starts off ordinary and ends up a manifestation of evil' brings to mind Voldemont from HP, rather than MacBeth.

I'm not going to say that What's-his-name was an interesting villain, but, if you think about it, Macbeth was kind of an idiot. If the prophecy was true, he just had to wait and he would become king, without having to murder anyone.

 

[orao]

Oh dear. We've now reached the point where 'famous really interesting character study of a villain, who starts off ordinary and ends up a manifestation of evil' brings to mind Voldemont from HP, rather than MacBeth.
of Western Civilisation. :D

What a sad state of affairs indeed.
The average prole doesn't know the first thing about anything beyond the stupid television show they're following or the latest popcrap music that's on the top of the charts, or if you're lucky, they might have read twilight.
Sure it was always the case that good novels and poetry and so on tended to be discovered only a few years to a few decades after they were published, but the volume of ABSOLUTE SHIT that was published back then was far smaller.

 

[anus_pounder]

SPOILER:

KotOR

 

[Kaanyrvhok]

Forced villiany? Fuck that shit.

Why not? Quite often it is forced Good Guy after all. Perhaps another way of putting it is 'forced good ending'. You can be a thief, a liar, a drunkard and a murderer until, right at the end, you save the Realm/Universe/Multiverse/Etc.

In this game, perhaps you could be a shining knight of righteousness throughout, until the end where your actions cause the Great Evil to win. Paved with good intentions and all that.

Sounds like Motb. Thats what I didn't like about it. I dont mind being put in a no win situation with negative outcomes but let me at least choose the path that leads there on my own terms.

 

[Eyeball]

Fallout 3. Murder, enslaving random strangers, cannibalism, contract killing, mutilation, vampirism, theft, nuclear genocide and poisoning the water supply of the entire DC area.

Being a mean prick is fairly satisfying in FO3, mostly due to the fact that every single character is unlikeable and fucking irritating.

 

[commie]

Fallout 3. Murder, enslaving random strangers, cannibalism, contract killing, mutilation, vampirism, theft, nuclear genocide and poisoning the water supply of the entire DC area.

Being a mean prick is fairly satisfying in FO3, mostly due to the fact that every single character is unlikeable and fucking irritating.

But in the end you still save the world....

 

[commie]

double post, sorry.

 

[Eyeball]

But in the end you still save the world....

In a kinda Hitlerian "clean the impure mutant scum from the world with poisoned water!" sort of way, yes.

 

[DreadMessiah]

Dungeon keeper 3...which is in the making.

 

[Blackula]

I want a game when I play as a cosmic horror from beyond reality and try to destroy this universe. MoTB comes close with the chaotic-evil ending but thats not it...

So you wanna play as Cthulhu?

 

[Andhaira]

The dungoen keeper series is strategy, not an rpg.

 

[Nickless]

It'd be nice to play a necromancer in a world where it's only prejudice and ethical concerns that lead people to condemn the practice. You could have numerous motivations for pursuing the craft, from a desire to protect others whether they wish it or not (With the shambling corpses of their dearly departed), to the quest for eternal (un)life, or a megalomaniacal want for power over others. Maybe have a main plot where you could pursue various interests such as lichdom as optional side-quests that have an impact on the outcome of the main plot.

 

[Malakal]

I want a game when I play as a cosmic horror from beyond reality and try to destroy this universe. MoTB comes close with the chaotic-evil ending but thats not it...

So you wanna play as Cthulhu?

Not necessarily Cthulhu - equivalent since he is very powerful as is but some smaller demon/horror yes, it would be fun. Unique spells and abilities too, more balanced classes (for example warrior could have more tentacles or something while the mage would cast arcane spells from beyond reality), interesting point of view. Also not necessarily evil, just alien.

 

[Rhalle]

Someone should flip the formula and make an RPG where the default path is Evil, but the moral crises are those which could lead the PC towards redemption.

Problem is, though, nobody will make this game because it would be too controversial, were it really to be made. Someone might try it (or claim to have done it), but it will be limp-wristed and the Evil would be so bowlderized that it mighta s well not even try.

I still think it's a neat idea, though.

 

[The_scorpion]

I think it's quite hard to really play a villain. Basicly because the typical villain's main feature is to be the player's (seemingly insurmountable) antagonist. (duh)

The Character design and backstory is what makes a good villain. Once you make such a character a PC, it is extremely hard to maintain the elements that make him actually a villain. Even if you force some sort of "evil path" onto the player.

So what's possible are some evil twists/ endings or to create a different archnemesis for your villain protagonist. Now what kind of antagonist would that be? A symbol of pure good? Like what? And how to make this antagonist be "good" but still powerful/ threatening?

If you play a bad guy, you're lacking the purpose to go up against something. Stealing candy from a baby all day doesn't sound like the most exciting gameplay ever. But once you'd have to face seemingly insurmountable odds against you, that "antagonist/ villain" function is passed to your opposition at least to a certain extent.

But such a game is certainly a very attractive idea. Might even play something like that if somebody makes it.

 

[Ebonsword]

Being "evil" in most games is more like being an asshole, not being evil. Commander Shephard punches a bitch in the face. That's not evil, it's just being an asshole.

Agree * 10,000

I would love to have a game where you could play "sophisticated mastermind evil" instead of "stupid thug evil".

One thing that would help towards that goal, would be some more dialogue options for lying.

For example, in a typical RPG, you'll be approached by some weeping mother who's lost her children. Your possible responses will be something along the lines of:

(A) Fear not, worthy matron, I shall return forthwith with thine missing toddlers.

(B) I'll do it...for 100 GP.

(C) Give me a blowjob, a puppy to kick, and 1,000 GP and I'll maybe consider it, bitch.

It would be nice to have this option:
(D) [Lie] Nothing would please me more than to assist a person in need such as yourself.

With option [D] you could keep any good-aligned members of your party happy because they think that you're doing things for the right reasons. But it wouldn't actually shift your alignment towards good, and you could have an aside to any evil party members where you assure them that you're just doing this to keep up your facade of virtue.

What would be really awesome, though, would be if you could then come back later and say to the mother "Would you mind assisting me with a small matter? I need to get a note to the King, but my enemies are watching all entrances to the castle. But you could slip in unnoticed. Can you go to the King's daily audience with the public and slip him this note along with this gem? He will know what it means."

The "gem", though, is really the fantasy equivalent of a couple of pounds of plastic explosive. As soon as the mother enters the King's audience chamber, you detonate the "gem" remotely, assassinating the King and dozens of other important personages in the kingdom, leaving a gaping power gap for you to fill.


Yeah, that's the kind of game I would like to see.

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Evil goes way beyond just being asshole when you start murdering innocent people.

 

[Sergiu64]

I wanna play as Irenicus....

 

[flabbyjack]

You can play as some pretty evil dieties in Dominions 3, a strategy game. There is also a high amount of customization of your character. How do you feel about playing a magical fountain of blood, whose loyal followers seek out virginal sacrifices to fuel your spells? No dialogue options though.

Balgrogarogolmthzlythlx, the One Always at the Shoulder, King of Suffering, King of Near and Close, Gatherer of the Dead is a Pretender God trying to banish all other Pretenders and become a true God.
The Fountain of Blood is a horrible spirit inhabiting an unholy fountain that spews forth blood instead of water. The spirit possesses a girl to serve as its instrument. The chosen child is blinded and rendered unable to do anything but speak the will of the spirit. At the age of thirteen, she is sacrificed and replaced witha new girl, born the day the previous girl was made into the voice of the spirit. The unholy spirit is immobile and cannot leave the fountain it inhabits. It can possess willing targets to perform tasks such as forging items for enchantment. The fountain of Blood is tremendously strong in its Dominion and magically powerful. Its eerie wails attract weak souls, and the unholy spirit is most efficient in finding virgins for sacrifice. Anyone wishing to harm the fountain will flee in panic once the eerie wailing pierces his soul. The fountain can be destroyed, but not easily.