How often do you play as the asshole in RPGs?

[Ocelot]

Pretty straightforward question. How often do you go out of your way to be the ultimate evil asshole in RPGs? And what games do a really good job at making this option viable and fun instead of punishing you for being evil?

As someone with the good guy syndrome, I used to exclusively play as the righteous guy in every single RPG when I was still getting into the genre and had a hard time not being mindlessly benevolent. Over time I actually started role-playing different characters, realizing how dumb it was on my behalf to always go the holier-than-thou way.

From my limited experience I know that KOTOR 2, Fallout NV and Mass Effect do a great job at letting you being an evil asshole. Mass effect in particular has a very simplified "moral" system that punishes you if you are too neutral so being an asshole there works wonders. What other games should I play if I want to cure my good guy syndrome for good?

 

[Sranchammer]

I haven't played 'Good' since Arcanum.

Starting a Race War in Tarant changed my playing style for good. No pun intended.

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Rarely do I play evil in RPGs but I when I do I tend to go all out and become the best I can be at being a total evil shit. The most evil character I ever played in an RPG was after I had put about 100+ hours into Oblivion (with mods) and I had taken my original, good-guy character as far as I felt I could go with him within polite do-gooders society, so I downloaded a mod called "Malevolence" where you are actively encouraged to play evil. There was one power you acquired where you could murder someone and drain them of their essence or lifeforce as they lay screaming and dying and channel it into one of your own stats. I would lure innocent guards into secluded woods and murder them, enjoying the increase in my stats. I felt like a most prolific and talented gay serial killer, but not like those dum dums who get caught like Dahmer. Confident that I could continue this behavior indefinitely with total impunity because of a "no psychic guards" mod I had installed, the body count rose higher and higher. Then one day I waltzed into a nearby town, and was arrested by the guards as they boomed, "COME WITH US, CITIZEN!" "No problem" I thought. I'll just grease someone's palm at the local jailhouse with a little gold, and I'll be on my merry murderous way. Little did I know that the mod author of Malevolence changed a small but significant mechanic. I was given no trial and taken to the gallows and summarily hanged by the neck til dead. My character finally retired, I never played evil this way again. Crime does not pay, boys n gurls. That's your lesson from your Uncle Jack here signing off, as I sing, "Gooooood Niiiiiight!"

 

[Biscotti]

I often try going for evil characters, but end up going the good route anyway cause I don't wanna LARP as a complete dick. Guess I'm just too much of a moralfag.
That said though, my favorite characters are along the lines of chaotic good, because the goody two shoes archetype is pretty obnoxious as well.

 

[fantadomat]

I play as neutral,some quests i am evil some i am good. Depends on the mood. Most games don't really have interesting evil plays. Evil is far too cartoony for my taste in most games.
Sranchammer what do you mean by race war,the ork communists?

 

[Commissar Draco]

I am playing as righteous individual which makes me act and/or be seen by games as evil asshole; for example Choosing Zerka and General Vaklu in KOTOR2 or becoming Emperor in Jade Empire or Sympathizing with Leaden Key or Theodias in PoE. Not my fault that game developers are in majority libruls and that their vision of goodness is opaque or nonsensical like giving planet to herd of hippie weaklings so it will be bombed the moment I left or making Onderon open borders and multiculti or allowing country to shatter and fall to anarchy etc...

 

[Black Knight]

As im great asshole and antisocial jerk in the real life it's very easy for me to feel right immerszun when just being myself in any crpg.

 

[dragonul09]

As bad as Bioware has become they still had some nice evil moments in their past games

Killing Mordin and Wrex was very satisfying






Curing the genophage and let those reptilian niggers to pillage again? Not on my watch.

 

[Viata]

I only play evil characters. Unless the game requires me to play whatever the fuck they want me to get the important plot(Planescape: Torment, for example).

 

[frajaq]

Depends how much there is to steal in the game

 

[undecaf]

Not nearly as often as I'd want to, but I tend to play an opportunist when ever the game allows me to.

 

[Somberlain]

I always play as a badass character who takes no shit from anyone, except he is always respectful and gracious towards m'ladies.

 

[dragonul09]

Another great example of playing as a sadistic freak is Alpha Brotocol




Just hillarious how much of a prick you can be in this game

 

[jungl]

Problem is most rpgs and Games never reward you for playing the good guy paladin type.

 

[Starwars]

I almost always only play evil/asshole on replays, so that already limits what games I do it in a bit.

One of my favorite characters was a goodie goodie character in NWN2, and then when she got to MotB she fell into evilness. Made a lot of sense after going through alll the shit you do in NWN2, and finally killing the King of Shadows, only to end up in another really shitty situation.

 

[PorkBarrellGuy]

Occasionally, if I'm in a mood I'll go asshole-mode in some of my games. Fallout 2 had a few highly entertaining asshole moments, but the game was heavily biased towards playing a good character (I think Per Jorner pointed out that you can be a shameless opportunist in FO2 and end up with great karma). Hordes of the Underdark is mildly entertaining to play through as an evil character. Arcanum and PS:T were already mentioned... what else? Oh, sometimes being a dick in Grim Dawn is kind of rewarding/entertaining though due to its nature there isn't much actual RP to be had, just some minor C&C at points.

Problem is most rpgs and Games never reward you for playing the good guy paladin type.

What? I find it's usually the exact opposite - heavy bias towards rewarding "good guy" decisions.

 

[Morkar Left]

I always want to play evil in a second playthrough. I never do.
If a game is made to be the evil one I enjoy it, though.

 

[Nerevar]

Yes I play LG characters in RPGs all the time.

 

[PorkBarrellGuy]

Yes I play LG characters in RPGs all the time.

LG isn't necessarily "asshole", though apparently it's not uncommon for writers/players to go Lawful Stupid with their LG-ish routes. I tend to think of habitual CG players as being assholes, though.

 

[Mikeal]

If playing as evil/jackass character is funny and creative not simple killing everything and gib me yourz money I will play shit of evil character. Still remember this scene from KOTOR 2.

 

[fantadomat]

We really need Beta protocol...

 

[Mikeal]

Where you are playing as beta soi boi? Nah I will pass.

 

[Daedalos]

Practically, never. It's not just all that interesting to me.

 

[Reinhardt]

What other games should I play if I want to cure my good guy syndrome for good?

Rance. But he's not evil. He's Rance.

 

[Lhynn]

I play as a good guy thats also an asshole, its great.