RP Philosophy Topic: How to villain in the context of Arelith?

[Zavandar]

It's very easy to adopt the same goals as our characters. It is something I have fallen into before. "Defend this city" is obv a reasonable character goal, but not something we're obligated to do as players. I think it's reasonable and even something to expect that we're happy when accomplish things on our characters, but we have to be cognizant of whether or not these achievements are detrimental to the server's narratives.

it's a lot easier said than done to find that balance!

[sarithia]

The best villains I have ever seen are the ones that didn't start out with the intention of being an Arelith-wide threat. It was all apart of character growth; building on existing stories, character shaping through sources, etc. Sure, your guy can start out with the intention of becoming an evil Chancellor of Cordor that's actually wanting to run the city into the ground, but the sheer amount of objects and plots and characters that are on hand to shape that journey are staggering and wonderful. Sure, sometimes bad guys can naturally fall into that capture-the-flag style of warfare because a lot of people do genuinely find that fun (and there is nothing - I repeat - nothing wrong with that in the slightest and is a brilliant way to incorporate a mass amount of people) but there's always got to be a journey from evil point A to evil point B in my opinion. The real 'evil' can be how your character interacts with the others on that journey. If that makes any sense at all.
tl;dr - Arelith constantly evolves. I'll log on one day and by the next, something can have shifted gears or been forgotten about because there's something new on the horizon. Evolve with it, and see where it takes your character.

[RapidReload]

I've come to learn being a good villain means making sure that everyone on all sides has an enjoyable time and are able to contribute in a meaningful way. You may be a villain, but the good guys are your co authors or there is no story.

[The Rambling Midget]

I've come to learn being a good villain means making sure that everyone on all sides has an enjoyable time and are able to contribute in a meaningful way. You may be a villain, but the good guys are your co authors or there is no story.

Exactly. There's a book called "Friend or Foe" in the module that every aspiring villain (and hero, really) should read. I think it's one of the best additions to Arelith's book matrix, but I have no idea who submitted it.

[Borin Drakkmurl]

I've come to learn being a good villain means making sure that everyone on all sides has an enjoyable time and are able to contribute in a meaningful way. You may be a villain, but the good guys are your co authors or there is no story.

Exactly. There's a book called "Friend or Foe" in the module that every aspiring villain (and hero, really) should read. I think it's one of the best additions to Arelith's book matrix, but I have no idea who submitted it.

Oh, crap, that was me! I dont even have the original doc that I sent to Artos anymore. Good to know someone out there enjoyed reading it!


(ps: sorry for the off topic remark.)

[The Rambling Midget]

I dont even have the original doc that I sent to Artos anymore.

I should've known.

[Borin Drakkmurl]

Listen, I am bad at these things, alright?

Buuut now that I think about it, there might exist an usb pen somewhere with that text and others in it.

That and the actual handwritten thing as well.

[WanderingPoet]

For TRM and Borin.

Friend or Foe

[This is a very slim book, likely used to write down only the occasional note. Though it has a leather cover, there are no engravings on it, nor can the author's name be found anywhere. Only the following page can still be read in its entirety.]

More than a century ago, two men met on the battlefield as they had done many times before. Surrounded by the dead and the dying, cradled by the soft breeze that blew past the golden leaves of the forest, they readied themselves for another duel. One a hero, the other a villain, each of them a champion of their Faiths.

There were no taunts nor war cries, for there were none left to be shouted between the two. There was only the tense silence of those who know what to expect, moment after moment, breath by breath, step after step.

So it was in grim silence that they charged and engaged in combat, silver and blue against gold and black, entangled in a deadly dance that they knew by heart. It was a long and tiresome fight, a test of wills and not of martial prowess, where each side refused to give way before the other.
It is lost to time how, exactly, the duel came to an end, but when it did, it was the villain who was, at last, defeated, like in all the great tales. The hero, in turn,was glorified and adored by all, even more than he had ever been before. For many, this is how this story ends, but few know of the events that followed.

It is said that after his victory, the hero was never quite the same again. Despite the reverence his name inspired, regardless of the riches aquired, his mood became increasingly somber, and he would often retreat into solitude, inside the holy chapels of his Faith. Legend says that, when asked by concerned friends about what so consumed him, these were his words:

"I have lived my life without any doubts, always sure of who I was and of my role in this world. All of that changed in that last battle. When that man died, it was as if I died with him. I should've rejoiced when I saw him laying motionless on the forest floor, but all I felt was emptyness and regret. My mind is constantly flooded with the memories of the many times he and I battled each other. Wars, skirmishes, duels, ambushes, the two of us survived it all together."

"I carry on my body a hundred scars drawn by his blade and I still recall the taste of his blood. He and I understood each other. I see now that we carried the same burdens, the same weight of being champions of entire creeds, to carry on with our duties no matter what, despite it all and despite ourselves. I know now that he was more like me than any of you will ever be, and I realize that the man I most hated, I could've loved as a brother."

"Since I've slain him, and for the first time in my life, I do not know who I am."

[Seven Sons of Sin]

For TRM and Borin.

Friend or Foe

[This is a very slim book, likely used to write down only the occasional note. Though it has a leather cover, there are no engravings on it, nor can the author's name be found anywhere. Only the following page can still be read in its entirety.]

More than a century ago, two men met on the battlefield as they had done many times before. Surrounded by the dead and the dying, cradled by the soft breeze that blew past the golden leaves of the forest, they readied themselves for another duel. One a hero, the other a villain, each of them a champion of their Faiths.

There were no taunts nor war cries, for there were none left to be shouted between the two. There was only the tense silence of those who know what to expect, moment after moment, breath by breath, step after step.

So it was in grim silence that they charged and engaged in combat, silver and blue against gold and black, entangled in a deadly dance that they knew by heart. It was a long and tiresome fight, a test of wills and not of martial prowess, where each side refused to give way before the other.
It is lost to time how, exactly, the duel came to an end, but when it did, it was the villain who was, at last, defeated, like in all the great tales. The hero, in turn,was glorified and adored by all, even more than he had ever been before. For many, this is how this story ends, but few know of the events that followed.

It is said that after his victory, the hero was never quite the same again. Despite the reverence his name inspired, regardless of the riches aquired, his mood became increasingly somber, and he would often retreat into solitude, inside the holy chapels of his Faith. Legend says that, when asked by concerned friends about what so consumed him, these were his words:

"I have lived my life without any doubts, always sure of who I was and of my role in this world. All of that changed in that last battle. When that man died, it was as if I died with him. I should've rejoiced when I saw him laying motionless on the forest floor, but all I felt was emptyness and regret. My mind is constantly flooded with the memories of the many times he and I battled each other. Wars, skirmishes, duels, ambushes, the two of us survived it all together."

"I carry on my body a hundred scars drawn by his blade and I still recall the taste of his blood. He and I understood each other. I see now that we carried the same burdens, the same weight of being champions of entire creeds, to carry on with our duties no matter what, despite it all and despite ourselves. I know now that he was more like me than any of you will ever be, and I realize that the man I most hated, I could've loved as a brother."

"Since I've slain him, and for the first time in my life, I do not know who I am."

This is so beautiful and encapsulates the essence of conflict so honestly.

[Subutai]

I think this perfectly sums up the best way to play a villain, and even the best way to play a hero. It's very easy to see our characters' nemeses as being enemies. We want to beat them, they want to beat us, and only one can win, both on an IC and an OOC level. I don't think that's how it has to be, or how it should be.

Consider your character's best friend, or significant other, or just your favorite RP buddy. Often, those people are our good friends OOC, and we care about the success of the RP, and making RP fun for them, sometimes even at the expense of our own goals for our character. That's the kind of relationship the best heroes and villains have. The ones for whom having OOC knowledge of plots and schemes isn't used to unfairly beat them by cheating, but is used to help their plot.

Instead of hearing from a friend of a friend that your character's nemesis is going to attack on Tuesday, so you make sure to summon up your faction to foil the scheme and "win", you hear about the plan from your nemesis's player directly, so you can talk about it and discuss how it can be resolved in a way that will further both characters.

Or maybe there's no OOC discussion at all. Maybe you just roll with it as it goes, and trust that their player has your best interests at heart, and wants your character's story to succeed the same way you want theirs to.

I could say that's how we should all think of everyone else on the server, and we could all agree with it. But realistically, it won't happen. There are too many of us, with too many different goals, and too many personality types, for it to ever be so idyllic. The reality is, sometimes you have to test the waters. Hero or villain, you can't just leap in with good intentions and expect to be treated the same way.

The best way to play a villain, to be entirely honest, and the best way to play a hero, is to be respectful, but be careful. Not everyone will accept your villainous RP, either because they don't want to deal with it, or because they'll just want to kill you and win. In the first case, it's not fun for them, in the second, it's not fun for you. So have your evil schemes, and your villainous plots, but don't just throw them in other people's faces. Be open when people want in on your RP, and be open in approaching people who might not know about it, but don't make everyone you come across either a co-conspirator or an enemy.

[Seven Sons of Sin]

One thing I always wonder about in Arelith is how close rival factions are on an OOC level. One thing could exacerbate the tribalism of Arelith these days, unlike perhaps before, is that if you join a faction - great. You can use Discord to help coordinate. You know what is in the faction Discord? General conversation. You know what that creates? Friendship/friendliness. You know who's not apart of that?

Arguably the most important in your character's story -

your antagonists.

If you're the type of player, villain or hero, who makes friends of your counterparts on an OOC level, and develop a sense of trust and kindness, you're going to be reward immensely in everything you're going to do.

Who do you think a villain is going to drop hints to, to get a new evil scheme going?
Who do you think is going to best handle your hero's backstory or kidnap plot, or Jekyll/Hyde moment?

Roleplay, like many things in life, begets roleplay. If you ever become known, in-game or out-of-game, as a villain/hero who is amazing to have as a villain/hero, you're golden for life, ponyboy.

[The Rambling Midget]

One more thing, and I know this will sound frustratingly vague: Don't try to win. Try to offer your opponents opportunities to lose.

The former denies them meaningful involvement. The latter allows them to weave that loss into both of your stories.

[MorallyGrey]

It ain't easy bein' green.

[Shadowy Reality]

Friend or Foe is amazing, easily one of my favourite books IG.