My vote - I'd say villainous.
The operating presumption is the law and it's minions are the white hats. While heros may oft stray outside the law to do the necessary thing, 'busting them out' instead of gathering evidence in their favor would be more villainous.
Now, you mention 'Chaotic', which me think the nuetral setting is best. Let the player decide if they have been doing good or evil.
But yes, ethical twists can be a great deal of fun, done right.
I'd go villainous, as you are most certainly committing a string of premeditated felonies (for pay!) that will see you not only with a revoked hero license, but behind bars. It's not like a ski mask is going to hide your identity once you go in slinging super powers.
In fact, I imagine that PPD forensics has "power signatures" on file for all registered heroes as well as any criminals that have ever been arrested.
(Hmmm, story idea.) Too bad that the MA system is so screwed up that any time put into it is almost certainly as wasted as being an RMT emailer.
I'd say there are two considerations.
First, if the "enemy faction" you are fighting is the PPD, and if you assume that most players aren't going to read anything about why they are fighting, then it's villainous. Fighting cops for no reason is certainly villainous.
The second consideration, if people actually bother to read anything, is what kind of unpleasant plans the PPD have. If the plans are unpleasant for the bad guys, but reasonably within either the letter or the spirit of the law, or at least in the general interests of justice, then it still sounds villainous.
I would only say it's a heroic arc if the police are planning something absolutely villainous, in which case stopping them would be heroic.
Avatar: "Cheeky Jack O Lantern" by dimarie
I'd say that while the hero's heart is in the right place, it sounds like the mission would make more sense to be listed as villianous OR listed as neutral with the explanation of what's going on.
Scenario:
Hero once was kidnapped by Villain Group. Got to know them, concluded that Villain Group was at minimum not irredeemably bad, and came to like them.
Hero learns that some in the PPD have unpleasant plans for the members of the Villain Group in custody. Hero contacts you, the player, to bust them out.
Is this basic plot:<ul type="square">[*] (__) Villainous, or[*](__) Heroic?[/list]
I'm inclined to go with Villainous.
Some say that Villainous should only be used on missions with purely mercenary or power-hungry scenarios. Stories where you set out to help the contact out of sympathy cannot be Villainous.
What it is, more than anything else, is Chaotic - but that isn't an alignment option in the game. I am leaning towards Villainous, partially because I want a Villainous arc (and my current live ones ain't); but mostly because this mission will pit you against police, and people who imagine they're on the side of the angels as enemies.
Isn't it wonderful that Mission Architect raises all of these ethical and political complexities?
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