What is YOUR idea of true villainy?

Game developers. They are ultimately responsible for every act of villainy in every MMO ever built, or which ever WILL be built. You want the ultimate villain, there ya go. (wink)

I think the ultimate villain is someone who thinks what they are doing is for the "good" of his victims. And so actually thinks of himself as a hero. Remind you of anyone?

You know... when I saw Dechs mention it, I cringed... but people didn't jump into the debate about it... Now people are jumping in with their solid-as-fact opinions about it.

Claws, some people would disagree that it is nothing alike.

Let's just leave it at that. What's the point of discussing it further?
Is anyone going to convince the other differently within this forum and this discussion thread?

There is no evil in the Rogue Isles like Westin Phipps. Peter Themari comes close, but Phipps is the master of soul-blackening evil. He tells you exactly what it is that makes him so evil, too, in his pre- and post-mission dialogue.

IMO there are too many possible personality types to sum up "villains" as a general category. The modus operandi and general attitude of them varies tremendously. Some villains may be reluctant criminals, others lovers of anarchy, others strictly incapable of empathy (perhaps even physically incapable of it if of robotic or alien origin).

Here are a couple of example personalities that could exist, using some of the enneagram personality models as a base. [Note that I am not a big supporter of "personality tests" in general. I do sometimes find them useful for gathering ideas about character attitudes though.] This is just to help flesh out the discussion with some specific examples of very different villain types.


The "Leader" Type
"In a world filled with so much death and anarchy and destruction, only a strong leader can protect those too weak to defend themselves. People call me a sociopath, but I'm just a person caught between two futures: one of hope, and one of anarchy. I regret that those who choose not to stand behind me must be defeated, but they've made their choice."


The "Helper" Type
"Do you not see how I have suffered for my beliefs? All I ever wanted was something simple. I give and I give and in return I get nothing but ingratitude. And you you dare to call me the criminal, when it is clear I am the one who has been wronged!"


The "Motivator" Type
"I used to be a nobody but NOW look at me! No more mister shoe salesman! That's right, ladies of Paragon! This night stalker is single and the wallet is coming out! But don't cross me. I hate to have to get you dead, or worse, forgotten."


The "Romantic" Type
"I spent many years trying to find myself, and you know what I discovered? Only emptiness. There is no money, no hope, no belief in heaven that can withstand the things I have seen. So I drift from horror to horror without pattern or cause, pausing only briefly to admire the banality of each new death."


The "Thinker" Type
"Only an idiot believes in consequences. There is no right and wrong, there are only mysteries to be solved. But obviously that concept is beyond your grasp, and this is why for all your boasting about "morals" you have not a single unique discovery to call your own."


The "Enthusiast" Type
"I will confess that when I first asked for her hand in marriage, I did not have it in mind that I would kill her. But the opportunity presented itself, and you know, life has a plan. In the end, I'm just glad I got to experience it first hand, and that's what really matters."


The "Skeptic" Type
"I had to kill them all, they knew too much. Yes I know it sets back my plans. Whatever those are. What was I saying? Oh right, I was telling you about my super evil plans, or whatever. Yeah... and then I was going to kill you, because that's what villains do. Right? Wait here a second, I'm going to look it up on Wikipedia."


The "Peacemaker" Type
"When I originally thought 'Hey, I'll become a villain!' it was more about the costumes than anything. But the more time I spent around them, the more I kind of found out they were pretty cool people. Sure, they have their flaws, and that cannibal guy can be a jerk when he's hungry. But so many of them are just lost and misunderstood... I'm happy to fight alongside them."


The "Cannibal" Type
"That Peacemaker guy looks really sinewy."