gaming Do You Like Playing Playing a Hero or a Villain?

[Shanks 10,816]

There are more and more video games coming out where you as the main character get to make certain moral choices good, bad or in some cases even neutral that determine the course of the game. Some people prefer to be the hero, some a bit in between and others just love being an evil bastard. In most cases I love being the bad guy, my favorite faction is Star Wars the Old Republic is empire and I have no qualms about taking out civilians or "turning hostages into sausages" whenever I get the opportunity. With that said though there are some other situations where I kind of prefer things a bit more gray a good example of this would be the Bounty Hunter and Smuggler stories in Star Wars The Old Republic. They both have some really hilarious lines and some of them are a bit more light side and some of them a bit more dark side. My personal favorite of course being that one Bounty Hunter story scene where you get to punch an Alderanian noble right in the face.

 

So what do you guys prefer in video games? Do you prefer to play as a hero, villain or something a bit in between?

Edited October 12, 2014 by EarthbendingProdigy

[Hive King 2,001]

Depends on who has the cooler and better powers. I'll do both, for story's sake though

[Gatekeeper Giggle 2,902]

I love playing the villain! There is nothing more enjoyable then watching a finely crafted evil plan come together. I wish there were more games where you could play as the evil mastermind controlling things from behind the scenes. 

 

Also, you should have a poll for this question. 

[碇 シンジン 27,431]

I want to be a hero, but I can be villain too if their actions aren't too violent. Violent things hurt me inside and they are screaming to me that it is wrong.

[Banul 3,831]

Usually prefer playing a hero, though they may do some questionable things at times.

 

Depending on the game, I'll sometimes try to do both for the story. Even if I don't, I appreciate the option of being evil because it makes it more satisfying to choose to be good.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Banul

[Castle Bleck 19,334]

A sympathetic villain with standards, whenever possible.

[Shanks 10,816]

I love playing the villain! There is nothing more enjoyable then watching a finely crafted evil plan come together. I wish there were more games where you could play as the evil mastermind controlling things from behind the scenes. 

That is exactly why the Sith Warrior is my favorite class in Star Wars the Old Republic, the irony is that the Sith Warrior is supposed to be the brute and the Sith Inquisitor is supposed to be the behind the scenes guy but there is more behind the scenes stuff in the Sith Warrior story than the Sith Inquisitor story. The Sith Inquisitor story is good too but the Sith Warrior story is something else. Also, poll has been added.

Edited October 12, 2014 by EarthbendingProdigy

[Untitled Goose Q 5,137]

Villain, wherever possible.

[Greywolfin 102]

I tend to be more prone to the heroic choices. That being said, I have been known to rob entire stores blind on my "heroic" quest...

[Castle Bleck 19,334]

That is exactly why the Sith Warrior is my favorite class in Star Wars the Old Republic, the irony is that the Sith Warrior is supposed to be the brute and the Sith Inquisitor is supposed to be the behind the scenes guy but there is more behind the scenes stuff in the Sith Warrior story than the Sith Inquisitor story. The Sith Inquisitor story is good too but the Sith Warrior story is something else. Also, poll has been added.

 

I really need to try SWTOR sometime.

[Frostgage 7,975]

inFamous is probably my favorite game series ever. I always play through both the good and evil storylines, but I prefer being a hero, and that's what I play as whenever I replay the games.

[Shift 4,272]

Whenever I have the chance, I go as Neutral, but if Neutral isn't available Evil. For example, in Fallout I either go as Evil or Neutral, mostly because I lockpick and steal shit. In Skyrim I would probably be a pure evil character because all I do is steal shit and assassinate people for kicks and gold.

Edited October 12, 2014 by Shift

[long gone 8,929]

Usually I play the hero, but occasionally I do questionable things, like killing people I hate (e.g. Heimskr and Nazeem in Skyrim).

[Vox 870]

One of my demons. but i prefer playing as a villain, seeing the world through their eyes and perhaps trying to understand what could motivate them to do what they do, often times a villain's actions may be somewhat justified, but this is subjective.

[HopeFul 122]

I enjoy playing with both just like writing both. X3 The greater the villain, the greater the hero has to be to overcome, and that includes the villain in your own character. I always appreciate both if done right.

Edited October 12, 2014 by HopeFul

[Koukatsu 5,899]

It all depends. If the story sucks, it doesn't really matter what I'm playing as.

I think there was a thread similar to the following statement; I've long been of the opinion that I want a game where your good/bad decisions have actual consequences, and become increasingly difficult, to the point that they're all morally grey, and you only find out in a Dragon Age: Origins style Epilogue whether you were the Hero, or the Villain.

 

But as long as the story behind the game is good, I don't care if I'm saving everypony, or slaughtering them.

[JasonKrueger13 7]

I try to do playthroughs for both sides. Like in Mass Effect, doing both a Paragon and a Renegade playthough. My main preference is being the hero or on the light side or Paragon. It does feel off for me when I choose the "evil" choices but it is great to watch something that is the opposite to what my preferred choice is.

 

In terms of playing through a game where there is no choices on who to be? I prefer to be the hero as well.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

If we're talking RPGs, I try to reflect a bit of myself in my choices, unless I came up with a whole new character just for the game. So, I am almost always hostile and cold in my choices of dialogue - but I'm also usually a hero. I don't like playing villains in those sort of games. They always feel oversaturated. If I were to be a villain, I always saw myself as being a Boba Fett type villain. However, these games often force you into being a Darth Vader type villain, which is generally not much fun for me.

[Radiance64 7,053]

In most games I like being a hero. I did side with the demons in Shin Megami Tensei IV though... chaotic world ftw

It can be fun to be evil at times in sim games though... at times.

[M'aiq the Liar 5,804]

Well, if I were to play myself I would be a grey morality mercenary, but in video games the villain path is often more fun,with gems like hipster shepard and laughing at the over the top evil dialogue. 

[ReverseFaller 2,483]

I generally play as a hero. If their is a karma/reputation system in game, I always prefer to have a positive reputation rather than a bad one. I usually only have a negative reputation when I'm screwing around. For example, after I beat Red Dead Redemption I made my decent reputation go negative via killing sprees across the wild west. 
 

Anyways, looking at my gaming history...

• Mass Effect-Paragon ("Good" choices.)
• Fallout: New Vegas-I was beloved by the townspeople, and the NCR. Whereas my friend was vilified by everyone due to his crime sprees. 
• inFamous: Second Son-My first play through, I was good. I did an evil play through as well, and I enjoyed being good more than being evil. 
• Games like Red Dead Redemption, and Watch Dogs. I always try and have my reputation be as high as it can be.
• DayZ-I try and play the hero, which usually gets me killed. (A lot!)
• Skyrim-I stole every now and then, but I never really murdered anybody.

[Starlighty 908]

Funny you ask this because when I am playing games where I get to choose being bad or good I always choose good BUT THEN up doing bad things D: and vice versa! lol. I can never decide what I actually want to be when I get that option >_<....

 

THATS why I love infamous cause you get to choose but you can still do  both (but it lowers your karma if you do, which is the bad part)

[Deathstroke 1,564]

Anti-hero, that's what i like

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,367]

Usually, on my first playthrough I am a hero, doing good and all of that cupcake stuff. I always like doing that. Then on my next playthrough, I am either anti-hero or straight up villainy.

 

It reminds of the first Fable, I was basically a savior of the people my first time through, second playthrough, well, everyone was always running when I came into town. All I wanted was that guy's store!

[ParsoOfEquestria 1,490]

I like to play as a chaotic good, meaning I play as the hero, but I like to have some fun while I'm at it, kinda like Deadpool