Wolfshear wrote: ↑Tue Dec 14, 2021 3:12 pm
And honestly if folk could have their ideal scenario, what would it be like?
While I'm going to offer my opinion in answer to the above, regarding Evil-minded PC role-play, it is easy enough to replace Evil with Good (because in general, and I'd hope, we players all want the same thing, in the end).
Players can accomplish a whole lot, amongst themselves, within role-play. Or, not. You can strive to accomplish very little, and just "be" in-character, and experience whatever happens, in-game. If you want to be social, you can just be social, in-character, without objectives "on the mind."
Though we can have a rewarding experience role-playing amongst ourselves, that being PCs among PCs, there is an undeniable limit, to that. Because there is the "whole world" that exists, the Server Environment, the Sword Coast as it were, filled with NPCs, that have a life—supposedly—and are doing things, and reacting to things, both in general/independently AND from our PC's actions, and simply, their said Being.
It is this limit, that requires the Dungeon Master, to be present, to be enlivening those NPCs, the Environment too, to be giving the Players a World to react with, react against, etc. etc..
Historically—and of course there are small instances of different occurrences...so I'm not saying 100% always and forever—campaigns and events are situations of there being a Very Big and Bad Evil X, and the PCs—regardless of alignment—are to "act" to and toward this situation. However, those avenues of "action" are and almost always one of against said Bad Evil.
And this is where BEING evil, gets to be a problem. On two points.
#1 - Many times, the Evil-minded PCs would rather "help" or align with the Big Bad Evil X. Yet, the WHOLE PURPOSE of the Big Bad Evil X is for the Good-minded Characters to overcome. And 99.9% of the time, they do. Sure, there are "casualties," and losses on side good, but simply put: Evil never wins. Just look at the last 10 years of Server History!!! Thus, those Evil-minded PCs that associate should be prepared to lose. What Player wants to lose all the time?!? And I do believe, with a few small exceptions over the years, this has been poorly addressed/supported/helped-to-be-fun by the DM Team. And this needs to change, immediately, and show itself being different for some time, for Players to trust in the "relationship."
#2 - Evil-minded PCs are given very few options in Campaigns and Events to act WITHOUT associating with the Good-minded PCs, because again, 99% of the Campaigns/Events are tailored/suited/perfect fit for the Light fighting against the Darkness, to be more poetic about it. And when you are a Player with an Evil-minded PC and trying to RP the Evilness of that PC, nothing makes one feel like shit than having to "kowtow" or "play nice" for sake of just. being. able. to. be. in. the. Event. These situations have the long term effect of "convincing" Players that playing Evil—and I do emphasis the player PLAYING evil, not being evil themselves...—is just not wanted, since they have to "play nice evil" just to "be a part of things" on BGTSCC. And when I mean things, I mean not the players playing with each other things, but the larger more special things, that just have more oomph, being the Campaigns and Events.
So now, to directly answer the question posed by Wolfy.
1. Literally, there needs to be more Campaigns and Events for Evil-minded PCs, to be Evil, and get rewarded for being Evil. If DMs don't like hosting these kind of Events, or whatever it is that makes them near non-existent on BGTSCC, then nothing will get better for the Players of said Evil-minded PCs. It will always remain a lopsided attention from the DMs to the playerbase, with just simple more focus and more possibilities for the Good-minded toon players.
2. The Evil-minded PCs NEED NEED NEED and Dukes-of-Baldurs-Gate NPC "court" or leadership, in which to get tasks, energy, direction, reward and etc. etc. Or hell, a divine direction counsel that "holds court" and gives PCs meaning and reason to enact action. Time and time again, so many players "work" by reacting to essentially DM direction of NPCs, and on BGTSCC, the Dukes are the toppity top, when it comes to "reasons for players to put effort into RP." Or, if something like a Dark Ducal Court isn't interesting or makes sense, whenever there IS a BG Ducal Court X-led campaign or event, there MUST be an Evil Alternative Thread that is simple and straightforward for players of Evil-minded toons to latch onto. I actually want to believe this is already the case, but...it usually fails. Like,
Dialectic's Lawless and Brigands attempt.
3. Forum-based support for creating, "growing," maintaining and applying players' energy to Evil-minded RP, with reward. Does anyone remember
The Survival Game? This started out as a 3-part player-fueled initiative—3 concurrent storylines from PC perspectives and actions, both IC and Forum based, mainly Forum based—which was ALL ABOUT STORY BUILDING, TOGETHER!!! In my humble opinion, nothing has come close to this Project, since. And...hello players, hello DMs! sooooo much role-play was created, AND so much end result ACTUALLY GOT IN-GAME because of it.
Taking a "Story Building First" attitude, is first and foremost what will make Evil-minded role-play better. And, like I said at top, this is also what Good-aligned players want as well! Evil or good PCs, many many many Players want their PCs to have purpose, and these players simply need to be asked/coerced/etc to get involved in epic story building.
Nothing generates interest like Staff support, let me tell you. And again, like I said at top, players can do a lot, but only so much. And we players do not need yuuuge gifts, tons of XP, vorpal swords as rewards, what we need is to feel like there really is a story building contract between those acting in the Environment and with those in control of said Environment.
Start small, see it work, up the ante, eventually get to Epic Level Role-play.
To end, and to just note, many players of evil-minded PCs
in the past do feel burned or burned out. That's why I believe it will take many small positive Evil-rp support actions, to create a reliable foundation, for the rest to generate, and generate itself, as I believe if a good foundation is laid, players can really "take off" and will make it even better for themselves.
Cheers.