RPGs That Promote Badness
Not all humans necessarily want to in act the fantasy of the Knight that saves the day, rather they role-play as the 'bad' guy, the villain, the criminal. What is your view about RPGs that promote 'how' to be bad through making gains being a pimp, gangster, selling drugs, robbing, and so on?
I really do not see the necessity of being a 'Pimp' in an RPG. This thread may follow the same patters as has been discussed in the 'Violence & Sex in Video Games' Thread, but I hope not, because in this role you are the one that has to act out your character.
Maybe some people like to play the criminal, but it just has never appealed to me because I like to 'get into' my role. For me to be a pimp I would have to 'get into' that role and then it becomes unenjoyable.
For me, it depends much on the athmosphere of the game. Normally, if the villain is strong, convincing and real, I'd like to oppose him. But when the place itself is painted in pink colours, everybody is sweet and nice and all the conflicts are better versus good or too far-stretched, or too soap-operish, then I'd gladly become a bad guy, just to give this unnaturally sweet perfect world a bit of a shake.
In Warhammer, the Slaanesh cultists use bright and garish colors but are the more depraved and evil and cruel of all the Chaos gods, and also when I played an evil necromancer, I always dressed like a fop in cheery loud colors, so you never can tell.
I can enjoy playing a "bad" guy to a certain extent, but it has to involve a certain amount of class or entertaining character. In my necromancer example, I played his "evil" like the "evil" that Dr. Smith adhered to in the old Lost in Space - he was really more selfish than anything, but he was willing to sacrifice others if the need arose, but generally kept to himself and tried to keep himself useful.
I could probably play a cold, evil villain if I could develop the right personality, but I find I'm averse to just your run of the mill crazy psycho that just wants to hack people up - I didn't even like writing scenarios for when I was GMing for an evil party - its just distasteful.
I guess it all has to do with the DM/Gm. IF a person wants to play a evil character that should be allowed. I have played a anti-paladin and had him up to the 14th lvl before he was killed. I rather enjoyed going into a town or village and creating chaos. I would always make it look like someone else did the evil deeds because ME in my shiny armour would never do that. Snicker snicker.
I'm not into the pimping kind of RPG. I do know a couple of guys who are into that, but its just not my style. I rather be on the side of the 'good' guy who kills the bad ones and gets the gold.