Do you find it hard to play the villain?

Khaeon

I have a great look to some of my characters but it is hard to feel it when the quests are finding someone's pig lol

Anyone else have a hard time with that?

max_only

I make pairs of characters and run them through the same content concurrently so I can choose the “nice” option on one and the “mean” option on the other.

So while I find it hard to be the bad guy, I console myself that at least I was the good guy last time.

OrdoHermetica

You just have to be selective in the quests you decide to go on. Or, if it's an unavoidable part of a quest chain, justify it with "big picture" thinking... and of course, always choose the evil option when choices are presented.

I have three characters of varying degrees of villainy: a Sithis- and Nocturnal-worshiping Bosmer, a Mephala-worshiping Dunmer ("Good Daedra" indeed), and a Hircine- and Malacath-worshipping Reachman (Nord, since there aren't Reachmen ). While I've definitely felt your pain, it's helped me to figure out an internal logic for each of them, and find ways to justify their actions. Each one has a different approach to it, but it helps with the immersion factor.

Enemy-of-Coldharbour

I always play lawful good type characters. I just have one character, my stamblade, that I use for evil game play.

blnchk

Someone once proposed that their characters were always versions of themselves. Never quite who they were in real life, but also never completely removed from it. That explanation stuck. In this vein, instead of doing a one-eighty with a new character, I usually end up making the same or similar choices as with a previous forthcoming one, but for different reasons.

It's also one reason why I don't think that playing as a villain is particularly enjoyable. Another, and perhaps the most important one, is that in most RPGs, you lose out. You end up making enemies who won't work with you anymore, killing NPCs you'd otherwise meet again, and so on. In sum, you miss out on content. Not in ESO, perhaps, but old habits die hard, and villainy rarely pays off.

OrdoHermetica

ovinnik wrote: »

Someone once proposed that their characters were always versions of themselves. Never quite who they were in real life, but also never completely removed from it. That explanation stuck. In this vein, instead of doing a one-eighty with a new character, I usually end up making the same or similar choices as with a previous forthcoming one, but for different reasons.

It's also one reason why I don't think that playing as a villain is particularly enjoyable. Another, and perhaps the most important one, is that in most RPGs, you lose out. You end up making enemies who won't work with you anymore, killing NPCs you'd otherwise meet again, and so on. In sum, you miss out on content. Not in ESO, perhaps, but old habits die hard, and villainy rarely pays off.

Which is why I'm pleased that selling off poor Valaste to dear old Uncle Sheo pays off, and then some. Very appropriate for the Mad God, yeah?

bloodthirstyvampire

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Aliyavana

I'm a completionist, so no

blnchk

OrdoHermetica wrote: »

Which is why I'm pleased that selling off poor Valaste to dear old Uncle Sheo pays off, and then some. Very appropriate for the Mad God, yeah?

True! That particular quest is especially frustrating, and that's also what makes it such a success, I think. It's not an easy decision unless you choose to respond to it on a meta level only.

Tandor

Lawful good characters are much harder to play, as you have to avoid the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood, as well as some of the Morrowind etc quests and festival quests.

Nestor

While most of my characters are good or at least nuetral. I do have one that is a complete tool. Yea, he always takes the "NPC Dies" option.

crjs1

ovinnik wrote: »

OrdoHermetica wrote: »

Which is why I'm pleased that selling off poor Valaste to dear old Uncle Sheo pays off, and then some. Very appropriate for the Mad God, yeah?

True! That particular quest is especially frustrating, and that's also what makes it such a success, I think. It's not an easy decision unless you choose to respond to it on a meta level only.

I know and I still kick myself for selling off Vaste on my ‘good’ Altmer... I got to greedy for the skill points and rationalised it that she was unhappy in Tamriel and wanted to go to Uncle Sheo... Still makes me feel bad - and would rerun quest if I could

Waffennacht

ovinnik wrote: »

OrdoHermetica wrote: »

Which is why I'm pleased that selling off poor Valaste to dear old Uncle Sheo pays off, and then some. Very appropriate for the Mad God, yeah?

True! That particular quest is especially frustrating, and that's also what makes it such a success, I think. It's not an easy decision unless you choose to respond to it on a meta level only.

I've never been able to hand her over

OrdoHermetica

Waffennacht wrote: »

ovinnik wrote: »

OrdoHermetica wrote: »

Which is why I'm pleased that selling off poor Valaste to dear old Uncle Sheo pays off, and then some. Very appropriate for the Mad God, yeah?

True! That particular quest is especially frustrating, and that's also what makes it such a success, I think. It's not an easy decision unless you choose to respond to it on a meta level only.

I've never been able to hand her over

My evil characters? No problem: off she goes. But 12/15 of my characters are shades of neutral or good, so for a lot of them, there's no way I can hand her over. Interestingly, with my main - a Forbear-inspired Redguard - I found myself handing her over, because he doesn't trust magic or mages, and he was convinced she was going to become a sleeper agent for Sheogorath anyway. Better that she not be around anymore after he so clearly got into her head.

But yeah. For the most part, I feel you there.