Dangers of playing the good guy.

[Pseudonym2]

I was playing Knights of Old Republic and I did helped a person and got the warm fuzzies. Then I realized I was playing a video game, not working in a soup kitchen.

Critics of video games often claim that playing violent video games increases aggression. Supporters argue the video games provide a harmless release of regression. Do you find they provide a useless release of benevolence too?

 

[APPCRASH]

It's nice too be the good guy for a change after a long days work of clubbing baby seals.

 

[Seydaman]

goodness in a video game? BLASPHEMY!

 

[iggyus]

I usually play the good guy, then when I'm done being proud of my self for being a hero I conquer the galaxy as a violent asshole

 

[CoverYourHead]

I'm never the good guy. Ever. You know why? Sure it's easy being the bad guy for the BEGINNING of the game, but you know what happens after that? Near the end all the good guy's saved up karma explodes in a wave of easy and the hard-core bad-guy has to fight wave after wave of impossible karma balancing gameplay. Think about it.

EDIT: I realize I kind of got carried away. Anyway! I guess it could affect you to play nice, but who knows? I don't believe being evil makes me evil in real life, either.

 

[BoxCutter]

It's nice too be the good guy for a change after a long days work of clubbing seals.

Usually takes more clicking and side quests to be a good guy and the calluses from the club don't agree with too much clicking.

On a more serious note, I always play the good guy. The story always seems better that way

 

[Ezzay]

I tend to lean towards good, however overlord was very enjoyable, what with all the clubbing seals and what not.

Playing good I find makes the game slightly more like what I would do in the characters position, and the immersion is increased.

 

[SniperWolfNG]

I find it very hard to try to do something evil intentionally. I always feel the need to do the greater good, although it puts my character in supply shortages for that rescue mission.

 

[Neotericity]

I try my best to make decisions that me in real life would make. Fallout 3 and Mass Effect gave me some toughies. Generally my characters end up being neutral good.

 

[Skullpanda]

Well, it really depends on what I'm playing. If there's no significant difference between good and evil in the game, like Prototype, The Force Unleashed, or The Bard's Tale, I tend to play as the complete jackass within the game. It's not a reflection upon myself, I just need to let off the steam that builds up every now and then. If there is a difference, however, I find myself leaning towards good, even if I want to play as the evil guy.

I guess it's more a personal thing with gaming. I started out playing rpg's and things like that. I got used to playing the hero, and its stuck with me ever since.

 

[Angerwing]

Well, it really depends on what I'm playing. If there's no significant difference between good and evil in the game, like Prototype, The Force Unleashed, or The Bard's Tale, I tend to play as the complete jackass within the game. It's not a reflection upon myself, I just need to let off the steam that builds up every now and then. If there is a difference, however, I find myself leaning towards good, even if I want to play as the evil guy.

I guess it's more a personal thing with gaming. I started out playing rpg's and things like that. I got used to playing the hero, and its stuck with me ever since.

I didn't think Prototype had any moral choices. I tend to go more for the good side, as evil seems too uh... clumsy. It sort of ruins the game for me when you just go around killing everyone. I like how Mass Effect did it though, the good and evil weren't even good or evil, and they weren't mutually exclusive either.

 

[Yoda isOnline]

what confused me about prototype was that Alex Mercer wasn't a bad guy, which we can tell by the evil army guys he is fighting ,but you have to agree that for a good guy he sure did some nasty shit to people.

 

[Angerwing]

what confused me about prototype was that Alex Mercer wasn't a bad guy, which we can tell by the evil army guys he is fighting ,but you have to agree that for a good guy he sure did some nasty shit to people.

I didn't even think he was a good guy. A whole bunch of the side missions were even siding with the infected to kill military. And of course, the free reign to mass murder hundreds of random pedestrians (which I took full advantage of). Also, if you chop innocents clean in 2 you aren't even a hero, but a villain. I also think the military was justified in most of their actions. Although I did have lots of fun just watching the military mow down zombies (and the occasional frightened bystander) on the exits to the city.

 

[SsilverR]

i tend to stay neutral ... one minute i'll be going out of my way to help someone and ask for nothing in return ... another day i'm force feeding a woman her only child and forcing her to sing the barney the dinosaur theme tune while she's eating him alive .....

but most of the time i just purely and simply won't get involved .. i'll watch to see who wins ... then kill them and loot everyone

 

[Yoda isOnline]

what confused me about prototype was that Alex Mercer wasn't a bad guy, which we can tell by the evil army guys he is fighting ,but you have to agree that for a good guy he sure did some nasty shit to people.

I didn't even think he was a good guy. A whole bunch of the side missions were even siding with the infected to kill military. And of course, the free reign to mass murder hundreds of random pedestrians (which I took full advantage of). Also, if you chop innocents clean in 2 you aren't even a hero, but a villain. I also think the military was justified in most of their actions. Although I did have lots of fun just watching the military mow down zombies (and the occasional frightened bystander) on the exits to the city.

Fair enough, but I mean that if you look at the story it's trying to present him as some kind of wronged and tragically misunderstood hero, which is why i was confused when you were then pushed out onto the street in free roam with a variety of violent powers and a veritable herd of defencless squishy people to massacre.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I already made something almost identical to this thread an hour or two ago.

It was phrased differently.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.124173

 

[Pseudonym2]

I already made something almost identical to this thread an hour or two ago.

It was phrased differently.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.124173

I was trying to look at it from a different perspective. Specifically how you feel/act in real life after playing the game.

 

[.Warheart]

Goodness in games is just in me, in real life too by the way. Don't ask me why but I NEVER play evil unless I have to.