Throwing out an Good/Evil alighnment Idea.

Just tossing out an Idea here. What do you all think about the idea of your char morphing with your alighnment. For example, if you were an evil char your body would look like that of a lich or some hideous undead version of evil. on the other hand if you had a good alignment you could be the best looking you could be. every char starts out nuetral and looks normal. Your body would adjust throughout the game depending on your alighnment. Just a thought through my head. My appologies if this has already been discussed.

 

This might solve some RP problems also if there were a choice of which type of evil to morph into.

 

Wsye +1. Not just in games but in life.

Perhaps the types of magic can influence appearance though, fire usage gives fire-influenced body modifications. Perhaps something similar can be done for non-magic combat skills?

 

That is a good point. I did think that it would be a path for the RP community though. Maybe you could be able to turn on/off this change? I do not expect it to happen just trying to maybe stimulate some creativity

 

Evil is not such an easy thing to define. As Wyse alluded to and as RG has explicitly stated, there are very few who consider what they do "Evil". Hitler, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il did not twist thier moustaches, rub their hands with glee and exclaim "MwaHaHaHa". Each and every one of them had visions of a better world. While most would consider their acts to be evil, they considered them to be neccesary means to an end.

This leads to my complaint about most RPed evil, that is is played out as a moustache twirler; evil for the sake of being nasty. It devolves to killing for the sake of killing, not killing for the sake of some larger vision. In SotA I believe much of the evil will reside in little things, the comprimises our characters will make, the grief we may be forced to create to attain a goal.

 

While im opposed to the idea of bringing a "good/bad alignment" to this game, the idea of a temporary alteration of the characters body (in form of wounds, colors, complexion, etc.) depending on his actions and encounters is not bad at all. Is getting a burn wound while fighting a mage or walking through fire too much of a detail to be implemented? Maybe something like this was already discussed.

 

Point well taken sir. Yes even Ted Bundy was handsome and charming. May I ask you for your Ideas on how to "Look" like (an orc for example) for RP purpouses? In UO we had the mask of orcish kin haha. Lat gib tribute! Oh, and the savage masks and paint. I realize that not many people RP anymore, but I really enjoyed it. would be nice to find a way to be "in charecter".

 

I think SotA will offer a wide enough variety of dress that if one wishes to display an alignment with a group it will be easy. I don't think it should be enforced by the game engine. As example, we played with a fellow that was handsome, pleasant, nice to kids and dogs - you get the idea - but had an agenda to make people slaves to his whims. Many voluntarily chose to join him because he "seemed so nice", when in fact it was a self-centered, egotistical grab at power and domination. Now that was Evil played supurbly.

Since the story will be firmly based on the virtues, it would be cool to have something like a "Picture of Dorian Gray" that revealed how well we were following them.

 

I'm in total agreement with this when it comes to your ghost! If you die and you are full of wicked deeds I think it would look cool for the sinister character to look like a specter or some kind of frightful looking "ring wraith" type guy. On the other hand if somebody is playing a virtuous avatar it would be awesome if upon death they can manifest as a noble looking angel with a golden halo, robes of righteousness, and magnificent wings. Neutral players just have a normal ghostly image.

 

That is a great Idea!

 

Really rather not see evil in humans. People just make different choices. I'd rather see two factions fighting over land, both convinced they're "right." People making choices like "steal bread to feed my family." Occasionally someone choosing the path that seems faster in the short term to accomplish some goal, which ultimately proves costly.

 

It is irrelevant what a person "thinks" about what they've done. Just because you think it's alright to kill millions doesn't make it right. A persons state of mind of mind does not make something right or wrong.

 

I believe that something like this was done in the Fable series (can't remember which one, maybe the third?). It was ok but in that game you really didn't have much control over how your character looked. I think the choice in how you looked was "male or female." In SotA, how your character looks will be more important due to the multi-player aspect. The will be many more choices (ie different noses, different chins, etc). I would hate if the game just "altered" my look because I choose one path or another. If anything, I would prefer to "unlock" options and then be given a choice as to add, subtract, or alter anything with my character's appearance.

This is an interesting idea. Again, I would prefer if something like this was "unlocked" and a player can then choose how they were represented, even in death. For example...if I'm RPing a psychotic killer he may be completely unaware of what he is doing is wrong or sinister. I mean he can kill everyone in a village because he is "purging their evil." Would he then be full of "wicked deeds." I would prefer to define that for my character as opposed to some game code deciding that for me.

 

It's a neat idea, but there's one great big flaw about that idea... Frodo said it well... "I think a servant of the Enemy would look fairer and feel fouler." Evil is infamous for temptation, is it not? Where is the temptation if it makes you turn all ugly? Evil offers you things you want... who wants to be ugly? (Not talking about you wanting your char to be ugly, I mean the motivation of the character.) Furthermore, where is the difficulty of choice if you understand it as evil going in?

 

I agree with you that the body shouldn't look bad. I think the ghost could change, and not nessisary ugly for evil. If they are evil let them look like a bad-ass deamon, or a wring-wrath when they die.

Yet in the body of a living person it shouldn't change their appearance. Usually evil comes looking like an angel of light.

 

It really depends on what type of evil you speak of.

Traditionally vampires can appear beautiful or have powers to overcome any deformity.
Zombies - well you just can't pretty them up
Demons/devils - depends on mythos and actual appearance. Some use intimidation others use persuasion or temptation.

In this game it could also come down to what magical spheres they have access to. Or maybe for a limited duration spell what spheres their master has.

 

While good and evil are easily debateable, The Virtues, on the other hand, are clearly defined. In fact, a caentral part of the game's concept is testing how well each Avatar adheres to the virtues.
That said, I'm not a fan of Fable's body sculpting, myself.

 

Sort of like Commander Shephard in Mass Effect? Although it sounds cool, I think that may not be a good idea for a traditional RPG with multi-player. For instance, it would make it pretty difficult to be a successful thief if you had the tell tale signs of an evil alignment. Wait, don't buy from that merchant! He is clearly evil. It would take an element of surprise out of the game.