Anti-Hero GW Chatper (you play the bad guy)

It's always fun to play games where you "save the world" but something different is always nice.

It would be a nice change for you to play a "dark" character instead of a good one. So what I'm preposing is a dark chapter in GW where instead of saving the world, you seek to rule it (or something evil like that)

Anyone like?

Yep, sure do. But as with most evil campaigns, the problem is continuity. How do you justify what happens to your character after the campaign? Good guys can just retire, or move on to save another place. Bad guys... prefer to stay and hoard and plunder, then perhaps move on to bigger conquests.

A really nice idea, but it'd be hard to justify why my character, who helped save three continents, suddenly decided to become a bad guy...

Although this looks like fun (I'd really enjoy it), there are a few problems.. as Angel said, what would you do afterwards? And if you ARE proclaimed ruler of the land of flying bunnies (patent-pending), how do you explain your party's role?

It ought to be like Fable where you get to choose whether to do a good/bad/neutral thing then.

The technology is there though. The Margrid/Master of Whispers and Ronjok/Garden split illustrates that well.

Maybe like Star-Wars where Anakin was supposed to be good, but slowly translated into a bad guy. Maybe? I dont know. Thats my best idea.

"... And so your hero got so annoyed at being the good guy all the time, having every one rush to him for the simplest of things, that you decided to kill all the kings across the world! Starting with... ADELBERN!" But yeah. It'd be quite hard to explain that a savior of 3 continents would just suddenly turn evil for a fourth.

I agree with the OP that it did be an good change. A simple method of implementing a concept of choice between good and evil within the the game could be perhaps as follows:

Players can choose who they like to align themselves with in the game ie much like Luxons and Kurzicks but instead this time is good and evil and each side provides players with a different set of titles that come with their own PvE only skills (much like the lightbringer gaze for example).

How this may work would be similar to sunspear scouts that would give blessings and points towards the titles, but instead this time round, instead of just blessing for one faction, it would either provide either side's (good or evil) or have two different blessing givers in different locations (since we technically would have more rez shrines than blessing types) Depending on the side you have chosen.

As for the PvE only skills, it leaves much to the imagination. We could have more defensive skills for those players who support the side of good, and more destructive type skills for those who would walk the path of evil.

Missions and quest would work the same way such that the story line is more neutral and doesnt cater or is heavily baised towards either side, hence allowing flexibility of players to either choose to play good or evil. Hence splitting the map into exclusive areas like luxon/kuzicks only areas/mission/quest can be avioded. For plot specific areas, the concept of "nightfallen"areas can be applied in this case such that good/evil players can get their version of the area without having to direct them else where.

It is prefered however, we would have multiple ending in the end game mission. One for good and one for evil and maybe even those who like to support either side and hence neutral (without any PvE only skills/title or possibly their own). Access to different endgame armour for good/evil/neutral alighnment can be implemented as well or maybe even different alignment endgame greens also.

Giving players more choices in the way they want to influence the game can only add more depth and flavor to the RPG element in the gameplay which many existing RPGs already offer and make it a better game.

It could just go where you have the bad guys chapter, then next a good guys chapter to fix the bad stuff, then there's two games! Whoopee!!!

Or you could have like... two campaigns in one for the next chapter. One with more brutal punishments and no sympathy.. Take no prisoners mood.

And another country where they never take a life unless it's in battle.

But where's the fun in that.. There wont be a single person in the second country.

I would be for that, being good all the time is good, but sometimes depopulating a village is nessacery to stay sane.

Yes I have fable, and yes I am evil, and yes everyone is dead.

Your idea was how I think Factions should be. Pick a side and fight for it, have big battles between one another (good or evil is up to you).

Actually I think it would work for a full campaign.. helping evil but not destorying the world... like we could play as Charr or some other race without the option of being human (which I would prefer it that way) but I could see it happen.

To provide more ideas on my initial post on the idea:

using nightfall as a base for comparison for ease of understanding heres an example (not saying the current game should change!):
__________________________________________________ ________
Factions/alignment:

Good: Order of Sunspears/Secrets
Neutral: The Vabbian Chamber of commerce/Order of the forgotten
Evil: The Horde of Palawa Joko
__________________________________________________ ________
Titles:

Good: Lightbringer Rank 1-8
Neutral: Mercenary legionaries/Unseen Seers Rank 1-8
Evil: Reaper of sorrow Rank 1-8
__________________________________________________ ________
PvE only skills with associated alignment:

Good: Lightbringer's Gaze (strong against demonic forces,damage based on rank, no effect on normal creatures)

Neutral: Legionaries Rally/Forgotten visage (provides morale boost,duration and % based on rank)

Evil: Reaper's Gaze (medium damage to all creature type, if creature is killed by this skill,50% chance that a random Minon of 5-18 level is created from the corspe based on rank)

__________________________________________________ ________
Plot:

General common plot:

Heros start off in the port town of Kamadan, where a new disturbance has arisen after the fall of abbadon. An new and mysterious Black Order of Priests have started to spread their occult teachings across the lands of Elona. Due to the slow recovery of the States of Koruan, Istan and Vaabi after the encounter with Torment, the black Order has managed to inflitrate themselves within the many cities and towns to spread their wayward teachings against the gods of the old world and the fore comming of a new god and a new age of wonder. This Black Order priest have even managed to install in some towns, magistrate of their choosing helping to aid spread their cause and now holds position of power in the many courts across elona.

The recent uproar of undead appearing across Elona seems to have convinced some citizens that the foretelling of impending doom that the black Order readily preached are true and their ranks of acoytles swell from the common street beggers to sons of weathly merchants and noble lords. Rumours speak of forbidden rituals performed from their many intricately designed temples which are well guarded. None of those who have entered into the Order have ever been seen outside of its temple walls. The Presence of the Order were generally felt by the populace at large, when sacrifcial rituals to their new god were performed in public, often with ritualistic blood letting involved.The scores of undead has begun to mass around many towns across elona and in some cases, have begun to attack villages on the outkirts of cities, travellers and caravans.The various Factions involved now seeks adventuers to do their bidding with the promise of great redemption/wealth/Power.

Alignment specific plots:

Good: Order of Sunspears/secrets__________
Suspects the new black order priest is behind the recent emergence of undead and charge you to investigate the matter and uncover the truth behind Order of the black priest.

Neutral: The Vabbian Chamber of Commerce/Order of the forgotten__________
The struggle of political power of the Vabbi's court, have forced the princes to hire potential mercenaries with promise of great wealth to aid them against the Black Order priest and protecting the caravans and trade of the vabbian empire. The Order of Forgotten, being the eternal historians of our world, cannot interfer directly with mortal affairs and seeks balance, hence engages the group and manipulate them to do their bidding.


Evil: The Horde of Palawa Joko__________
Palawa Joko's involvement in the emgerence of the undead presence is suspected. However His recent disappearance have puzzled even his own followers and worshippers. Within the many cities former worshippers of Palawa Joko have now acted as spies within the Order of the black priest to uncover the truth of the Order in hopes of locating their master. Our unlikely heroes have been approached by one of such spies under the promise of power to infiltrate the Black order but as always, with great power comes corruption...

Endgame plot:

Good: Defeating the Black order and their avatar of power and restore peace to Elona

Neutral: Defeating the Black order and their avatar of power and restore power to the princes of vabbi. Balances the forces of good and evil of elona as foretold by the Order of the forgotten.

Evil: Defeating the Black order and their avatar of power but ultimately become courrutped themselves in the process.
__________________________________________________ ________________________________
Endgame rewards(armour and greens):

Good: Angelic/celestial Sunspear armour with Bright glow (shiny) weapon types.

Neutral: Noble/stylish Vaabian armour with gem encrusted (tinkling) weapon types.

Evil: Privmedial/corrupted crude armour with chaos imbued (gloomy) weapon types.

I don't really care much for this idea, since I know it won't happen, whatever evil that needs to be in the game you can roleplay on your own, pretty much. But I thought I might just throw this in:

An anti-hero is NOT a villain, an anti-hero is a hero with a fatal flaw (god bless the stupid english language). For example, Melonni is an anti-hero, as she works for good, but is arrogant and believes she's always right.

I thought on that too, and i like the idea.

Basically we can end up with a Kurz vs Luxon thing, but on a massive scale!
Chapter vs Chapter.

In one chapter we play *insert bad Guy here* and the next we return to being good guys!

There is one slight problem with this though-
For it to work effectivly both Chapters must be released in Unison.
Why?
To prevent confusion as to why "i cant be the other team >"
However, the choice you make will be limited to the Charcter which you played it as.
For example id stick my Necro on evil, hah, and then i might slowly (with Faction) convert to Good.
Then again, you may like to put a conversion point, say the evil team did something absolutely horrible and you went "wtf arsehat!" and decided to leave. Possibly the same with light, say you "Dont see the light"/lose faith and have the oppurtunity so just... change.

Good/Bad?

I was hoping the Kurzicks and Luxons thing was going to be a lot bigger than it was, whole 100v100 team sieges of Cavalon or HzH. That would dominate.

Im not a fan of good vs evil thing because how could you explain the saviour of Tyria, Cantha and Elona suddenly losing it and joining in a campaign to kill everyone?

I know a good way, just be controlled to do a bad guy's bidding, and the bonus would be not to kill good guys. For instance in the Destruction of Happy Land mission, the bonus is to not kill the 3 Happy Friends Guardians, so you have enemies attacking you that you have to be careful not to kill while still doing the bidding of an evil guy's mission with the fewest casualties kind of thing.

its sad that such good ideas will never be taken in consideration..........

A good idea? Like what, playing the villain?

Making an MMORPG (fine, CORPG) where everyone plays the villain is certainly not a good idea.
Fun for some? Different? Exciting? I'm sure it is!
But the fact of the matter is, making the player take on a neutral to good role isn't going to upset many, if any people, and will have the greatest appeal.

Having everyone going around slaying the innocent, ravishing womenfolk and enslaving the general populace isn't going to sell.

You might say "well, why not include options for being good or evil, then everyone's happy!".
Everyone except the Anet team which now has to make way more content to accomodate for what is essentially two games in one.

Random... I'm getting fable for christmas!

I played it at my friends.. beat it too.. I can't wait.

I think this sounds like a groovy idea but the implementation could be 2-sided instead of one (i.e. you can choose your alignment).

Perhaps it would work best if it were set up where every mission/quest had two ways to play, good and bad (hopefully some gray area, too). Then, much like the Luxon/Kurzick points it determines you alliance. Then the missions would be more like PvP as players progressed. Once the main story ended, there could be a few repeatable missions to optionally change your alliance.

If it could be implemented without much problem, perhaps a few non-instanced explorable areas where a "war" between the two sides could take place. They would be optional, of course, but as one side does better they take control of the other towns, etc.

Of course I'd like to see a game where good and bad weren't as clearly defined; seriously, it almost never is that way. I mean, sure they aren't good, but the bad guys must have some reason for doing what they are doing (the humans of course, I can't say that any evil gods necessarily follow logic). This might allow for a 3, or maybe even 4 way conflict.

Darkside points ftw!
BLEAH! PvE should not be like PvP, excepting AI using skills to better effect.