This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Back to Stupid Good here:
- Wyvernil: The original text of this contained some good points, but seemed to go off on a bit of a rant. Including the original text here in case people want some of it put back in. It Just Bugs Me! might be a better place for some of this.
This is a controversial point, as many people have pointed out that acting out on basis of evil alignments would make you a sociopath. Example; "Look, an orc baby! Kill it quickly before it has a chance to grow up!" is an accepted good action to some, but vile beyond measure to others. And yes, randomly killing anything evil, whether or not they are directly harming you is very questionable. But remember, many nice, normal people who would never do such a thing in real life want to crack some heads when they play a game, and want to see their hero do the same when they watch action adventure movies.
In short, it's taking too real life a point of view to have fun with a game.
This often extends to such pacifism that they refuse to kill or attack anything. Which is in real life quite commendable, and even normal. It is not quite as useful in entertainment. This person will attempt to talk down the enemy even as they're charging with swords drawn, howling for their heads. This is the kind of person who would attempt to convince the devil himself that his evil crusade is wrong and that he and his good counterpart should resolve their differences with a kind word and a handshake. Remember, diplomacy, while very useful in real life, has absolutely no place in action adventure.
In real life there are usually differences, not right or wrong positions, no matter how much people try to convince themselves otherwise. But in almost all fantasy features the "bad" is always so bad, that it can not be reasoned with. Anyone who tries will suffer the fate of Wormtongue(get the name?) in Lord of the Rings. Diplomacy almost always equals deceit in the land of make believe.
The other players often see this kind of character as a nuisance, as they just want to crack some heads and she won't let them because she doesn't want to make orphans of the 'cute little baby orcs'. Now, again in real life, it is probably something to consider, as it truly is evil to exterminate a race of creature of any kind. But not to a group of tech support workers who are angry at all the people who have to be told to reboot their computer and want to take it out on the orcs.
This troper would dearly like to see a book written with diplomacy playing a critical part in the plot. Not just as a footnote to tell you that the good guys are so great that they tried to be peaceful sometime in the past and now it's time to kick ass with a clear conscience, but as a pivotal point in the story. Im not sure how that would work...." Say, Sauron, I know you have this lidless eye thing, and you want to stare at everyone all the time, but perhaps if you could just stare at everyone from 9-5 P.M. on Thursdays..." or " Now, Voldemort, I understand you have a separatist agenda, and you are afraid of what will happen to wizarding society when their culture meshes with muggle society, but maybe we could discuss your fears in a reasonable way....." doesn't seem quite like a good story. But does an Epic Battle always have to be the only solution? Ah well, sentimental me is probably a great example of Stupid Good, but one can hope.
