Topic: When you play a game with the option to be "good" or "evil", what do you choose?

[K-man]

Personally I can never bring myself to be an "evil" character.  I guess I just don't have it in me to be a dick in a video game.

[Quemaqua]

Generally good here too. My problem is that I generally don't dislike people in video games. In the real world, everybody's a dick. In games, usually most people are just kind of whatever, neutral, with a few characters you're obviously supposed to like or dislike more.

The only exception is that I did go the evil route in Infamous. I'm still not sure why. I don't recall really feeling one way or the other about it.

[idolminds]

I usually go good, and sometimes on a second playthrough I'll pick evil options just to see the difference. But I dont do a lot of second playthroughs anymore so...usually good.

[W7RE]

Evil, almost always. My choices align mostly to a chaotic good alignment. Anti-system, anti-society, all for the individual and his/her freedom. My character's party members and friends are treated well, and strangers or anyone who crosses me are shown no mercy. Most games don't allow for or acknowledge this though. To avoid being neutral, I tend to err on the side of evil.

[nickclone]

I always play as good, it just comes natural to me...now. Also, I've found that if there is a meter that measures whether you're good or bad, its much easier to go from good to bad than vice versa.

However, some games make me bad even though I don't think I'm doing bad things. I really hated how Fallout 3 lowered your karma for everything you stole, even if no one saw you. How the hell else am I supposed to make money in that game?

[gpw11]

I always try to just make choices and look at them as individual events rather than just looking at the overall picture of being good vs evil.  Over the last few years, however, I've realized that this ends up being pretty boring, with the overall result of my character being a representation of the developers set of ethics, rather than my own (or just limitations with the game system). 

Actually, as mediocre of an actual game as Alpha Protocol was, it certainly dis the best job I've seen of making it seem like your choices had impact and didn't just peg you outright.  Coincidentally, it was one of the first games where I went in playing as a caricature (awesome spy who just lost it....or try hard who just sucked....I kind of switched halfway).  And it was AWESOME.   I just do that now.

But yeah, long story shot I probably end up neutral or play towards good.

[Cobra951]

I'm not sure how to vote.  I always follow the good path with my first playthrough or character.  But I like to see what the alternatives bring, and I usually replay games I like at least once.  So I'll try for other outcomes in subsequent playthroughs, but it's still hard for me to be purely evil.

[Xessive]

I usually end up being good, voluntarily or otherwise. I agree with K-man, just can't bring myself to be a dick even in a game.

There is one game however where the "evil" path felt right for me: Dark Messiah. It was mostly because the "good" were a bunch of self-righteous, judgemental pricks.

[W7RE]

So you guys didn't punch the reporter in Mass Effect? Or again in Mass Effect 2? Or watch her dodge the punch in ME3 and then swing at her AGAIN while she was all cocky about it?

I ran into problems in ME1 though. I wanted to get with Liara, but wanted to treat Ashley fair because she was a loyal member of my crew. She got the wrong idea and I had to be an ass to get her to back down.

[TheOtherBelmont]

I will always do "good" on my first play through of any game and then do "bad" on a second play through sometimes.  I've only done the "bad" play through on a few games though because I usually have a hard time doing it because I am forcing myself to do so and it doesn't end up being as fun just to have the odd "Oh shit!" moment here and there.

[K-man]

Evil, almost always. My choices align mostly to a chaotic good alignment. Anti-system, anti-society, all for the individual and his/her freedom. My character's party members and friends are treated well, and strangers or anyone who crosses me are shown no mercy. Most games don't allow for or acknowledge this though. To avoid being neutral, I tend to err on the side of evil.

Jade Empire would be a decent one for you to try, then.  Ultimately it still ends up "good and evil", but the way of the closed fist (evil) is much more of a grey area.

I loved that game so much.

[Cools!]

Good, until I see an object I really, really like.

[beo]

generally i play the good character. however, one of the few games i played through more than once, was the original mass effect - once i saw how much of a hilarious dick evil shep is, i had to play through the rest of the series that way.

[scottws]

I am always a good character. Except in Mass Effect. I am the biggest dick there could possibly be in that game, but I did feel bad when

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I shot Mordin, let Samara kill herself, and shot the Ardat-Yakshi

. I guess I had a few paragon decisions here and there like saving the council.

Mass Effect was the first game I ever played where making the evil choices didn't make you feel like you get screwed out of things. In other games being evil means higher prices and less side quests from people because you tell them off.

[iPPi]

I always play a good character, but will not let the 'good alignment' prevent my character from achieving a certain result.  So, for example, if something is unavailable as a 'good character', I'll find a way to get it.

[nickclone]

The only truly mean thing I did in Mass Effect was tell that guy who looked up to me to get a life. I Didn't even mean to do that on purpose.