What motivates a person to roleplay an evil character?

[Illyria]

Well, In Single player RPG's it's just fun to do "Can you help me? " "NO! DIE!" Because mostly you can't reply in your own words.
Still in Online whatever you call it (MMMOOORPORPORPOR or something like that ) Evil isn't defined. in SP RPG it's mostly "if you kill without a very good reason or break the law you're bad"

But in PS the players define what's "evil" to me the concept of "evil" is always a minority who think else the the majority (in general view) Individually viewed it's just the guy that has different idea's about life (not little differences but HUGE differences)

So Evil is when you have other thoughts then the rest (though it's only called evil when the difference is kinda like the complete opposite )
So i think to RP (in a online game, cause SP is always a bit OOC, still fun but OOC) 'Evil' (in my view of evil) is one who wants to play a character that doesn't necessary have the same thoughts as others  Like a brilliant song says with a strange, almost funny voice "Free thinkers are dangerous"

To clear out my view of Evil:
Think of a sort of hell, everyone accepts it, everyone tortures everyone ect. Then for the majority the 'goodies' are the 'badies' you see?

[Raleigh]

Like a brilliant song says with a strange, almost funny voice "Free thinkers are dangerous"

To clear out my view of Evil:
Think of a sort of hell, everyone accepts it, everyone tortures everyone ect. Then for the majority the 'goodies' are the 'badies' you see?

     From one of my main characters point of view, those who take off the freedom of thought from the people based on arguments of moralism about good and evil are hypocritic, evil tyrants under an infinity of covers to hide their true self and intentions. Perhaps the Will to Power can present a new paradigm of morality that might be interesting.^[1]. People, can't you go beyond good and evil?

     About the idea of hell, there is a reason for it being one of th arguments used by atheists against Christianism, but this is not something to be discussed in depth here.

     And free thinkers are essential against the stagnation and perpetual maintenance of a single status quo. Without people to question the values, to challenge the establishment, the Medieval Era would never have ended and we would be now accusing each other of witchcraft, living in miserable conditions in comparison to modern standards, with all women being submissive to their husbands along the rest of what defines a Dark Age...

P.S.: The will to power is the main impulse of one of my "evil" characters, however it has nothing to do with political power.

[1] - Quote about the definition of Will to Power from Wikipedia:

Nietzsche instead posited a will to power, a significant point of contrast to Schopenhauer's ideation, in which living things are not just driven by the mere need to stay alive, but in fact by a greater need to wield and use power, to grow, to expend their strength, and, possibly, to subsume other "wills" in the process. Thus, Nietzsche regarded such a "will to live" as secondary to the primary "will to power", and more generally there are varied manifestations of it, two prominent distinctions by Nietzsche are: a "life-denying" modality and a life-"enhancing" or -"affirming" one. Henceforth, he opposed himself to social darwinism, as he contested the validity of the concept of "adaptation", which he considered a narrow and weak "will to live".

Another particular standpoint of the will to power is that it is a process of expansion and venting of creative energy that Nietzsche argued was the underlying – the "most fundamental fact" – "inner" force of nature.

[Zan]

First of all none of my characters consider themselves evil but I do have some which are less tolerant and more egocentric. Why do I play them? For several reasons .. first of all because it's a lot more challenging to RP an 'evil' character and still have fun with everyone. It's easy to be evil and harass in-game others but it's a lot harder to be evil and still a respected RPer. Secondly, and this probably ties in with the first, there seem to be more good RPers on the dark side of Yliakum than on the bright side. Given there are bad RPers being evil as well, just like there also are some very good ones being nice guys and gals. Lastly I'm a pretty nice guy in real life, just who I am .. so it's nice to be free of reality and actually be mean towards people without anyone really being harmed by it.

[Illysia]

I thank everybody for their posts but, might I remind those who feel the need to define evil that that isn't what this thread is about. If you don't consider your character evil, don't worry about it. I'm not labeling anyone's character and I'm not trying to over simply the concept but, I want the perspective of people who play, what they consider, "evil" characters. I'm looking for post more along the line of what Zan, Marqsaynt, Duraza, Feline Prince, and some others have said.

[Duraza]

Evil doesn't imply freedom

I agree. With evil you really have to stay hidden a lot more. If you were evil and you just walked around wouldn't it be safe to assume that you would be arrested once spotted? Not to mention you get attacked all over for just walking in public. But that sense of having to sneak around and remain secret really makes it intresting to play. You kinda have to get paranoid in the game.

Nothing beats standing in the middle of a temple with guild mates either side of you (a fact that some of them are inexperienced in RP and you are acting as a role model is also nice). A huge crowd of 'goodies' has surrounded you where you stand in the pit, the leader of a well known guild held down by his hair.

Its that kinda thing that makes evil woth while. Thinking of a complex plan and then executing it and getting to watch everyone around you wonder how you did it. Sure usually your outnumbered and you will lose but thats not the point. Soon enough you learn to take victory from even your losses. The trick is to know when your going to lose but make the loss work to your advantage. It doesn't sound like it makes sense but it really does. It makes losing more fun when you know your losing for a purpose.

First of all none of my characters consider themselves evil

In my opinion a true evil character (and the kind that is most fun to rp with) does not think they are evil. In truth when you rp a "real" evil person your only rping someone who thinks a different way about things then others. For example lets say I wanted to take over the world. A "real" evil character would feel that they were going to rule the world to bring about peace from absolute obedience. A fake evil would do it with no goal or purpose other than the OOC reason that its fun. In the end I think its the first evil thats more intresting for the fact that that evil character could be working towards the same thing as a good character. The only difference is the way they go about doing it.

You haven't succeeded but your still alive... again. And your guild name is known through out Yilakum.

It's a shame the evil guys never win in the end isn't it? 

[Illyria]

     And free thinkers are essential against the stagnation and perpetual maintenance of a single status quo. Without people to question the values, to challenge the establishment, the Medieval Era would never have ended and we would be now accusing each other of witchcraft, living in miserable conditions in comparison to modern standards, with all women being submissive to their husbands along the rest of what defines a Dark Age...

I meant in my way of defining evil "thinking against the majority" kinda way. and If you know the song you know the sentences is meant to promote the oposite (if you get that, I'm too bad in explaining some terms) it was 'Mind' from 'System of a down' btw
But what you see still is correct with what I said In the dark ages the 'free thinkers' (like another religion, standing up for the peasants ect.) were executed, thrwn in jail ect. they were seen as 'evil' 

[Feline Prince]

Evil is merely a point of view.

[Illyria]

Evil is merely a point of view.

Dude! that's what i said!   

[Feline Prince]

The wonders of simplicity

[Gharan]

What motivates a person to roleplay an evil character?

It's fun you should try it, we aren't like that in real life you know. Although cetain stresses do come with RP'ing evil. For instance offending someone with an RP (sometimes hardly even evil) and they no longer speak to you. If these people realise It's a game it would make RPing evil alot more fun (not that it isn't)

EDIT: Only read the title don't flame me for not reading the lot It's late here

[Kaerli]

Kaerli's neither "goody-two-shoes" nor "pure evil".  She simply has a nice side and a nasty side.  If you are on her nice side, she's friendly and helpful.  If you get on her nasty side though, WATCH OUT! 

[Nurahk]

I'm slightly intrigued by who you people think are evil.

I'm pretty sure Duraza will get listed by everybody

But, Narure, was he evil?  He was a criminal and a bit of a scoundrel but, still, a very nice guy if you had common sense... And didn't spill alcohol.

Is Valorius evil?  She's a bit of a vigilant and only really follows her own laws.

Is Zwenze evil?  He throws fish at people during an auction.

Is Shauni evil? He went up against the Dark Empire but, in the end, has become a friend of it.

Is the Dark Empire evil?  No it's not.  There are no arguments that could possibly make it evil yet, everybody seems to want to think that they are.

I'd like to see what you people consider as evil, use a few examples if you can.
Personaly, I think Duraze and Valorius are the only two evil characters in this list of mine.

[Feline Prince]

Well evil would be... Overly selfish? I'd say it wouldn't be a very believable character if they didn't have a reason for doing the things they did. So no ones character is really evil for the sake of being evil because they don't actually think they are bad. But they will put others below them for their own means, such as money and sex (not literally), in the case of the character I had. If any of our characters were truly evil they would have to have amazing political strengths or they would be very dead.

[Illyria]

Well evil would be... Overly selfish?

If that's the way to define evil, then we live in a very evil world  With as blacked heart the western 'civilization'
Cause the rules of nature clearly state : Capitalism = selfish 

Buuuuuuuuuuuut that's very  of me 

Is Valorius evil?  She's a bit of a vigilant and only really follows her own laws.

Hmm only if her own laws don't go with the flow of majority

Is the Dark Empire evil?  No it's not.  There are no arguments that could possibly make it evil yet, everybody seems to want to think that they are.

First it's the name, Because of cliché use of the word 'dark' in SP RPG's for what those games stated as 'evil'. It's kinda like calling a war a 'peace negotiation' [though the other way around ]
Second, I don't know much about the DE, but I think the people the DE considers to be evil, they would think the same about the DE
like, A and B are in a war, A says B is evil though B says A is evil 

[Feline Prince]

When I say overly selfish I don't just mean putting yourself before others. I'm talking about putting others behind you, robbing a shop etc. Basically what you've been saying... not going with the programme. Though that's hard to see in planeshift as we don't have much of a government presence.