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Alignment: which one suits you?

diskhatediskhate Member Posts: 12
edited March 2017 in Role Playing
Alignment is probably one of the best tools that "true" roleplaying (video)games give us to set the standards of how our avatar is on a personal level.
In my experience throughout gaming i've noticed that, even tho most of the fun about alignments comes from trying out different things, a lot of people tend to have favorites.
What is the alignment that is more natural for you to roleplay as? Maybe it is on a subconscious level, because it reppresents you, or just because you think it's more fun.
Personally i love Chaotic Good characters..i love the kind and good hearted people that, in the end, sees and lives with a critical eye and doesn't see the world as black and white and which has to "shift the rules" a bit at times just to obtain what he-she thinks is right.
That said i also like playing Lawfull good characters, who think that following the rules of the status quo is the only right way to live, and that sees any small infraction to the rules as a spark that could spread anarchy in the world.
I rarely play Evil characters..i did a bit more when i was younger, but now i simply lack interest in it for some reason.
What about you?
PS: I tried to look for a similar discussion and i was surprised that there wasn't..i hope that it wasn't a mistake on my part not seeing it
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Comments

  • leon2112leon2112 Member Posts: 21
    Definetly chaotic neutral, sometimes but less often chaotic good.

  • SkatanSkatan Member, Moderator Posts: 5,352
    After much contemplation I've realized I would be neutral-good if I was a charname. I've leaned very differently towards shifting alignments over the years, but in the end this is where I am at now. Historically, I've preferred not to play "myself" in games, instead taking the role of a completely fictional character but nowadays it's quite the opposite and I most often play variations of "me" in the game, and my alignment therefore reflect that.
    Going from chaotic-good characters when I was younger (I smash heads and rescue damsels, who cares about rules) to neutral-evil (I smash heads, capture damsels and break every rule I can find to amass as much coin as possible) and nowadays it's neutral-good (I only smash heads if provoked or if I have to defend a damsel and I don't care about rules or laws enough to either break them or withhold them and prefer to live outside or on the fringes of society).
  • AmmarAmmar Member Posts: 1,297
    Lawful good (priority on good before law) as I feel that laws are the best way to better society.

    The law has some inherent value for me, eg I wold obey speeding limits that I see as stupid even if there is no chance for me to be caught. Only if the law conflicts with an important good then it needs to be resisted and broken, e.g. execution for theft of bread by a starving child.
  •  TheArtisan TheArtisan Member Posts: 3,277
    I believe myself to be firmly chaotic good while occasionally straying into chaotic neutral in my more selfish moments.
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    Lawful Good with heavy emphasis on the *good*
  • ArtonaArtona Member Posts: 1,077
    I feel that I'm neutral because studying philosophy made me very catious about ethical statements.
  • diskhatediskhate Member Posts: 12
    @Artona i see your point but remember: we're talkin about roleplaying, not yourself; thus the question was oriented toward the characters you play as.
    And when talkin about "real life" i doubt the quantity of "real neutral" people.. just as in d'n'd being neutral would be a concept far harder to apply than most of us probably can imagine; it would mean, for example, that if tomorrow a war was to happen you'd have to first fight with one army and then the other just to re equilibrate the balance (this is an example straight from Baldur's Gate btw)
  • ArtonaArtona Member Posts: 1,077
    Ah, you're right. My bad.
    Well, I rather avoid lawful characters, because there are way to many locks to pick. ;) I usually end up with Neutral Good characters, or cartoonish Neutral Evil edgelords.
    As for the "real life", I remember reading Player Manual for 3e, where was given an example of wizard, who is Truly Neutral, because "ethical debates bore her". While I don't get bored by debates, I'm still rather unwilling to say any strong statements. So I figured Neutral is right for me. I might be wrong though.
  • AbYsMaLAbYsMaL Member Posts: 19
    I try to stay more on the Neutral Good side of things in Real Life.

    On the whole True Neutral thing, I think DnD takes it a tad bit too far with how it works; I could see a true netural person fighting on the side of a disadvantaged army just enough to get something he/she wants/needs, and then leaving the army when that army starts to get it's footing against the superior army. I doubt a neutral character is honestly gonna take the side of the weaker army until that weaker army is then the stronger army and then flip sides unless he is a "Character of Extreme Importance."
  • ArdanisArdanis Member Posts: 1,736
    AbYsMaL said:

    On the whole True Neutral thing, I think DnD takes it a tad bit too far with how it works; I could see a true netural person fighting on the side of a disadvantaged army just enough to get something he/she wants/needs, and then leaving the army when that army starts to get it's footing against the superior army. I doubt a neutral character is honestly gonna take the side of the weaker army until that weaker army is then the stronger army and then flip sides unless he is a "Character of Extreme Importance."

    That is actually quite easy - imagine a social activist trying to prevent any particular group from gaining significant advantage and dictating their will to the rest. As long as they're busy fighting their opponents, the rest can enjoy their freedom undisturbed.
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  • Son_of_ImoenSon_of_Imoen Member Posts: 1,806
    I feel most comfortable playing Neutral Good, as in that case Charname makes the same decisions as I would, striving first an foremost for people to be happy in a just world.

    There's D&D alignment tests to be found however online, that judge me as Lawful Good. I guess it's because I think society is best off by everyone obeying the law. I stop for a red sign even is there's no other traffic coming usually, out of principle.

    There's situations however when good trumps the law (no pun intend, god, that sob president really tainted the word), I'm much in favour of civil disobedience as a means to attain justice if the law leads to unjust consequences, for instance if the law benefits multinational corporations instead of the rights of indigenous people. In such cases it's definitely good to defy the law in the name of good.
  • ZaghoulZaghoul Member, Moderator Posts: 3,938
    True Neutral for 'in game' roleplaying purposes. Suits me. But some weeks in RLife, I'm tellin ya, it's pushing it when in the game.
  • themazingnessthemazingness Member, Mobile Tester Posts: 702

    Neutral Good! :) The rules are good some of the time. :3

    That's pretty much me. I'm Neutral Good. I do obey the law when those laws actually protect people as they should. If they are there simply to protect tyrants, the wrongfully rich, or whatever, and harm everyone else, to Baator with the law!
  • SvarSvar Member Posts: 157
    Neutral Good fits me best, I think. My moral priority is on what is best for the happiness and health of all. I'm too jaded by what I see happening in the world to think that law is always the way to go about promoting good, but neither am I unable to see the benefit of the structure that law can provide. In other words, I take everything on a case-by-case basis and don't hold fast to any particular method of helping people. Being dogmatic can sometimes do more harm than good.

    In terms of alignments I'm just particularly comfortable RPing (beyond NG), CG and CN are easy for me to play. I understand the mindset behind those alignments a lot better than I do others, probably because I understand what it's like to have all the rules stacked against you and I was more CN as a kid. I pretty much never, ever play evil characters, though. Even in the specifically evil campaign a friend of mine ran a few months ago, my character was technically CN.
  • Teo_liveTeo_live Member Posts: 186
    I play roleplaying games as if it is real life as it makes it easier to "play-the-role". I find it very natural both in roleplaying and real life to lean towards Lawful Evil?

    My personality?:
    I enjoy being heartless in many situations, especially if the law can help me get away with it (or even enforce it!). I still won't do anything beneath me such as petty theft or cold-blooded murder as I detest even the thought of being associated with such low class criminal peasantry. Nor am I a violent person by nature, though I will not lose any sleep at night if I "lawfully" take someones life.

    This doesn't mean I won't do a good deed, pretending to be a nice guy is a great way to increase ones social status (or to simply not be hassled by do-gooders). Loyalty means a lot to me, I hate breaking the law or my word. I don't believe in equality and enjoy a system of hierarchy. I like the ideal of honor, not for the good intentions but merely because it appeals to my sense of vanity (i.e it puts me above common thugs who lack principle).

    Compared to the official Lawful Evil description it is almost identical. (The minor exceptions I highlighted in stroke through and bold)
    A lawful evil villain methodically takes what he wants within the limits of his code of conduct without regard for whom it hurts. He cares about tradition, loyalty, and order but not about freedom, dignity, or life. He plays by the rules but without mercy or compassion. He is comfortable in a hierarchy and would like to rule, but is willing to serve. He condemns others not according to their actions but AND according to race, religion, homeland, or social rank. He is loath to break laws or promises.

    This reluctance comes partly from his nature and partly because he depends on order to protect himself from those who oppose him on moral grounds. Some lawful evil villains have particular taboos, such as not killing in cold blood, or not letting children come to harm. They imagine that these compunctions put them above unprincipled villains.

    If for some reason I am not allowed to play lawful evil in video game and/or PnP then I will pick a semi-psychotic carefree Chaotic Neutral. For some reason I role play that one quite well especially in PnP :#
  • ElysianEchoesElysianEchoes Member Posts: 475
    I like lawful neutral characters who write their own law, and follow it. That is my definition of integrity.
  • TarlugnTarlugn Member Posts: 209
    Chaotic Neutral, only for the love of gambling, by the wits and guts on the road. All other facets appeal to me from time to time, if only for their respectable representatives (like Minsc and Viconia, for example), but I oftentimes find myself wondering issues like how a lawful good person can slay evil without hesitation, even though the desciption tells otherwise, or some chaotic evil manslayer Sarevok has a rather sissy soft value big brother attitude.
  • UnderstandMouseMagicUnderstandMouseMagic Member Posts: 2,147
    edited May 2017
    I usually play true neutral, and when I've done any of those on line tests, I always get true neutral as alignment.

    Most behaviors are never as straightforward as they seem, there's always underlying reasons. That said, it doesn't worry me at all if you have to kill somebody because letting them live is too much trouble for the rest of the society and not worth the hassle.

    So a true neutral tempered with a large dose of pragmatism. Also not particularly moved by appeals to "morality", whose morality?
    The morality of people living a thousand years ago, 500 years ago, 100 years ago, last year, now, in a hundred years time, a thousands years time?
    Don't see how you can base anything on something so shifty.
  • chimericchimeric Member Posts: 1,163
    We used to take a lot more risks when we were younger, didn't we? And now - cozy and comfy on our asses...

    I stick to chaotics, though. Ever since I realized that all Lawful is Evil. I would probably be Chaotic Neutral, actually, but it's easier to declare yourself as bad as they can believe it. Leaves you more leeway to actually be kind if you are so inclined. So it's the black leathers of CE for me. As for other alignments, sure, I could role-play all kinds, I have come up with elaborate persnonae, but the problem is, where to play them? Not in the computer adaptations, surely. And it has been ages since my modest exposure to PnP, and the campaign was pretty stupid anyway. Maybe if there were many player groups around, if those people played something other than the banal and cliche 3E, 4E, 5E... I'm ready to get carried away and I'm ready to make waves, but there is no ocean. Not even a lake.
  • BrutaleBentBrutaleBent Member Posts: 36
    edited August 2017
    Chaotic good, I just can't truly be a dick or ignore people in peril if I feel I can do something about it, and at the same time, I have a hard time following both social and legal "norms/constructs/rules", unless I happen to agree with them - or it's inconvenient not to; like disagreeing with the missus, hardy har har. :tongue: (I'll see myself out)
  • MatthieuMatthieu Member Posts: 386
    Every silly internet tests return two results for me, either lawful neutral or lawful evil.
  • SyndareeSyndaree Member Posts: 56
    Definitely chaotic neutral through and through. Freedom is the most valuable thing and I'd give up everything for it.
  • MakeAthkatlaGrtAgainMakeAthkatlaGrtAgain Member Posts: 132
    edited November 2017
    On the good-evil axis there's a problem. People in real life are good to their in-group and evil to out-groups. It's very rare to find anyone who is good to everyone regardless of their group. Perhaps the Dalai Lama.

    On law-chaos, there are good parts of both and bad parts of both. Law can be about honesty and keeping your word, but it can also be about harshly enforcing conformity. Chaos can be about freedom from conformity and freedom from being stuck in a bad situation. But chaos can also mean being unreliable, betraying people, and lying a lot.
    Matthieu said:

    Every silly internet tests return two results for me, either lawful neutral or lawful evil.

    You only get two results? I have gotten every single one depending on test. And how I even answer each test depends on what the society around me would be like as some societies are better than others and some societies are very dystopian.

  • MakeAthkatlaGrtAgainMakeAthkatlaGrtAgain Member Posts: 132
    edited November 2017
    Tarlugn said:

    I oftentimes find myself wondering issues like how a lawful good person can slay evil without hesitation, even though the desciption tells otherwise

    There's a libertarian and anarcho-capitalist argument that: Every law a government makes they have to be willing to kill someone over.

    For instance, let's say they have a law saying you have to pay a tax on shopping bags. If you don't pay it, that's theft and there's a warrant for you. If you refuse to come to jail for the warrant (sometimes it takes a while for police to serve a warrant but eventually they do), then the police send more. If you keep resisting they will either subdue you or kill you.

    Same for a traffic rule. You have to stop your car for the police or more and more will chase you. And if you refuse to come in they will forcibly subdue you until you're either subdued or dead.

    For a dragon, it would be like a law against dragons eating people. And if a human in society was a cannibal then police would send in a team to stop the person very aggressively.
    Artona said:

    Well, I rather avoid lawful characters, because there are way to many locks to pick

    A lot of times in role-playing games, a major part of the game is you going around to people's homes and looting them for valuables. This is both medieval fantasy and for instance Star Wars Knights of The Old Republic 1. A person doing this kind of stuff in real life is a crazy kleptomaniac.

  • VonDimentiaVonDimentia Member Posts: 13
    True Neutral or Chaotic neutral. I always want to be more evil in character than I am.. but can't seem to go all the way. I'll try it again some day.
  • TawmisTawmis Member Posts: 120
    Definitely Chaotic Good. I always strive to do the right thing - but sometimes, the right thing means bending the law a little.

    Pretty much how I play most games, as well (like Mass Effect, NWN, Dragon Age, etc) where such choices are available.
  • NimranNimran Member Posts: 4,875
    I never answered this? Chaotic :cookie: for me.
  • LadyRhianLadyRhian Member Posts: 14,694
    Neutral Good. That's what I am in real life, though I can do the whole spectrum of "Good".
  • Permidion_StarkPermidion_Stark Member Posts: 4,861
    In roleplaying games I'm always the good guy, I try playing evil and I can't do it. Mind you, in RPs even the good guys engage in slaughter on an industrial scale and there doesn't seem to be much space for peace, love and understanding.

    In real life ...

    "I've never done good things
    I've never done bad things
    I never did anything out of the blue . . ."

    Which I think makes me Lawful Neutral.
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