A jolly good hi to everyone!
First of all, if my expression is faulty and/or otherwise weird, correct me pls -.-
I've read through the mod posts and accidentally stumbled across the more philosophical threads, and I enjoyed reading them. At least one could learn something about (more) proper RP that way. To this specific one I just have to reply ^^
I think we can't break the borders between the game and reality, because...its a game! Even with mods it has a certain way to function, and we can force it to be a little more realistic by creating mods. But its a game, and someone already said, because of that black and white are somewhat clear AND most of the people won't put much emotions in pixels.
In my opinion that's one of the main differences between
BG and reality: ingame you can loot houses and nobody complains or loses his basics of life, so you don't have a bad feeling about it. I'm sure, some people would stop the looting if there were scripted events in which the NPCs would mourn and suffer over their lost belongings, or even kill themselves (!) in despair. That would add a "omg, I really did something wrong!" feeling. As it is now, doing wrong is overlooked, just as if it is normal. I believe everybody has already taken something which doesn't belong to him, and if its just a chewing gum from his sister. That's not evil, but wrong, and we wont care much either.
On the other hand, in dialogues you can choose your reaction, alignment, and even actions. If you give 5.- to a beggar, you feel good because you -did- something, and you receive a reaction for it. Similar the house of the noble in the Bridge District (name?), you'll be forced out or attacked.
And that's all about it! You can do things, which you can't do in real, like backstabbing someone you really despise, break into a nobles house and loot his trapped safe, cast magic and become immensely powerful because you're a god spawn of Murder from Hell.
Often I don't care much about the characters alignments, I see them as something like the very basics of a NPCs character. They act as they do, but if they have to decide, they would choose a path with fits to their alignment. Everybody has flaws and is evil in his/her very own way, not just ingame but in reality too. So Aerie is bitchy, Anomen is arrogant and egoistic an believes hes a shining light, Keldorn kills evil NPCs with pleasure, because they are "evil", but what about their families?
Fot the shadow thieves, I'm also not fond of allying with them, but it really doesn't matter if you choose the vampires or the thieves. In points of morality both are the same: fellowers have a kind of choice, both let the innocent suffer, both do as they like, even with fellow members. In Morrowind, I would have 1000 possibilities to get to Spellhold, and if I have to cast a Swift Swim Spell and swim to the dang island. No faction needed ^^ It really is a pity that there isn't a quest to get rid of the thieves and the Coweld (?) Mages too, or even the Council of 6. Athkatla has a flair of a police state or tyranny.
My really long 2 euro cents to this
Edited by Leonard DeVir, 05 August 2008 - 02:32 PM.