[605]

Typically I'll choose an alignment that I don't necessarily like, just to force me to roleplay more. In BG it's pretty difficult tho, due to the much stated fact that you only really get rewards for doing the 'good' thing. But playing PNP is a lot more challenging and rewards you not for doing what the game intends, but roleplaying properly.

What I mean is, I used to always play chaotic neutral for the simple fact that you can do ANYTHING pretty much without stepping out of your alignment. It's fun for a while, but not challenging at all. Where's the fun in being able to do anything? Roleplaying is about having rules and restrictions and pretending you're someone else, not playing 'you' in another world. For that reason I play alignments that force me to look at things different.

Lawful good is actually fun because it DOES make you roleplay. No one wants to be the typical 'goodie goodie', but it forces you to think and be something you're not used to. Imagine not being able to rummage thru peoples' houses for better gear and being forced to turn in a party member to the guards because you know they did something illegal. (yes, I did that once, and the player AND DM were both pretty pissed)

True Neutral does the same thing. There's nothing more annoying to a DM as a true neutral player doing exactly what their alignment would have them do: switch sides in the middle of an epically huge battle and ruin the DMs plans by helping the bad guys. Since, in the PNP world, a true neutral would actually do such a thing if they knew they were in some way upsetting the balance by giving one side too much power or taking out a part of the equation that allowed balance in the area. (again, I've done that before also, with much the same results of players and DM ending up mad at me. One minute: chopping ogre's heads and legs off, the next: chopping party members' heads and legs off, winking at ogres saying, "Don't worry Throb, I got yer back.")

Chaotic evil, also challenging because of the total disregard for caring about anyone who doesn't benefit them. It's surprisingly hard to NOT do what's instinctive to most of us. True it's hard to resist helping a woman and her baby who are sliding down a hillside in a carriage that's wandered off the road, but it IS rewarding finding the wreckage, looting what you can and leaving the people bloody and battered. (especially when helping them is part if the DM's plans) hehe

I think Ice T said it best... this isn't an exact quote, but it's close enough to what he said... "All I ever play in movies is gangsters and drug dealers, which is just like me playing me in a movie. If you want to make me act, make me something I'm not. Make me a cop or something, because for me to play someone I hate that much is a REAL test of my acting abilities."

word, Ice... word *raises the roof*

[ 02-12-2003, 10:49 PM: Message edited by: 605 ]