I'm playing the game the second time around as an evil character and i have to say that while BG2 gives you much more scope to be true to your evil alignment than BG1 the opportunities are more limited than if you were a good character. I'm not talking about killing everyone in the game, of course, but I am trying to play true to my alignment which means that I don't help anyone for free, I only do things which have a clear monetary or practical benefit to me, and I certainly don't act as anyone's errand boy.
For example, in my previous incarnation as a goody-goody stalker I freed Hendak, helped kill lehtinan and his goons and cleared out the slaver base and was rewarded with a ton of XP. This time around as an evil monk Hendak begged me for release but as he was a slave and therefore a non-person I told Lehtinan of his pathetic plea and he graciously allowed me to take things into my own hands (so to speak) and with an awesome display of martial skill I chunked him in his own cell. And what was the reward i got for this? A shitty 7500 xp and a discount on accomodation!! I can't remember, but the reward certainly seemed greater when I followed the path of light. Or did i miss something?
More often than not i find myself having to help these worthless souls who can't get their shit together for the sake of increasing my XP. Charity shouldn't be free, but unfortunately neither are experience points. The little halfling ghost for example. A teddy bear???? My dead father would be turning in his grave! Since when did the Son of Murder have to retrieve a teddy bear for a dead halfling? (since He needs to level up high enough to challenge the son of a bitch who has been trying to drain His divinity, unfortunately).
Maybe i'm being a bit too critical, maybe as the game progresses to the darker stages there will be more opportunity to express my darker self. Please please please please please someone tell me this is so.
I'd be interested to hear from other fellow followers of the dark side to reassure me that i don't have to turn back to the light after all (it is such a pain behind the eyes!!).
|