Why do I always pick the good guys?
When entering Shattrath you have the opportunity to start the quest A’dal which eventually leads to yourself deciding if you want to be a part of the Aldor or the Scryers. I’ve just completed that seres of quests and decided to help the proud Aldor, the defenders of the Light!
Neither faction really offers me any reason to pick them in terms of gear or useful items, I’m level 67 and will soon be leaving behind this alien world. However I realized I couldn’t pick the Scryers, I just couldn’t do it. They are not an ‘evil’ faction but they are obviously not the ‘good guys’ and I would feel incredibly guilty if I decided to pick them. Looking back at my past characters I realized that I had only ever picked the Scryers once and that was because I had decided that I really needed that particular shoulder enchant for what I intended to do.
So maybe I just have a slight phobia of Blood Elf males (who doesn’t?) but this trend does not stop with Shattrath. I remember with one character I actually managed to get the Green Proto Drake from the Oracles and then realized I no longer needed anything from this faction. After much consideration I decided to reset my reputation with the Oracles and join the Wolvar to see if there was anything I may find useful and pick up a couple of achievements. That lasted about two days before I went crawling back to the Oracles and begged for forgiveness.
I was now beginning to realize that I had a problem. Looking at other games where I had to decide between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ I came to the conclusion that I was indeed a goodie two shoes. I have played games such as Oblivion, Neverwinter Nights, Black and White or even Mass Effect and never even considered stepping outside of my comfort zone. I’m such a failure!
Questions of the Day
Do any of you guys have the same issue?
Why do you always pick the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ guys?
Am I turning into a Roleplayer?
The Shadow Troll 
And you picked Horde….yeah, you do always pick the good guys.
Do any of you guys have the same issue?
I tend to pick the bad ones; the scryers, the blood elfs (lol) etc.
Why do you always pick the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ guys?
People love a hero; but they love to hate the villain, it’s a role I’m starting to get accustomed to.
Am I turning into a Roleplayer?
It sounds like you have the beginnings of being an RPer, yes.
I actually considered this very issue on my own blog last Monday. To answer your questions, yes, I do have this same issue. I can never bring myself to do something within a game if I consider it to be evil. Even if the actual reward is much better for the evil action, I can rarely do it.
Why? I came to the conclusion that it was because video games are, for me, not an escape from my reality, but a part of it. For that reason, the decisions I make in games need to follow my own moral standards. If they don’t, I’ll feel the same kind of guilt I would feel if I were to make that decision in real life.
Does that make us role-players? To an extent. Like many things in life, roleplaying is not black and white; role-players occupy a spectrum, from those who don’t do it at all to those who take it very seriously. People like us are probably closer to the negative end than the positive end, but we are still role-players to an extent.
I’m interested and rather pleased that you seem to consider your choice of Horde not the ‘bad’ guys. I do know I kind of feel like that too though- I have a lot of guilt about doing, say, quests for the Forsaken. Any questline that’s clearly going to end with me handing poison to some guy who is going to say, “Y’know, the Forsaken, I think they’re up to something, and my proof is- GAK!” before he falls over dead… yeah, I didn’t do those quests. I’ve been doing them in an attempt to get Loremaster and I still feel bad about them. I think it comes down to style- I’m sure there are Alliance players who enjoy malice and probably pick the worse Alliance quests (though I don’t recall as many of them) and Horde softies.
Between the Scryer and the Aldor, they’re both clearly on the side of “good”- they’re against Kaelthas and Illidan, against the Legion. The only difference is, the Aldor are stern but nice, while the Scryers are kind of… jerks. I think the Frenzyheart are worse than just jerks, but that’s most of why I don’t like them.
@ eddy
I know exactly what you mean. A lot of the forsaken quests pre Wrath gate include poisoning, murdering or harming of helpless individuals. I actually find those quests rather amusing as it becomes more and more obvious that some members of the Forsaken don’t see the Horde as allies but more like a tool to achieve their own needs.
When it comes to Aldor vs the Scryers I just got tired of the snide remarks from Scryer vendors. Aldor vendors at least give you friendly sounding platitudes when you deal with them.
Ummm… If you were playing a Draenei Paladin I might agree, but you are playing a Troll shadow priest. That’s not exactly being on the side of the angels. Marginally better than a Warlock (or a Belf Paladin – I don’t care if they are “redeemed” now, they knowingly committed a terrible atrocity – the fact that their victim permitted it to occur doesn’t change the morality of the situation at all), but still.
I feel exactly like you, but my case is worse: since all my friends play Horde side, I’m stuck at the Horde, that is leaving Thrall’s teachings behind and becoming more evil every day.
I don’t know if I would be happier leaving them and starting from scratch (at least in a social way, since I’ll be guildless and I don’t qualify to apply to a serious raiding guild) or keep tolerating the fact that I’m playing in a faction I don’t like.
Yeah I know that “only looks change, the mechanics are almost equal” but I care for the lore, and deep inside, all of us are roleplayers. Would you play WoW if it was about Cyborgs instead of Medieval fantasy? I know I wouldn’t.
@Sid
Certain Leaders of the Horde are definitely becoming out of control (Hellscream) and from the rumors I’ve heard it sounds like it will only get worse. That being said I would be very surprised if Blizzard let it stay that way and I’m sure something will change during Cataclysm to make us feel a little more proud of our faction.
I certainly hope so. I mean, I think what they’re doing with Garrosh (and even Varian) being such jerks that everyone seems to hate is trying to build up interest in more epic figureheads that make less horrible decisions and have the support of the people. I mean… nobody hates on Thrall or Cairne… Tyrande? I’m not sure what strong Alliance leaders everyone loves.
I think the changes won’t be permanent.
ha ha RP noob!
Good guys? You’re a damn troll. Your people are cannibals, and have fought with almost every other race on the face or Azeroth. Surely you can be a good troll on an individual level, but that’s not what I consider good “guys” that’s more like a good “guy” (singular). And you’re shadow…and…AND…there’s just so many things wrong with this picture.
@Kevin
So very very mean.
1. Shadow Priests can be good guys too.
2. “damn troll” is just harsh
3. The Darkspear Tribe have given up most of their savage traits since joining the horde. We only eat gnomes these days and occasionally threaten people with “da voodoo”
4. In fact…..the darkspear tribe don’t really do anything. Our leader advises Thrall and the rest of the tribe worries about the Echo Isles in Durotar. How depressing.
I don’t want to repeat other people’s comments but.. For the power of Light, you is still just a troll 🙂 AND SHADOW!
“If you were playing a Draenei Paladin I might agree..”
1. Cannibalism isn’t inherently evil. Doesn’t Jesus encourage you to eat his flesh and drink his blood? By what logic is cannibalism basically evil but eating cows is just great?
2. Shadow priests aren’t evil. They study the power of shadow to do harm, yes, whereas a warrior studies physical combat to do harm and a mage fire and frost etc. There’s no difference. It’s what you do with it that counts. Harming an evil person is generally considered good while healing him is wrong. It’s not the healing or harming per se. Besides, shadow power can heal and the light can harm so the logic is off in two ways.
3. There are so many sinister things going on in the Alliance, presently and historically, it’s hard to call them good. All the bad things in the world seems to have been caused by Nelfs. Whereas the Forsaken are truly an evil bunch, the Tauren for example clearly are not.
I urge you to develop a less one-sided and childish view of the world.
Winds be at your back!
I played NWN for years on an RP server, as an Elven Monk who rose through the ranks of the Monestary(Player run “Guild”) and eventually was the leader of the Monestary, I was a Master Crafter in the Trader’s guild, and when I left the Monestary I started my own guild, a School of trade and adventure. This toon was loyal to her monestary, guild, and kingdom, and was often torn between what was right and what she was tod to do, but to the end she was loyal to her leaders. I have a similar toon going in Dragon Age:Origins, an Elf Mage.
Meanwhile in WoW I play a Forsaken Shadow Priest. Still loyal to her Dark Queen, but a more evil, brooding, twisted. I have a dream of having a Traveler’s Mammoth with the gobo replaced with a 1 armed gnome, and rid around with a small arm in my off-hand(get it…off-hand….severed arm…lol). While I do not RP this character(I raid on a PVP server) the RPer in my mind whispers stories to me of what Fert would do.
You don’t like stepping outside your comfort zone in terms of “good” and “bad”. You could put that another way in that you can’t quite think differently for your character, so they do what you think you’d do in that situation, rather what you think they would do.
You can’t be a very good roleplayer if the only role you’re comfortable playing is yourself in a fantasy world, so no, you’re not in “danger” of becoming a roleplayer. 😉
usually i choose the “good” guys in a game
or if its a game where u are good or bad based on char choices, i try to be evil, but feel sorry for the people i’m being mean to and end up turning good