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Original post by Vopisk Vader knows that these certain children are going to cause him problems down the road. Being that he is "evil" in the cartoonish sort of way, or maybe as others have said "morally unrestrained" he chooses to eliminate the threat before it truly becomes a threat.

That was pretty much my point. What people term as evil is usually just an easier, less impressive method to reach the goal. It just goes to show that the good guy is too superior to challenge on equal ground. My idea of a really cool bad guy is one who is mean enough to not have to cheat. One who isn't evil, just rough and determined. His goals conflict with the good guy's goals. This is the type of bad guy who good guys should fear. Not the ones who take short cuts.

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Take the game "Hitman" for example, you play a hired assassin. Evil enough right? But we can rationalize it. Hitman needs to eat, hitman must work to have money to eat, hitman only knows how to kill people, therefore, Hitman's killing of others is merely a survival instinct, therefore, not evil as we already discussed Vampires earlier.

Right, but that has been my point. No such thing as evil. You can always replace 'evil' with another word. Think up an evil action, replace evil with another word. Why did they choose the evil choice? What made them go in that direction? If that word sounds degrading to the bad guy, don't impliment the action. Then you'll have what I consider a great bad guy.

I love this topic, because it figures heavily into the cosmology of my universe. (I've written several short stories and plan to implement it for my current CRPG).

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Original post by Kest That was pretty much my point. What people term as evil is usually just an easier, less impressive method to reach the goal.

I don't necessarily agree with that description of evil. There is always going to be an easier, less impressive method of doing stuff. Is it "evil" to use a more advanced API instead of the awful Win32 GDI? I'd be really impressed if somebody was determined enough to make a game without any kind of API, but that doesn't make them morally upright. Nor does it make people who take the easy road morally depraved.

I think the best way to define evil is that a person derives enjoyment from the suffering of others. Negative actions don't count as evil, because it can only exist in the intent of the evil-doer.

For instance, you're driving down the highway when the car ahead of you flies of the road for whatever reason. Being a concerned person, you pull over and find that the car is upside-down and wrapped around a tree. You help the guy out of the car, because you think it'll explode from watching too many action movies. It turns out, the car doesn't explode AND you exacerbated his neck injury. Your actions were unnecessasrily negative, but you're certainly not evil.

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Original post by templewulf I don't necessarily agree with that description of evil. There is always going to be an easier, less impressive method of doing stuff. Is it "evil" to use a more advanced API instead of the awful Win32 GDI? I'd be really impressed if somebody was determined enough to make a game without any kind of API, but that doesn't make them morally upright. Nor does it make people who take the easy road morally depraved.

I didn't say it worked both ways. Just because you don't choose the most challenging route doesn't make you more evil. But most choices that people call evil seem to be mostly about avoiding challenge. Of course you can always throw a character in who does evil just to be evil, but it's not very believable. It makes him look more psychotic than anything else.

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I think the best way to define evil is that a person derives enjoyment from the suffering of others.

Why would someone enjoy making people suffer? I'm guessing these suffering individuals have no way of fighting back? What does that tell you about this evil guy? Why would he need to hurt defenseless people to be satisfied? Don't get me wrong. It's one thing to knock the hell out of an annoying idiot. That's the essence of a cool bad guy. He doesn't put up with BS. But hurting defenseless people just for the sake of hurting sounds like he lacks what it takes to face a real challenge.

You have to have a reason to be evil. Perhaps your trying to regain things lost through the ages? Artifacts from ancient times that your race worshipped, areas of land that have been wared over and lost on your race's side.

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Original post by Kest But hurting defenseless people just for the sake of hurting sounds like he lacks what it takes to face a real challenge.

I didn't say he had to enjoy the suffering of the defenseless. What about Naraku, from the Inuyasha series, who enjoys the suffering of the good guys who are as powerful as he is?

Plus, what about Akuma / Gouki, who has no problem killing anyone, but who also won't fight weaklings?

Although, historically, I guess "evil" is just the word for everybody on the other side.

Do as done to country stars:

Marry someone.
Abandon them when they're sick.
Take their animals.
Etc.

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Original post by templewulf Plus, what about Akuma / Gouki, who has no problem killing anyone, but who also won't fight weaklings?

There's a decent difference between not caring if death occurs and hunting down and murdering people for the sake of killing them. Akuma is extremely jaded. He only fights those who challenge him. They know what they're getting into. He's not murding them to avoid fighting them or for personal gain. There's no benefit to Akuma to kill his opponents. If he does so, he's either a nutjob or he just couldn't care less to hold back enough to keep them alive.

I haven't seen the series you mentioned. But anyone who enjoys killing and causing suffering for no particular reason is obviously lacking in some department. Similar to how weak/incompetent men hit women.

Oh, but there is anger. Anger can cause pretty evil choices without much motive.

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Original post by Kest Akuma is extremely jaded. He only fights those who challenge him. They know what they're getting into.

They know what they're getting into, but he still doesn't have to kill them. That he embraces Satsu No Hadou means that once he fights, he kills without restraint. Are you saying that he kills prudently makes him less evil? (That's not a rhetorical question, I actually want to know!)

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I haven't seen the series you mentioned.

Inuyasha is Rumiko Takahashi (of Ranma 1/2)'s latest money machine. It's on cartoon network on weekends now. The characters are likable, but it's another one of those "Japanese schoolgirl gets trapped in alternate reality for some reason."

Anyway, the reason I brought it up was the villain. He's a powerful demon, but he prefers manipulation over combat and enjoys the suffering of his foes.

@OP:
Being evil in an RPG would preclude building an evil empire, if you're thinking of RPG in the Final Fantasy sense. It would be really boring if you had to stay in your evil headquarters, directing cronies for the whole game. Black & White 2, on the other hand, might be what you want.

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Original post by templewulf They know what they're getting into, but he still doesn't have to kill them. That he embraces Satsu No Hadou means that once he fights, he kills without restraint. Are you saying that he kills prudently makes him less evil? (That's not a rhetorical question, I actually want to know!)

I've been saying there's no such thing as evil. Killing people is bad, IMO, period. If you're stalking someone on the street and knife them in an alley.. eh, you've got serious problems. You probably have a strong feeling that there's a huge lack of importance to your life. You have no self confidence. No pride, no honor. However, if you're just trying to punch someone in the face and accidently blast their head off.. well, oops. It's a fight. Hurting each other is the point.

@Kest:
Okay, I think I understand how we differ. What I consider evil (like your alley-knife-guy), you consider deranged. That sounds fair enough.

What I was taking issue with was the idea that evil people have to be weak-minded, and can only prey on their inferiors. I'm starting to think you may be right, but I still consider evil to be more about WHY you do something.