Moral Implications of Your Actions in Video Games

[Applesnax]

Note: This isn't a thread about violence in video games and some correlation to IRL or whatever.

I'm just curious what some opinions are about this.
Basically what I'm talking about here is the moral implications of taking a certain role in a video game. For example, playing an evil character in Fable or being a pirate in EVE Online. I have some experience with the latter, and I see a lot of people make implications about your personal life because you blew them up in a video game, as if they believe you fly around in a spaceship IRL blowing up other people.

The same thing kind of goes for games like WoW or League where "fat neckbeard" comments are pretty common.

I think the real implication of comments like this is that the person making them is far too emotionally invested in the game. Do you think there is a correlation between the role you choose in video games, and the kind of person you are IRL?

[Liightning]

None whatsoever.

[Voideater613]

no

bad guys are just ******** cool

[HatredBearOmNomNom]

Lol Eve Online. Blow up a mission runner, get called a sociopath.

[Amy Reinvented]

I think you're asking two different questions here. I'll do my best to answer them.

-Are there moral implications for choosing an evil character over a good or neutral one?
I don't think so. The fact that the game presents the option to be an evil character means that they intend for people to play an evil character. It's written into the game universe. It's really no different playing the hero vs. playing the villain, the story just gets told from a different perspective.

-Is there a correlation between the character you choose and who you are IRL?
Of course not. I mean, people with certain personality types may be more predisposed to pick certain character types, but this is by no means set in stone. Sometimes people want to play something radically different from who they really are, just for a different experience. I once played a D&D game where I was a loud, brash barbarian named Cliff Manchester, which is definitely not who I really am, but that was just the kind of campaign it was. It was interesting, to say the least.

[TheYoshiGamer]

I don't really play any games that do what you you're talking about, but I sure would like to? Any good onbes for Wii, DS, or 3DS?

[TheYoshiGamer]

I don't really play any games that do what you you're talking about, but I sure would like to. Any good onbes for Wii, DS, or 3DS?

[XBalmung]

My actions depend on my mood. Some days I just mess around not really caring if I fight anything or not, and other days I kill everything that moves.

[Archaix_the_Ghast v2]

I play as serial killers, necrophiliacs, drug dealers, gangsters, assassins, drunks, wifebeaters, cutthroats, pirates, and computer hackers in my games.

Because I have to live in a bubble of law-abiding behaviour IRL due to me applying to become a police officer. I need release.

[DynaSuarez Wrecks]

In role-playing games, I'm usually the thieving, murdering rogue. In the real world, I've never been in legal trouble once (except for that one time I got a ticket for playing music too loud in my car that didn't even have a sound system). Logical deduction: your character choice in video games can be as low as 0% reflective of who you really are.

[Priestess Resira]

Archaix_the_Ghast v2

I play as serial killers, necrophiliacs, drug dealers, gangsters, assassins, drunks, wifebeaters, cutthroats, pirates, and computer hackers in my games.

We should hang out more.

[Ghaleonx5z]

All I know is that if I'm aloud the choice I always seem to take the just option. I just can't bring myself to play an evil character, unless the game itself takes the choice away from me.

Not saying there is anything wrong with people that enjoy playing the villain though.

[Mein Doktor]

I'll admit to falling victim to getting upset over video games, but I generally don't insult people unless they've insulted first (which I won't get into, it's immature and I know that it is.) I believe people are allowed to get invested in video games, especially those who consider it more of a "subculture" instead of a hobby.

I think it all depends on what limits a player sets for themselves, and those limits may be entirely different for different situations -- including in real life ones.

----

Thieves, assassins, mercenaries, computer hackers... They usually have a little bit more "depth" to their stories than just "mindless sociopathic tendencies" that people see on the outside. As such, I prefer their story-lines because I feel like I understand those characters more rather than being the good guy who finds good in everything -- because I'm very realistic in real life.

Although, again, I think mood definitely effects my game play -- I usually set aside assassinations for when I'm in a worse off mood. There are some days where I just want to smell the roses, dammit.

[Kimiko no Tenshi]

Not really. I think in some ways games offer an escape, so if a person wants to play the bad guy, then go for it. It's silly to judge a person based on how they choose to play through a game..I'm one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet, but there are times I just like to nuke everything in a game a la the bad guys. Doesn't mean I'm going to do it in real life.

[gum disease]

I highly doubt it. I find it amusing to fight/kill pedestrians in GTA4 but I hate violence IRL. I have no qualms with playing a good or evil character in games. To be honest, I tend to play both sides of the coin just to see how gameplay differs. Games like Skyrim, for example, usually encourage multiple playthroughs from different perspectives.

Playing games is cathartic for me, they do not represent my personality or determine how I behave in reality.