What is a (Real) Villain?

[Hauwke]

In my mind, a villain currently is according to pop culture:
A cold hearted, self centered asshole. He stops at nothing to get his way, consequence be damned. He is the second best at what he does. Beaten only by the hero.

What this equates to ingame.

Score
You are badass mc villain. Supervillain / badass of the Known.
Keywords: muscular, Badass, villain, awesome, bad-guy
Sdesc: The muscular badass villain and awesome bad-guy
Objective: Git gud
Long description:
Is doing awesome villain things but you cant see it or do anything about it.
You are a peak age for your race because stat max possibly
Which by your race and age is awesome.
You are max height and weight for the best advantage like everyone else.
Your strength is absolutely incredible, as is your agility, wisdom and endurance.
You dont even need to eat you are that badass and your thirst in non existant because you never needed mortal things anyway.
Your health is 200, you have 400 stamina, and 400 stun.

You have been playing for days and days and days.
You are immune to bash because you just are that awesome so who cares what stance you are in.
You are speaking languages with a bad guy accent.

Skills
Your skills are all maxed so you dont even need to look. Plus you have all of them and even a few other players cant even get at all.


Anyone else find this a little unrealistic?


Here is what a villain could be. He could be some average joe scrub, with middling skills and days played. Fairly average stats.
Oh thats amos! From the Gaj! Oh did you hear someone killed his friend and he didnt take it so well. Heres hopimg he does what he wants to then returns to a moderately sane state of mind. Probably wont though.


Ok so the what a villain should be is harder for me because its not sarcasm (yeah hur hur) but the point is, this guy doesnt have to be awesome to kill a man. He doesnt have to be a murderous asshole forever more because of it either. Sure he wont return to being the same guy he once was but he wont 100% have to be a bad guy until nicedood Mcgoodguy comes along and destroys him because, being the hero he is just that much better.
But maybe Nicedood Mcgoodguy isnt a good fighter, maybe the villain wins this story.

And what of the fact badass mc supervillain is the good guy in his own story, the guy who killed his friend is the bad guy in his. And that guy doesnt have to have a villain in his, apart from badass, all he wanted was some sids.

[650Booger]

Fisk from Daredevil is an excellent villain.  Somebody like that character.

[Vwest]

A villain is a long lived character.

[MeTekillot]

You don't really ever need to play a villain. If you just decide to have goals that put you at odds with other people and aren't afraid to be mean to get them, you're pretty much a "villain" to them. My most "villainous" character was still extremely loyal, kind to his loved ones, brave, and self-sacrificing. He was also psychopathically murderous, insensitive, conniving, and  self-centered.

[bardlyone]

You don't really ever need to play a villain. If you just decide to have goals that put you at odds with other people and aren't afraid to be mean to get them, you're pretty much a "villain" to them. My most "villainous" character was still extremely loyal, kind to his loved ones, brave, and self-sacrificing. He was also psychopathically murderous, insensitive, conniving, and  self-centered.

That's a good villain. Just like a flaw or weakness or two makes a better hero (achilles), so does having redeeming qualities make for a better villain. With real people who have depth and dimension, NO ONE is all good or all bad, and NO ONE acts without reason toward destructive ends, unless they're mentally ill - and that's less villain and more just tragic when someone destroys their own lives due to mental illness.

[IAmJacksOpinion]

I feel like a definition for "villain" needs to be established for this discussion. To me the word "villain" carries a connotation of having some grand goals and the power to achieve it. Sadly, that's no longer realistic in Armageddon. There will never be another Thrain laying siege to Allanak, or Quick bringing an entire city under heal, or a Dragonthrall, or even an indie full Sorcerer starting an enclave of rogues in the hills. Those days are done. (But hey, warehouses are cool...) Hell, I'd be surprised if a PC Red Robe with 12 PC soldiers backing him could manage to carve "Tek Rules" into a table at the Reds Retreat.

What you can be is a divisive or self-serving person. Most of the advice here is great for that, whether your character is convincing themselves that what they do is for some greater good, or whether they simply don't care about others outside their circle of friends. It doesn't take much; just a willingness to take advantage of others, and to risk your own character in the process. (Sadly a quality in very short supply these days.) It doesn't have to be grand, but it doesn't have to be as base as "being mean to elves cause elf" either. Come across some indie that looks weaker than you out in the sands? Demand to see what's in their backpack. See someone walking around with their vNPC children? Ask to buy one; be unspecific as to why. See a man dying of exhaustion and dehydration? Sit atop your mount, sipping your waterskin and waiting for the loot drop. Someone asking you too many questions at the bar? Invite them to step out in the sands.

I think characters with skewed morals and a self-serving attitude are just as necessary to coloring the world as "villains", and they're much more attainable.

[Dakota]

Over the years I think this has resulted in some weird undocumented head canon that has cemented city elves into a nearly unplayable role. But wait, that's another thread.

C-elves are so playable. It's just hard mode. If a c-elf is having a hard time with the role, then the problem is probably with the role chosen to play the c-elf in. elves in general (thanks to the docs and racial stereotypes) have a cheat-code to create a solid villian / antagonist. It's already you against the world. But who needs the world when you have your tribe and the fact you're an elf? Which is one step to villiany.

elves win arm by default. this is known.

[Miradus]

My favorite types of villains are the ones who don't know they are villains.

The ones who have a large goal and just cut across morality and ethics to get to it. Their goal might be to "unite all of the factions of the city" but they would see nothing wrong with killing all the heads of the factions and their families in order to pacify them.