A lack of henchmen is the biggest issue, in my opinion.
Having disposable minions controlled by players that can be killed with impunity would do a great deal to satisfy the ‘consequences, bro’ heroes that hunger for their victory over the enemy. There are some people who would only accept the absolute defeat of the big bad, it’s true, but I think that a lot of these people would be satisfied if encounters ended with some sort of tangible sense of victory. Not just slapping down raid markers, not just scaring a villain into running away, but genuinely defeating player characters.
The issue is that most people aren’t interested in playing NPCs that are destined to be butchered. Plus, there’s the threat of killing these played NPCs becoming just as blasé as walking through raid markers, if the same players come back to play new killable minions day after day. It has the potential to become a joke, with heroes going ‘oh, you again’ as they slay a bandit played by Banditnpc for the fifth time in a week.
I feel this is also an issue on the good guys’ side. A battle/struggle against a villain (or between factions for that matter) would be much more engaging if both sides took some losses. If the villainous side has disposable henchmen (who might even last for longer than an event), so should the heroic side.
Maybe some of these redshirts could eventually grow into “full” characters too if the story ends up going that way.
A battle/struggle against a villain (or between factions for that matter) would be much more engaging if both sides took some losses. If the villainous side has disposable henchmen (who might even last for longer than an event), so should the heroic side.
This.
An apprentice. A close friend. A squire that tried to save its Knight. Or the other way around. Anything. That could give motivation for both sides. Vengeance. Retribution and such.
One thing I’ve done in the past, as a ‘hero’ RPer myself (though these days I RP villains way more) is actually team up with the villain RPer we were against and create a new character for their events that they can use however they see fit. It makes people think twice about how to act when my character isn’t there and the bad guy has me on their side suddenly. It’s a numbers game, ultimately. Players just don’t feel threatened when it’s one or two evil dudes versus their entire adventurer guild of 10+. When the numbers look more fair or aren’t in their favour, then they learn their place a little.
Yeah, this idea was pitched ages ago and it gained as much traction as you’d expect: https://eu.battle.net/forums/en/wow/topic/17612221885
People have little to no interest in playing henchmen because there’s pretty much no reason to invest in them (despite someone trying to facilitate to get the opposite effect)
Another day in “villain RP” : having a tranquil RP with a guy and suddenly people drop from the sky “randomly stumbling” upon you and trying to murder you.
Ah yes.
Doesn’t work when people call their friends to join them and give them the coords.
Some random guy going “im going to kill you and end the job” and suddenly when I defend myself I get this guy’s buddies dropping from the sky to gank squad about how i’m a criminal monster that’ll get exposed in front of the alliance yada yada.
Not gonna lie, that can be an interesting yhing in RP… I mean, a Lich taking the disguise of a simple Farmer and doing stuff while in such ordinary disguise…
Its kinda what im doing atm to avoid stuff, posing a lone old man living out in a barn and tending a small garden and doing some business with the ebon blade
I just imagine Blackscar as Thanos after he’s wiped out half of living creatures and reanimates them as undead, he retreats to a secluded farm, becomes a farmer and makes himself some soup before being ambushed by some Silver Hand Knights.
