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Why are we okay with violence in RPGs?
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<blockquote data-quote="GrahamWills" data-source="post: 7620037" data-attributes="member: 75787"><p>Oh, a classic theological question! Are we created intrinsically good "in the nature of god" or are we born in sin, predisposed to evil?</p><p></p><p>As you might guess, the scientific community is having no more certain response than the theological community. On the one hand we are an animal that is both territorial and societal, which is a sure recipe for violence (we like our house to be beside another house, but if someone strays into that house, we feel it's OK to shoot them). Our murder rates are roughly the same as other simians, tending to be 7x higher than other mammals, so there's a fair amount of evidence for the "bad" side.</p><p></p><p>On the other hand the military studies show very clearly that most people are reluctant to attempt to kill others even when they know they are risking their own lives. So maybe we're "good"?</p><p></p><p>Or maybe we're just a mix; our societal leanings make us want to not hurt others, but our territorialism can override that and urge violence; I'm a mild-mannered man who respects others, but if you cut into my lane I have the sudden urge to ride you off the road and into a tree.</p><p></p><p>If so, it could explain our fascination with violence. Our "be nice to others; don't repay evil with evil; play nice" side is mostly in control and is our default state. But we still remember the times someone ticked us off -- stole our parking spot, mocked our accent, gave us a C when we deserved an A -- and we WANT to punch them in the face. Roleplaying gives us a chance to indulge that desire; we don't have to be constrained by society. If the NPC slaps our ass as we pass by him, we can pull out our sword and decapitate him. That's extreme in the real world, but it's not in Baldur's Gate, so screw you, half-orc commoner with 5 hit points, take 28 points of power attack damage and DIE.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="GrahamWills, post: 7620037, member: 75787"] Oh, a classic theological question! Are we created intrinsically good "in the nature of god" or are we born in sin, predisposed to evil? As you might guess, the scientific community is having no more certain response than the theological community. On the one hand we are an animal that is both territorial and societal, which is a sure recipe for violence (we like our house to be beside another house, but if someone strays into that house, we feel it's OK to shoot them). Our murder rates are roughly the same as other simians, tending to be 7x higher than other mammals, so there's a fair amount of evidence for the "bad" side. On the other hand the military studies show very clearly that most people are reluctant to attempt to kill others even when they know they are risking their own lives. So maybe we're "good"? Or maybe we're just a mix; our societal leanings make us want to not hurt others, but our territorialism can override that and urge violence; I'm a mild-mannered man who respects others, but if you cut into my lane I have the sudden urge to ride you off the road and into a tree. If so, it could explain our fascination with violence. Our "be nice to others; don't repay evil with evil; play nice" side is mostly in control and is our default state. But we still remember the times someone ticked us off -- stole our parking spot, mocked our accent, gave us a C when we deserved an A -- and we WANT to punch them in the face. Roleplaying gives us a chance to indulge that desire; we don't have to be constrained by society. If the NPC slaps our ass as we pass by him, we can pull out our sword and decapitate him. That's extreme in the real world, but it's not in Baldur's Gate, so screw you, half-orc commoner with 5 hit points, take 28 points of power attack damage and DIE. [/QUOTE]
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