In terms of alignment, my favourites are N, CN and CG crudely put. However, I do play other types of characters
too, however excluding LG paladins and anything elvish.
I actually use alignments pretty loosely, more guidelines, though in fantasy worlds IMO there must be some absolutes for
good/evil/law/chaos, which are not only culturally relative. However, this need not be some limited and easily abusable alignmentperspective out of player's book.
Expect consequences for truly antisocial behaviour, and this can be culturally relative. There are grey areas, but there are some deeds and mindsets that are not amongh those grey areas. I call them 'passions'. Certain 'passions' and deeds done under certain ones or 'owned by certain passion by default' are inherently tainted by more 'supernatural' alignment resonance. So, in terms of alignment, somebody could be NE, but still effectually neutral. But that's my system, loose one, to keep some meaning of fantasy good/evil in game. These effects depend on the game world, they are not universal in my every fantasy game.
Evil doesn't fascinate me at all. I prefer not to play evil characters, since I do that 'too well', and am too succesful, and I've many times been assigned by dm to play 'traitor'. It usually ends to great destruction in some twisted and nightmarish way, other players remember for years to come. I truly hate to 'win' in rpg or larp that way. Yep, one of those was larp, where my character sheet stated: "You are the bad guy. Your purpose in this game is to make other characters' life as misarable as possible". You know the actors, who complain they are stuck with villain roles, well, it was so for me for years. I guess, this was becuse I waa trustworhy, I always wanted to other players to have fun, and not end game prematuraly with some needless backstabbing. I didn't actually complain, but I did start to miss playing hero for once, instead of these grey-anti-heroes or villains.
I'd still like to do that, but not in world/by dm:s who punish for being good/innocent and make it Sooo hard. It really should not be universal rule, since if it were, many fantasy books, movies or mythic stories would have very different endings indeed.
Also, there is certain type of evil I never again play, mostly because it never was fun in the first place.
Cartoony evil has it's places too, sometimes it just is more dramatic in a fun way, that keeps game going into right direction.
I've run my share of 'evil' games too. In my games, evil characters were still humans, and true darkest evil wasn't anything fun, and didn't even look that way, if one got good clear look at it. That's one way to potray evil. It's 'true evil is out there to make you a victim'.
There is another way to potray evil, I call it seductive evil. It's 'true evil is out there to make you powerful'.
Oh, and how I've suffered of this dm-type. I guess, that's why I want to use that less appealing side of evil myself.
I don't really like it, that sometimes evil becomes so fun, it is not evil anymore. It just 'dark is cool' and 'good is stupid' and
'evil's have better orgies than good ones'. I've known too many people in real life, who believe 'evil' to be like that.
Unsuccesful, weak and bitter people most of them. As if social competition wouldn't be as hurting and hard among antisocial
abusers in the end.
Alignment issues are more complicated, if other psychological issues are taken into account. You can be chaotic evil, and still totally obsessed over person, item or goal. True obsession, is not lawful trait, it's form of insanity. And there is not reason why chaotic person would always act 'chaotic', that woudn't be very chaotic, now would it, it?
I allow 'evil' or even evil characters, but that's always a choice to make, and it depends a lot on campaing I am going to run, and what kind of character that player has in mind.
Exception: I'd accept NE assassin pleyed by immature 'I kill people' player any day compared to that supposingly LG paladin,
who's player totally tries to ruin game for everybody else.
