LE Skyrim Alignment Overhaul

[Allephus]

In my first game...I was Chaotic Evil, using the terminology within D&D. I've had a difficult time adjusting from that in my second run of the game.

All in all, I haven't even found a reason to be as good as I have been in my second game. In my first, I did everything...300hrs 15mins of gameplay. Every quest complete, every single person to piss off that there was, I pissed off. I think the random people that I'm allowed to help are the only continual "mini-quest"(s). What I'm proposing is essentially something along the lines of a reputation system that is better than it is NOW. Like that of the one in Baldur's Gate. It displays as a statistic in the Game Stats tab. It would give you a faction rating. A high number (cap 50 I suppose) would make you extremely friendly with just about anyone, so much so that, if you wanted to, you could walk up to any person and marry them.

In contrast, the lowest (-50 I suppose), would put you in the same category as a Stage 4 Vampire. Alternatively, however, I think this should make you friendly with some factions that would normally be hostile. Such as Bandits, and rogue Mages.

 

I don't know how easy it would be to encompass these definitions within dialogue, like in Neverwinter Nights, but it would be nice to have a hidden element to this that was really only meant to define you in your Game Stats tab:

 

 

LAWFUL GOOD

Lawful Good is known as the "Saintly" or "Crusader" alignment. A Lawful Good character typically acts with compassion, and always with honor and a sense of duty. A Lawful Good nation would consist of a well-organized government that works for the benefit of its citizens. Lawful Good characters include righteous knights, paladins, and most dwarves. Lawful Good creatures include the noble golden dragons.

 

NEUTRAL GOOD

Neutral Good is known as the "Benefactor" alignment. A Neutral Good character is guided by his conscience and typically acts altruistically, without regard for or against Lawful precepts such as rules or tradition. A Neutral Good character has no problems with co-operating with lawful officials, but does not feel beholden to them. In the event that doing the right thing requires the bending or breaking of rules, they do not suffer the same inner conflict that a Lawful Good character would.

CHAOTIC GOOD

Chaotic Good is known as the "Beatific," "Rebel," or "Cynic" alignment. A Chaotic Good character favors change for a greater good, disdains bureaucratic organizations that get in the way of social improvement, and places a high value on personal freedom, not only for oneself, but for others as well. They always intend to do the right thing, but their methods are generally disorganized and often out of alignment with the rest of society. They may create conflict in a team if they feel they are being pushed around, and often view extensive organization and planning as pointless, preferring to improvise.

 

LAWFUL NEUTRAL

Lawful Neutral is called the "Judge" or "Disciplined" alignment. A Lawful Neutral character typically believes strongly in Lawful concepts such as honor, order, rules and tradition, and often follows a personal code. A Lawful Neutral society would typically enforce strict laws to maintain social order, and place a high value on traditions and historical precedent. Examples of Lawful Neutral characters might include a soldier who always follows orders, a judge or enforcer that adheres mercilessly to the word of the law, and a disciplined monk.

 

Characters of this alignment are neutral with regard to good and evil. This does not mean that Lawful Neutral characters are amoral or immoral, or do not have a moral compass, but simply that their moral considerations come a distant second to what their code, tradition, or law dictates. They typically have a strong ethical code, but it is primarily guided by their system of belief, not by a commitment to good or evil.

 

NEUTRAL/"TRUE NEUTRAL"

Neutral alignment, also referred to as True Neutral or Neutral Neutral, is called the "Undecided" or "Nature's" alignment. This alignment represents Neutral on both axes, and tends not to feel strongly towards any alignment. A farmer whose primary overriding concern is to feed his family is of this alignment. Most animals, lacking the capacity for moral judgment, are of this alignment since they are guided by instinct rather than conscious decision. Many roguish characters who play all sides to suit themselves are also of this alignment (such as a weapon merchant with no qualms selling his wares to both sides of a war for a profit).

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL

Chaotic Neutral is called the "Anarchist" or "Free Spirit" alignment. A character of this alignment is an individualist who follows his or her own heart, and generally shirks rules and traditions. Although they promote the ideals of freedom, it is their own freedom that comes first. Good and Evil come second to their need to be free, and the only reliable thing about them is how totally unreliable they are. Chaotic Neutral characters are free-spirited and do not enjoy the unnecessary suffering of others, but if they join a team, it is because that team's goals happen to coincide with their own at the moment. They invariably resent taking orders and can be very selfish in their pursuit of personal goals. A Chaotic Neutral character does not have to be an aimless wanderer; they may have a specific goal in mind, but their methods of achieving that goal are often disorganized, unorthodox, or entirely unpredictable.

LAWFUL EVIL

Lawful Evil is referred to as the "Dominator" or "Diabolic" alignment. Characters of this alignment see a well-ordered system as being easier to exploit, and show a combination of desirable and undesirable traits; while they usually obey their superiors and keep their word, they care nothing for the rights and freedoms of other individuals and are not averse to twisting the rules to work in their favor. Examples of this alignment include tyrants, devils, undiscriminating mercenary types who have a strict code of conduct, and loyal soldiers who enjoy the act of killing.

 

Like Lawful Good Paladins, Lawful Evil characters may sometimes find themselves faced with the dilemma of whether to obey law or evil when the two conflict. However, their issues with Law versus Evil are more concerned with "Will I get caught?" versus "How does this benefit me?"

 

NEUTRAL EVIL

Neutral Evil is called the "Malefactor" alignment. Characters of this alignment are typically selfish and have no qualms about turning on their allies-of-the-moment. They have no compunctions about harming others to get what they want, but neither will they go out of their way to cause carnage or mayhem when they see no direct benefit to it. They abide by laws for only as long as it is convenient for them. A villain of this alignment can be more dangerous than either Lawful or Chaotic Evil characters, since he is neither bound by any sort of honor or tradition nor disorganized and pointlessly violent.

 

CHAOTIC EVIL

Chaotic Evil is referred to as the "Destroyer" or "Demonic" alignment. Characters of this alignment tend to have no respect for rules, other people's lives, or anything but their own desires, which are typically selfish and cruel. They set a high value on personal freedom, but do not have any regard for the lives or freedom of other people. They do not work well in groups, as they resent being given orders, and usually behave themselves only out of fear of punishment.

 

It is not compulsory for a Chaotic Evil character to be constantly performing sadistic acts just for the sake of being evil, or constantly disobeying orders just for the sake of causing chaos. They do however enjoy the suffering of others, and view honor and self-discipline as weaknesses. Serial killers and monsters of limited intelligence are typically Chaotic Evil.

 

I understand, of course, that putting all the "if, then, or, but, else"(s) in the game to generate this would be quite a task. But maybe somebody would want a challenge. The alignment system would influence your reputation.

 

The way it was done in Neverwinter Nights (at least in some of the modules/campaigns) was through action and dialogue. If you said one thing, like and at the end of the dialogue option was (lie), that would shift your alignment a certain point value towards chaotic. I believe it uses the same scale as the one I formerly mentioned (-50/50). -50 is the polar extreme for both alignment types. If you're -50/-50, you are Chaotic Evil. If you're 50/50, you're Lawful Good.

 

I think a system like this would encourage people to think more about their decisions and add significantly to the roleplaying value.

 

Your thoughts.

[AndrewsDad]

I like this idea a lot

[Allephus]

I'm glad somebody does. :laugh:

[RdX995]

do all the people get banned for reffering to this topic ?

[Synystra]

This is a really neat idea someone should introduce this it would fit with the races so well. Plus think of all the fun you could have a lawful good vampires and true neutral werewolves, LOL this has potential. if I could mod I would so do this. great idea and very cool topic. :laugh: