[quote=@Lord Wraith]
[INDENT][COLOR=SLATEGRAY][B]G M   A N N O U N C E M E N T:[/B][/COLOR][/INDENT][hr][INDENT][COLOR=SILVER]◼   [B]WEEK 04:[/B][/COLOR] [I]As the first round of secondary plots are coming to an end, let's discuss antagonists. So far there hasn't been anything too serious in the RP but what are your thoughts on antagonists? What makes a good villain for you? Do you like them unhinged, do you like them cold and calculating? Do you prefer an NPC villain or one who is directly portrayed by another player? What's good about being bad?[/I][/INDENT]
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I think a good villain is not necessarily one that is powerful or even intelligent, but a good villain creates complex multifaceted issues for a hero to overcome. Confrontations between protagonist and antagonist need not even be violent. I actually like the way Timothy Zahn said it in his commentary for Heir to the Empire, something along the lines of the fact that each side should have a few tricks up their sleeve and that each contest between enemies should play out like a chess match.

The Joker is a great villain for Batman, he also puts up a surprisingly good fight against the entire Justice League, but as clever and unpredictable as he is, the confrontations are much more personal when they are specifically against Batman because of their shared histories. I always think that a good villain should have some sort of opinion of the hero, whether they've interacted personally or not.

I'm working on my sheet and my new potential PC is likely to be a mundane, with a little bit of Batman and a little bit of the Scarecrow in him. While my intent is not to play him as an outright villain, I can easily imagine him operating outside of the good graces of the other characters.