First off; thanks for opening up a potential conversation channel here, DInopawz. I hope this is more than a hipfire post, because your reassurance post implies that there really COULD be a conversation to be had, here.
Let me preface by saying; I understand that fans asking(/demanding) Viktor's character to BE what they see him as is pretty obsessive. And probably something of a joke between you guys. ( ;p )
But you're very subtly deconstructing the perception of a character who is utterly beguiling.
The Jayce narrative doesn't paint a picture of perception. It paints 2 or 3 "Hrm,so those dead bodies weren't killed by him//For the EVOLUTION!" Viktor personality traits - even before Vik's own transformation. It paints Viktor as the desperate scientist who turned himself into a robot to escape death; rather than the depressed academic who rent his own flesh to prove his worth.
So there are a few lines in your post:
- "Might there be a good reason behind it (even if what he’s doing might be - from outside perspectives - be seen as reprehensible?)."
- "Viktor plays the long game and knows that greatness cannot be achieved without cost. Does that make him evil? Perhaps to the folk who pay the price initially"
- "What will history say of Viktor? That’s the legacy Viktor is concerned with, not the fragile, emotional and short-sighted people around him."
- "[we do not] want to turn away from the dark deeds he’s doing in the name of his Glorious Evolution"
This is EXACTLY what the vocal fanbase was worrying about, Dino!! :P
Viktor was never interesting because of a ["Justified Dark Deeds"] philosophy. He was interesting because he began so innocent, idealistic and naive. He was interesting because the contrast of what he became - at least in the eyes of others - was so stark to the man he once was. The most human of all of us; crippled by his emotion, discredited by his idealism, denied the support of those he'd supported.
He withdrew from his life; leaving everything he ever worked for behind. And he turned his research on himself. He became obsessed with redemption - maybe even revenge - but that's not how it turned out.
While replacing his body and organs, Viktor had an Epiphany. This wasn't just about him. No - the implications were societal in scope; maybe even global. His obsession for redemption may still have persisted; but if it did, it was funnelled into an obsession to change the world. And when this obsession reached the eyes of the public, it was worrying; maybe even frightening.
Viktor - if not because of his change, then certainly because of his isolation - spoke differently. He spoke fervently. Of the future; of potential - like a damn street preacher. People flocked to him and accepted his message. They became MACHINES; and they started worshipping him as the "Machine Herald" (whether he acknowledged it or not).
#What I Projected onto Post-Transformation Viktor
(bias ahead)
Original Viktor painted a picture of a man slowly losing human traits - piece by piece. Isolated and left to his own devices, even post-transformation. Driven by ideals that noone else comprehends. Driven by a vision that is preached as salvation.
Viktor could bend. Viktor could twist -his personality had already done so in the past. And though he'd not done anything 'bad' yet, his personality and ideals were shifting day by day. He could be a philanthropist one day; and a hand of his own perception of "Justice", the next. He could offer "salvation" one moment, then punish those who doubt his vision by leaving them to rot in their slums and die.
Viktor could be "transcending" human morality and government. Not necessarily for the better. And with a "cult" on his side, he would have unconditional moral support for any choices he made.
Stealing Jayce's crystal? This could have worked, were it not for the fact that Vik apparently already had a huge facility + following, completely functional and was his FIRST "bad guy" act (it just straight-up felt weird to invade people in foreign cities while trying to display the merits of Evolution, y'know? :P).
#So what's the problem with the direction of New Viktor?
New Viktor is an entirely different character. He has different ideals, a different personality and spends his time studying in Piltover:
- New Viktor begins his story obsessed with human evolution. That right there takes away from the humanity and idealism contrast that was see in early Viktor's old lore.
- New Viktor has a very obviously closed mind; focused on his perception and potential. ("My future is the RIGHT answer!") Selfish > selfless.
- New Viktor is kicked out of the scientific community for being too evil. Seriously? :P
- New Viktor commits his amoral Jayce confrontations BEFORE his transformation (having a human being bad; but a robot being passive and good is not fun. We want him being morally grey LATER. Practical Example: Battlecast Universe. We LIKE future "evil" speculation.)
- New Viktor would KILL Jayce, as a man, just to keep things tidy. Unless the perspective twist, here, is something like:
"Nuh uh, I said DON'T kill him! Jayce just misheard me that's the twist!"
- New Viktor also doesn't seem particularly (originally) interested in justice or philanthropic endeavours. This is compounded by the fact that Zaun is no longer where he studies (might still be where he grows up, though). He's no longer a "good egg in a bad basket" - he's just a cracked egg that makes robots; and may crack a little more as time goes on.
#Closing Thoughts
The Machine Herald and the Creator are two distinct personalities - working in tandem one day; and opposition, the next.
The first, a promise of a future that he has envisioned and obsesses over, daily;
The Second, a machinist whose designs will saturate the world - for better or worse.
Viktor should be one part deep philosophy, one part questionable motives. He does not need to be killing Jayce to justify a rivalry. The mere fact that he outfits his machinations with weaponry could be frightening, enough. In fact, you could even use the 'free will' argument here!
"Their weapons will primarily be tools for self defense. When threatened by physikal force, they will gain akcess to their arsenal; exklusively for nonlethal purposes."
"You just EXPECT them to not go on a rampage when threatened? What if they're threatened by a thunderstorm?!"
"Of Kourse not. They will be unable to intentionally kill another human or machine. Choices to do so will be overwritten."
"You're... you're messing with their free will?"
"I am restrikting only the use of lethal force. It is a kondition for akcess to these upgrades. Other kognitive processes shall remain intakt. The organic mind makes mistakes. We must strive to limit the scope and reach of these mistakes. The augmented are, after all, not quite so **frail **as your kind."
--
Viktor needs to be frightening for the POTENTIAL things he will do. He needs to be less "cold" and logical; and more "luke-warm" and logical. He should care. He should think, deeply - his vision, after all, relies on his introspective thoughts; and he can think faster and more deeply than any biological human (super processing!)
HE knows he will not take away free will. HE knows that this is limited to a super-weapons agreement.
... But we don't.
This is the kind of misunderstood Viktor I would like to see; and not one who exclusively performs 'dark deeds', "for the greater good". Seeking to improve society through stealing, smashing, killing and generally causing chaos isn't, after all, the trait of misunderstood innovator. A child can grasp the crazy in that worldview - there's nothing ambiguous about it at all. :P
Viktor should do questionable things - but there should be more tact involved than Doctor Doom super-villain tropes. His positions should be much more thought out than Jayce's. His ideals should be much more refined, than his detractors. He could make mistakes; and resolve to improve his thinking - sometimes simply refining a once immoral (or amoral) idea so as to mesh better with human society. This, alone, has fantastic story implications. Imagine the Free will Argument above, only AFTER Viktor had already tried tying weapons to panic.
Jayce is afraid that Viktor's stubborn attempts to provide his followers with weaponry will cause another Augmented citizen to go on a massacre; but if Viktor's design truly IS flawless, then what he says is completely feasible. Most notably of all - those equipped with the weapons have agreed to his terms.
Jayce is in the wrong. But he is RIGHT to be afraid of the consequences of this kind of manipulation.
