[Balor]

Overall, if you're willing to share your recipe for a viable antagonist, I'm all ears

The monkey's paw curls. 

I've never run into a problem with my antagonists, not that they are plentiful or many.  Nor have I made more than one a public figure, and his gimmick was just roasting people like a WWE heel until you either proved him narratively wrong, or ignored him.  

However I found that it's simple truly, the system by which an Antagonist becomes viable is merely the communication of intent and goals. Antagonists are not inherently violent or evil, but are simply bringers of change. Sudden and immediate at times. In the case of most SL2 antagonists they spawn into the world in secret, are ground from 1-60 in a few days, geared up and then set along the path. 

To interact and engage with people who've in contrast have spent several months working on their stories, characters and personal goals. The antagonist arrives as a supplement as well to several world changing events and Eventmin ran Antagonists that are meant to be global or local threats. 

The Heroes in these stories are expected to then allow a stranger or a new face, that may or may not have effort put into them, come and change their lives? Effect the environment around them without communication or established good will? 

I've never run into a hiccup, because when I run any antag, I reach out and have brief but transparent conversations about my goals, and desires but most of all what I wish to PROVIDE to the people eventually set to defeat my antags. Because the villain in the story is meant to provide a question to the hero, one they must find an answer to and grow as people. The goal of the antagonist is to HELP the Hero change for the better or worse. 

I find it incredibly discouraging that an Eventmin fails to understand that.  Who rather than taking the time to put in the effort to ensure what they are providing the community mechanically or narratively is rewarding. They'd rather systems be put in place that would allow them to sidestep that notion of accountability and cooperation entirely for their own fun. 

With that said, I'll be dippin' from this thread. With my two cents shared. I hope that despite the tone of my message it provides some perspective on the matter. I will also say that this is an applicable methodology to anything. The transparency of goals and desires is universal in all shapes and forms of Roleplay, whether it be SL2 or DnD. The collaboration of many minds to create a story mutually satisfying and fulfilling.