So this is a bit of a brainstorming topic to gather some ideas and help on how to create a good story motive, but something I tend to have trouble with is how to create an interesting and enjoyable villain with a motive that seems logical and real. Most of the time I tend to notice several of the cliché ideas (eg: I am a warlock, I am a psycho, I was tortured, I want to destroy the world, etc) but trying to place them into a story can be hard because the character either comes out 2 dimensional or they feel like they are forced to do bad things because of 'reasons' and they are meant to be the bad guy.

So the question is:
- How do I create a better villain that doesn't feel forced?
- What are some ideas for motives that can be used besides your standard 'take over the world' scenario?
- What sort of history should a villain have in order to drive them down the path of evil, rather than seek redemption?