In my view, it isn't just difficult, but actually impossible to be a Good Guy topside. It's difficult and unlikely to be a good guy in the Mix, but you can have a Mix hero that makes sense for a long time, though they will likely hit walls regularly and be forced to do ethically grey or even clearly wrong things to accomplish good ultimately. There'a never a real, true blue good guy anywhere who lives to tell the tale. You end up with actual good guys who -look- like they're really awful guys, but what they do in the end justifies their means.
But if you've chosen to go topside, your character has already sold their soul. You can claim to attempt to change things for the better, but in doing so, you harm or contribute to harming many many people. I see a lot of people move topside because they're fleeing something in the mix that feels like evil or unfairness. Then they get upset when they're pushed to do something uncomfortable ethically, when this is the entire climate of topside. Comfort paid for by the blood and tears of other people.
Every Corp has their special evil. The WJF provide 'justice', but justice on their terms. They're bought out to look the other way on things they shouldn't. If they resist and try to stand for real justice, they'll be crushed by the Corps that control the chy. It's all a push and pull game.
You can have a character who convinces themselves and others that they're good, but they're delusional or just lying. They contribute toward death, manipulation, and extortion every time they go pick up their paycheck. What I find the most interesting about topside play is defining why a character is okay with all of these awful, terrible things they contribute toward. How they can live with themselves at all. Mix players in the more powerful organizations have to do this too. There's certainly very little good there.
Good guys, to me, are the little guys. The ones who stand up to evil Corps. Bad guys are the ones that seem good. The ones that live well and thrive.
-Can- you be a good guy in Withmore? If so, how long before you're forced out? How effective can you actually be? What makes a good guy good?
Interested in other thoughts :)