Guys That Play Girls In Games. Why?
- Thread starter Chairman Miaow
- Start date
The simple and easy answer is that I'm a straight male who prefers something pretty to look at.
The slightly more complicated answer is that I'm already a guy. I already know what it's like to be a guy. In an RPG, I want to be something a little different.
Fact: I'm a sucker for a good romance, and females are usually treated with more detail and care in that particular plot department.
My female characters are usually a projection of the kind of woman I wouldn't mind being with, though that's quite an odd thing to relate to when they're usually toting weapons like bows or rifles and saving the world/galaxy while they're at it. Still, that's how I see it.
*crawls into a corner and regrets being honest*
The slightly more complicated answer is that I'm already a guy. I already know what it's like to be a guy. In an RPG, I want to be something a little different.
Fact: I'm a sucker for a good romance, and females are usually treated with more detail and care in that particular plot department.
My female characters are usually a projection of the kind of woman I wouldn't mind being with, though that's quite an odd thing to relate to when they're usually toting weapons like bows or rifles and saving the world/galaxy while they're at it. Still, that's how I see it.
*crawls into a corner and regrets being honest*
While I tend to play as male characters, being male, I see nothing wrong with playing as a female character. Video games aren't reality, after all, and there's no real reason why someone who wants a change of pace can't get one in a video game. It also avoids any social stigmata that accompanies gender blurring in real life. I could easily take my shirt off and yell violently while bashing things indiscriminately, but I don't, because it would be a social faux-pass, to say the least.
unapologetic thread/post necromancy as the site's pushing this thread in my face so much.
As for the second bit and the question in general ... well, why not? It has seemed the norm for a girl to have to play a guy character if she wants to play games, so that line has been well and truly crossed already anyhow. It raises strange questions of inequality if we get to the point of thinking girls playing as guys is normal and acceptable, but there's something drastically strange with the reverse.
It adds a bit of interest, a bit of intrigue or flavour, there's undoubtedly a perversion element in some cases, and the escapism of course. And as games have got a bit more cinematic and heavily story-led, the chance to see stuff from a different perspective via the player character.
All that said does make me want to get a bit better up to date though and see what the state of things are. My most recent long term play has been FFX (just before xmas) and a bit of Shadow of the Colossus. The latter is plain cliche where you are the big heroic action-knight trying to save the entirely passive waif princess. The former has seven main PCs in a 3/4 F/M split, one young woman of whom is arguably the pivot upon which the whole story revolves (it is pretty much her tale), nevermind that the man that the camera revolves on thinks it's all about him. Once everyone's levelled up enough and you've made a few slightly unconventional ability choices, you can run the whole show with the three characters that went through to FFX-2 (presumably a more positive/balanced example of the genre, or maybe swung entirely the other way, I don't know) if you don't mind everyone else being stalled. Regardless, the only person you can name is the leading man, and it's his avatar that's running around 95+ percent of the time, sometimes with the leading lady in meaningless pursuit. You can't switch map-avatar or give the other PCs their own unique name as you could in the early games, and your savegames take his name. Seems a bit odd and one-sided.
But as I say, that's two, somewhat older games colouring my judgement. We've had Mass Effect and a hundred others since (but also Gears, Halo, MW2... and I suppose Mirrors Edge... and, ahem, Bayonetta), and there's always the brace of characters in extreme sports titles. Is it a better arrangement now?
(I don't count MMOs btw - not allowing equality in those would be utterly bizarre)
So ... yeah. It's something a bit different. Or at least something nicer to look at for a few tens of hours.
* Gay, Lesbian (as in, girly-gay**), Bi (as in gay-but-also-straight**), Trans (as opposed to Cis) sexual/gendered/vestite/etc, Intersex (or inter-whatever) and Neuter. Yay for finally finishing typing an edit probably 48 hours after I original fell asleep in front of it thanks to chronic germ infestation of my respiratory tract.
** Just having a bit of fun, don't flame me. I know too many people who fit into various of these categories to have any kind of prejudice about it.
The first bit of that isn't even remotely true in terms of genetics, let alone presented phenotype or in a psychological sense ... but let's go along with it for now in the interest of keeping things simple (notwithstanding that the - admittedly niche - GLBTIN* market isn't well catered for even in japanese games, and pretty much not at all anywhere else).Ashcrexl said:
As for the second bit and the question in general ... well, why not? It has seemed the norm for a girl to have to play a guy character if she wants to play games, so that line has been well and truly crossed already anyhow. It raises strange questions of inequality if we get to the point of thinking girls playing as guys is normal and acceptable, but there's something drastically strange with the reverse.
It adds a bit of interest, a bit of intrigue or flavour, there's undoubtedly a perversion element in some cases, and the escapism of course. And as games have got a bit more cinematic and heavily story-led, the chance to see stuff from a different perspective via the player character.
All that said does make me want to get a bit better up to date though and see what the state of things are. My most recent long term play has been FFX (just before xmas) and a bit of Shadow of the Colossus. The latter is plain cliche where you are the big heroic action-knight trying to save the entirely passive waif princess. The former has seven main PCs in a 3/4 F/M split, one young woman of whom is arguably the pivot upon which the whole story revolves (it is pretty much her tale), nevermind that the man that the camera revolves on thinks it's all about him. Once everyone's levelled up enough and you've made a few slightly unconventional ability choices, you can run the whole show with the three characters that went through to FFX-2 (presumably a more positive/balanced example of the genre, or maybe swung entirely the other way, I don't know) if you don't mind everyone else being stalled. Regardless, the only person you can name is the leading man, and it's his avatar that's running around 95+ percent of the time, sometimes with the leading lady in meaningless pursuit. You can't switch map-avatar or give the other PCs their own unique name as you could in the early games, and your savegames take his name. Seems a bit odd and one-sided.
But as I say, that's two, somewhat older games colouring my judgement. We've had Mass Effect and a hundred others since (but also Gears, Halo, MW2... and I suppose Mirrors Edge... and, ahem, Bayonetta), and there's always the brace of characters in extreme sports titles. Is it a better arrangement now?
(I don't count MMOs btw - not allowing equality in those would be utterly bizarre)
So ... yeah. It's something a bit different. Or at least something nicer to look at for a few tens of hours.
* Gay, Lesbian (as in, girly-gay**), Bi (as in gay-but-also-straight**), Trans (as opposed to Cis) sexual/gendered/vestite/etc, Intersex (or inter-whatever) and Neuter. Yay for finally finishing typing an edit probably 48 hours after I original fell asleep in front of it thanks to chronic germ infestation of my respiratory tract.
** Just having a bit of fun, don't flame me. I know too many people who fit into various of these categories to have any kind of prejudice about it.
For me it depends entirely on the attractiveness of the male characters. As in, I'll almost always play as a female character when given the choice, but if the guys are sexy sexy pixels then I'll probably do at least one run as a male. I know that's pretty shallow, but sometimes I get tired of staring at some chick and would rather have some eye candy.
I have no problem playing a game that has a set main character who is a guy (like both Bioshocks), in fact I prefer stories with a male main protagonist over a female one. It just feels... safe? I mean, if the main character is a dude I know I'm not going to be ten minutes into the game and suddenly he's in a bikini doin' some "obligatory" fanservice. Not that that has ever happened to me before with a game with a female character or that I can even think of a one that's done something like that, but, you know, irrational fears. I don't trust the way some people seem to assume only men play games (and that all those men are so easily manipulated).
I have no problem playing a game that has a set main character who is a guy (like both Bioshocks), in fact I prefer stories with a male main protagonist over a female one. It just feels... safe? I mean, if the main character is a dude I know I'm not going to be ten minutes into the game and suddenly he's in a bikini doin' some "obligatory" fanservice. Not that that has ever happened to me before with a game with a female character or that I can even think of a one that's done something like that, but, you know, irrational fears. I don't trust the way some people seem to assume only men play games (and that all those men are so easily manipulated).
For aesthetic reasons, because the voice actress is better than the voice actor (see Mass Effect), or for role-playing reasons (my seductive mystic elf just isn't the same when male).
idk i prefer women because they have cooler skills or a darker more violnet sotry line or they tend to have better waepons or abilities vs males that are all damage soaking violence driven bunch buggys who all have weapons that are penis excuses(esspecially dante in every dmc game)
I play with everyone equally, if the main character is a girl and the game is good I'll play it, if I am very good in a fighting game with a girl character I'll play as her, if there is a Create a character I will try and make both a male and female one just to see any difference in gameplay in Pokemon I will decide on who looks cooler the boy or girl character (it's a pretty hard choice at times since neither know how to dress themselves)
Various reasons. I dont really have a preference for gender, but more on specific items, or classes only related to that gender if they are applicable. On monster hunter and demons souls, I have one of each, as some armour can only be used by certian genders. As for RPGs like wow.... If i cant get a non-musclebound hulk wannabe as a mage, then I'll opt for a female. Another aspect is the animations of the race/gender combo as well.
For fighters, its whoever has the fighting style thats the most fun. Nightmare (brutality), Cervantes (teleporation!!!), Ivy (That sword is awsome, tons of options, and her 'summon suffering' attack... Sorry Byakuya, Ivy beat you to the "Shatter sword and send pieces through enemy")
For fighters, its whoever has the fighting style thats the most fun. Nightmare (brutality), Cervantes (teleporation!!!), Ivy (That sword is awsome, tons of options, and her 'summon suffering' attack... Sorry Byakuya, Ivy beat you to the "Shatter sword and send pieces through enemy")
It tends to vary.
In Mass Effect, my Commander Shepard was a woman, but that was because her voice acting was MUCH better; I'd argue I wasn't playing her so much as driving her story around.
In RPG's where I'm tied into a story (Mass Effect / Final Fantasy) style, I go with what I feel complements the story best. (With the exception listed below.) With more open RPGs where it's *me* where I'm role playing in an environment rather than a story, (MMO where you don't read the quest log, such as, any of them. Or a freeform one like Darkfall) then I'll usually be a guy. Again, limited by the following exception.
Key deal breakers / exceptions.
- Quality of game varies with gender (see Mass Effect example)
- Ability in game varies. Some games (Lego XYZ, Demon's Souls, etc...) provide stat bonuses, abilities or equipment limited by gender. I like to play sneaky, athletic, backstabbing characters. If the game will let me. Some games provide the agility or equipment that makes being a female character make that character type that much easier. So I play it. Then I get to the final boss / encounter / whatever. Where you're locked in an arena, and all the sneaky headshots and backstabs won't save you, it's a straight up fight. So I'll try my best, and either pull it off, or re-roll as a male tank and ragequit when I can't face going through ALL the sidequests again. Unless there's an achievement, you know, for beating it as each gender, then I'm totally there...
In Mass Effect, my Commander Shepard was a woman, but that was because her voice acting was MUCH better; I'd argue I wasn't playing her so much as driving her story around.
In RPG's where I'm tied into a story (Mass Effect / Final Fantasy) style, I go with what I feel complements the story best. (With the exception listed below.) With more open RPGs where it's *me* where I'm role playing in an environment rather than a story, (MMO where you don't read the quest log, such as, any of them. Or a freeform one like Darkfall) then I'll usually be a guy. Again, limited by the following exception.
Key deal breakers / exceptions.
- Quality of game varies with gender (see Mass Effect example)
- Ability in game varies. Some games (Lego XYZ, Demon's Souls, etc...) provide stat bonuses, abilities or equipment limited by gender. I like to play sneaky, athletic, backstabbing characters. If the game will let me. Some games provide the agility or equipment that makes being a female character make that character type that much easier. So I play it. Then I get to the final boss / encounter / whatever. Where you're locked in an arena, and all the sneaky headshots and backstabs won't save you, it's a straight up fight. So I'll try my best, and either pull it off, or re-roll as a male tank and ragequit when I can't face going through ALL the sidequests again. Unless there's an achievement, you know, for beating it as each gender, then I'm totally there...
In ninety percent of the time in third person games you see your character from behind, do the math =P
If it fits the story better, I'll use a female
Same rules apply to sexuality, if the story becomes better with Homosexual or Heterosexual characters... I'll go with it
Same rules apply to sexuality, if the story becomes better with Homosexual or Heterosexual characters... I'll go with it
There are a few reasons, which really depend on how mature i'm feeling at the character creation/selection screen.
On the more rational and cerebral side of the spectrum, it's just kind of an interesting way to gain a tiny bit of insight into not being male. Sure, games don't delve into gender roles too deeply (at least not yet), but there's still some interesting changes that I would never experience in day to day life (you know, like being courted by a man).
On the more crude and base end of the spectrum, women are inherently attractive to me in ways that men aren't, and if I'm given the choice of spending hours watching a man's or a woman's ass bobbing through corridors and hiding behind convenient chest high wells, it's a pretty easy choice to make.
More often that not, though, it just amounts to being something different. I spend 24 hours a day being male, so it's fun to take on the role of someone totally different once in a while.
On the more rational and cerebral side of the spectrum, it's just kind of an interesting way to gain a tiny bit of insight into not being male. Sure, games don't delve into gender roles too deeply (at least not yet), but there's still some interesting changes that I would never experience in day to day life (you know, like being courted by a man).
On the more crude and base end of the spectrum, women are inherently attractive to me in ways that men aren't, and if I'm given the choice of spending hours watching a man's or a woman's ass bobbing through corridors and hiding behind convenient chest high wells, it's a pretty easy choice to make.
More often that not, though, it just amounts to being something different. I spend 24 hours a day being male, so it's fun to take on the role of someone totally different once in a while.
