Playing as a Different Gender

[Flames66]

Playing the opposite sex. Why do people find it strange? Usually people don't pay any mind to playing another gender when the game forces you to, but in RPGs especially (both video game and table top) many people have stigmas against men plays as women and vice versa.

If it is a single player game, then I see no problem at all. I have tried (and failed) to do it myself. I personally only ever play as myself when in a game world. I have tried to role-play as someone else, but I always come back to me.

In MMORPGs the problem for me is that I see every character that I meet as being a digital representation of the person playing. If I found out that someone I had been talking to in game was playing as a different gender to their real self, it would be like discovering that someone I was talking to in a bar was a transvestite. After that, I don't know what I would do, but I suspect that I would cut off ties with them as I would find it extremely awkward.

 

[RuralGamer]

To be honest, I don't know; meh, maybe because I'd prefer to look at a character that doesn't look like a freak most of the time (I am of course referring to the fact that a lot of games with character creators always seem to make freakish males every. single. time. I. try.)

Using Skyrim as an example, I only think the male Khajiit and Argonians look not as weird, compared to the females.

 

[Deathmageddon]

G.I.R.L.= Guy In Real Life

 

[Vegosiux]

that doesnt really hold water, gender is nothing like profession, we dont choose to be males or females, fate decides this and we live it. The classes, mage, bard, soldier, whatever is open for interpretation much more than gender. Thats what differentiates people within a gender, their personality differences, chosen profession, etc.

I still don't see why you're so hell bent on keeping a distinction between genders/make gender the defining characteristic that makes or breaks the credibility of a roleplay(er). But okay, we do not choose our genders, while we can choose our professions. But we also don't choose to be human, should that disqualify us from RP'ing elves or demons, make our RP'ing thereof "less credible"?

I mean, a night elf female and a dwarf female hardly have anything in common if you look purely at statistics...except a pair of boobs and a vagina.

Youre right about one thing, rping isnt about being 100% "you" in the game world, however acting as your own gender will lend credibility to your rogue, mage, what have you, which in turn breeds immersion, which is the goal of any roleplayer.

No, it doesn't have anything to do with credibility. But I do believe it has something to do with the reason why some "naked mods" for roleplaying games include the "boobs yes, penises no" option.

I've roleplayed characters of both genders, across many races, settings and with plenty of different people. Gender is the least important thing unless you force it into the spotlight.

 

[gregitaly]

The first time I play a game, I'm usually male and I play it like I would in real life. Basically as a good guy, even in games like Skyrim, with no morale choice system; the first time I played it I abstained from most daedric shrine quests and thieves guild etc. Then the second time I play a game I roll as a female character and cut loose, from Renegade Femshep to my sociopathical Female Wood elf in Skyrim.
Idk it's just something I do.

 

[Hasido]

Usually, if the game plays differently for a gender (as in significant gameplay changes, story changes, or simply the voice actor for one is better than the other) i will choose the better one for this game.

other wise i have no rhyme or reason, and select it at random.

 

[Darkmantle]

I always create a persona close to my own.
Sorry pixels don't attract me nor am I constantly paying attention to my virtual ass.

Its a game, stop getting off on it and play the damn thing.

sounds like SOMEone has a hard time viewing porn, it's just pixels after all.

 

[GoaThief]

However if you pretend to be a girl and someone falls for you, then youve just done something morally reprehensible

That flies in the face of what roleplaying actually is, pretending to be something (an artificial construct) that isn't you. You can pretend this construct is indeed you, but strictly speaking it isn't the genuine flesh and blood, You.

As you are merely pretending to be something you are not, the You you actually are should not be falling in love with something that a different person is pretending to be. If you find yourself doing this I suggest taking a break from roleplaying for a while.

 

[Darkmantle]

The disconnect comes when you try to role play a gender that you arent. Its goes fundamentally against the grain of roleplaying, because you grew up a man, with a mans perspective, which means you are going to SUCK at rping a lady forever (in most cases).

So if you roleplay another gender, thats your prerogative, honestly I think youre a rarity if what you say is true. Just dont get lost in the female role, or society will have a whole new batch of obstacles ready for you

sorry for the double post, but this is important.

If I want to try to roleplay as a girl, I'm going to and frankly I don't care that you seem to think that men and woman are SOOOOO different that I wouldn't be able to get in the right mindset, because that's bullshit, on top of just being sexist.

And get lost in the female role? what the hell does that even mean? am I a toddler and unable to distinguish reality from fantasy? because that skill is developed around 4-5 years of age, it's nigh impossible to truly get lost in a role, there are exceptions, but those people are usually mentally ill. furthermore, what is a "female role"? Is this a dig against gays? saying that if a man acts like a woman, there is something terribly wrong? Or is it just saying that woman have certain gender roles that they HAVE to follow? because that again reeks of sexism, the terms male perspective and female perspective are losing more and more meaning, which they should be, your perspective is less about gender and more about everything else.

and finally, most people say the staring at a girls ass thing to get people like you off their back.

 

[Vegosiux]

No, it doesn't have anything to do with credibility. But I do believe it has something to do with the reason why some "naked mods" for roleplaying games include the "boobs yes, penises no" option.

Remember this? Well, about that reason...

However if you pretend to be a girl and someone falls for you, then youve just done something morally reprehensible

There it is.

You know, there's a difference between roleplaying cross-gender, and pretending to really be the other gender. If people want to fap to pixels, let them, but it's their problem if they find out it's a dude on the other end and they start questioning their sexual orientation as a result.

The only morally reprehensible thing here is blaming your own insecurities on other people.

If night elves do not exist, so there's nothing wrong with roleplaying one, why the hell is gender important? Night elf females are as nonexistent as night elf males are.

 

[IronFrog]

I find I tend to play girls in games simply because I enjoy looking at and listening to women more than men, probably because I am a male. Most games don't have much differentiation, if any, in how female characters play as compared to males, so unless you're playing with other people it doesn't make any difference for the most part.
I've never played an MMO and pretended to be a female. I think that would feel dishonest to me, and possibly a little creepy. I know the whole point of role playing is to play a role and there's nothing wrong with playing a role in which you pretend to be a different gender, but it's just not for me as far as interacting with real people goes.

 

[GoaThief]

SurfinTaxt, you can't really have it both ways so which is it? Either;

1) Males can RP females so well other males fall in love with them.

or

2) Males can never RP a female well and it will always be apparent and non-authentic.

 

[Vegosiux]

Nothing will ever change that, and all pretending to be the opposite gender accomplishes is an inferior, un-believable role playing character that detracts from the whole experience for everyone else.

However if you pretend to be a girl and someone falls for you, then youve just done something morally reprehensible

So which one is it?

I mean, if playing cross-gender makes you glaringly unauthentic, how in the nine hells of Baator can the second thing even happen?

Hey some people are gullible, its a fact of life. Their gullibility should not be taken advantage of for the amusement of others.

"Taken advantage of"? Why are you trying to make people who do cross-gender RP look like predators who prey upon the weak-willed, gullible and naive?

I refuse to "think of the children!" when I'm doing something anyone with half a brain can understand is nothing wrong with.

 

[Something Amyss]

In Saints Row, it's kinda hilarious and awesome since the dialogue always seems to be written with a heavy dose of testosterone.

The shameless flirting with Shaundi is ten times as awesome when you choose a woman.

Also, DeWinters.

 

[Vegosiux]

Lets do a little roleplaying right now. You play the role of you, playing an mmo.

No, I play the role of my character in an MMO. If I want to play the role of me, I go outside.

You begin a platonic relationship with another, questing together, whatever.

Too vague. Are you meaning that I, as a person, start a platonic relationship with another person, and the only thing I know about that other person is their online avatar? I'd feel rather stupid in that case.

Or do you mean a relationship between characters in-game, ergo, they establish themselves as best friends/partners in life/mentor and apprentice/whathaveyou in the game's universe?

Suddenly, you find yourself infatuated with this character

Why would I find myself infatuated with a fictional character?

, but then its revealed to you that the other party was misrepresenting their gender.

And everything else, apparently, because I'd find out not only that they're the wrong gender, but that they also aren't their alleged race and can't throw fireballs either. And that they don't have that cool starship. And that they don't know the first thing about relationships.

I dont know if you know what it is to fall in love, but assuming you do, how do feel in that case?

Extremely stupid, for one, because I couldn't draw a line between player and his characters.

My point is, gullible people exist. Gullible people will by definition believe almost anything. But this is only a minor point and to focus on it would be to miss the bigger picture. THe goal of immersion, and while rp realms exist to a decent level of immersion with these false males and females, people will unconsciously absorb these aberrations as they rp. IMO, a world where a male who is a male, and a female who is a female will be a much more immersive world. Transgenders are the only exception, and they would be allowed to pick whatever side in my own "perfect rp realm"

Oh for crying out loud.

EVERYTHING on a "roleplay server" is essentially false. It's all fictional. It's a story that goes on, written by different people together. None of it is real.

But in the end, if you want to know more about the player behind the character, then freakin' ask.

 

[Saltyk]

Actually, I'm playing a Bounty Hunter: Mercenary Bodyguard Spec that is female right now. Why am I doing that? Multiple reasons. I always like to play healers as female in games, for one. I made her cute so I had something nice to look at, for another. Also, I wanted to see if Bioware did the whole "Heavy armor bikini" thing that so many other games do. I'm happy to report that they didn't. My Bounty Hunter actually wears armor. It's just to conformed to her body type.

I have other characters on another server (most are below level 20 and I pretty much switched to this one to play with a friend) and half of them are male and half female. It really just depended on the class and how I wanted to play it. Currently, trying to decide what I am going to do with any other classes I make. I'm tempted to make a female Sniper or female Inquisitor, next. They just seem to be classes I wanna play see as females. The Inquisitor will probably depend on whether I play it DPS or heals.

So to sum it up, I play a character as a female when I want to play it as a female. I do relate more to male characters, and in this game I'm less inclined to "flirt" with NPCs as a female, but that's not saying a lot.

Now, if only Bioware will add a patch that lets me romance Mako....

I used to always play male characters in online games, since I was creeped on a lot.

I just generally enjoy the escapism of it. Though I'm finding in MMO's these days, people don't assume you are the same gender as your screen character.

You can thank millions of man hours of men pretending to be a semi lascivious little girl for that. As creepy as it sounds.

Oh yeah, I know. A good friend of mine always plays female characters on F2P MMO's, because he's very good at flirting for cash shop items. So far he's racked up over $1000 in CS items and assorted steam games by doing that. Love him to bits, but...

Yeah, I think that makes him a virtual whore.

I've heard of people doing that. I find it hilarious. But yes, it does make him a virtual whore.

But I'm not sure that people don't still assume that you are the sex of your avatar. On the above character I mentioned, I met someone in a Flashpoint that might actually think I am female. I don't know, I just got that sense. Probably doesn't help that I jokingly /flirt and /wink at other players when I group with them, all the time.

 

[monkey_man]

I prefer looking at a curvy female than looking at a man the size of a small refrigerator. I am not playing a rpg to see a burly man smash orks (unless ofcourse, I am doing that sorta run, which is quite often when bored.) ladies are more mystical to me, and therefore much more interesting to play with. That being said, I also play as Muscular powermen in games like God of War, and gears of war, and tf2's Heavy and soldier, and really enjoy them. Given the choice, I go for light and nimble though. I am more for smarts anyway, and spamming the left mouse until everyone dies is getting dull after a while.

Anyway, I play as both males and females, depending on the playstyle I am going for in a run. I also try to change playstyle depending on initial character, like cautiousness and choice of weapons. If I play as a girl I tend to use smaller weapons and more tactical approaches. As a guy more reckless and bigger weapons.

I never played a MMORPG though, I'd probably be male to keep the confusion to a minimum. I don't really care what other players play as, It's probably just the confusion of males playing as ladies that is frustrating them.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I play as both male and female characters, depends on the game. If I replay it a second time then I play as a different gender to see if anything changes in how ingame characters react to you. Plus the idea of a girl kicking everyones asses and saving the world is fun.

 

[Vegosiux]

snip

So from this response, its clear youve shut your mind to anything I would ever say from here on out. Therefore any further comment would just be pointless. Unless you want to say how you would react in the situation I have presented (I realize its not fleshed out, but Im not going to sit here writing a novel about how you fell in love), then further talking is pointless. Unless of course you have a legitimate counter to the situation I laid out. However I would prefer a direct response to how you would react in the given situation

*exasperated sigh*

You know, a good start would be if you stopped trying to shoehorn me into your arbitrary details and presuming what my mind is or isn't shutting out. It's my mind, so don't think you know it better than I do, thank you very much.

My point is, again, that if you can't tell the difference between roleplay and posing as something you're not, and if you can't tell the difference between player and character, you have a problem to settle. My point also is that chewing out others because of your own insecurities is silly and unfair.

Roleplaying cross-gender is not the same as lying about your gender.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Roleplaying cross-gender is not the same as lying about your gender.

Being reading your posts with interest. I think some people see games as more real than they are, seeing a sexy female elf as relating to a sexy female player in real life. Though, in reality, is more likely an overweight 35 year old male. MMO's are not a place to meet a future partner, and if people do that then they need to get offline and go out into the real world.