Playing as a Different Gender

[Wolfram23]

Really don't understand why people complain about gender, insecurities of their own?

I quite fondly recall getting verbal abuse from other players I'd be smashing in a couple of competitive FPS from yesteryear; rude enquiries into why would I pick a female model? Was I a flaming homosexual? The truth is I quite enjoyed the slightly smaller models but the main reason was preferring to hear a female grunting and moaning in my ear whilst bunny hopping for hours on end and sustaining damage, instead of a male one. Who was the supposed gay one again, not that it really matters?

Never really understood why most recent FPS games only allow male models, and in many cases you don't choose any aspects of how it looks either.

One theory is that most of them revolve around the US military and while females are allowed to serve they ARE NOT permitted to serve as frontline soldiers. Fun fact a lot of people don't know about. Sounds sexist at first glance but I have heard very compelling arguments from men and women why this is actually a good thing. Not sure how I feel about it honestly.

Well, I guess that would make sense. Never heard that before, though.

 

[Manji187]

I find the concept of a woman kicking ass so much more appealing than a man kicking ass. Men kick ass (and get their asses kicked) all the time...it is rather boring.

 

[boag]

Really don't understand why people complain about gender, insecurities of their own?

I quite fondly recall getting verbal abuse from other players I'd be smashing in a couple of competitive FPS from yesteryear; rude enquiries into why would I pick a female model? Was I a flaming homosexual? The truth is I quite enjoyed the slightly smaller models but the main reason was preferring to hear a female grunting and moaning in my ear whilst bunny hopping for hours on end and sustaining damage, instead of a male one. Who was the supposed gay one again, not that it really matters?

Never really understood why most recent FPS games only allow male models, and in many cases you don't choose any aspects of how it looks either.

One theory is that most of them revolve around the US military and while females are allowed to serve they ARE NOT permitted to serve as frontline soldiers. Fun fact a lot of people don't know about. Sounds sexist at first glance but I have heard very compelling arguments from men and women why this is actually a good thing. Not sure how I feel about it honestly.

THe only thing you need to think about is POW and youll quickly agree that woman in that situation is going to have a much worse time than a man.

 

[Fappy]

Really don't understand why people complain about gender, insecurities of their own?

I quite fondly recall getting verbal abuse from other players I'd be smashing in a couple of competitive FPS from yesteryear; rude enquiries into why would I pick a female model? Was I a flaming homosexual? The truth is I quite enjoyed the slightly smaller models but the main reason was preferring to hear a female grunting and moaning in my ear whilst bunny hopping for hours on end and sustaining damage, instead of a male one. Who was the supposed gay one again, not that it really matters?

Never really understood why most recent FPS games only allow male models, and in many cases you don't choose any aspects of how it looks either.

One theory is that most of them revolve around the US military and while females are allowed to serve they ARE NOT permitted to serve as frontline soldiers. Fun fact a lot of people don't know about. Sounds sexist at first glance but I have heard very compelling arguments from men and women why this is actually a good thing. Not sure how I feel about it honestly.

THe only thing you need to think about is POW and youll quickly agree that woman in that situation is going to have a much worse time than a man.

As much as it is hard to imagine how one POW can have a shittier time than others I have to agree with you. Women would definitely be more vulnerable to sexual abuse due to the fact that their captures would likely be >90% male and not bound by international laws regarding torture. [Insert quip about Guantanamo here].

The best argument I have heard is that a female comrade going down in a combat situation would be more damaging to a male soldier's composure than would a male comrade going down. It makes a lot of sense when you think about our (America's) culture. Protecting women/keep them safe and all that. I am not saying its fair, but its impossible to deny that is how our society works here in the US.

 

[GoaThief]

The above really touches on some interesting points, could the US be more sexist than other western nations and this is being reflected in it's games too? Canada, Italy and New Zealand allow female front-line soldiers so I don't believe there are genuine reasons as to why they cannot fight there for the US army. Similar arguments were used against women flying many years ago, including gems like their innards would fall out of a certain orifice due to the forces involved.

I was going to comment on the downfall of the FPS genre in general (for me anyway, not revenue generated) but it's a different subject really. Might go off to make a new thread...

 

[boag]

The above really touches on some interesting points, could the US be more sexist than other western nations and this is being reflected in it's games too? Canada, Italy and New Zealand allow female front-line soldiers so I don't believe there are genuine reasons as to why they cannot fight there for the US army. Similar arguments were used against women flying many years ago, including gems like their innards would fall out of a certain orifice due to the forces involved.

I was going to comment on the downfall of the FPS genre in general (for me anyway, not revenue generated) but it's a different subject really. Might go off to make a new thread...

What was the last conflict that required the Canada, Italy or New Zealand to use Frontline combatants?

Also, the flying thing was a real threat, until the advancements of Cabin Pressurization and Flight Suits.

Look up Subchorionic Hemorrhage

 

[UnderGlass]

[sub](Trust me, it's been discussed here many, many times.)[/sub]

I swing both ways. Roughly 50/50.

I don't role-play as myself. The characters I make aren't supposed to be self-insertions, so I have no problem with them being female just as I have no problem with games like Beyond Good & Evil or Mirror's Edge that have female protagonists.

Sometimes female character can have more visual appeal. And I mean that not as a sexual thing, but just in terms of aesthetics. Playing as yet another body-builder gets old after the 50th time.

Essentially this.

I think there are different kinds of role-playing. Basically there are those who seek to suspend their disbelief by becoming their avatar in the game and role-playing as though they themselves are inhabiting this virtual world. Vicariously living out some fantasy or other in a very direct way.

Others, like myself, are more interested in the narrative from a top-down perspective. The same story I am shaping with the hero I have chosen sure. But they are not me - just one important character in the overarching tapestry of events.

For me this manifests in a distinct preference for games with a 3rd person view (I enjoy seeing my creation change and develop over time) and with a strong, focused narrative (the better to appreciate my character's place in the scheme of things). Ultimately the choice of male or female protagonist has nothing to do with who I personally identify with. Gender choice can stem from lots of things: from more attractive models; experimentation; or simply who best fits the kind of story I want to tell. Sometimes just the cool juxtaposition of a female lead in a kickass role traditionally held by a male is enough.

EDIT: For the record, as a heterosexual male I have no problem playing either the role of the woman in a heterosexual relationship, or a man in a homosexual one. In the first case why would I? The results are the same regardless of whose dialogue I'm choosing. In the second, it's interesting exploring the growth of a gay relationship as conceived by modern game-writers. Gay relationships are as beautiful as heterosexual ones and I'd like to see more of them as options in our rpgs.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

I recently decided to do Female Shepard in Mass Effect. Honestly I don't know why, I couldn't think of a name for a male and my first profile was male too before it got deleted. I usually roleplay men and end up talking to myself throughout the game, though I noticed with my new Shepard that's been hard. It's easy to explain to anyone walking in why you were simply talking to yourself, it's another thing altogether to explain why you were doing a woman's voice...

 

[Fappy]

I recently decided to do Female Shepard in Mass Effect. Honestly I don't know why, I couldn't think of a name for a male and my first profile was male too before it got deleted. I usually roleplay men and end up talking to myself throughout the game, though I noticed with my new Shepard that's been hard. It's easy to explain to anyone walking in why you were simply talking to yourself, it's another thing altogether to explain why you were doing a woman's voice...

I hope you were doing the standard "my voice but higher pitched and with a slight dizzy lisp". That's a classic.

 

[GoaThief]

What was the last conflict that required the Canada, Italy or New Zealand to use Frontline combatants?

I don't know, I've heard there may be these little pockets of problems in the Middle East but I'm not so sure. Probably rumours or something. My sister in law may or may not have been on the streets of Iraq, it might've been something I've eaten causing hallucinations though.

Also, the flying thing was a real threat, until the advancements of Cabin Pressurization and Flight Suits.

Sexist misinformation, have a read of this instead: Fast Women (.pdf) [http://warriordoc.com/Fast%20Women.pdf]

Look up Subchorionic Hemorrhage

About as relevant as saying "Look up Varicocele". Quick 'n dirty C&P from a medical information website; There is no known cause for a SCH but many researchers speculate that during egg implantation, the egg slightly separates or tears from the uterus causing a bleed. There is nothing a woman did or could have done to cause or prevent them. SCH occurs to pregnant women of all ages and races.

So yeah, maybe there is bleed over (pardon the unintentional pun) from American society and their views on women in their games?

 

[Azure-Supernova]

I recently decided to do Female Shepard in Mass Effect. Honestly I don't know why, I couldn't think of a name for a male and my first profile was male too before it got deleted. I usually roleplay men and end up talking to myself throughout the game, though I noticed with my new Shepard that's been hard. It's easy to explain to anyone walking in why you were simply talking to yourself, it's another thing altogether to explain why you were doing a woman's voice...

I hope you were doing the standard "my voice but higher pitched and with a slight dizzy lisp". That's a classic.

For some reason Eleane Shepard had a decidedly posh Kent accent.

 

[Wolfram23]

I recently decided to do Female Shepard in Mass Effect. Honestly I don't know why, I couldn't think of a name for a male and my first profile was male too before it got deleted. I usually roleplay men and end up talking to myself throughout the game, though I noticed with my new Shepard that's been hard. It's easy to explain to anyone walking in why you were simply talking to yourself, it's another thing altogether to explain why you were doing a woman's voice...

I hope you were doing the standard "my voice but higher pitched and with a slight dizzy lisp". That's a classic.

For some reason Eleane Shepard had a decidedly posh Kent accent.

Sounds about right!

Although my personal voice over generally occurs inside my head.

 

[sage42]

I usually play as female if given the choice, simply because I find it more...well...fun. I don't konw why it's more fun but it is.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

The first time this issue ever actually became apparent to me was in a conversation with my dad about violent video games. I was playing Resident Evil (the GameCube remake) at the time, and I remember him making an off-hand comment, which was definitely meant as a joke, that he was less worried about violent games making me violent and more worried about the fact that I was playing as a girl. I'd honestly never thought about it until that point.

Over the years I've played a whole lot of games, and I've definitely played more female characters than male characters (excluding games where you have no choice for the player character's gender). I've always had some kind of rationale for it, though.

Like in the first Resident Evil I'll play as Jill Valentine, because I've always gotten the vibe that her story is the one that the series considers canon. In Mass Effect I'll play as FemShep, because Jennifer Hale's voice acting is a hell of a lot better and more believable than the guy that phoned in the MaleShep lines. Stuff like that.

When it comes to MMORPGs though, it was mostly about aesthetics. I played WoW for years, and nearly all of my characters have been female because I just couldn't stand the look of the male character models or their clunky animations. Sorry, but when I'm playing a caster... seeing a 300 pound pile of muscle and anger dressed in a robe making sparkly jazz hands just looks wrong to me. Seeing the same 300lb pile of muscle and anger dressed in leather with tiny little knives trying to be stealthy looks just as wrong. If the game had more variety in body types, I probably would have played more male characters.

The Old Republic actually offers different body types for each gender, and go figure, now I have an even mix of male and female characters. I'll use one gender for the first advanced class for each main class, and the other gender for the second advanced class. /shrug.

I don't really think players using the opposite gender for their characters really says much about them. The times where it does are likely the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Risingblade]

I've tried playing as a girl before it feels weird in RPG's where you create your own character ruins the immersion for me.

 

[lacktheknack]

I play both, but generally, the female avatars are more pleasant to look at.

Typically, I'll play a "lolwut" build with gender being a factor (female tanks are always fun).

 

[Palademon]

I usually main as a male, then maybe make a female character if I'm going through the game again.

I don't exactly 'roleplay' as a character though.

I have a friend who always given the choice will be female, which me and my other friends found disturbing, not because we have this stigma, but because we are aware of him idealising women, so we even thought he actually wishes he was a woman when he does that in games.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

I generally play as my own gender. The only exceptions of late where Skyrim (female nord is the first thing I saw and I figured - yeah, she looks like she could kill a dragon). My choice of gender didn't really seem to matter in any meaningful way since I only played in first person and all. The other exception was Saints Row the Third where I switched to get the achievement and found myself more amused playing as the Russian sidekick to my friends Golden Buddah than as my traditional snappy working class english hooligan.

 

[DeltaEdge]

If it's a game with both genders and the one you choose actually affects the way the story progresses, then I see no weirdness in doing playing as a female character. If you ONLY play as a female character in EVERY game you buy, and never even go near the male option, then I might question that a little bit, but hell, it's still understandable.

If it's a game where the gender has no effect whatsoever on the progression of the story, nor does it even offer any type of gender specific cut-scenes or skits (quite often in MMORPGs) and you only seem to play as the female, then.. Well, I don't know if I like that. Not really my place to judge, but I personally find that to be a bit odd.

Some of my friends do that, and I don't really like it, but hell, it's their choice. When you mentioned that some like to get completely into the role that they are playing... In a regular game that is not an MMO, I guess it won't bother me too much. But in an MMO, that kind of bothers me. To me, it can come off as deceptive. If they are open about their gender, then I don't really have much of a problem with it. If they are asked of their actual gender, and they respond with their role-play gender which is the opposite of their real gender, then they are lying to you and being deceptive and I don't really like that and I don't really like being lied to by random strangers on the internet.

Considering how much society promotes you steer clear of people who pretend because they are probably a 50 year old pedophile man when they say that they are a 17 year old girl, falsifying your age or gender on the internet is bound to get you labeled (sometimes unfairly) as a creepy old fat pedophile. But really, it's not my place to say if some people get their jollies (or just get off) playing as the opposite gender in games. If they wanna do it, then fine. If they lie to me I don't like that, but whatever.

 

[Chemical Alia]

I don't really play games that have custom characters, but I'd probably pick a man just because female characters usually look retarded. Though I would also pick a midget whenever possible. I don't see why it should be weird if a guy wants to play as a female, the whole point of a video game is to have fun.

Really don't understand why people complain about gender, insecurities of their own?

I quite fondly recall getting verbal abuse from other players I'd be smashing in a couple of competitive FPS from yesteryear; rude enquiries into why would I pick a female model? Was I a flaming homosexual? The truth is I quite enjoyed the slightly smaller models but the main reason was preferring to hear a female grunting and moaning in my ear whilst bunny hopping for hours on end and sustaining damage, instead of a male one. Who was the supposed gay one again, not that it really matters?

Never really understood why most recent FPS games only allow male models, and in many cases you don't choose any aspects of how it looks either.

One theory is that most of them revolve around the US military and while females are allowed to serve they ARE NOT permitted to serve as frontline soldiers. Fun fact a lot of people don't know about. Sounds sexist at first glance but I have heard very compelling arguments from men and women why this is actually a good thing. Not sure how I feel about it honestly.

THe only thing you need to think about is POW and youll quickly agree that woman in that situation is going to have a much worse time than a man.

As much as it is hard to imagine how one POW can have a shittier time than others I have to agree with you. Women would definitely be more vulnerable to sexual abuse due to the fact that their captures would likely be >90% male and not bound by international laws regarding torture. [Insert quip about Guantanamo here].

The best argument I have heard is that a female comrade going down in a combat situation would be more damaging to a male soldier's composure than would a male comrade going down. It makes a lot of sense when you think about our (America's) culture. Protecting women/keep them safe and all that. I am not saying its fair, but its impossible to deny that is how our society works here in the US.

Assuming you are as qualified as anyone else, wouldn't you want to be given the freedom of choice, and let to make the decision for yourself, rather than it being made for you by someone else? No one wants to be patronized.