Poll: Guys playing girl characters

[TehCookie]

Why do some guys choose to play as girl characters? I always choose my same gender yet everyone assumes I'm a guy playing a girl which makes me think that is more common that girls actually playing a MMORPG. What are your thoughts on this and are there any girls who play male characters?

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

Whenever I play I generally like my character to be an idealized version of myself.

 

[Mean Mother Rucker]

I've noticed that if there are guys playing as girl characters, it is usually for one of three reasons.
1) They want to mooch off of the guy populace that want to supply the "girl" with stuff to make "her" life easier and to steal the one "girl" off the internet from the other female-starved men of the gaming nation.
2) They don't want to stare at a man's derriere for the entire duration of their play-time.
3) Sometimes playing a girl character is more fun (i.e games where the class the player wants is strictly female).

 

[Railu]

I play with my wife in MMOs. I always play a man and she plays a woman. Although occasionally we'll switch just to mess with people's heads.

As to why people play the opposite virtual gender. Lots of reasons, but I can say one thing from personal experience. When I did play as her character, I continually had to tell people to not flirt with me because I'm a man and it's awkward. I also was shocked at how many people basically offered me stuff for nothing. I imagine some people see that as an advantage and use it.

 

[Avatar Roku]

The only time I did that was in KotOr 2, because there were significant changes to the game for different genders, including a different party member (Disciple or Handmaiden), and some funny dialogue with Atton
EDIT:Oh, crap, you said online. My bad.

 

[the monopoly guy]

For some reason this topic give me the image of "Shakespearean Era Plays: The Game"

 

[L4Y Duke]

Not online, no.

Then again, the only game I play online has no gender differentiation, so...

In terms of offline games, I tend towards same-gender characters for the initial runthrough, may go with female ones for subsequent ones, though.

If I ever do play an online game with gender choice, it'll be as a male character, though.

 

[mokes310]

Nope, I don't. I never saw the point. I suppose you'd have to ask someone that does to get your answer.

 

[Mr.Pandah]

I've noticed that if there are guys playing as girl characters, it is usually for one of three reasons.
1) They want to mooch off of the guy populace that want to supply the "girl" with stuff to make "her" life easier and to steal the one "girl" off the internet from the other female-starved men of the gaming nation.
2) They don't want to stare at a man's derriere for the entire duration of their play-time.
3) Sometimes playing a girl character is more fun (i.e games where the class the player wants is strictly female).

Pretty much that.

 

[cainx10a]

Aesthetics. Female avatars sometimes look better than males one, at least, that's how I feel in most of the MMORPGs or oRPGs I play. -Cough- Guild Wars Female Avatars!

 

[Warrior Irme]

If you are going to stare at a computer screen all day, would you rather look at hot ass or man cleavage?

 

[Aura Guardian]

It all depends on the game

 

[Railu]

3) Sometimes playing a girl character is more fun (i.e games where the class the player wants is strictly female).

I hate that.

I will typically play an assassin character or a cleric. There are a few games where a cleric can only be female (gender-typing much?). So if I want to play that style, I have no choice.

 

[Joeshie]

I always play as Zoey in L4D because she is smokin' hot.

 

[black lincon]

I'm not very video game character-esque, so I tend to go for the opposite of me. the only character I've ever made to look like me was the NXE avatar, I have a Wii and I still haven't made a Mii of myself.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

Sometimes if I can't make a male character look any good, I'll play as a female one.

 

[Enigmers]

If the class I want is female-specific, e.g. Sorceress in Diablo II, then, yeah, however given a choice I'd rather be male.

 

[Chilango2]

I played a female mage in WOW for two basic reasons:
1) Male mage models looked retarded as, well, mages, they looked like musclebound warriors.
2) It was interesting to actually roleplay as a woman, it helped me expand my understanding of gender theory and similar subjects.