Poll: Pretending To Be Female

[AnonT]

I've never intentionally pretended to be a woman online, although as someone who is comfortable roleplaying characters of both genders and plays about a 50/50 male to female ratio of characters (when I played WoW, I literally alternated every time I made a new alt), people have mistaken me for one.

Probably the main time I remember was the second time I played WoW, I played a female shaman (shamans were rigged at the time), and the random name generator came up with Lori, so I used it (I should mention that Lori Cole was one of my favorite game designers, so I was partial to the name). A lot of people on the server thought I was a girl (I ended up being the 2nd in command of one of the larger guilds, so I was well known), but I never really got offered anything for free, nor did I feel like I got treated much differently than when I had a male main my previous time playing (I also wasn't acting any differently and told people I was a guy when asked). While I have seen some female gamers get treated differently, it seems like it usually only happens when they either have a name that's very feminine (princessprettypink or something, not just a woman's name) or when they draw attention to their femininity (being flirtatious, acting helpless, etc.). Girls who go online and expect to be treated differently because they're female generally are (both positively and negatively), but in my experience girls who go online and act like human beings rather than throwing femininity around get treated about the same for the most part.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

I'm a bit skeptical of if this actually works though, as I'm a girl who plays, and while I dont make a big deal out of it, the most I've gotten is generally harrassment/unwanted flirting.

Yeah! I've been gaming for years, and no one ever gives me anything cool for being a female gamer. I've never been offered help or free stuff. I can't imagine why a guy would pretend to be a girl online - the most I've ever gotten is stalked. -_-;

Actually, I kind of like the flirting. That's nice. Well, until it turns into the aforementioned stalking....

But really, free stuff? Where's my free stuff? Huh? **crosses arms and waits for free girl stuff**

[sub]In all seriousness, I don't get this. Most girl gamers get little more than verbal abuse. Anyone care to enlighten me?[/sub]

Yes, harassment happens and it's very bothersome, but I think that's something of a separate issue since that happens in games and out of games and just about everywhere at some point to most of us. So does the niceness, if we're being honest about it. Being a woman has a slew of disadvantages in many societies; however, there are generally some advantages that do come out of the attitudes that produce the negative effects we dislike.

I had a flat tire once. I was young and naive and didn't think anything of rolling into the gas station and being honest about the fact that I didn't know how to change it. It got changed, I was sent on my way, and all I had to do was smile and shrug my shoulders.

Those same guys would probably not hire me, or pay me the same in their business if they did, but they were more than willing to get under my car and change my tire in the rain on a moment's notice without knowing so much as my name. - I'm no great beauty either (though I do have a decent shape and I like myself fine). I'm not saying it is right or wrong, it is just part of the way things seem to be.

 

[Azure Sky]

No, because I don't want people's handouts. I'm not a charity case, I take pride in earning my own stuff.

That said, I have played female characters, and people were more open and friendly because they made the assumption that I was female. I didn't bring RL into it unless directly asked, but never lied about it either.

This in a nutshell.

I am also guilty of the "If you are going to stare at a character ass for..." argument.
While the difference between the two is often non existent at this point, there are some times the unwanted attention is quite... creepy.

 

[Iconsting]

I've done it before, but it's more along the lines of "I like to roleplay as a female persona every now and again" rather than "Lololol con people out of their shit."

 

[Princess Rose]

You must be playing in the wrong places. I was in a raid, DDO, where all the guys were bending over backwards for this man with a voice synth, see rule 30. The voice synth guy was the worst player I have ever played with and yet everyone was enchanted by his voice and his talk of his and his roommates baking cookies and having pillow fights. I wish I was joking.
All good drops went to him no roll needed.

Really?

I played DDO (back before it was free, and some after - keep meaning to play more) and no one ever gave two craps that I was female.

Then again, I mostly
A) adventured with people I knew IRL who also played DDO
B) never liked voice chat (takes away from my immersion to hear my friends eating over the mike or whatever) - I preferred text so I could actually Role Play when playing DDO (and often feeling like I was the only one who wanted to).
C) even while voice chatting, I wasn't exactly focusing on... well whatever that guy was doing. I was mostly yelling at my annoying framerate (old laptop) or yelling at my friend who hit the level cap with two different characters to stop running ahead on missions I'd never done before.

Lately, when I do play DDO, I tend to solo (partly because several of the aforementioned friends have stopped playing and my Guild has been dissolved) or do other smaller scale things.

And... yeah, DDO is pretty much the only MMO I play. ^^;; [sub]I was mostly teasing earlier when I was demanding free stuff, since I know the real reason is I (almost) never play online games.[/sub] ^^;;

 

[Korolev]

Nope. never pretended to be female. I have never seen the point. While I can find ample reasons why a woman would pretend to be a man to avoid harassment and in order to have her voice heard (you'd be amazed how many female writers had to pretend they were male in order to get their works published), but there's no real reason for a man to pretend he is a woman.

I've heard of cases in which female mathematicians had to submit papers under a male name in order just for them to be looked at. I've never heard of a male mathematician or a male scientist pretending to be female in order for their work to be noticed. I've heard of women writing under male pen-names just so that the publisher would give them a chance. I've never heard of a man who has had to do the same.

So while there are political/career reasons (or just to avoid harassment in the troglodyte swamp that is most of the Internet) for a woman to say "I'm a dude", I can't think of ANY reason why a man would pretend he is a woman, other than identity issues (which is cool and all, but if you think of yourself as female, then you wouldn't consider it "pretending")

 

[LarenzoAOG]

In games, yes. IRL, once or twice.

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

Heheh, yep. Got a PLEX in EVE just for being the Corp's only "chick". Also got taken on shopping sprees and was treated with a great deal of patience and personal attention with the things I didn't understand. I didn't really think it was gonna work at first, but pretending to be a chick totally payed off.

 

[electric_warrior]

I'm a heterosexual male who doesn't even like flirting with random girls all that much, so flirting with random guys is pretty much not within my comfort zone.

 

[Flunk]

I did it once because I was bored, but since I played that MMO as that character for about 3 years it did get quite complicated. I never did anything exploitive and my character was well liked.

It was actually interesting to have to role play a character on a regular basis, people rarely want to role play in RPGs. I successfully kept it up until I quit, the trick is to be both a good actor and to lie the absolute minimum amount.

I'm not planning on doing it again anytime soon, but I could if I feel like it. My sister sets up her MMO characters so that people think she's a guy. She only tells people she gets to know.

 

[leviticusd]

Was an armorsmith in Star Wars Galaxies. My character's name was LizzyD after my wife and was designed similar to her. She didn't have all the characteristics that guys playing girls usually had (the "cute" haircut, big breasts, etc). She was tall, flat, and stern faced with hair in a ponytail.

I never pretended to be a girl. I would just act like I usually do on my male combat character, but I noticed that I would get a lot of people more willing to give me a big tip or free resources to that character if we meet face to face. I know a lot of them assumed I was female. Overtime, on the forums I became known as Uncle Lizzy, so people would quit thinking I was female.

I noticed as well playing Lord of the Rings, I made a White-haired, balding old man as a guardian. I wear older looking armor and talk in chat using full sentences. I think a lot of people picture me as an older gamer (I am over 30) and treat me with a lot more respect. I don't get yelled at if I lose aggro and more fair shots at useful equipment than the umpteenth Aragorn wannabee.

 

[KarlMonster]

My answer may not qualify, based solely on the fact that I don't play online games. However, when I play a game with a fully customizable character, my first action is to make that character female. This is mainly because if I'm going to be looking at this exact same character the entire time I'm playing, I'd rather it be someone I enjoy looking at.

This.

I have spent hours in character customization, until I was happy with the 'toon - that would face away from me most of the time. Funny that I don't even have proper screen caps of any of them. I miss Kalehar's yellow eyes.

One 'toon in particular drew lots of attention from the boys. I never pretended that I was really a girl, but that didn't stop them from giving me things. I said no, I don't need it, I *want* to make my own equipment (I prefer the MMOs where I can do that).

Fair disclosure: I have been mistaken for a woman in real life. And sometimes from a relatively close distance. I never encouraged it, its just what people wanted to think.

 

[AgDr_ODST]

I've never done it before and I most likely never will...but thats just my stance when it comes to MMO's. In games like Saints Row 2, Fallout 3, and Biowares games(Dragon Age&MassEffect) where you have the option to play as female I do so....hell in Saints Row 2 my first and thus far only play through I've only played as a female

 

[SM sneaky ninja]

As a female gamer, I find it cheap and whorishly uncool of guys to pretend to me female for a cheap benefit. Grow up and grow a pair, boys!

 

[Chemical Alia]

More the opposite. I'm fine with people assuming I'm a guy online/in games and don't bother toe correct them, so I'm not treated differently.

 

[viking97]

i voted no, but i would but on second thought i don't think i'd intentionally be that deceitful. i got scammed quite a bit on runescape when i was young and not net savvy in the slightest, and i'd probably be wracked with guilt.

 

[Jodah]

I pretend to be if someone asks me just to mess with them. I don't go out of my way for it though. I don't really care if a gamer is male or female myself, as long as they don't suck!

 

[Exosus]

Every female character I make in a game without voice chat, I do exactly that.

Works every. Damned. Time. No regrets. I mean, it is a video game, after all.

Heck, everyone I know on Guild Wars still think I'm the girl I pulled from a google image search onto their guild forums.. they'll never figure it out.

How did no one run tineye on that shit? I run that and EXIF on fucking everything...

 

[funguy2121]

Regarding MMO's, I know a lot of guys play female characters (which is cool), but I've also heard of (and known) some guys pretending they are female IRL in order to get help/free stuff off of unsuspecting guys.
I'm a bit skeptical of if this actually works though, as I'm a girl who plays, and while I dont make a big deal out of it, the most I've gotten is generally harrassment/unwanted flirting.
So I have a question for you, what do you guys think, and have you ever pretended to be female to get things?
If yes, did it work?
If no, would you, given the oppurtunity?

Oh my god, yes. Been to the internet lately? Lots of dudes pretending to be girls, and by girls I mean preteens. Ostensibly they're trying to find the other guys pretending to be tween girls, who are themselves only looking for a DL homosexual hookup, so I really don't get why they pretend to be a literal schoolgirl unless there's a roleplay payoff come cum time. I dunnoh.

This is why I'm going to tell my not-yet-conceived daughter that she shouldn't try to get stuff simply by virtue of her gender, unless of course she wants to attract creeps with venereal diseases.

 

[Nexus4]

I've played female characters, but never tried to convince people I actually am female.