Poll: Question for all the Mass Effect players out there

[Kingjackl]

I played both, but I started with FemShep. I generally don't have a preference when it comes to gender in games; I'll usually just pick whatever I feel like at the time.

 

[Godhead]

Male who played as ManShep, in contrast to people who played FemShep because the male voice actor sounded off, I played ManShep because he sounded off.

All intimate discussions were immediately ten times funnier.

 

[G00N3R7883]

Male, and I've played as both MaleShep and FemShep. I like both equally. I guess technically MaleShep is my canon run.

 

[Fdzzaigl]

Jennifer Hale femshep >>>> maleshep imo.

I tried to play maleshep once and I just couldn't stand his voicework.

Besides, femshep has a neat butt to watch during your adventures. Though I didn't do it for that primarily (really! believe me!), as my femshep was quite ugly. Especially in the first game.

 

[kasperbbs]

I'm a male and i played a male on my first playthough of mass effect, but i ended up killing wrex, saved ashley and made some other questionable choices. On my second playthrough i picked a female expecting some different dialogue and whatnot and since i had learned from my previous mistakes i finished it making no mistakes and i imported that save to the sequels.

 

[Rariow]

I've played all three games multiple times as each gender, though I tend to lean towards FemShep (despite being male myself), the reason for this being a combination of me slightly preferring her voice acting (MaleShep has a great voice actor too, but Jeniffer Hale just slightly edges him out, especially in the first game), thinking the faces for FemShep look better (unless you go with default ShepLoo I have a hard time making MaleShep look human) and, most of all, thinking the romance arcs accessible to FemShep are, for the most part, better than those accessible to MaleShep (though MaleShep steals what I think is the best one in the series, that being Tali).

Despite playing more FemShep my headcanon (as much as I dislike that word) Shepard is the MaleShep I ran through the series for the first time with, however.

I do in general prefer playing female characters in RPGs though. I don't really know why, it's just something I find myself doing without really thinking about it.

 

[suitepee7]

missed a couple of poll options there, male and played both and then female and played both. i'm the former

 

[Colour Scientist]

Manly male man here who played the trilogy as FemShep. I once wrote a column for a now-defunct gaming site explaining why I would play as a female character based on a conversation I had with my girlfriend who asked me why I was playing as a woman, prompting me to reply, "Because I want to admire my sexy butt when I have to look at it for the next 30 hours." (To all the snowflakes triggering right now: Toughen up, buttercups. YOU are the only person victimizing you.)

I started playing as female models waaaaaay back in the 20th Century with Quake II MP because I'd turned off the red screen effect when you're shot and relied on the pain grunt to cue me as to when I was taking damage. In a room full of grunting males making the same bro noises, being the girl stood out. I just stuck with it ever since and any game which gives me the option of a female character (that also fits my play style, so Borderlands was an exception) I go with that. Oblivion, Fallout 3/NV, KOTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins, etc. - if there's a femme option, sold. Grand Theft Auto VI needs a female gangster lead. (Tomb Raider and Mirror's Edge took care of business for me.)

Sorry if I don't have a sufficiently SJW-worthy political agenda motivating this preference, it's just my preference. I don't game to indulge in the "male power fantasy" that the harridans who are seeking to ruin gaming and make life generally miserable for all with their cheap Kafkatrapping tactics try to claim. I game to have FUN. Besides, if I wanted to see a ridiculous caricature of stereotypically masculine dudeness, I'll just go look in a mirror.

I love how these threads always have people sticking it to the imaginary SJWs. XD

Keep fighting the good fight, dude.

 

[RyQ_TMC]

I played both, multiple times. My first full playthrough of ME1 was male, but my first full playthrough of the whole trilogy was female. I don't think I have a real preference. There seems to be a lot of "Hale better than Meer" arguments floating around, but I felt they were both pretty bland. I think Meer did a better job on his extra voices though, with Hale I could always tell that random NPC was her.

I don't have a clear gender preference in games. I usually choose females in melee combat-heavy games, because I prefer a fast-and-agile fighting style and a lamppost looks more natural doing all the bending and prancing around than a brick shithouse. Other than that, I tend to come up with a character I consider interesting within the gameworld, and then roleplay as them. Gender is usually of little consequence, but it sometimes is a part of it.

I know a few guys who play females all the time whenever they have the option, and mostly they give the butt reason, but I don't really buy it- if you're just staring at your character's butt all the time you're probably playing the game wrong.

I think the butt reason just comes down to "I've never really thought about it, so I'll trot out an overused joke instead".

 

[Dr. Crawver]

I'm a guy, and the first time I play ME I make a male character, so I put that down. But I have 6 completed runthroughs (as well as plenty of unfinished ones) of the series, with 6 different characters of differing races, genders and sexualities.

Strangely enough, I'm not gay myself, but I always find myself wanting to romance Garrus. He's been the the paramour in 2 of my femshep runs. None of the female characters truly appeal to me much.

 

[Darks63]

No option to play as both? Because in 4 full trilogy playthroughs I'm 50/50 on he gender choices. However I favor fem shep for the voice acting even though the romance choices blow. In general I favor female toons for both ascetic reasons and for the escapism it can offer.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

As an aside from all this; Does anyone have any thoughts on what the best class is for beating ME2 on Insanity? 'Cause i've been wondering about doing a run like that.

I am sure all the classes are adequate to the task if you are good enough at the game, but the first time I beat Insanity ME2 was with a Sentinel. That instant shield-recharge class ability got me out of dozens of close scrapes.

As far as my personal preference, I played the default Shep when I first got Mass Effect, and that will always be the one I think of first. FemShep does without a doubt have the more experienced and nuanced voice actor, but I never understood the complaints about ManShep's voice. He does fine, and by ME3 he's great.

Call me old-fashioned, but I always choose a man in my first playthrough of a new game. It's just easier to insert myself into a man. Wait-

 

[DarkhoIlow]

Male and I played Paragon Male Shep then Renegade Male Shep > Paragon Female Shep > Renegade Female Shep (yeah I played it that many times and I know I'm crazy).

 

[Ryan Minns]

I played ME1 17 times and every single time I was Femshep and Paragorn... I dunno why really, to me Shepard WAS female and paragorn and changing the story seemed 'wrong' if that makes any sense.

 

[hermes]

Male, and my first playthroughs was default MaleShep. I did it mostly because I had a hard time seeing the trailers and promotional material without thinking "I don't know who this guy is", and because the customization tools in ME 1 and 2 were awful...

I am currently trying to play all the games again, but with FemShep. I think her performance is better at parts and worst at others, and I greatly prefer the love interests of the male counterpart.

Because my first was MaleShep, I have a soft spot for Meer. Besides, how can you not love a guy that lends himself for this?:

 

[PG]

As an aside from all this; Does anyone have any thoughts on what the best class is for beating ME2 on Insanity? 'Cause i've been wondering about doing a run like that.

I've always been told you can't go wrong with soldier. It's been awhile since I've played 2, but I remember that Adrenaline Rush + that big ass gun you get on the collector ship just tore anything to pieces.

I would go with engineer. The barriers and shields can be a real pain on insanity.

 

[Erttheking]

I played as Male Shep because I'm boring as sin. I always pick default race, gender and class when it comes to these games. I played as an Imperial in Skyrim FFS. I was going to go back and play through the series again as FemShep...then the ending happened and murdered my desire to touch the games again.

 

[Riff Moonraker]

So a friend walked in while I was playing Mass Effect the other day and asked why I was playing as a female (I'm a guy). It's actually because the male voice actor just doesn't sound right to me, but it got me thinking about the issue of representation and "playing yourself" in games. So, I thought I'd ask what everyone else thinks: do you play your own gender? Why or why not?

Personally, Mark Meers voice is now always going to be a staple of Mass Effect for me. "I'm Mark Meer, and this... is the best voice in the Citadel!"

I went with the male shep, and I tried my very, very best to make an ingame representation of myself. I played the game and made decisions as humanly close to how I felt I would react, and immersed myself wholly into the game, and adored the experience.

Thats not to say that there are not games that I dont make my toons female, though. I have both in Diablo 3, for example. My primary is a female Demon Hunter. I find her look more appealing, than the male DH, so I chose her. There certainly isnt anything wrong with any of the choices. Its up to you, and you should do what makes you happy! After all, isnt that what gaming is supposed to be about?

 

[Riff Moonraker]

Male, and my first playthroughs was default MaleShep. I did it mostly because I had a hard time seeing the trailers and promotional material without thinking "I don't know who this guy is", and because the customization tools in ME 1 and 2 were awful...

I am currently trying to play all the games again, but with FemShep. I think her performance is better at parts and worst at others, and I greatly prefer the love interests of the male counterpart.

Because my first was MaleShep, I have a soft spot for Meer. Besides, how can you not love a guy that lends himself for this:

THAT IS AWESOME!!!!!! Yeah, he also dressed up in N7 gear and shows up at 'Cons. Often! I believe he lead the Mass Effect cosplayers in the march before Dragoncon this year, to boot! I love this dude!

 

[AnarchistFish]

Always play as a male cos I try to make my character represent me as best as possible.

Only exception is when I'm playing online on Halo or something cos I love the idea of dumb little teabaggers getting wound up cos they think they're getting wooped by a girl.