Playing as the other gender : V

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 3:27 pm

Hi All

I've seen a lot of people talk about their characters who are female, often the player is male... Because I feel asif the character I play represents me quite strongly, I'd find it hard to 'play' a female. I'd like to know why some males play females and why some females play males.

Thanks

disclaimer - I have nothing against it, I just can't imagine doing it so want to find out more.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:23 pm

Male-only for me. I've never really got my head around why guys want to play as girls. I do on some games, but not Oblivion, and I won't in Skyrim either.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:54 pm

Hi All

I've seen a lot of people talk about their characters who are female, often the player is male... Because I feel asif the character I play represents me quite strongly, I'd find it hard to 'play' a female. I'd like to know why some males play females and why some females play males.

Thanks

disclaimer - I have nothing against it, I just can't imagine doing it so want to find out more.

I'm a guy and I've ALWAYS played a male which is ironic considering my avatar. And btw, I do share your point of you. Also, don't be surprise if the adm. sends this thread to the TES general discussion.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 8:07 pm

I play my gender simply because I feel that when playing the opposite gender, you're essentially a virtual transsixual and I've got enough problems as it is without tacking that on.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:45 pm

I play my gender simply because I feel that when playing the opposite gender, you're essentially a virtual transsixual and I've got enough problems as it is without tacking that on.

I'm interested to hear the opposing point of view to this. I sort of agree. I mean, I love looking at women as much as the next guy, but I don't want to actually BE one. I'd be similarly surprised if female players wanted to be guys, and I'm genuinely interested in why people do so.

Good topic, btw.

» Tue Sep 27, 2011 12:52 am

I always play my main character as my own gender but other characters, that are not a representation of myself, can be male.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:43 pm

I play male and female, because I don't identify myself with my character.
But even then, it's sometimes easier to imagine yourself as the opposite gender with a personality closer to your own, compared to a character with the same gender with whom you have nothing in common.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:14 pm

I almost exclusively play male(same as IRL), but I have no idea why. Just doesn't feel right to play as a female if I can play as a male.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:07 pm

This has actually been 'studied'. It all depends on how people approach role-playing. For people that actually want themselves to BE the character in the story, they will usually choose the identical gender. For those that want to view the world through another all-together different set of eyes and try to roleplay as SOMEONE else will generally choose the other gender. They generally do this as the other gender is found to be more attractive to them.

They also delved into reasons why people might choose one or the other approach to RPGs, but a lot of that sounded like pure speculation and guessing to me.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:49 pm

I'm interested to hear the opposing point of view to this. I sort of agree. I mean, I love looking at women as much as the next guy, but I don't want to actually BE one. I'd be similarly surprised if female players wanted to be guys, and I'm genuinely interested in why people do so.

Good topic, btw.

Not me. Things like this tend to get out of hand quickly, especially if I'm involved.

» Tue Sep 27, 2011 4:08 am

I play my gender simply because I feel that when playing the opposite gender, you're essentially a virtual transsixual and I've got enough problems as it is without tacking that on.

Funny story, when I very first started playing World of Warcraft 6 years ago ( you know, before it got dumb) a friend introduced me to it, so I roled a character on his server and started playing. About an hour he logged on and come over to spot me some loot/cash and wisdom and he shows up a nightelf FEMALE, so the next day I see him at wortk and I'm laughing so hard I'm crying I say
"DUDE, you play F-ing girl, thats so gay!"
and he replys
"Yeah I'm staring at some chick in skimpy outfits, what are you staring at when you play, now whos gay?"
... I never played female characters but I dont laugh at people who do anymore

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 4:29 pm

Always play as myself...i never could play a female for that matter, if i want to look at that i'll simply watch my two daughters play the game with their characters! :rock:

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 8:47 pm

I play both usually. I don't associate the character with myself, but as a character in the story I am RP'ing that playthrough.

My first character or main character is most often a male though

» Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:55 am

Only if there are gameplay differences. The start of Dragon Age are like different campaigns.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:00 pm

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

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:51 pm

I used to write a lot. I still do sometimes.

In the same way that I don't view myself as a female character that I write into a story, I don't view myself as the character in video games. They are a character that is developed by me. They are not me.

I honestly have a hard time understanding why someone would feel strange creating a character of the opposite six. Unless there is some latent insecurity running in the background that makes you feel less normal, why would it be difficult to imagine playing a character of the opposite six?

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:02 pm

Also some people seem to forget that in so many games your gender is fixed. Does that make me a "virtual transixual"?

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 7:02 pm

Funny story, when I very first started playing World of Warcraft 6 years ago ( you know, before it got dumb) a friend introduced me to it, so I roled a character on his server and started playing. About an hour he logged on and come over to spot me some loot/cash and wisdom and he shows up a nightelf FEMALE, so the next day I see him at wortk and I'm laughing so hard I'm crying I say
"DUDE, you play F-ing girl, thats so gay!"
and he replys
"Yeah I'm staring at some chick in skimpy outfits, what are you staring at when you play, now whos gay?"
... I never played female characters but I dont laugh at people who do anymore

I play a male and I always have yet I've never found myself staring at my character's ass. Usually it's his head or back... or hands, while he's casting a spell in the awesome pose that humans have.

I still laugh at them, even more so when they try to use that as an excuse.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 7:07 pm

"Yeah I'm staring at some chick in skimpy outfits, what are you staring at when you play, now whos gay?"
... I never played female characters but I dont laugh at people who do anymore

Oh, so his deal is about starring at chick in skimpy outfits. He's not gay then, he's a pervert. I play a male but my attention is not about starring at myself.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:44 pm

I play opposite gender character because i am firmly in my couch playing a game, where my character is kicking ass and looking good doing it

I tried playing as "myself" in some games, but how i would approach situations presented in these games is usually not possible at all. So i gave up on that idea and came up with new characters that i play in pretty much any game that allows character customisation and builds. And even few that doesn't :hehe:

» Tue Sep 27, 2011 1:00 am

I play both and I never feel weird at all about it. Role-playing to me is like reading a book but having control of how it plays through. Would you feel weird about reading a book that had the opposite gender as the focal character?

» Tue Sep 27, 2011 4:37 am

Sometimes yes, for the fun factor, but my main characters are male.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 8:52 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociative_identity_disorder

I hate to be the one to say this (not really) but it seems like quite a few of you suffer from that.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 5:08 pm

I'll play two characters of the other gender, but I don't do it every time.
I like to play female characters sometimes when it's possible because there are already so many games where we are obliged to play a male character. And I really like the shape of women's body, and to see it in motion. Women look often more graceful than men to me.

Nothing to see with dissociative identity disorder at all ... Just true love for women's beauty.

» Mon Sep 26, 2011 10:27 pm

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

I find that that "saying" in no longer valid, to put it mildly! :rolleyes:

If i have to count the number 'o real women i have befriended over the years that i met in games (mainly MMO's) well...you get the picture! And by saying that a girl online or in games are male you simply vent your own frustration i guess...which is pretty d*mn sad if you ask me!