Guys who play girl characters

[StayFrosty05]

not really. The guys playing girl characters thing is largely a stereotype b/c of how - typically younger men :P - handle sexuality in mmos. it's the personal interaction that makes it creepy a fair bit. i've met one or two people since i started playing mmos who play female characters solely for the benefits it got them. Theres also the whole... males aggressively flirting with any female-based character on the assumption that the owner is female too.

The laura croft thing is singleplayer, isn't it? doesn't have the same element of manipulation that mmos are sometimes prone to.

 

Whilst I as a female play males in SPG's with realistic graphics...like Skyrim...mostly because I simply rather look at a male than a female for extended periods of time....MMO's are something different....their graphics are for want of a better word 'cr*p' (cartoonish) and so eye candy does not come into play at all....I do not often play MMO's, but if and when I do it is with a male toon for a reason....I have absolutely zero interest in some pimply faced teen trying to make ridiculous awkward advances on me...I am a 42 year old woman... :blink: ....Funnily enough it is much easier dealing with young men in MMO's if they think originally by your toon that you are another male, but once I speak up (on mikes) and they realize I'm a female gamer, the reaction is quite different, first shock and then an out pouring of respect and 'Wow really!'...and good decent conversation and working together after that.....All in all playing a male toon as a female in an MMO leads to a much better and very positive gaming experience with everyone suddenly choosing to lets all play as a team....I would say a lot of that sudden team work and respect comes with realization that I am an older female also.

[volnaiskra]

I love women. I love their looks, I love their personalities. I chose to spend my entire life with a woman by marrying her...I never would have made such a long commitment to a man. Likewise, if I'm going spend 100+ hours in a game, I'd prefer it to be with female company. The choice seems natural to me.

 

Having said that, it makes little difference in a Bethesda game, especially if you play in first person. I barely notice my character in Skyrim anyway, unlike in a fully-voiced Bioware game.

[jyujinkai]

i think mmos can be considered "creepy" for the following reason.. in a MMO.. the toon is much more akin to avatar.. or like your forum name here, or a nick in irc or w/e.. as in a large part of a mmo is the social interaction of you, the player, with other people. So for some that are hung up on sexuality they feel that there is a misrepresentation of some sort.

 

I think this is all about the same points though... being a character in a game or player a character in a game.

 

If guys playing female characters in MMO/RPG games is creepy, isn't it also creepy for a guy to direct Lara Croft or BloodRayne through a series of digital obstacles?

 

yes it is exactly the same. Though like skyrim these are solo games so what i was trying to say above counts. Still your examples are pretty much the same way most men play mmo or rpgs and play female toons. The same reason Laura or Bayonetta or w/e are popular and enjoy being played by men is why many men choose female avatars.

 

I really think there is a bit of over thinking going on here.. many men simply like to look at women... It is that simple.. not just in games anything that even remotely reminds us of a girl.. like a drawing for example.. comics are big largely because of this. I do not think there is much more going on here.

 

But as I said before there is defiantly a subtly difference in the way the player projects on the game, and I think it is THIS that causes the separation in players. Slightly different preferences in how they experience the game.

[SealJuice]

Skyrim is a story. It unfolds differently for each person with some common main themes. Stories have characters. I currently play with eighteen characters. Asking me why some of them are female is like asking a writer why some of the characters in his book are female. I'm not a lizard, either, but I have fun playing an Argonian.

 

Also, I've noticed that men playing female characters in MMO games is accepted, but women playing male characters is still "weird".

Edited November 1, 2012 by SealJuice

[lashingtong]

I play both depending on the class of character I want to make. I usually play males if I choose a heavy armor class of some sort and females as nimble, quick light armor types.

[rizon72]

I have a confession about MMOs. I enjoy having my toon a girl. Why? Its funny having others trying to hit on her (I almost never look at the chats). As a result I never assume a person's real gender based on their toon, nor do I care and realistically, I doubt anyone actually looks liek their toon.

 

A friend of mine plays this way. If he's playing in first person, guy character. If playing in third person, girl. Makes sense to me.

[Spyderlord]

(The following question is not a personal attack; it is a general question going out to anyone who shares this opinion.)

 

If guys playing female characters in MMO/RPG games is creepy, isn't it also creepy for a guy to direct Lara Croft or BloodRayne through a series of digital obstacles?

 

I appreciate you not jumping down my throat, and your question is very valid. Actually to answer your question; FOR ME the answer is yes. I would like to emphasize the FOR ME part as I honestly don't try to judge my male friends that play as females. Also, I would not so much say that it IS creepy, but instead I feel like I am a Creep. Its sort of hard to explain in text form, without verbal cues. I am completely comfortable with my sexuality, that I know of, to completely enjoy a tomb raider game and gawk at lara's hot butt running around for hours, however a game of tomb raider will not give me the immersive gameplay that I really enjoy and look for in RPGs. I guess in short, I am a huge fan of realism.

 

Also, I've noticed that men playing female characters in MMO games is accepted, but women playing male characters is still "weird".

I think SealJuice brought up a good point and I believe (I may be over-thinking this) that this reaction occurs from the girl/guy MMO player ratio that is still imbalanced. I wish I had a real citation to back this up, but I am just relying on my own experiences in various MMOS.

 

My theory: Guys almost always outnumber female PLAYERS on MMOs, and maybe the regarding of these few females as weird is due to the perception of these pimple-face teenage boys as the small number of females masking their true identity. Furthermore, this would indicate a subconscious surfacing of the primal psychological throwback of caveman days which is the innate drive to propagate the human race at every given opportunity and especially when the chances of said propagation is smaller. The whole dog-eat-dog, man-take-woman dominance things kicks in.

 

In simple terms; dudes on MMOs get mad that chicks play as dude chars cuz subconsciously they feel like they got duped out of a chance to get laid.

 

Source: I'm a dude and trust me we feel like we got duped if there is even the smallest, tiniest, slightest, suggestive, inkling of a chance to get laid in any situation and it doesn't happen.

[BobTheBouncer]

 

In simple terms; dudes on MMOs get mad that chicks play as dude chars cuz subconsciously they feel like they got duped out of a chance to get laid.

 

 

 

Personally I'd say it was more that the type to try and "chat up" a woman in a game feels slightly uncomfortable if said lady is playing a male character. After all, it's the character that is the physical (for want of a better word) representation of the player. Even when you know (or think you know) the player behind the char is a woman, doubt, and the accompanying low-level homophobia annoys the hell out of certain types of men. (note: I use the word "men" loosely here )

 

I could be over-generalizing of course, everyone plays the way they want to for whatever reason they want to...ultimately it doesn't really matter as long as you are having fun.

Edited November 5, 2012 by BobTheBouncer

[belagaming8]

Personally the first thing I do in any RPG (Arpg, Mmorpg and so on) if I can make more then one character, I make a female and a male one. Then I spend equal time playing both, and which one I like most gets more play time. Also I tend to make characters on this premise: Males= Warriors (Paladins, Berserkers, Beastmasters) and Females= Mages and Rangers. When it comes to Rogues I try to see which one would fit the role more, and tend to play it like that. Also I like to watch at girls ass while I am playing, much more then looking at dudes ass :P . I don't mind playing the other sex, or when people play the other sex, because only playing the same sex as you are is just bit dumb for me. Of course unless you are transexual, then I dunno how you pick your "more" favourite sex.

[nakakita]

In single player, I usually play females. In MMOs, I might play a female, if someone in that game already knows me. I'll play as a guy if no one knows me, because I don't like being hit on. Especially when the avatars are all rather androgynous looking bobbleheads. I've had female avatars treated in ways that would give me grounds for a sexual harassment lawsuit if they happened offline. And about all you can do then is log off, or find friends who will harass the idiot into leaving, because pretending they are not there sure as hell does not work.

 

And my male characters usually end up with more awesome names. I'd list some examples, but... I don't want anyone taking them should I plunge into the dark world of MMOs again. (Which is unlikely, but whatever.)