So, Do you play FO4 as a male or female?

[Fkemman11]

 

 

When I startet I chose a female char to see a sexy woman in 3rd view. Later to see a beautiful woman (clothes dont need to be skimpy). Later because I was interested in the perspective (I played second life as male and as female and no doubt: men can really be unbelievable assholes). Today I mostly play female chars because I have the impression to be more complete/perfect/entire. Did you see a developement in the principal reasons why you play as female or male?

 

No. No development. I just like to make sexy female characters that shoot guns and blow s*** up! :tongue:

 

Yes, a female char has to be sexy (I have to confess that in real life every woman is sexy for me). The order of this long list of arguments against artificial copies of me in game (puke) changes from day to day. One development is permanent and it astonished me: when my female char is in cold regions then I put warm clothes and shoes on. I fully agree: playing female, cross-dressing, robot, ghoul, child, dogmeat or what else does not mean that you are pervert, virgin, loser. It can mean a lot: curiosity, exploratory spirit, creativity, empathy, imaginativeness ... or best of: just for fun. If someone does not want to play in a different role or with a female char then its okay - but I would ask him why - maybe he is anxious and needs help.

 

 

So, you are saying that people that don't try different things are afraid to? Naw. Some people just have a comfort zone they don't compromise. I myself just have a very curious mind. But, I also think that people should try to look at things from as many perspectives as possible. :geek:

[su01rimi]

 

 

 

When I startet I chose a female char to see a sexy woman in 3rd view. Later to see a beautiful woman (clothes dont need to be skimpy). Later because I was interested in the perspective (I played second life as male and as female and no doubt: men can really be unbelievable assholes). Today I mostly play female chars because I have the impression to be more complete/perfect/entire. Did you see a developement in the principal reasons why you play as female or male?

 

No. No development. I just like to make sexy female characters that shoot guns and blow s*** up! :tongue:

 

Yes, a female char has to be sexy (I have to confess that in real life every woman is sexy for me). The order of this long list of arguments against artificial copies of me in game (puke) changes from day to day. One development is permanent and it astonished me: when my female char is in cold regions then I put warm clothes and shoes on. I fully agree: playing female, cross-dressing, robot, ghoul, child, dogmeat or what else does not mean that you are pervert, virgin, loser. It can mean a lot: curiosity, exploratory spirit, creativity, empathy, imaginativeness ... or best of: just for fun. If someone does not want to play in a different role or with a female char then its okay - but I would ask him why - maybe he is anxious and needs help.

 

 

So, you are saying that people that don't try different things are afraid to? Naw. Some people just have a comfort zone they don't compromise. I myself just have a very curious mind. But, I also think that people should try to look at things from as many perspectives as possible. :geek:

 

I mean that could be a hypothesis to check - only a "maybe". I dont know whats in the head of other people - and I dont know whats in my own head - but i am working on that. I am not a native engl. speaker - so thx for asking. For me all depends of the situation AND the person AND me AND butterflys in china. If somebody says "You play as female? I am shocked" then maybe he is not shocked and only wants to see my reaction or maybe he wants to talk about woman (and later about the nice girl he is in love) and so on ... but it can also be his lack of game experience or his psychosexual uncertainty. Its annoying when people try to push me into a defense position. In this specific play-as-female-case I have to force myself to stay cool and open-minded.

[Ithlia]

Years ago I played my first on line game. It was a text game and it had strictly enforced role playing. Anyone caught by the game monitors being out of character in game would get penalized. So needing to always be in character I played a female character, being female myself a female character was easier to relate to for me. So after several years of playing that game I got in the habit of playing a female and that habit still persists today. heh I never claimed to be a good RP'er. It drives my older son nuts because when he recommends games and my first question is always " Can I play as a female?"

[Moraelin]

Meh, IF you have to defend it at all, you might just point out that essentially none of us is playing him or herself. You may play the same gender or not, but it will still be a character. At best a MODIFIED version of you that could even keep their sanity in their role, much less thrive.

 

Not the least because you'd have to qualify as full psychopath on the APD scale to not end up with a _severe_ case of PTSD after shooting enough people point blank. Not to mention that all of us eventually go extra generous with a grenade or shotgun and waste a civilian as colateral damage, so yeah, more reason for PTSD.

 

And don't think that just being brave or tough or whatever would save you there. In WW2 Audie Murphy received LITERALLY every single military combat award for valor available from the U.S. Army, plus French and Belgian awards for heroism -- and really, if you read about what he's done, nobody can consider him to be anything short of an amazing hero -- but ended up with a crippling case of PTSD for his efforts nonetheless.

 

And that is, after you actually got to shoot at the enemy. Most people play a character very different from themselves as soon as they pick their stats, or as soon as they open their mouth in character.

 

Which is the other part where most of us play a complete sociopath. Ever picked a dialogue choice just because it got you what you wanted, and had no problem doing it again next conversation? Yeah, normal people don't do that IRL.

 

I mean, seriously, you can actually go through the APD diagnostic and see if you even CAN score less than 30 with your character, which is where you qualify as a sociopath. By way of comparison, most people outside prisons score 2 or 3 in real life.

 

Etc.

 

So... yeah... if anyone tried to tell me that they actually ARE playing as themselves, I'd be much more worried than if they're playing a guy in a dress. Just saying.

[Fkemman11]

I found this googling;

 

 Exploring the Idealized Self

"The player-avatar relationship can serve as a focal point for the exploration of
one's idealized self. Through the construction of virtual histories, individuals can
begin a reflective conversation on how their real life self connects to their idealized
avatar. Through these reflections, conflicts within identity can be negotiated and
resolved, allowing digital interactions to assist in identity work and development.
For adolescents especially, their concepts of self are often in flux as they negotiate
different potential futures. During their youth, constructions of self are developed,
yet these identities become sites of struggle at which various values and interests
meet and are negotiated."

"While trends in educational gaming focus on
behavioural change and content instruction, identity work is an equally important
endeavour. Games can be used to foster the development of successful learner
identities through the player-avatar relationship, allowing students to explore their
idealized selves in a safe virtual environment. As players engage with their avatars,
a dynamic conversation between real and ideal self emerges, where conflicts can
be negotiated and resolved. While previous cycles of experience and reflection
create damaged histories, digital play offers the chance to enhance or repair one's
concept of self through safe exploration and experimentation."

 

So, it would seem that games like FO4-which allow a person to play as male or female- give players an opportunity to explore every part of their personality in a safe virtual environment. I suppose it depends on how much a person projects themselves onto their char. I don't feel that I am playing myself that much. More like I am playing someone else. But, for other people IDK. :cool:

 

Here is an interesting thought. Perhaps people do not even realize how much of themselves they project onto their character. A sort of Freudian slip. In other words, how you mod your game, who you play as and why, what you do as that character says much about your personality and state of mind. :nuke:

[Moksha8088]

In other words, how you mod your game, who you play as and why, what you do as that character says much about your personality and state of mind. :nuke:

That would explain why I don't play as a cannibal.

[BenevolentSpirit]

I thought it goes without saying that everything you do in your life reflects your personality and state of mind

[tartarsauce2]

I can't stand the female chem response vocals, but wow the female vocals are better for snark

[Fkemman11]

I thought it goes without saying that everything you do in your life reflects your personality and state of mind

 

True. But what I'm trying to say is that a game such as FO4 gives a person the freedom to explore parts of their personality that they would normally keep hidden in real life. Their alter-ego, if you will. I mean, do you consider FO4 or any game you play to be therapeutic? Because I do. When I shoot some a**hole in the head-I feel pretty good about it. :cool:

 

Even just playing FO4- or any game- where you have almost complete control, might belie a hidden feeling of helplessness in an individuals life. This may not be true for many. But some?

[Moraelin]

Maybe, but what I was actually trying to say is that, in the end, exploring possibilities is actually not very reflecting of one's "true self" or whatever other such wording. We consider or explore possibilities all the time that we'd never do IRL. In fact, as I was saying above, things that we may be literally incapable of doing IRL, or at least not without some serious conditioning.

 

Most people exploring how they'd be the badass shooting tens of people in the head, probably couldn't even shoot one without military training.

 

Besides, here's a list off the top of my head of things I've "explored" -- well, let's not mince words: DONE -- in various games so far, going all the way back to the early 80's:

 

- I've forced a rape victim to face all her rape-related phobias and panics in "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream"

 

- I have personally tortured prisoners or had them tortured by underlings (e.g., in Dungeon Keeper)

 

- I have razed cities and/or drove their inhabitants in chains as slaves (e.g., Rome Total War)

 

- I have bought and sold slaves (e.g., Glory Of Rome, and the rest of the series)

 

- I pimped my wife in Fallout 2, and made her be a fluffer in porn. And I was kinda thankful when she died in the next firefight, since it freed a party slot

 

- I have captured homeless to be used in human experiments in City Of Villains, and that's actually not even the most evil thing you could do in that game

 

- I have taken hostages and committed acts of terrorism in Counter Strike. And is it just me who just had to see what happens if you execute the hostages? Can't be just me.

 

- I have committed fratricide, paricide, infanticide, and really every flavour of "cide" in CK2. Often for as little as that my firstborn had really lousy stats, so, you know, might as well have him choked with a pillow so the next one inherits.

 

- I have done human sacrifice (e.g., CK2 again)

 

Etc, etc, etc. Just about the only sin I didn't do was rape, because I never had an Atari and freaking Custer's Revenge. Weelll... some stuff might qualify as rape by deception in some states, if that helps.

 

I dare say the vast majority of those are NOT things I would consider fun to do IRL. In fact, a lot weren't really fun to do in a game either. But, hey, if that's the way to see a different ending or dialogue tree, who am I to let morality get in the way? Amirite?

 

So, anyway, compared to THAT list of sins... does anyone really think that my playing both genders is THE thing they should worry about? :tongue: