General: Spotlight: Playing the Opposie Sex

Stradden

Community Manager Laura Genender returns this week to give us a brand new Community Soptlight. This time, she lets us in on why people might play their MMOs this way.

This week on the forums, poster NewMonster asked a question in the General Discussion forums: what do people think of gamers who play characters of the opposite sex? This topic, a common debate in the MMO world, got a good bit of attention when our OP opened up a poll: what do people think of playing the opposite sex in an MMO?

Through the course of the thread, it's obvious that players are mostly in favor (or at least not opposed to) the idea of players picking the opposite gender for their character. According to the poll in the original post, 80.6% of 136 posters are just fine with gamers picking whatever they want, though the replies show varying reasons for this stance. Vinzent, presumably a male player who plays female characters, makes the most common case: "If I have to watch a butt [while I] grind through 560 levels, it's going to be a female butt."

You can read the whole column here.

Jumonji

I remember how awkward I felt the first time I role-played a female character in CoH. It started as an experiment because the characer design was so cool in the game, I wanted to try out all the options. I ended up with 2 females and 3 males that I played a lot in that game.

It's hard to say why I still do it - I think it's liberating to play a female. Strange as it sounds, females have more options as role-characters these days. You can be sweet, feminine, butch, an ax-murderer, whatever you want. I often think, what would Xena do...

Males don't have the freedom to play all kinds of characters. (Or is that just me... hmmm.) Anyway, even in Oblivion I play a female. Maybe I just find women more interesting. But I got over any hangups about it ages ago, now I don't think twice about it. I know that this has been good for me, as I'm such an iconoclast in real life anyway. We need to get over our hangups about sexuality and just enjoy life. And females really are more fun... all dudes should know that.

tigris67

its not even a question of gender for me. I always(never have chosen female) am the same gender as myself, a male. I don't know why but I could never get into my character if he/she was not the same sex as me. Somehow if my char is a giant lizardman, I can get into character haha, but if it was a female human...it would just feel wrong. Also, I do think people should have a choice at what gender they would like to be, dosn't bother me. Its just when they act and try to fool others that its there true gender, it can become sort of disturbing. Even if they are roleplaying a female, it still seems wierd haha, but atleast its done in good taste.

Robbgobb

I solo alot and if I am not in first person mode then is much easier to look at the female character than the male character. I will still play males but I have to say that it is fun to see my character be female at times. I don't really play as a female because do little role-playing when I am one. I don't dance or run around with no equipment. I do it purely as something different to watch. I do have to say though that I do like playing female tanks. It is just kinda fun seeing a female character swing a giant 2-handed hammer around.

Amathe

There are basically three kinds of players when it comes to picking characters.

The first kind of player sees their avatar as an extension of themself. That type of player may find it odd to pick a gender not their own because it's not like "them" (somehow forgetting that none of us are gnomes, orcs, elves, etc. in rl either).

The second kind of player is the roleplayer. They may or may not feel comfortable picking the opposite gender, depending on the manner in which they roleplay.

The third type of player doesn't see the character as themself, but rather like a piece in a board game they move around. I am that kind of player, so I am as comfortable picking a female character over a male one as I am picking a red piece in a board game over a green one.

xrebel

Originally posted by Amathe


There are basically three kinds of players when it comes to picking characters.
The first kind of player sees their avatar as an extension of themself. That type of player may find it odd to pick a gender not their own because it's not like "them" (somehow forgetting that none of us are gnomes, orcs, elves, etc. in rl either).
The second kind of player is the roleplayer. They may or may not feel comfortable picking the opposite gender, depending on the manner in which they roleplay.
The third type of player doesn't see the character as themself, but rather like a piece in a board game they move around. I am that kind of player, so I am as comfortable picking a female character over a male one as I am picking a red piece in a board game over a green one.

That's a good breakdown!



I would also be your third type... I play MMO's to escape from my real life... playing a female character just helps deepen the immersion into a game for me. My character is not me, not related to me, has nothing to do with me... and I like it that way.



That being said, I've long since stopped hitting on women (real or not) in games after my first few experiences with men (well, male characters..lol) hitting on me. The especially rude, or obscene ones I often try to embarrass as much as possible in the hopes that a real woman won't have to put up with them, and that they can learn a lesson (somehow I doubt this works... but it's karma for the rude/obscene ones)

Popori

Originally posted by Amathe

The third type of player doesn't see the character as themself, but rather like a piece in a board game they move around. I am that kind of player, so I am as comfortable picking a female character over a male one as I am picking a red piece in a board game over a green one.

That about covers it for me too. And usually,  I pick whatever looks the most logical for whatever class I'm going for.  Like in WoW, I can't make male rogues or mages because I spend the rest of the night thinking how silly it looks to have a guy in a dress barely able to take a hit when he has these tree trunk arms and a foot of muscle over every inch of his frame.



I can't make female warriors because of the plate bikini effect.



I don't roleplay or anything, but I can't help but have to look at my character at some point.

Gomph

I used to find it odd to think of playing a woman character in an MMORPG. However that has changed over the years.

After playing these games for so long I have had a million characters, Male and Female. I find playing a female character in an MMORPG about as odd as playing Laura Croft in a single player game.

At this point in time, I have many Male and Femal characters, and i think of them as exactly that... Characters in a computer game. Nothing more, nothing less.

I generally go with what amuses me (Gnome Girl Rogue in WoW constantly cracks me up), I think would be cool (Male (looking) Robot in CoV), or I think would make a fun character to just run around as (Dwarf Male "Grampy" in WoW, Male Troll in old EverQuest, Etc...).

Over time, I generally see other people in MMORPGs as "Player Characters" and leave it at that. I never assume the female character in the game is a femal in real life, or that male character is male in real life.

At this point, even though I can understand it, I find it more odd that people get so hung up and bent out of shape over other people playing an oppisite sex character in an MMORPG. Especially people who consider themselves "gammers".

RainStar

Originally posted by Amathe


There are basically three kinds of players when it comes to picking characters.
The first kind of player sees their avatar as an extension of themself. That type of player may find it odd to pick a gender not their own because it's not like "them" (somehow forgetting that none of us are gnomes, orcs, elves, etc. in rl either).
The second kind of player is the roleplayer. They may or may not feel comfortable picking the opposite gender, depending on the manner in which they roleplay.
The third type of player doesn't see the character as themself, but rather like a piece in a board game they move around. I am that kind of player, so I am as comfortable picking a female character over a male one as I am picking a red piece in a board game over a green one.

Yup, I see my character as an extension of myself and I am a roleplayer. That is why I always choose a female character.

Right now, I'm helping a friend level his character and it's a male, it just feels so weird. Glad it's just leveling the character, I couldn't do any RP. lol

That doesn't mean I am against those who do choose the opposite sex.  I just can't do it myself.

fenrisblue

amathe you briliant monster,..

 i really like what you said, and i agree ,..I fit into all 3 catagories,..i have 1 character that is an extension of me then i have a rollplaying type character that could be etiher male or female, ..and then i have chatacters that i choose for how they look in there outfits or maybe how they look casting a spell or a certain hairstyle that can only be made by a make or female, so its very interesting to see what you have wrighten

satojin

I play a mix of both genders. Whatever is most visually pleasing, it's not like this is a dating service I'm paying a subscription for. And if ever I need to disclose any personal info, I don't hide the fact that I'm male. Would be kind of hard to fool a guild on vent anyway trying to pull a female voice for those long raids ^^

CleffyII

Originally posted by Jumonji

I remember how awkward I felt the first time I role-played a female character in CoH. It started as an experiment because the characer design was so cool in the game, I wanted to try out all the options. I ended up with 2 females and 3 males that I played a lot in that game. It's hard to say why I still do it - I think it's liberating to play a female. Strange as it sounds, females have more options as role-characters these days. You can be sweet, feminine, butch, an ax-murderer, whatever you want. I often think, what would Xena do... Males don't have the freedom to play all kinds of characters. (Or is that just me... hmmm.) Anyway, even in Oblivion I play a female. Maybe I just find women more interesting. But I got over any hangups about it ages ago, now I don't think twice about it. I know that this has been good for me, as I'm such an iconoclast in real life anyway. We need to get over our hangups about sexuality and just enjoy life. And females really are more fun... all dudes should know that.

You are totally right.  When you play a male character in an mmo you are really limited in the ways you can act.  Like I made a Tauren Warrior named "Flower Boy" who is a master herbalist.  Despite being 100% straight I get so many more pms, insults, and hit ons then any female character I played.

Its like that guy in 9dragons who called himself "BOT guy".

Tsiya

I've almost always played female characters. The almost comes from me being inspired to roll in WoW an undead priest named "Hesdeadjim". I misclicked and made him a warlock, and then after about a year of raiding with my troll huntress during a 'lock shortage he became my main. I probably would've never rolled a male if the name had looked right on a female, because usually I play with my b/f, and both of us on males makes it kinda awkward, although he has no problem playing female chars.

gladiatory2k

I had a buddy make a female dancer in SWG because my wife's entertainer got a 12 million Credit Tip from a guy who was leaving the game.  Sure enough that buddy got a 4 million dollar tip. For some reason, guys would complain about spending 10K on a buff but if the toon is female they have no problem forking over tons of cash just because of a little flirting.

On the flip side, I rolled a Female twilek musician on another server, and saw the barrage of  "Wil you marry me," and "Hi Sweetie!" tells. I eventually role played her as a mute and shy twilek that trusted no one....oh and I also chose to grind in the back room of a cantina on dantooine.

paladin86

The description of the 1st type is only flawed that race does matter as making character and extension of yourself cause your going to pick a race that looks or feels more like your interest since each race in fantasy medieval games all have a single characteristic highlighted that describes a human. Which is why i am the fan of high elves they look closer to me than any human model i have seen that and if you a interest in classical ancient history rome/greece high elves usually have that first civilitaion that gave rise to all others in most stories.

mxmissile

MMORPG

Most Men Online Role Playing Girls

Pathetic and sad, but alas true.

NameWasTaken

I exclusively play female characters in MMO games, purely for my own selfish purposes, as a virtual replacement for the flesh and blood girlfriend I can never have.

I don't have much contact with other players in MMO games, mostly as I like to solo a lot and playing Australian prime time means low populations in most games. So I like to think of my time playing MMO games is spending quality time with my virtual sweet-heart as she romps though the virtual world in question, impressing me with her combat prowess.

Pathetic I know, but real women are in general have turned out to be quite a disappointment and left wanting, when compared to my perfect virtual girlfriends.

BlackLight

lol its funny how it seems almost only guys that play girls are commenting on this topic.

Tyrranosaur

I find myself about one half  "extension of me" and one half roleplayer. As an old paper and pencil gamer, I find it amusing to contrast the MMO problem of men playing women and vice versa with the history of women at the gaming table.....always a monumental event which leads to young geeky male posturing or shyness at the presence of a girl who plays D&D.

These days, I have one WoW avatar (my first) who is obviously an extension of myself....and he's the only extension. All the rest are roleplaying variations, with various logic behind them. My necromancer/assassin in GW Factions is a total freak, and I run him because he's an atypical bastard, not my normal fare. My orc warrioress in WoW is the kind of woman I'd probably be if I were female, and also a novelty in the game, since female orcs don't seem to be that popular. My warforged bard in DDO is an anathema....I love the idea of a mechanical golem that loves to entertain the squishies!

Recently, I've been favoring female characters for a new reason other than interesting rpg diversion: my girlfriend loves to play male characters, and I'll concede that it is rather akward when she wants to flirt in-game, so my solution is simple: I'm the gal and she's the guy, so it keeps it all level! She does love flirting with other players in game, though, even cybering....which gets really entertaining when the men see her male avatar; they are generally only cool with it if they hear her on vent.

I did make a night elf rogue on a server once (forget which) in which the first ten to twelve hours of gaming was a continuous stream of sexual harassment that in the real world would have resulted in loss of job or possibly even arrest. It was insane, and I left that server and deleted that character. I haven't seen that situation repeat, much, since then.....but it does tell me a lot of people who play these games don't understand the meaning and intent of the last three letters in "MMORPG". (or worse yet, the do understand, and are trying to role play their desire to be mysoginistic womanizing bastards. Hmmmmm.......)

theanimedude

Ok, before this post I would like to point out that I am not a sexist, I think of things more like the greeks: When the greeks used to create sculptures, they used to make them the most beautiful works of art ever. Even if they were not trying to portray the person as beautiful, they would make them the perfect physique. Why is this? See, the greeks saw beauty as intelligence. There is no way in a sculpture to portray intelligence, so instead, if they were trying to portray someone with a beautiful mind, they would give them a beautiful body; sort of a "everything's proportional" kind of idea. So that's where I get my mind's concept of beauty from.

Most of the time, when I go into a game, my gender is picked by one of two things: Visual appearance, or my minds appearance.

For instance, in World of Warcraft, I would never make a female dwarf. Why? They aren't flattering in the least, and most of my female characters I make for beauty reasons.

Now, when I am playing a fighter character, I usually make them male. Again, not sexist or anything, just that males animations (as the video games portray them) have a more aggressive and strong feel to them.

When I play a caster class, I usually pick a female (except in the case of blood elf, but they're too metro sexual for their own good), and this goes back to my initial statement. Magic users are portrayed as the pinnacle of intelligence. As the greeks portrayed it in their sculptures beauty and intelligence are interchangeable in a metaphoric sense, therefore, I see my characters intelligence visualized through their beauty, and let's face it guys, male characters are anything but flattering in most games.

Anyways, just my two and a half cents.

DemonOvrlord

Originally posted by Amathe


There are basically three kinds of players when it comes to picking characters.
The first kind of player sees their avatar as an extension of themself. That type of player may find it odd to pick a gender not their own because it's not like "them" (somehow forgetting that none of us are gnomes, orcs, elves, etc. in rl either).
The second kind of player is the roleplayer. They may or may not feel comfortable picking the opposite gender, depending on the manner in which they roleplay.
The third type of player doesn't see the character as themself, but rather like a piece in a board game they move around. I am that kind of player, so I am as comfortable picking a female character over a male one as I am picking a red piece in a board game over a green one.

Well put Amathe!   Nicely summarized.

I'm a third type.   Although I might RP for fun but I never claim to be something I'm not and I don't take RP-ing very seriously.    But mostly for me playing a female toon is like playing poker with a naughty picture deck   If you're going to play, why not have something to watch too?  

Anofalye

As some peoples reading my left motto might realize, I like to put myself in the shoes of other, to understand it from their perspective.

 

And, I put myself in the shoes of raiders a LOT too much and some of these guys stinck, in every possible ways!  There is only contempt that I can have toward peoples insisting that raiding grants better grouping tools, as they do request that for all the wrong reasons and they raid for the wrong reasons; aka peoples insisting that raiding have unfair rewards, most of them should not even be raiding, yet they enjoy screwing the majority so they cope with raiding even if they wouldn't otherwise.  A real raider is comfortable with the idea that best groupers earn everything in group...aka that best groupers are groupers, they smile nicely and approve.  Raiders who insist that raiding make better groupers, they insists because they actually enjoy crushing peoples who do not think like them, it is a form of social ganking if you want.

 

So, trying to understand it from the gals perspective was always nice, and some guys are miserables.  Now of course it bring a whole new approach, trying to understand the gals who realize we play female toons...hehe.  But now that I know that they know, what if they know that I know that they know, etc. 

eschient

I'd have to say I'm a mix of 1 and 2. Characters in games are extentions of myself, but give me a visual way to play that out. I am exceedingly shy and quiet...a wallflower, but on the otherhand, not some wilting flower of a girl. I also consider myself pretty intelligent and observant and can be pretty fierce when I need to be.

Just playing a character in a game allows me a way to put those things forth in non-mundane ways. I can say I am those things in real life, but how often do I have the opportunity to represent that? All most people see is shy and quiet...assuming they notice the little wallflower at all

But in a game, I can show all of it. I can take on my own challenges and have a bloody axe to show for it. I can use my character to come up with solutions. I can go in and slaughter things. I can choose to have an intelligent debate or conversation, or I can choose to simply watch things unfold. And I can roleplay different aspects of myself in different characters. For example, my druid may be the quiet, worldly one, while my orc is the fierce, charge in, "for honor!!" one. I might play a dark elf or something along those lines to let out the twisted and evil sense of humor or general disdain for anyone who isn't a diobolical genius like myself. *evil grin*

And these things come out more when put together with my husband, who tends to play female characters. There is something about the dynamic of two female characters that are feircely loyal to each other. Vilaraa is my protector. Eschient is her protector. It suspends the feeling of "My husband, the warrior" and "My wife, the healer." It becomes two people devoted utterly to each other and taking on the world. Something that is harder to show in the real world, yet easily expressed in an MMORPG through battle, conversation or simple interaction.

merlin83221

okay yeah i have to admit i play female alot. funny enough most my characters in wow arnt female, but i usely play one. well yes i did play one once and roleplayed it for awhile. it was funny i was saying this was my brothers character and saying i was a noob. hehe lvl 15 character sitting in grandville wanting a powerlvl on CoV. i spent 30min convincing people i was female. but what was i doing anyways bored runing around in a circle woot. it was funny. but i did get the crap the ladies have to deal with. your a guy, your gay, your a perv, i want to sleep with you. that is just wrong.

i have to admit i am not a saint but i treat ladies with respect. often even in real life i either refur to women as ladies, i am a medieval buff, angels or master. they are in a higher postion then me. i am subservant to them. sometimes i joke alot and sometimes i look like a flirt and maybe i am but what are ladies well rolaty.

for why i play female well mostly due to alot of curosity. but i have always wonder about the oppsite sex and it is fun to play it in games. does it change the game usely not really. funny enough my most common character in a rpg is a teenage female with a past that is represed.. you may call me a wierdo well guess what i am and so are you. nobody is normal. i am a anoying, joke to much, gamer, 21 year old male but i dont really care. want to know irony though i am very much an equal sex rights person i wont put up with sexism in the government and yet i refer to ladies are something higher then men. well they are but ladies should see men in the same light. we should respect each other.

people can play what sex they want. your sex doesnt define your character in life or in game. you define it.



oh yes i have a terrible time spelling.

and yes i think it would be funny to see peoples reaction to my post. i strive for knowledge.



oh and to the lady if posted before me. it is great to see you playing and even more with your husban. have a fun life together.

Sinuous

Originally posted by NameWasTaken


I exclusively play female characters in MMO games, purely for my own selfish purposes, as a virtual replacement for the flesh and blood girlfriend I can never have.
I don't have much contact with other players in MMO games, mostly as I like to solo a lot and playing Australian prime time means low populations in most games. So I like to think of my time playing MMO games is spending quality time with my virtual sweet-heart as she romps though the virtual world in question, impressing me with her combat prowess.
Pathetic I know, but real women are in general have turned out to be quite a disappointment and left wanting, when compared to my perfect virtual girlfriends.

I almost cried when I read this post............



Every day is a new day man........the sun also rises.



As far as "Virtual Crossdressing" goes; some people like to take the easy route to gifts and favors from the stereotypical introverted mmorpg-playing male, and some people like to play it "straight" per say.  If your secret desire is to be a female and curry the favor of males, then hey.......whatever floats your gondola, but lets not confuse the issue by applying such simplistic reasoning to it as, "I like to see pixelated chick butts."  Unless you clearly state in your bio or at the beginning of every grouping that you are, in fact, a male, you have more insidious desires and objectives.

Ravenswing

Even when I'm not roleplaying, I'm a roleplayer. I tend to create a character as the sex the character concept calls for, or the sex which makes the character concept stand out more. I don't care what other people think of me playing a girl, and I don't think it affects my manhood. I even feel something of a sense of pride in the fact that I've had compliments from real women concerning my ability to play a female character convincingly.

I also seem to play games where the female costumes are so much better than the male ones. Neverwinter Nights, City of Heroes/Villains. You always end up with better female costumes. Could this be because the game arts people tend to be men? I couldn't possibly comment.