I'd like to preface this by saying that I have many in-game friends who met people through MMORPGs and began dating. This is not intended as a put-down to people who cultivate in-game relationships that become RL romances at all. But here are my two cents on gender in MMORPGs. It's probably nothing you haven't heard before...
I'm a man so I tend to create male avatars, but I have created female avatars (when I played WoW, rolling a beehived female gnome who was a death-dealing warlock seemed too fun an opportunity to pass up).
In the current MMORPG landscape, avatar gender typically has no bearing on gameplay itself (skills, stats, etc.)--it strictly relates to how other gamers interact with you on a social level. I'm sure this will change in the future but until then, avatar gender is pretty irrelevant unless you're a lonely recluse or an online predator out to tap a little digi-strange.
Current MMORPGs are devoid of sexuality on any sort of interactive level--so what's the harm in players who choose to gender-bend? Sure, avatars have their cartoonish boobs and muscles and all that other jazz catering to teenage boys' fantasies, but we're not playing games at the moment where player characters interact in any sort of cyber-sexual way. unless stripping down and /dancing counts.
I think there's a big difference between a male playing a female avatar or a woman playing a male avatar and a man PRETENDING he is a woman in-game or a woman PRETENDING she is a man in-game. But am I outraged by this behavior? Not at all. Perhaps I would be if I used my current MMORPG for an online dating service.
Clearly, none of us are orcs or gnomes or elves in real life, so why do we draw the line at gender? I'm not really a valiant warrior with flowing black hair and rippling muscles. I'm losing my hair and have a beer gut and am probably too old to be playing videogames. And that voloptuous elven sorceress your dancing with in the town square? She's probably a bored stay-at-home mom with a skin condition. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Perhaps what I'm trying to say is that if you're using pixels to get off, its all make-believe in your head to begin with so don't blame reality for peeing all over your fantasies.
People can claim what they want in there defense but I garuntee they hide the real reasons, there is nothing wrong with playing female characters on console or any single player game because there are differant play styles, but in mmorpgs they are the same just differant gender and when you go around in a female character and acting kind of female and dont play like you dont almost every one of you do it, proves that a part of you either wants to be this way or your trying to rip people off.
In mmorpgs I never play female for one thing im a dude another im straight, I have nothing against people who are not but I have something against 60 percent of the male population trying to be famle in world of warcraft its immature and misleading it really is, for one thing most guys treat girls differantly and im not talking about flirting they just treat them nicer. If you want to look at a female post a picture near your cpu playing a female character is a sad excuse to get freebies.
Well some games, nerds will just give items to females, a friend of mine did that in diablo II Lol. But In asheron's call another chick i found out later to bea g uy said he just got tired of staring at the same ass. Not to mention if you ever won a fight you could say "You got beat by a girl"
Thats what a gnomes are for people are so insecure in video games getting beat by a short person talk about funny, I had a gnome mage that beat people alot and man they would get mad they want to duel again and again and again finally they log off.
Well some games, nerds will just give items to females, a friend of mine did that in diablo II Lol. But In asheron's call another chick i found out later to bea g uy said he just got tired of staring at the same ass. Not to mention if you ever won a fight you could say "You got beat by a girl"
I have some friends, a husband/wife combo who played avatars (all female) interchangably. So you never knew who you were dealing with, and I didn't know they were doing this until two years into the game! At any rate one of they avatars was a female CH back in the earliest days of SWG, and she sold a lot of cowardly gurrecks in Coronet wearing a revealing fleshwrap. It defintely helped her sales.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
i am a guy and i just simply prefare women to men. my main is always a female character. and ussually a support healer/pries kind of that doesnt have to hurt many things. (yes, i know i am wierd)
also realised how many crazied teenagers are playing MMO's cause of that, true u get helped, teamed more often the 14 year olds get on your nerves...
Originally posted by nethaniah
Seriously Farmville? Yeah I think it's great. In a World where half our population is dying of hunger the more fortunate half is spending their time harvesting food that doesn't exist.
It doesn't bother me when threads get rehashed. There are constantly new people coming in and out of these forums. There are numerous topics that pop up again and again.
This topic is actually one of the more interesting ones, IMO. As a person who has published papers in psychology journals, I know I could definitely write tomes about this kind of behavior.
What makes it even more interesting to me is how this will change as technology advances further and the MMO experience becomes more immersive. Right now, identifying with your avatar is still very superficial. Future technology could make the experience much more visceral, leading to a host of additional problems.
Soo I was wandering why some guys play female chars in most mmogs,it just freaks the hell out of me sometimes to see 60% of a guilds members being female chars played by guys entirely.Personaly I never played a female char in any game and never wanted to,soo im asking why dont you play the gender you are in real life.I would realy like it if future mmogs restricted the char gender you can pick by checking the gender you signed you account to.
Just my opinion, but the guys that's "freaked out" because someone is playing a character in a video game that isn't the same gender they are in real life, has more problems by a long shot, than the person that's playing a character of a different gender. It's not real life, it's a video game. Just keep repeating that over and over. Oh, and those elves you see? Those aren't real elves sitting at computers playing those characters either. It's not real life, it's a video game.
Why in the world would I give a rat's behind what gender you are in real life if I meet you in a video game?
There's only one reason you want a game that verifies gender of the players, and that's because you think it's an online dating service. Just google dating service if that's what you're looking for. I want to play a game, not look for a hook up.
Just my opinion, but the guys that's "freaked out" because someone is playing a character in a video game that isn't the same gender they are in real life, has more problems by a long shot, than the person that's playing a character of a different gender. It's not real life, it's a video game. Just keep repeating that over and over. Oh, and those elves you see? Those aren't real elves sitting at computers playing those characters either. It's not real life, it's a video game.
Why in the world would I give a rat's behind what gender you are in real life if I meet you in a video game?
I totally agree.
I admit i do sometimes pretend that i am a girl to get free stuff.
Or maybe because I think it would be interesting to meet a girl who 'likes' girls.
But i never would play a female toon just to meet an online girlfriend who likes girls.
Just my opinion, but the guys that's "freaked out" because someone is playing a character in a video game that isn't the same gender they are in real life, has more problems by a long shot, than the person that's playing a character of a different gender. It's not real life, it's a video game. Just keep repeating that over and over. Oh, and those elves you see? Those aren't real elves sitting at computers playing those characters either. It's not real life, it's a video game.
Why in the world would I give a rat's behind what gender you are in real life if I meet you in a video game?
There's only one reason you want a game that verifies gender of the players, and that's because you think it's an online dating service. Just google dating service if that's what you're looking for. I want to play a game, not look for a hook up.
I agree as well with gillvane1. In fact I think the exact same thing.
People pay to play mmorpgs , people should be able to play the character that they want to be, male or female. I play female characters because I prefer to, no I don't go around pretending to be a girl in order to get free stuff. The gender of a person you meet in a video game, shouldn't matter...it's how good of a person they are, that should.
guy, I play a guy, only time i've ever rolled up a female char was in ac1 to prove to the wife how gullible guys are in giving stuff to girls,
she plays also. Sorta funny, we'd be standing in town and some guy would roll by and give her stuff. she got over like a fat rat, course in the 90's males playing females wasn't as popular as it is now. These days it doesn't matter, everyone plays everyone, big deal. It's pretty easy to spot the guys anyway. Me, I guess i'm like the poster who stated some play their toons as if they're extensions of themselves, so guys only. I can watch the wifes but as we run
For the record I am a guy and play 50% female and 50% male avatars. I don't have an issue with my sexuality. However I do find good looking female avatars wielding a double handled axe in pvp just awesome. Other reasons are...
1. variety. Considering that 70% + of the population are guys I think it would be unfortunate to see few female avatars.
2. Ego. In pvp there is nothing better than taking down an enemy. Do it with a female avatar and it just hurts them even more You will be surprised how many players get really upset about it.
3. Probably one of the main reasons are is that I prefer to see the backside of a sexy high elf woman. Since that is what you see 99% of the time!
4. The most obvious reason. ITS A GAME!! I take it that every character is a bloke. Even if they say they are a woman I still don't believe them until I hear them on TS or Vent.
People can claim what they want in there defense but I garuntee they hide the real reasons, there is nothing wrong with playing female characters on console or any single player game because there are differant play styles, but in mmorpgs they are the same just differant gender and when you go around in a female character and acting kind of female and dont play like you dont almost every one of you do it, proves that a part of you either wants to be this way or your trying to rip people off. In mmorpgs I never play female for one thing im a dude another im straight, I have nothing against people who are not but I have something against 60 percent of the male population trying to be famle in world of warcraft its immature and misleading it really is, for one thing most guys treat girls differantly and im not talking about flirting they just treat them nicer. If you want to look at a female post a picture near your cpu playing a female character is a sad excuse to get freebies. It appears you have contradiicted yourself....chill out, you take it way too seriously. See next quote.
Originally posted by gillvane1
It's not real life, it's a video game. Just keep repeating that over and over. Oh, and those elves you see? Those aren't real elves sitting at computers playing those characters either. It's not real life, it's a video game.
Comments
I'd like to preface this by saying that I have many in-game friends who met people through MMORPGs and began dating. This is not intended as a put-down to people who cultivate in-game relationships that become RL romances at all. But here are my two cents on gender in MMORPGs. It's probably nothing you haven't heard before...
I'm a man so I tend to create male avatars, but I have created female avatars (when I played WoW, rolling a beehived female gnome who was a death-dealing warlock seemed too fun an opportunity to pass up).
In the current MMORPG landscape, avatar gender typically has no bearing on gameplay itself (skills, stats, etc.)--it strictly relates to how other gamers interact with you on a social level. I'm sure this will change in the future but until then, avatar gender is pretty irrelevant unless you're a lonely recluse or an online predator out to tap a little digi-strange.
Current MMORPGs are devoid of sexuality on any sort of interactive level--so what's the harm in players who choose to gender-bend? Sure, avatars have their cartoonish boobs and muscles and all that other jazz catering to teenage boys' fantasies, but we're not playing games at the moment where player characters interact in any sort of cyber-sexual way. unless stripping down and /dancing counts.
I think there's a big difference between a male playing a female avatar or a woman playing a male avatar and a man PRETENDING he is a woman in-game or a woman PRETENDING she is a man in-game. But am I outraged by this behavior? Not at all. Perhaps I would be if I used my current MMORPG for an online dating service.
Clearly, none of us are orcs or gnomes or elves in real life, so why do we draw the line at gender? I'm not really a valiant warrior with flowing black hair and rippling muscles. I'm losing my hair and have a beer gut and am probably too old to be playing videogames. And that voloptuous elven sorceress your dancing with in the town square? She's probably a bored stay-at-home mom with a skin condition. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Perhaps what I'm trying to say is that if you're using pixels to get off, its all make-believe in your head to begin with so don't blame reality for peeing all over your fantasies.
People can claim what they want in there defense but I garuntee they hide the real reasons, there is nothing wrong with playing female characters on console or any single player game because there are differant play styles, but in mmorpgs they are the same just differant gender and when you go around in a female character and acting kind of female and dont play like you dont almost every one of you do it, proves that a part of you either wants to be this way or your trying to rip people off.
In mmorpgs I never play female for one thing im a dude another im straight, I have nothing against people who are not but I have something against 60 percent of the male population trying to be famle in world of warcraft its immature and misleading it really is, for one thing most guys treat girls differantly and im not talking about flirting they just treat them nicer. If you want to look at a female post a picture near your cpu playing a female character is a sad excuse to get freebies.
I have some friends, a husband/wife combo who played avatars (all female) interchangably. So you never knew who you were dealing with, and I didn't know they were doing this until two years into the game! At any rate one of they avatars was a female CH back in the earliest days of SWG, and she sold a lot of cowardly gurrecks in Coronet wearing a revealing fleshwrap. It defintely helped her sales.
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
i am a guy and i just simply prefare women to men. my main is always a female character. and ussually a support healer/pries kind of that doesnt have to hurt many things. (yes, i know i am wierd)
also realised how many crazied teenagers are playing MMO's cause of that, true u get helped, teamed more often the 14 year olds get on your nerves...
Please stop beating a dead horse.. can we get this daily thread locked by chance?
People play what they want. It's a game, play it like a game. Do what you want to do yadda yadda yadda.
This topic is actually one of the more interesting ones, IMO. As a person who has published papers in psychology journals, I know I could definitely write tomes about this kind of behavior.
What makes it even more interesting to me is how this will change as technology advances further and the MMO experience becomes more immersive. Right now, identifying with your avatar is still very superficial. Future technology could make the experience much more visceral, leading to a host of additional problems.
Just my opinion, but the guys that's "freaked out" because someone is playing a character in a video game that isn't the same gender they are in real life, has more problems by a long shot, than the person that's playing a character of a different gender. It's not real life, it's a video game. Just keep repeating that over and over. Oh, and those elves you see? Those aren't real elves sitting at computers playing those characters either. It's not real life, it's a video game.
Why in the world would I give a rat's behind what gender you are in real life if I meet you in a video game?
There's only one reason you want a game that verifies gender of the players, and that's because you think it's an online dating service. Just google dating service if that's what you're looking for. I want to play a game, not look for a hook up.
I admit i do sometimes pretend that i am a girl to get free stuff.
Or maybe because I think it would be interesting to meet a girl who 'likes' girls.
But i never would play a female toon just to meet an online girlfriend who likes girls.
People pay to play mmorpgs , people should be able to play the character that they want to be, male or female. I play female characters because I prefer to, no I don't go around pretending to be a girl in order to get free stuff. The gender of a person you meet in a video game, shouldn't matter...it's how good of a person they are, that should.
she plays also. Sorta funny, we'd be standing in town and some guy would roll by and give her stuff. she got over like a fat rat, course in the 90's males playing females wasn't as popular as it is now. These days it doesn't matter, everyone plays everyone, big deal. It's pretty easy to spot the guys anyway. Me, I guess i'm like the poster who stated some play their toons as if they're extensions of themselves, so guys only. I can watch the wifes but as we run
For the record I am a guy and play 50% female and 50% male avatars. I don't have an issue with my sexuality. However I do find good looking female avatars wielding a double handled axe in pvp just awesome. Other reasons are...
1. variety. Considering that 70% + of the population are guys I think it would be unfortunate to see few female avatars.
2. Ego. In pvp there is nothing better than taking down an enemy. Do it with a female avatar and it just hurts them even more
You will be surprised how many players get really upset about it.
3. Probably one of the main reasons are is that I prefer to see the backside of a sexy high elf woman. Since that is what you see 99% of the time!
4. The most obvious reason. ITS A GAME!! I take it that every character is a bloke. Even if they say they are a woman I still don't believe them until I hear them on TS or Vent.
Girls with weapons......no more needs to be said.
Daedalus Project
www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001369.php
www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/000551.php
Key note: "about 1 out of every 2 female characters is played by a man" (in WoW)
PlayOn
blogs.parc.com/playon/archives/data/wow_data/gender/index.html
And of course they both cover a lot of other more or less interesting stuff.
blank
its like virtual girls on ur desktop hehe
males who play male chars love male striptise too..i think^^
Originally posted by Angelbound
People can claim what they want in there defense but I garuntee they hide the real reasons, there is nothing wrong with playing female characters on console or any single player game because there are differant play styles, but in mmorpgs they are the same just differant gender and when you go around in a female character and acting kind of female and dont play like you dont almost every one of you do it, proves that a part of you either wants to be this way or your trying to rip people off.
In mmorpgs I never play female for one thing im a dude another im straight, I have nothing against people who are not but I have something against 60 percent of the male population trying to be famle in world of warcraft its immature and misleading it really is, for one thing most guys treat girls differantly and im not talking about flirting they just treat them nicer. If you want to look at a female post a picture near your cpu playing a female character is a sad excuse to get freebies.
It appears you have contradiicted yourself....chill out, you take it way too seriously. See next quote.
Originally posted by gillvane1
It's not real life, it's a video game. Just keep repeating that over and over. Oh, and those elves you see? Those aren't real elves sitting at computers playing those characters either. It's not real life, it's a video game.