Do you find playing a character of the other gender awkward?

[mohit9206]

I love playing as a female character. Whenever i have a choice of gender i will almost always pick to play as a female character. Its really refreshing change to play as female character as most video game protoganists are male. So as a result i loved the new Tomb Raider, i played as female shepherd in Mass Effect 2, Played as female characters in RE6 etc.

 

[Strazdas]

Being a male and chosing to play male character unless no such choice or the female character has qualities that i want more (like preset characters) i rarely get to paly female. When i do, i have no problem playing females, i jut threat it as a character and not as me (example - mirrors edge). I do not associate myself with characters, i create them, for they are much more interesting than me.
The only exceltion i can think was lara craft. When you spend 4 hours of camera being zoomed into her ass isntead of where you want to go it feels a bit awkward.

Ever since I signed up for Tibia back in 2000, I've always enjoyed playing a female character more. Dunno why, I just do.

Yay someone still remembers Tibia!

 

[Dale Ware]

To answer the initial question, No, i don't feel awkward playing a female character, but i generally only play as one if its a predefined choice E.g. Borderlands Siren classes, or if i enjoyed a game enough for a second playthru.

The only reason i think is that i tend to make my character as close to 'me' as i can if its optional. but i've never really thought too hard about it.

 

[A Weakgeek]

In videogames I tend to go female when they are prettier (Games like Fallout 3 or elderscrolls for example I dont, because the women are ugly) , because I like looking at ass and tits, and I'm not the kind to rp by myself.

In PnP however I don't really play women, mainly because writing a believable female character is inherently harder for me as a male. I don't really like when men play women in PnP games anyways, because they tend to go too much in the girly girl territory, which is the last type of person I want to have travelling with me.

 

[Gali]

I don't really care. I would never reject a game because it has a male progatonist. Well, at least if he is not too macho, then it would be awkward indeed (e.g. I despise the Duke Nukem series).

In games that allow custom characater creation, I tend to prefer playing a female though. But that's mostly because I want to create a character that is as close as it can to my appearence IRL, so a male would be kinda counterproductive. However, in games that are worth multiple playthroughs (like Bioware RPGs), I want to experience the game with both genders.

 

[Nomanslander]

Video games don't exactly place you in the situations where playing a female character would feel awkward for a male. For instance if I'm Lara Croft getting shot at, I'm pretty sure a women would feel the same way about it as a guy would; we wouldn't like it. And since with video games, getting shot at or having a sword wielded at me is predominately what I'm going to expect, playing a certain gender never really influences how I would feel about the matter. Now playing Lara Croft and having a bunch of dudes wanting to rape me does change it up a bit, but you're still getting the same reaction as you would from a female; we wouldn't want it or like it one bit.

Now what situation would be really awkward is if I'm playing Lara Croft and I start to get romanced by a male side character. As a heterosexual male, that would be awkward as it was so when I played a Femshep in Mass Effect. I found myself avoiding all male advances and interestingly enough had no problems with the lesbian ones.

 

[Sir Christopher McFarlane]

I'd like in every game to have the option of playing as Michelle Rodriguez. Unfortunately only the Tomb Raider series currently allows it.
Outside of that, given the oportunity to choose, I'll generally pick a female character since most games force me to play a male one. If there will be romancing dudes in the game though, it can get awkward (for my family members to hear my constant giggling).

 

[Thyunda]

If there's actual female characters, then no, I don't find it awkward. If we're creating our own characters, then I'll always play male. I always imprint myself onto created characters - like they're my vehicle for exploring their world. Essentially I roleplay as though I'm them, or they're me. Though I try not to use knowledge from outside the game, that would be cheating.

If they're characters, like Lara Croft, then I'm not them and I'm just guiding them, so I'll care for her as equally as I'd care for a male protagonist. If not more, because she's a delicate little flower and all that.

That was a joke. By the way.

 

[Silly Hats]

Really this is a thing? Playing both are fine, though depending on the style of gameplay might depend on what gender I play as.

 

[Anachronism]

Not at all. I usually play male characters, but I still adore my FemShep.

 

[DarkhoIlow]

In most cases I really don't care which gender I am playing so I am not phased by that if I am "forced" to play one or another.

I prefer males usually if I want to play "properly", being a man myself I tend to relate better to them obviously. There are certain games that I have had no problems playing with a female protagonist (Tomb Raider being the most recent title of note).

 

[the December King]

Yeah, I never play human/elven/standard playable race women in tabletop/ Pathfinder. I don't feel comfortable playing as a woman in those settings. But to be fair, I don't really enjoy the stqandard race men, either. As a DM, I don't seem to have these problems, and will roleplay all of them, men, women and children... but it's usually in service to my own narrative, so I feel a bit bolder in presenting unique characters as well as some stereotypes.

If I can, I'll happily play a monstrous female creature, especially ones that have little or no precedent pattern of social behaviours- then I get to define them, and that is always so fun!

In a video game, I'll play a female protagonist if that's the way to play, but if given a choice in PC, I'll usually play a male character.

 

[Jaythulhu]

Personally? No.

However, I have seen it lead down a rather creepy path more than once when it comes to TTRPG'ing. One of those times was when a player who'd ALWAYS rolled female characters disappeared from the table for several months. He just vanished. Then one day he showed up again, out of the blue, but this time sporting a new pair of breasts, hair extensions, hormone replacement pills and a dress.

There's a situation brewing at my current table that I may have to intervene with soon, and it will probably end up ugly. The line between "Fantasy RPG" and "Roleplaying Your Fantasies" is being treated like welcome mat outside a mcdonalds.

Make of it what you will, but perhaps some people don't have a strong enough hold on either their sexual or gender identity even to "play" a character of the opposite gender?

 

[AngryBritishAce]

Well I don't have a problem playing Female characters, but when playing RPGs, I like to role play as an alternate reality version of myself. Although there'd always be differences in facial structure, body structure, eye colour and hair style/ colour, I'd always make a while (unless I can play as a Dark Elf) male character with dark hair, clean stubble and as young as possible. Because I'm a young white male with dark hair and clean stubble and I like to be able to role play my character as "myself."

This also means I'm almost always a paragon/ good character (though some times 70% good 30% evil), since in real life I think of myself as a relatively nice guy. I also try to give each character a different back-story as well (my last Mass Effect character was a drunk because he lost his entire squad on Accuze and a few people on the collector base, and my current Skyrim character is a vampire hunter because a vampire lord seduced his sister and killed her, so he tracks him down across the Skyrim boarder), but they'd still hold "my morals" what ever backstory I've given them.

When I've gotten bored of the game but still want to play it, I'll switch over, creating a female evil character. I don't feel uncomfortable, but I also don't feel immersed.

Plus, if there's a romance option, I like to go for ladies instead of guys. I guess I could be a lesbian character, but my favourite Romance options are almost always straight females (I feel really sorry for those female Tali-mancers :/)

 

[Lieju]

No, I don't.

I'm far more likely to find playing a female more awkward, if they are heavily sexualised.
I do dislike playing very muscular characters, it's just aesthically unappealing to me, but I don't have an issue playing a male character.

However, I have seen it lead down a rather creepy path more than once when it comes to TTRPG'ing. One of those times was when a player who'd ALWAYS rolled female characters disappeared from the table for several months. He just vanished. Then one day he showed up again, out of the blue, but this time sporting a new pair of breasts, hair extensions, hormone replacement pills and a dress.

So, she was playing the characters of her actual sex the whole time?

Make of it what you will, but perhaps some people don't have a strong enough hold on either their sexual or gender identity even to "play" a character of the opposite gender?

Are you seriously suggesting that playing a character that's different gender might turn you transsexual?
I guess you'd better stay away from tabletop games or you might go nuts and start seeing gorvils and think you can fly with magic, then.

 

[GonzoGamer]

In videogames I tend to go female when they are prettier (Games like Fallout 3 or elderscrolls for example I dont, because the women are ugly) , because I like looking at ass and tits, and I'm not the kind to rp by myself.

My first playthrough of Fallout 3 was male because I couldn't get a female face out of that thing that didn't look like a Disneyworld Hall of Presidents automatron if our presidents were inbred.

Then when my wife played, she played around with the face for like 45 mins (we play the sims games too so that part is actually fun for us) and got a supermodel. So on my second playthrough, I played around with it for a little longer and with my wife's help, was able to get someone who wasn't altogether unattractive. I did the same in New Vegas, and got a supermodel myself. So, you just got to play with it a while.

I essentially feel the same way you do. I don't exactly project myself on to these characters, so if I'm going to be looking at someone for hours on end, I find the female form more attractive; not that I have anything against people who feel the other way. If you prefer to project yourself it's fine but if playing a female character in a game "awkward" I think you're putting too much into it.

However, I never played a female character in analog RPG except when GMing of course.

 

[purplecactus]

I couldn't really care less either way. The only time I actually do care if it's in an rpg or something, and then I'll pick a gender based on ability or stat differences. But if it makes no difference beyond gender itself I tend to default to female. I'll throw in a male character every now and then to mix it up a little.

 

[A Weakgeek]

In videogames I tend to go female when they are prettier (Games like Fallout 3 or elderscrolls for example I dont, because the women are ugly) , because I like looking at ass and tits, and I'm not the kind to rp by myself.

My first playthrough of Fallout 3 was male because I couldn't get a female face out of that thing that didn't look like a Disneyworld Hall of Presidents automatron if our presidents were inbred.

Then when my wife played, she played around with the face for like 45 mins (we play the sims games too so that part is actually fun for us) and got a supermodel. So on my second playthrough, I played around with it for a little longer and with my wife's help, was able to get someone who wasn't altogether unattractive. I did the same in New Vegas, and got a supermodel myself. So, you just got to play with it a while.

I essentially feel the same way you do. I don't exactly project myself on to these characters, so if I'm going to be looking at someone for hours on end, I find the female form more attractive; not that I have anything against people who feel the other way. If you prefer to project yourself it's fine but if playing a female character in a game "awkward" I think you're putting too much into it.

However, I never played a female character in analog RPG except when GMing of course.

Well, I guess I didn't try hard enough with the chargen. The fact that there are no especially attractive NPCs either made me think its probably not possible to do.

And all the mods for Bethesda games that involve women make them look like anime characters out of DOA...

 

[Candidus]

I avoid playing male characters if at all possible. I've said it before, but I don't admire other men (that is to say I have no hero or idol), I have no more ideal an image of me than as I am, I have don't aspire to be different or better than I am, and I don't want to inhabit the character and so on and so on. I have no motives for making a male character, so I fall back on what I'm attracted to. And as a fan of RPGs, RTSs and MOBAs, I can usually have what I like.

For D+D, it'd depend on the format, and the attitudes of the group. If I'm going to have to be verbal for my character, I'll roll a man. If it's all over IM, I'll roll a woman.