Poll: Do you ever play as your opposite gender in RPG's?

[Tuesday Night Fever]

Yep, I do play as the opposite gender in RPGs. Not always for the same reasons, though.

Like in Fallout and Fallout 2 I usually played a female character because they almost always got vendor discounts and loot that wouldn't normally be accessible to male characters (hell, in Fallout 2, if you use a female character with the name Buffy you can get a suit of metal armor and a 10mm SMG really early in the game).

In the Mass Effect games I played as Femshep because, quite frankly, I couldn't stand the voice acting for Broshep. It always sounded either especially hammy or completely phoned in. The only lines in the games that I thought he delivered better than Femshep were the particularly silly ones ("you big, stupid jellyfish!"). So yeah... I went with Femshep because I thought Jennifer Hale did a better job recording the dialogue.

Then there's the MMO scene. I used to play World of WarCraft for a long time. I typically played female characters because the male character models were either hideous or active gameplay hindrances (like male Tauren who sometimes have difficulty with doors due to their height and size; especially when they're riding mounts).

So, yeah... it kinda varies from game to game if I'll do it at all, and why. But I'm definitely not opposed to playing female characters.

 

[Keiichi Morisato]

Yes. I want to see if there is any extra dialogue when playing as another gender. Also looking at the backside of a female is much better than looking at some guys ass.

this is my reasoning too, that and there aren't enough female characters in video games.

 

[TehCookie]

I do, but a lot of it depends on the character creation. I play whatever gender looks better, and for human races that usually means if I can make a bishounen I'm going to play male. If I can't I play female. In TES I'll never play a female argonian because they look off to me for some reason.

But then you'll never recreate the Lusty Argonian Maid. D:

Who said that had to be female

 

[RedmistSM]

Yes. I don't get to play as a female in many other games, so I tend to play as them in RPGs that allow it, even if it doesn't make a lick of difference like in Dark Souls.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

Yes, I play a female character for 1 of 2 reasons.

1) It's just better that way. Mass Effect is an example as the FemShep voice actor is FAAAAR superior to the MShep voice actor.

2) I can make my character sexy and dress her up in awesome ways. Like with Fallout 3/NV and Skyrim.

Like in Fallout and Fallout 2 I usually played a female character because they almost always got vendor discounts and loot that wouldn't normally be accessible to male characters (hell, in Fallout 2, if you use a female character with the name Buffy you can get a suit of metal armor and a 10mm SMG really early in the game).

Oh shit, seriously?

Damn, I need to go back and play those again as a female.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I like to play as a female once in a while, but I'll play as a guy more often if given a choice.

 

[Mitsozuka]

If I'm going to be spending umpteen hours staring at the avatar's hindquarters, I find the female form more pleasing to the eye.

Pretty much this. Unless I can make a fairly accurate representative avatar of myself, I'd prefer to have my protagonist be easier on the eyes.

 

[HellbirdIV]

Yep. I usually prefer playing female characters, actually.

 

[IndomitableSam]

If the option's available, I play as a female. Always. Much nicer to look at, even if I'm a straight girl myself. Usually they end up with similar traits to myself, and a similar face shape, but mostly... a woman's rear end is much nicer to look at than a man's. I prefer a strong back and broad shoulders, I'm not really a butt girl. And since every guy has the build of He-Man, it's pretty disappointing. Movement animations are smoother for women, too.

 

[roushutsu]

Usually for my first playthrough, I stick with my own gender. But if I really end up loving the game and want to play it again, that's when I start playing around with each additional playthrough. Like Mass Effect for example, I started out with Paragon FemShep. Then I played male, then I played Renegade, etc.

MMORPGS I switch frequently between the genders, depending on the class. I like to play male characters for wizards or knights, while I like to play females for clerics, archers, and thieves.

 

[rookie411]

Usually when I play an RPG I like to imagine I'm playing as myself so playing as a girl would ruin that a bit

 

[DementedSheep]

Usually my first character is female (my gender) unless there is a specific reason not to be like an annoying VA or fantasy themed prostitute armour. Not to relate to the character more. I don' generally think of my rpg characters as "me". It's more that most games with a set protagonist, books and movies have a male protagonist so if I have the opportunity to make some more female heroines I going to take it.
I might play a guy 2nd or 3rd time around though.

 

[lacktheknack]

I do, but a lot of it depends on the character creation. I play whatever gender looks better, and for human races that usually means if I can make a bishounen I'm going to play male. If I can't I play female. In TES I'll never play a female argonian because they look off to me for some reason.

But then you'll never recreate the Lusty Argonian Maid. D:

Who said that had to be female

It's a Lusty Argonian Maid -

Uh...

I hate you. I now am imagining a male Argonian in a maid outfit. D:

 

[randomrob1968]

If I have a choice I always pick a female character.

 

[Voulan]

No, I only ever play as a female when the option is available. I have to play as a male in most other games, so it's not a question of relating to the character, just taking any chance I can get. And I role play heavily, so it makes sense to me.

 

[Zeren]

I play females and males equally. I usually do it because I like to recreate my existing characters in other games, and as I have many many characters that I have accumulated over years of tabletop gaming, it tends to balance out.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Depends on the game I suppose. Some offer a compelling reason to choose one gender over another. Mass Effect has the oft cited Jennifer Hale for example. While I personally didn't care for her performance and preferred Mark Meer's it would be an example where I'd consider it.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

Very, very rarely. The only time I can remember playing as a female in an RPG was in Skyrim, where I played as a female Altmer mage who had loyalties to the Stormcloaks. That was more due to it being an interesting backstory than anything though. I just prefer men in general in RPGs. Call me sexist if you wish.

 

[Tzatziki3301]

I have a couple of 'recurring' characters who will always feature in any RPG I play (one definately and the other if there is sufficient replay/class difference/impetus to have a go)

The first is Bella, a default warrior/rogue hybrid (martial skills plus archery, some sneaking, some armour, whatever that rpg uses, some spells if they are there at the start, a decent amount of charisma to do the talking with, that kind of thing). Bella Shepherd starred in my Mass Effect trilogy, Bella Lapanzer got me through first play through of Oblivion and Skyrim, she is also in Dungeon Siege (both of them), Neverwinter etc. She started life in Everquest (lvl 55 Warrior, DRo server for a few years back in 2001-6). She's the bold 'lawful goodish neutral' character, is pretty community minded and usually gets to pick all the good options that still allow her smash things in the face that annoy her.

The second is Tzatziki, the 'everything else' option. Usually a spellcaster type though may also have other things bolted on. He's the 'chaotic evil-ish' guy, often (if able) the non-human and he's the game breaker (maxed out stealth, maxed out magic, whatever I havn't done to death already). In EQ he was an Iksar Shadowknight (only got to about level 20something, again DRo server 01-06)

Those two usually allow me to try everything an rpg has to offer, and its usually pretty easy to drop a Bella-type character into any RPG going.

When it comes to Pen and Paper, I have no qualms roleplaying as a woman, though I usually leave sexuality at the door (it makes things generally easier). When it comes to computer games, I'll admit as much as the next man that its usually because if I am having to stare at something's backside for hours on end as it jiggles about in front of me on screen, it may as well be female.