Poll: Does playing a female character bother you?

[Tarkand]

Let see...

- In game where the character is already made for me, I don't mind playing a female character all (Be they game like Bayonneta or fighting game like Soul Caliber).

- In game where you create your character but your gender makes no difference whatsoever, I usually make a guy because it's what I know. (I.e. WoW).

- In game where you create your character and gender has a different (stat wise or story wise), I'll usually start with a guy and do a second play through as a woman (Mass Effect 1&2, Dragon Age, Fall Out, etc). This is mainly because my first playthrough usually represents 'me', while the second is where I do stuff I wouldn't have picked... an 'reverse-me' playtrought.

 

[SupabadMan]

A little bit. Just a bit. Because it's hard to relate sometimes.

 

[JoshLalic]

I dont care, I usually play as male characters but if its an RPG like Dragon age where females get different dialogue then I'll have at least 1 playthrough as a female character.

 

[Syntax Error]

First of all, I'd say there is a difference between playing a pre-determined female character and MAKING a female character.

Playing a female doesn't bother me in the slightest, especially if the character was pre-determined as the game's protagonist, such as Jade in Beyond Good And Evil. In such situations I am merely taking control of an existing (virtual) person and that person's physical characteristics are not my choice.

However, I am more reluctant in CREATING an avatar of the opposite gender. I never play females in MMOs and in RPGs I always play male, except mybe one female to check out the differences in gameplay. When given the chance to actually make a character, I tend to try and represent myself.

But overall, if you throw me behind the controlls of a girl, I generally won't have any problem with it.

Incidentally, I never quite got with the whole "If I'm staring at an ass the whole time, it might as well be a female ass" thing. Not that I mind a bit of virtual booty, but I'm rarely looking at my character's ass. I guess I'm just too busy playing the game...

GIRLs [(Guy In Real Life)s] get free loot from some desperate souls in the internet. I knew of a small case where a friend of a friend had his character (and monthly payment) set just because his avatar happened to be a girl (the game's classes are gender-specific). Never did know what happened to him tho...

 

[theownerer]

I dont care at all I mean I played ffX-2 for 60 hours : /


Although if I do have a choice I'll choose male just because I am one.

 

[AgDr_ODST]

who cares!
*this guy doesn't*
<
So yeah I'd have no problem playing as a female character and quite frankly I fail to understand why anyone would be so against the idea.(to the point that you refuse to play the game that is) As long as a game has good action and or a good story gender of the PC shouldn't matter in the least.

 

[CRAVE CASE 55]

I prefer to play as one in Fallout due to the fact that the Black widow perk is better than the Lady killer.

 

[sh0tgunenclave]

I myself, enjoy playing chick characters most of the time, if I have a choice, a la option one up there on the poll. I ask because I have two friends I usually game with who differ greatly in opinion on the matter. One of my friends gives adamant protest if forced to play a female, sometimes to the point of outright refusal to play, which I find silly. My other friend doesn't care, and goes by stats. If stats aren't an issue, he says, it doesn't really matter then. We figured here would be as good a place as any to settle our argument about what the majority of gamers think about the (non)issue.

So, what about you folks? Any issues playing a girl?

EDIT: Added responses for ladies.

my only issue is how guys on mmorpgs dont stop to think that guys play girls

 

[Boba Frag]

I have to admit, I'm more comfortable playing as a male than female character whose choices and perspectives I'm responsible for, as in the Mass Effect games.

I usually end up making her look like Slutty McSluttington for the laugh at the character creation screen before I stop chuckling and remove the neon pink lipstick. It's Bioware's fault for putting it in there! lol
(Hopefully that won't be misconstrued as sexist)

There is quite the imbalance in character genders in games, there's no denying it. Even Lara Croft and Samus Arran are, let's face it, characters with very "male" traits so as not to spook the demographic too much.
That said, playing from a different gender viewpoint can be just as rewarding, which I certainly felt from the tiny bit of Heavy Rain that I've had a look at.

Personally, I prefer to create a character that represents myself more, although I have to admit, playing Mass Effect with a female Shepard was interesting as it allowed me to explore the other side of the story and get out of my comfort zone. Plus a renegade female Shepard with a penchant for sniping just seemed like fun.

 

[armaina]

In games where stats aren't involved then I play a female character, preferably one that isn't super sexy or something because those just come across as gaudy to me and annoying. I tend to go for the more average, subtle looking ones. If I can't find any I often go looking for gender neutral characters, like robots or something. If thats not there I usually begrudgingly take the sexy female.

In the case of stats, I'll play whatever character that has the stats and abilities I like, regardless of gender... but I do generally prefer it to be female anyway, but I can live if it isn't.

 

[McKillaboy]

Not really, for some weird and obscure reason I always make female characters.

 

[Blimey]

I don't care. Like, at all. But seeing as the Metroid series is my favorite game series ever, that kind of makes sense. (Samus is hot...what?)

Only time I don't like it is when the developers assume that we want the camera stuck to her ass the entire game (I'm looking at you, Velvet Assassin).

 

[Admiral Stukov]

No I don't.
The opposite infact, if I can choose to play a female char I do.

 

[bismarck55]

Not at all. I've never understood why this is an issue for some people. It happens in pen & paper RPGs too sometimes.

I'm not a genetically engineered space-marine, Wizard, halfling or female in real life, why should it be an issue for only one of the four options I gave as examples?

Depends, if the group is 100% gamist, then it doesn't matter, since all you'll be doing is rollplay.

If instead you're with a bunch of thespians playing a narrativist game, then yeah I can see the difference right there. It's easy to do a human that is short (halfling), or a geek (wizard), but it's impossible for most guys to do a convincing female act.

I don't know, I've seen at least a couple guys who could roleplay a female just as well as some women I've played with. Though admittedly these two were probably better roleplayers (than the women) in general.

Mostly though I was refering to those who might play Dragon Age or WoW (for example) but refuse to play a female character. So my point was you might not be a female in real life, but your not a dwarf or elf either.

I would like to venture slightly off-topic for a moment though regarding races in PnP games though. I would argue that it is not easy to play a halfling (or any non-human race) because they are not "short humans" they are a unique race with their own culture, philosophy and way of thinking, that when presented with a problem, would probably come up with a different solution than a human would. To this day I have yet to see what I would consider a convincing elf (including those that I have played).

 

[zolf]

I generally play male characters. Can't stand the sight of a lady being beat on because of my stupidity. XD

 

[Meshakhad_v1legacy]

None whatsoever. These days, half of my RPG characters are female anyway.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

I don't give two wild shits. In games with customizable characters I choose which ever one looks best, so I don't give two shits there either.

 

[TazTheTerrible]

I usually go for female characters first for a number of reasons.
Main one tends to be "If I'm going to be staring at a certain ass for hours on end, I'd prefer it to be an attractive one."

I also tend to like girl's kicking ass in my fiction and extra points if this choice gave me lesbian options.

Eh, I'm creature of simple pleasures at times.

 

[thepopeofatheism]

I'm playing as one in FFXIII and it's not bothering me one bit.