Poll: Playing Characters of the Opposite Sex

[Reverend Del]

I play female characters as often as I feel the need. I'm currently playing Dark Heresy with some friends, and I have a Vostroyan Sister of Battle, although it helps that Sisters of Battle have balls almost as big as any Space Marine. In video games, I've played a female Shephard, and my DA:O main file is a female elf thing. I just don't see it being a problem.

 

[bruunwald]

If you like a character or character concept, you just like it and no explanation or worry is necessary. I've been playing tabletop RPGs since 1981 and have played many females, not only as DM/GM (where you basically HAVE to), but also as a player.

Many of my favorite video game protagonists are females, as well. Among my all-time faves? Heather, from Silent Hill 3. I've probably played that game through five times or more.

There's nothing unnatural or weird about it. It's no different than writing a story about a female protagonist or watching a movie with same. Calling it unnatural is the same as calling every male author who ever wrote a female protagonist, and every male director who ever directed a female lead, unnatural. Not to mention any males who enjoyed those books or movies. Which I would bet would make even the anti-females posting to this topic "weirdos" for liking any of the Alien films.

I had a longtime player in my group who fretted about it each time one of us other males played a female. The only thing weird about the situation was his obsession with it. When asked if it was weird then, for the GM to play the female NPCs he interacted with, he had nothing but lame excuses that explained nothing. It was his problem, not ours.

 

[Mumonk]

If I don't have a choice(Tomb Raider) then I don't care, its part of the story. If I have a choice(most RPG'ss/MMO's) Then I always choose male, and my wife is the same, always picks female, refuses to play male, unless she HAS too.

 

[evilmrgerbik]

If I' m going to be staring at a butt in 3rd person for 20-40 hours, I'd feel weird if it wasn't a woman's.

 

[Randomish]

Well, the pseudo-acronym of Many Men Online Role Playing as Girls was generated for a reason. Men have been on the forefront of any frontier imaginable, before it becomes diverse through common use. I personally always choose female avatars, because if I have to look at a behind for hours on end, it might as well be a good-looking one.

 

[Lukeman1884]

Yeah, and as a wise man once asked: "Would you rather spend all day staring at a girl's ass, or a guy's?"

 

[T-Bone24]

I feel that playing a character of opposite gender is just something different. My Canon Commander Shepard is female, for example. Now I'll just flip a coin when given the option; that's how I've chosen my first Dragon Age character, a few WoW characters and my latest Fallout 3 runthrough.

 

[MassiveGeek]

Well, I have no problem with playing a male character in games like Bioshock, Half-Life etc.

But in RPGs, I prefer to play as female. Because I am one, and I prefer to stay one in as many places I'm given the chance to, simple as that. I absolutely wouldn't ignore to play a great game just because the character is male, but, if given the choice... female.

 

[Serge A. Storms]

I pick what gender I feel like at the time, I'd only hesitate if it was a JRPG because I'd feel like a pedophile but 1) I feel like a pedophile just looking at JRPG box art anyway and 2) I don't play JRPGs and shift my eyes away from the screen when someone else puts one on.

 

[MetalGenocide]

Voted for first option. Don't really see how anybody would feel awkward about it.

 

[WolfenD]

I have a called Kirsty and everytime we play a new mmorpg she plays as a boy why because my god shes being asked to be people girlfreind that it isn't funny anymore. But back on topic I from time to time will play as a female character why because its role playing and you get to see the word in a different view.

Example after Yahtzee "Age of Conan" review I decided to check it out. I decided since it was a free trial I'll have a bit of fun. Instead of playing as my usual male rouge/priest, I decided to be a female mage. My god I had fun role playing and fooling people who thought I was a chick (I have a girlish voice, ie chatted with skype) When I told my party that my free trial ran out they were really sad and said they would miss me. So I decided to give them my real picture and my god they found it funny because the two male warriors were both chicks. There was only one of us in a party of 4 that was playing as their real gender.

In simple words, we change our gender in games because we're playing someone else, we're making decisions that we wouldn't normally make that is because we are role playing.

 

[Heatray]

Playing as a chick doesn't really bother me that much because I've been doing it since the days of Resident Evil, Dino Crisis and Parasite Eve. I don't prefer playing as a chick, but it doesn't bother me when myself or other people do it.

On a related note, a lot of girls I know that play video games prefer to play as a male character.

 

[Eumersian]

It really depends on the game. If its an RPG, I usually play as a male, sine I find it easier to role play when I can relate to the character in some way. But I played Diablo II. I played as the Amazon, Assassin, Sorceress, even the rogue in Diablo I. If there is some very enticing incentive to play as the opposite sex, like a different way of playing entirely, then I'd be all over that. Also, Metroid.

 

[Wynn Donivan]

I usually play female characters. Why? Motoko Kusanagi and Samus Aran. That's why.

 

[flying_whimsy]

I play as a member of the opposite sex whenever possible and will only reluctantly play as characters of my own sex if I'm forced or aiming for completion.

 

[Fwee]

I can go either way, just depends on the game. Monster Hunter? Female. People are way nicer to you for some reason, I've done the research, don't argue.
Borderlands? I've played all four characters, and I prefer the Siren. The skills are awesome, and guess what? NO CONSTANT MAN-GRUNTING!!!
BTW that Ultimate Muscle Roller Legend? Made my day, you guys are heroes!

 

[Veritasiness]

I frequently play as female characters, and as a roleplayer, am told I do well at playing a female. However, I am equally capable of portraying males.

In a game where it doesn't matter and roleplay isn't important, I tend to pick females for the aesthetic - but in an RPG, MMO or other form of creative game, I can do either.

I don't think it's creepy or weird to play the other gender, as long as you don't misrepresent yourself - that's just rude. I make no excuses for how I play or what I play, and I don't lie about who I really am - I can't think of a positive reason to do so.

 

[Nocturnal Gentleman]

Since most rpgs I've played mostly revolve around a male main character I don't have a problem with it at all. If I have the choice of gender I'll pick female if it's single player (and the character doesn't look like a bimbo) and male if it's an mmo. I don't know why but it always seems like people treat you different online if your the female character. I had people trying to protect me, make sexist jokes all day, or just follow me around being an annoying perv. Picking a male removes all those problems.

 

[Inner Pickle]

I played ME and DA as female. I tried male Shepard but quickly found that the voice acting was all the same neutral american accent said in the same boring way. Female Shepard's voice acting is actually more compelling. In Dragon Age I made the decision to be a female elf mage, not realising that I was everything that Ferelden hated so spent the whole game with the NPCs being prejudiced in some way or other. I sure showed them.

I find female characters more interesting then their male counterparts, male archetypes in video games are pretty limited and not being someone who suffers from roid rage I find myself relating more to the females then the males because they seem more human.

 

[megs1120]

Always having to play games as a man is kinda annoying, at least in single player games. In a multiplayer game, I wouldn't want a female avatar because of the amount of shit I'd have to put up with for being a girl.