Poll: Roleplaying Opposite-Sex Characters

[The Apothecarry]

I had a bit of a debate with one of my RPG friends a while back.

Eight of the nine D&D characters that I've built are female, and the current Shadowrun character I run is a female. During one D&D session, he told me he thought it was weird that I kept building and running female characters mostly because he had to picture me in his head as a woman, be it a half-drow or dragonborn. Something about it creeped him out, but I see it only as building a character that is "different."

Nobody else in the group, including the GM, ever thought this was weird. He was the only one to say anything. He's had his characters make suggestive comments to mine and I never thought it was odd, but he said he'd prefer that I build male characters so he doesn't feel awkward.

I'd like to point out that these characters are never roleplayed as looking for romance. They aren't some innocent helplessly trapped in a moral dilemma or a damsel in distress. Usually they're a headstrong, self-sustaining fighter-type. My Shadowrun character, for example, is a psychopathic gunslinger based on the character of Revy from Black Lagoon. The only way to date her is to buy her a missile launcher.

I thought I'd make a topic about this, as I'm sure it's quite common. My mom made a point of that when she noticed that my Mass Effect, Fallout 3, and Oblivion characters were female and when she asked me why, I couldn't give her a straight answer. I think now I can say I play female characters just to be different. You don't usually expect an adventure to have a female protagonist, so given the choice I side with the ladies. It can really change a game.

And hey, when we have an image in our heads or on the screen it's usually something we want to look at.

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

I've never seen anything wrong with it unless you're RPing a slut or a gold-digger (i've known people who do that). To me, part of the appeal of RPing is to play someone totally different from who you are every day. Sometimes RPing a member of the opposite sex helps achieve that goal.

 

[Hatchet90]

As a player in a handful of D&D nights, there is nothing funnier than a male being a female character.

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

Hmmm... im not sure, whenever im given a choice to play as a female, i do.. even though im male i just find i relate to a female character better. Although im not RPing as a female, im just playing as myself and what i would do, just in a female body.

If i want to RP, i'll actually make a male character, because thats easier for me to project some other personality onto.

 

[Scabadus]

I don't see anything wrong with it and it can lead to some hilarious situations, but I've never been able to do it myself. It's wierd, whenever I make a female character in a game that let's me make a male one, I feel really wrong. More so in online games, less so in single player games or games with only friends, but it's always present.

Slightly off topic, Morrowind gave male and female characters slightly different stats, I don't know if Oblivion still does though what with all this fun political correctness floating around like a bad smell.

 

[Speakercone]

The most fun I had in a D&D campaign was with a mixed gender group all roleplaying their opposite gender. Got pretty hilarious after awhile. Not sure about your friend being weirded out, maybe it is just that he has trouble picturing who your character is.

Maybe you just have an easier time creating female characters? Perhaps you find it easier to empathize with a female protagonist? These are my answers for why I often roleplay females in games.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

I've done it, and I'm perfectly normal (aside from the moderate autism, of course.)

 

[The Apothecarry]

hehe couldn't give her a straight answer. >)
No there ain't nothing wrong with it, but it does invite the obvious question:
Are you a cross-dresser?

No, sir. And thank god I don't lean that way. I always felt the most awkward when I had to work the women's section at Polo Ralph Lauren.

 

[ZeroMachine]

If I were to play a tabletop game, I wouldn't, as I'd feel weird if I decided to make my character flirt with a guy friend's character (unless I was doing it just to be a dick/be the comic relief).

But in, say, Dragon Age 2, I definitely prefer playing as female Hawke.

So, yeah, as long as you have good reason (and experiencing another side of life is a good reason), there's nothing wrong with it.

 

[BlackStar42]

In Mass Effect, I played as a girl because Jennifer Hale is a brilliant voice actress, and the guy who does the male Shepard has a voice blander than Hayden Christensen's. In Fallout 3 I played as a girl because Black Widow is better than Lady Killer, and that was my only reason.

 

[Dr_Horrible]

Whenever I play an RPG (at least a video game RPG), I play my first character as a male, then as a female so that I can see all the content. Basically, there's nothing weird unless you obsess over playing an opposite gender.

 

[Lunar Templar]

yup, been there, done that, >.> I'm oddly convincing at it

 

[The Apothecarry]

The most fun I had in a D&D campaign was with a mixed gender group all roleplaying their opposite gender. Got pretty hilarious after awhile. Not sure about your friend being weirded out, maybe it is just that he has trouble picturing who your character is.

Maybe you just have an easier time creating female characters? Perhaps you find it easier to empathize with a female protagonist? These are my answers for why I often roleplay females in games.

I'd have to go with the empathy. I was raised mostly by my mom (my dad works as the chief engineer on a container ship and has been gone six months a year my whole life). That and in terms of Shadowrun I'm drawn to the girls-with-guns mentality.

I'm sure he sure he has some issues picturing my characters. That's half the problem. My GM and the other player in our group are familiar with Black Lagoon, so they know exactly how I look and behave. He's got no clue.

 

[revolutionaification]

That's totally normal.

In fact, I tend to do things the other way around. Sure, my main character'll probably be female, but they never tend to have much personality, mostly just self-projection. Most of my properly developed characters are male as I simply find it far easier to add depth to a bloke than to any of my women.

I don't believe that playing as the opposite gender has anything to do with not being comfortable with yourself or any of the other comments that are passed. Really, games are just another form of escapism allowing you to be something extraordinary and different to your real life.

 

[MetroidNut]

In my opinion, good roleplaying is about slipping into the shoes of someone completely different from you. There's nothing wrong, then, with playing a character of the opposite gender; if you're roleplaying as someone with different beliefs than you in a different setting than you actually live in, why should that character have to be of your gender?

Personally, I tend to roleplay with characters of my own gender a slight majority of the time, but I'm not averse to using female characters. In a videogame, though, when I'm really trying to immerse myself, I always play as a male; it's one less barrier between me and the protagonist.

 

[The Apothecarry]

If I were to play a tabletop game, I wouldn't, as I'd feel weird if I decided to make my character flirt with a guy friend's character (unless I was doing it just to be a dick/be the comic relief).

But in, say, Dragon Age 2, I definitely prefer playing as female Hawke.

So, yeah, as long as you have good reason (and experiencing another side of life is a good reason), there's nothing wrong with it.

That's where he gets weirded out. If he flirts with me, his comments are directed at my character but he says them to me physically. I just think it's more fun and adds a little flare to the game. You don't expect a woman to charge into battle breathing fire and cutting down dragons with a six-foot sword.

 

[freaper]

Basically all RPG/MMORPG's I've played the male and female characters I had were more or less even. I usually pick a female character if it suits the class better. For example I'm more inclined to have male warriors but female mages.

 

[Daverson]

I always thought the whole point of role-playing was to put yourself in someone else's shoes... kinda defeats the purpose for people to try and make their characters as much like themselves as they can.

 

[The Apothecarry]

That's totally normal.

In fact, I tend to do things the other way around. Sure, my main character'll probably be female, but they never tend to have much personality, mostly just self-projection. Most of my properly developed characters are male as I simply find it far easier to add depth to a bloke than to any of my women.

I don't believe that playing as the opposite gender has anything to do with not being comfortable with yourself or any of the other comments that are passed. Really, games are just another form of escapism allowing you to be something extraordinary and different to your real life.

Well put, sir. I sometimes do get interested in how other characters react to seeing the quiet, timid woman in the rear of party leap into battle and cut down hordes of enemies.