Are you a Gender-bender

[Jim]

Hi

I hope most players here @ LL know & even participated in The Daedalus Project by Nicholas Yee...

The Demographics of Gender-Bending  ;)

Previous findings had shown that male players were significantly more likely to play characters of the opposite gender, but the age differences among male and female players was never explored in detail. It was surprising to find that older male players are the most likely players to gender-bend.

Demographics of Gender-Bending

I'm way over 35, & I always play a Male character if given the choice. How about you ???

[ShadowHM]

Hi

I too am well over 35 and I am female.

I don't play any MMORPG's. However, within the Diablo world: I started long ago with a D1 Rogue, partly because she was female and partly because she got a bow (ranged attack suits me more than mêlée).

By now, I care not at all about the gender of the character I am making, focusing instead on the skill set I want to develop. (I still have a love for bows though; this time around it is an Assassin who wields it. The Paladin wields throwing knives instead.)

However, I suspect that in a MMORPG, where the male and female characters get to have the same skill sets within a race or class, I would likely choose to play females. It would depend a lot on the way that other players interacted. The very last thing I want at this stage of life is to be hit on by other players who were seeking something other than company for monster slaying. :huh:

[[wcip]Angel]

It depends on the character. Some character classes are more proned to be male than female. I project the qualities of the characters on "Buffy - the vampire slayer" unto the games, so if I play a magic-user, the logical choice would be female, if I'm a valiant, holy-fighting paladin-sorts of thing, I play male, and a regular fighter will always be female, naturally.

[TaiDaishar]

Well, when the skills are not important I usually go for the better looking character.

I'm very fond of spells and stealth tactics and despise brute force, that's why I mostly choose females to play as they usually look more elegant than the male models, of course the "mysterious look" factor is also weighed in the equasion and then I choose my character :)

[--Pete]

Hi,

In the case of games like Diablo, where the class includes the gender, I'll go for attributes first. Thus, since I prefer ranged combat, most of my D1 characters have been rogues and most of my D2's have been amazons (although with D2 there is more choice -- like a crossbow Paladin :) ).

In the case of games where the role is more important, I'll play whichever fits better. Thus, I've tried a female in Baldur's Gate but the interactions and back story seemed strained. With a DM, it could work, either with role reversals or by playing a lesbian character.

In most games, it doesn't matter. I'll default to the male through mental laziness or else flip a coin (sometimes literally).

--Pete

[NiteFox]

Usually, any characters I play are not a projection of my egoscopal self but rather individual characters. Nearly ever single time I don't consider my ingame avatar "myself," but as a totally individual creation. Each and every single one of them has their own personality and gameplay quirks that seem to spawn spontaneously.

Like... Oh, Kitsune, my D1 Rogue. She has terrible bad luck even to this day when she should be powerful enough to waste anything in her path.

Sometimes I pick the gender of the character for gameplay reasons, like in Baldur's Gate II the only real incentive to choose a female character is so that they can romance Anomen (Something I'll never plan to do), so there's no real reason to do so. Fallout 2, on the other hand, has many reasons why you should pick a female character, as you can sleep your way through several early problems (Getting Vic for half the price Metzger initially offers is a godsend). But, at the moment, I'm playing a male character for no other reason than that I'm testing a fanmade patch and needed a character.

[Nicodemus Phaulkon]

As mentioned, in a game such as Diablo or Diablo II, this is redundant; classes are chosen, not genders.

However, in a game where genders are a choice without impacting the game engine, I have repeatedly chosen female characters as often as male. Neverwinter Nights is the one I currently "gender bend" with. My one "merchant" rogue is a perky blonde elf in a beret with a caustic tongue and a penchant for hard dealing. She's quite popular, for some reason. On the other hand, her "nephew" is a elf's elf. On the whole, my characters tend to be 50/50 with their genders.

I suppose the Daedalus Projects findings (suspicions) hold true enough, for I fit within their 35+ parameter. I can also echo the observations of adolescent/teenager players and their responses when realizing that the "babe" they see on their computer screen is actually the avatar of a 35 year old father of two. Overall, they tend to become VERY uncomfortable with the whole idea... whereas the more "mature" crowd wonder what the problem could be.

After all, it's called "role-playing".

*tips helm*

[TaiDaishar]

*tips helm*

And here I thought your helm was stolen never to be returned ever again.

And a little on topic I would have to confirm that I am not in the 35+ parameter :)

[Jim]

Hi

I too am well over 35 and I am female.

I don't play any MMORPG's.  However, within the Diablo world:   I started long ago with a D1 Rogue, partly because she was female and partly because she got a bow (ranged attack suits me more than mêlée).

However, I suspect that in a MMORPG, where the male and female characters get to have the same skill sets within a race or class, I would likely choose to play females.  It would depend a lot on the way that other players interacted.  The very last thing I want at this stage of life is to be hit on by other players who were seeking something other than company for monster slaying.   :huh:

Hi My Lady,

In a most MMORPG the gender is a choice only, the stats & all class skills are the same. Try...>MU online it's in open Beta & only a 70mb DL, Play the Elf, you start with a Bow & you will experence the wonders of a MMORPG. When you spawn in town you will be with a couple of hundred other players, it's a Sight to see :o

It's a shame that all games are directed at the younger Male, with half naked Toons that would make an Older man like my self DrooooooL :P The lady expresses it well, in this quote, also keep in mind you can get Married & buy a House in MMORPGs :rolleyes:

I'm female, and I made my main character female, without thinking too much about it. After playing for a short time, and realizing all the special attention I'd get for being female, I started rolling up male chars. Now, if I want to be left alone, with no help, or people trying to talk to me, I'll go on one of my typical, non-descript male chars.
Posted by: Lilija on September 5, 2003 11:31 PM
http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/000551.php

Open Beta list...

[Jim]

Hi

I'm the Male Toon on the Left :D :P


WoW

[Archon_Wing]

It depends on my mood. I generally go for style regardless of gender. :D

[Guest]

Much the same way I find transvestites to be disturbing.

Mind you I am not speaking about a guy with a female toon in general, but rather about those guys who truely roleplay.

[Scalefang]

I'm a 21 year old male.

To be quite honest it all depends, though it has a certain amount of aesthetics thrown at it.

For example, in the Baldur's Gate I usually play male, story works better, more benefits to being male, ie. more romances and better enjoyed because I am male.

On the other hand, in NWN I usually play female characters....mostly because the selection of male avatars just doesnt appeal to me.

However, if I played WoW the choices would most likely be half and half, mostly for change of scenery.

[pakman]

In Diablo II I would either play a Necromancer or Sorceress, but this really doesn't count as gender bending. However in games like NWN, I usually play male characters, I feel more comfortable with male characters because I am one. It doesn't seem right to me playing a female character, I cannot think like a woman. In Morrowind, I tried to play a female character, it was interesting, but, again I did not feel comfortable. When I roleplay in a game, I try to stick with what I am familiar with, and that is the "man's" way of thinking. Call me a chauvanist, but my level 20 wizard will kick your butt any day :P

[WarLocke]

If I've got to stare at my character's butt for hundreds of hours, it may as well be a good-looking butt, am i rite?

I don't consider myself a "manzon" since I don't usually actually roleplay in MMORPGs (shocking!), though.

[LochnarITB]

I cannot think like a woman.

*Must* *resist* *temptation*.....

[--Pete]

Hi,

If I've got to stare at my character's butt for hundreds of hours

I don't look at my character's image all that much. I try to keep my focus out where the treats and threats are :)

--Pete

[WarLocke]

I try to keep my focus out where the treats and threats are

True enough. But some of the newer MMORPGs are played from a third-person viewpoint; it's kind of hard not to stare at your character's backside in that case. :P

[AtomicKitKat]

Depending on my mood, I can play the seductive ladyboy to maximum effect, milking it for all it's worth(umm, bad choice of words? :P)

But generally, I try to be relatively polite when playing in any MMORPG, and definitely avoid PK as far as possible(for some insane reason, teenage boys like to "rape" female characters. Damn immature brats.)

[Occhidiangela]

Depends on the game, how I feel, what role I want to play, etc etc.

The hardest part of femal role playing, per D & D, is to play a woman as a woman, and not as a pinup or other two dimensional facade. The other hard part is that in the typical beer drenched table top RPG's that played in, the face to face nature, rather than the "your avatar is you" nature of the milieu makes for a different real role playing challenge. Worthwhile, particularly after the tenth beer . . .