I hate these threads but will part-take in the discussion since I believe most players need to stop caring so much - for the wrong OR the right reasons. The western world being what it is, there can never be enough voices heard in favor of progress, against bigotry and careless sexist jokes that set us backwards in history.
But this is a video game discussion so I'll keep it simple. I don't make a point of what my gender is and find it amusing to see people guessing by themselves after they've played alongside my characters. I roll both genders and have a slight preference towards male protagonists. The reason for this choice is my own business.
1. Empire side for most of my characters, although I have a couple of Republic characters to discover other planets (Coruscant) and the stories. As a Star Wars fan I always sided with Vader and was sympathetic of the Imperials. They brought Stormtroopers to this world, made me join the 501st as one of the 'egg heads' and have changed my life forever.
2. In this game, I find it more interesting to try to do good while standing on the "wrong" side. I'm not interested in playing around with evil actions and behaviors, I deal with enough negativity IRL, as it is my job as an airport security officer. So maybe you can draw whatever kind of parallel you want from this experience. I play both Sith classes following the Light, whereas my Jedi Knight is more of a neutral character. He means well, but will hold a grudge against those who try to play him Also he's not afraid to break the code to do the dirty with the occasional female encounter.
3. My main is a Marauder, so DPS obviously, but my Sorcerer is Healer spec. I don't have the time to invest in high end gear for tanking.
This "mother archetype" needs to end, though. I don't heal because I infantilize other players Whenever I offer healing, it's because I want to help a group along. As much as we need tanks, there has to be a healer. The task does not require abilities solely owned by mothers or females. Being able to focus, react, take responsibility... it's more of an adult trait than it is a motherly trait. There are days when I would just stick with my Marauder and go batsith on whatever moves. Should only females be expected to help and care for others, every time they join in for action?
I am 28, and have been playing MMO's for 8 years.
Everyone is different, every woman is different, and you might even realize by the end of this wall of text that my gender has had no incident in the way I phrased my responses. It seems like I care a lot about this issue while in reality I'm a little vain and self-righteous