Male vs Female

[Niklarus]

Here's my take on it. (Not that anyone cares, but hey. ) I'm male. I like entertainment (movies, TV, games, etc) with strong female characters who can kick butt and take names. For example, Sarah Connor in the Terminator films & TV show, Ripley in the Alien movies, Buffy and so on. A game like this with its emphasis on story, cutscenes and excellent voice acting allows me to actually guide one of those characters I enjoy watching through an exciting Star Wars adventure. That's a win-win situation for me. Edited June 28, 2013 by Niklarus
missing tag

[Canmore]

I'm a guy who likes to play both male and female characters.

 

My problem is that I feel embarrassed if I play a female toon and use voice chat.

 

Does anyone else feel this way?

 

if it bugs you that much dont use voice chat . but i doubt anyone cares your a dude

[Lung_Tien_Lien]

Yeah, it means he wasn't being sarcastic. He was actually being serious.

 

Sorry for butting in, but I'm 95% sure the /sarcasm off thing meant that he was joking. I guess he used 'man points' to make it sound especially ridiculous.

Edited June 28, 2013 by Lung_Tien_Lien

[MillionsKNives]

Males who play female characters are in general, the worst players. Not saying you are, I've seen some good ones. But in general, they hare horrible. Also, I come from the line of thinking that it is weird if a male who does not have gender identity issues plays a female toon. Not going to say you're a bad person, whatever whatever, just my view.

 

Do what you enjoy though, it's everyone's game.

 

Sounds like you've got a chip on your shoulder because you got burned once when you hit on a female toon, and it turned out to be a guy. Nope, I don't hit on people in games. If you or anyone else does, that's your choice. That is the risk of doing something like that online after all.

 

It may be hard for you to conceptualize, but some people don't project themselves into every game they play. Some people can put their own self aside and step into the place of someone else. I do not see my characters as a version of me, I see them as a character that I am controlling and walking through their personal story. No, it isn't hard. Which is why I say "imho". It is not for me, but some people like it. I don't demean others for it if they are RP'ing a character. More power to them! It is everyone's game, after all. It is only when the person has no story for their character, no RL issue, etc that to me, it seems odd.

 

Do you have similar issues with people who play games such as Mirror's Edge, Lara Craft, Remember Me, or any other games that happen to feature female protagonists? Should those games only be played by males with gender issues as well? You seem to have taken what I said as an insult. Which is terribly unfortunate. You are also making a false comparison. As there is no choice in the matter of character there. You are playing in a pre-built universe with strictly defined roles in the game. So it is either play it, and experience the story (after all, Video games are a great story telling medium) or miss out on it. What you are suggesting, is that I said that males should not read books where the main character is female. Which would be absurd.

 

I do appreciate that you led with an insult though...I don't suggest it myself; even though that is probably what you perceive my post to be.

 

I think we need to compare your original statement with your reply. I'll give you that my initial statement was an unfair jab, but the prejudice that you show has to come from somewhere. You've shown no indication that you have any stats worth mentioning to back up any of what you say, but I'll get to that later.

 

Aside from your CYA last line, nothing in your post signifies that your opinion is nothing more than "I don't care for it, but more power to you". You are now also specifying that you don't have problems with RPers if they play females. So RPers and people with gender identity issues are OK, but all other males are not, if they choose to play females? If you have to specify for which players you find it OK that doesn't sounds like simply a difference of preferences.

 

It's hard not to take what you say as an insult, either personally or generally, when you use phrases like "the worst players", "it is weird", and "they are horrible [at the game]". What part about that isn't demeaning? You make a blanket statement about a portion of the population, painting them in a negative light. I'm not sure how you expect people to take it otherwise. You quantify it with "I've seen some good ones", but that still leaves at the very least the majority, if not almost all of the rest to fall under your claims. If I were to claim that "the majority of Asians who play healers are just terrible at it, I have nothing against them but they are really awful" is that not demeaning? Saying that they are not bad people does not make the insult less insulting.

 

You say the other games are different because they are pre-determined universes, but is this not a pre-built universe with strictly defined roles? I'm not making up the story as I go, it's all predefined. You mention that in the other games that you either play along or skip it, there is no in between. Well there are plenty of paths and story that can not be experienced from one gender alone. How is that any different? Were I to choose to play only male or only female I could not experience everything and would have to "miss out on it". You seem to have pretty vaguely defined lines of what are the acceptable circumstances under which a person should be playing a female character, to you (of course I wouldn't want to imply that this is any more than your own opinion).

 

This all leads me to believe, as I mentioned at the top, that you are simply prejudiced, for one reason or another. You could have definitive data to back this up, but I doubt it based on your other replies that you have taken a survey of significant size, randomness and accuracy to, with statistical significance, be able to determine that males who play females are "the worst players". At best it would appear that you are going on anectotal evidence, and at worst you are probably talking out or your rear end.

[Morbuss]

I'm a guy who likes to play both male and female characters.

 

My problem is that I feel embarrassed if I play a female toon and use voice chat.

 

Does anyone else feel this way?

 

Dude, no. Just no. I'm a guy and there is no way in hell I would pretend to be a female in this game or any other game. I think your right to feel a little embarrassed. C'mon bro, seriously?

[Pistols]

My problem is that I feel embarrassed if I play a female toon and use voice chat.

 

I would be embarrassed too.

[Projawa]

Most of my toons are female. The lady character models in this game are too hot to pass up (even body type 3). I've also found that the female voiceovers are better performed than their male counterparts except for the agent/trooper/knight.

[paowee]

i dont have female toons in video games. not my type. lol.

[Tatile]

Dude, no. Just no. I'm a guy and there is no way in hell I would pretend to be a female in this game or any other game. I think your right to feel a little embarrassed. C'mon bro, seriously?

 

There's a difference between having a character of a different gender to you and pretending (to other players, outside of roleplay) to be that other gender.

 

But I'm going to guess you don't recognise that difference, or allow others to

[Cyberwoman]

There's a difference between having a character of a different gender to you and pretending (to other players, outside of roleplay) to be that other gender.

 

But I'm going to guess you don't recognise that difference, or allow others to

 

I was going to basically say that too

[Jandi]

There's a difference between having a character of a different gender to you and pretending (to other players, outside of roleplay) to be that other gender.

 

But I'm going to guess you don't recognise that difference, or allow others to

 

A guy roleplaying a female is creepy as hell, and SHOULD do some introspection into his sexual identity. I've always played female characters and no one has ever even thought that I was female in real life because I make a point to not let anyone on in even the tiniest ways. Playing a female character is a matter of personal preference, pretending to be a female is creepy and hints at psychological problems.

 

I can't honestly even think about an MMO where everyone played their own gender. It would be unplayable for the actual females and a massive sausage fest.

[Sarielle]

My husband sits in the room next to me, playing his main -- a female jedi knight. Guys playing female characters isn't at all weird to me.

[Cyberwoman]

A guy roleplaying a female is creepy as hell, and SHOULD do some introspection into his sexual identity. I've always played female characters and no one has ever even thought that I was female in real life because I make a point to not let anyone on in even the tiniest ways. Playing a female character is a matter of personal preference, pretending to be a female is creepy and hints at psychological problems.

 

I can't honestly even think about an MMO where everyone played their own gender. It would be unplayable for the actual females and a massive sausage fest.

 

Just to point out, having transgender issues is not a mental illness

Edited June 28, 2013 by Cyberwoman

[Jandi]

Just to point out, having transgender issues is not[/i ] a mental illness

 

Obviously not, nor did I even imply such.

[Tatile]

A guy roleplaying a female is creepy as hell, and SHOULD do some introspection into his sexual identity. I've always played female characters and no one has ever even thought that I was female in real life because I make a point to not let anyone on in even the tiniest ways. Playing a female character is a matter of personal preference, pretending to be a female is creepy and hints at psychological problems.

 

Ok...

 

Not entirely sure why 'pretending to be a female' should garner such a reaction from you, but you likely have your own reasons for that, I shan't pry.

 

As long as you don't think a woman pretending to be male in an MMO environment is creepy, because it's a fairly obvious survival strategy.

 

Also, I think you may mean gender identity? Sex is physical, unless we're talking about sexuality, which is itself divorced from gender identity...

[Sarielle]

As long as you don't think a woman pretending to be male in an MMO environment is creepy, because it's a fairly obvious survival strategy.

 

Yeah, I never correct the "Nice heals bro" or "Thanks dude" or whatever comments, lol.

[Jandi]

Ok...

 

Not entirely sure why 'pretending to be a female' should garner such a reaction from you, but you likely have your own reasons for that, I shan't pry.

 

As long as you don't think a woman pretending to be male in an MMO environment is creepy, because it's a fairly obvious survival strategy.

 

Also, I think you may mean gender identity? Sex is physical, unless we're talking about sexuality, which is itself divorced from gender identity...

 

I can sincerely say that I have no personal issues that would make me say what I did. It's just creepy because I've read enough psychology. I consider every single person I interact with on the internet as "it" unless I actually hear them talk on TS/Vent and the thought that someone I haven't heard is either male or female doesn't even enter my conscious mind. I have, however, met a few people who've actively acted, talked and blatantly told people that they are girls while really being male.

 

Note that there is a difference in hiding your gender and actively pretending to be a different gender than you really are. You are right about the sexuality and gender mix up. I'm not a native English speaker and sometimes mix words and meanings up when not paying attention, my apologies.

[Tatile]

I have, however, met a few people who've actively acted, talked and blatantly told people that they are girls while really being male.

 

Note that there is a difference in hiding your gender and actively pretending to be a different gender than you really are. You are right about the sexuality and gender mix up. I'm not a native English speaker and sometimes mix words and meanings up when not paying attention, my apologies.

 

(Emphasis mine) Aren't you really just maligning transwomen here who are either not in the process of transitioning (possibly because they are still in the closet to their IRL relations) or have simply 'not made themselves up'? Or are you in fact referring to the (typically cis)men who pretend to be women/girls in order to prey on other men's supposed chivalry by getting free stuff?

 

Because the former is transphobia and that's not appreciated. The latter is understandable as it makes it harder for women to be taken seriously in games (not to mention the rampant misogyny we have to deal with anyway.)

 

Also, no worries about the sex/gender mix-up - native English speakers do it all the time, mostly because in the "all cis, all the time" mainstream, there's no distinction between the two (even though it exists in both psychology and practice.)

[Jandi]

(Emphasis mine) Aren't you really just maligning transwomen here who are either not in the process of transitioning (possibly because they are still in the closet to their IRL relations) or have simply 'not made themselves up'? Or are you in fact referring to the (typically cis)men who pretend to be women/girls in order to prey on other men's supposed chivalry by getting free stuff?

 

Because the former is transphobia and that's not appreciated. The latter is understandable as it makes it harder for women to be taken seriously in games (not to mention the rampant misogyny we have to deal with anyway.)

 

Also, no worries about the sex/gender mix-up - native English speakers do it all the time, mostly because in the "all cis, all the time" mainstream, there's no distinction between the two (even though it exists in both psychology and practice.)

 

No, I assure you I have nothing against anyone's gender identity and am well aware of the myriad of psychological problems that can arise from struggling with gender identity, especially in repressive cultures and sub-cultures. If my posts came across as such I apologize.

 

My issue is with intentional deception. You are either lying to others or yourself, or both. I can understand why women do it, but guys have no reason to do so. For example, and this is just an EXAMPLE, a gay guy pretending to be a girl and flirting with guys with the pretense of "roleplaying" is pathetic, there is no excuse for such behaviour.

 

And no, I've never partaken in RP, I'm a hard core raider and care nothing for any of this on a personal level. I'm just taking part in this because I find it fascinating on an intellectual level.

 

EDIT: Well, that's not entirely true. I mostly play female characters myself and find all the excuses and justifications for playing a female character amusing.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Jandi

[CosmicKat]

No, I assure you I have nothing against anyone's gender identity and am well aware of the myriad of psychological problems that can arise from struggling with gender identity, especially in repressive cultures and sub-cultures. If my posts came across as such I apologize.

 

My issue is with intentional deception. You are either lying to others or yourself, or both. I can understand why women do it, but guys have no reason to do so. For example, and this is just an EXAMPLE, a gay guy pretending to be a girl and flirting with guys with the pretense of "roleplaying" is pathetic, there is no excuse for such behaviour.

 

And no, I've never partaken in RP, I'm a hard core raider and care nothing for any of this on a personal level. I'm just taking part in this because I find it fascinating on an intellectual level.

 

EDIT: Well, that's not entirely true. I mostly play female characters myself and find all the excuses and justifications for playing a female character amusing.

 

Wow. You sure have a deep understanding and concern about something you've never partaken in. *boggle*

 

Role playing is make-believe. It isn't real. Everyone involved either knows this or they figure it out very, very quickly. This isn't some dating site or other real world hook up service.

[branmakmuffin]

Most of my toons are female. The lady character models in this game are too hot to pass up (even body type 3). I've also found that the female voiceovers are better performed than their male counterparts except for the agent/trooper/knight.

Wow, even body type 3.

 

[Sarielle]

Wow, even body type 3.

 

 

Body type 3 has manly shoulders. It's not the muscles or the height, it's the shoulders.

[Flaniganican]

You should only be embarrassed about it if you're one of those guys who only plays females and then begs for SGR...that's taking it too far

[OddballEasyEight]

Body type 3 has manly shoulders. It's not the muscles or the height, it's the shoulders.

 

Oh you mean like a female swimmer?

Coz those never look good... ever...

Right??

 

[OddballEasyEight]

You should only be embarrassed about it if you're one of those guys who only plays females and then begs for SGR...that's taking it too far

 

Why? One of my characters is a lesbian. Totally screws her over for romances...