Is it weird for female players to play male characters?

[Cragga the Eighty Third.60]

Weirdly, I almost always played male characters back in my paper-and-dice RPG days. In online RPGs I almost always play female characters. (Of course, back in the dice days there were a lot fewer strong female characters anywhere, and it felt a lot like the primary role of any female fantasy character was to be rescued all the time. Yay for the new generation of tough-talking, sword-swinging sistahs!)

[Chorne.8195]

> @"Crab Fear.1624" said:

> The male norn voice actor for the commander sounds cool to me. Sounds a bit forced, but manly.

I was referring to the female one. She sounds extremely obnoxious and it makes me want to strangle her through the screen. But somehow she still seems to come across as dull to me. Much more so than what I've heard of the male Norn voice actor. I only have one lightly used Norn character.

> @"Donari.5237" said:

> I'm glad you've decided to try a change! It's no odder than a fiction writer doing a main character who isn't the same gender as the author.

>...

> I don't feel weird because I play and write these male characters. I have plenty of females too. Not one of my characters is me, though some will incorporate aspects of my personality.

>

> Enjoy seeing Tyria through other eyes, Chorne. It should extend the game's lifespan for you quite a bit.

I'm really into creative writing, but I have a hard time writing from male viewpoints. It might be because I just haven't read much fiction with male protagonists. I mostly read fantasy, and the only really relatable male protagonist I've ever come across is Harry Potter. The Chronicles of Narnia are a bit aged, and so is LotR. The language they use makes it hard to empathize with the characters. I also have a hard time understanding the 'bromance' or whatever it's called in LotR with Sam and Frodo, it's extremely hard to write...

It might just be from a lack of experience. Not writing or reading-wise but life-wise. I'm only turning fifteen in a couple months...

Hopefully trying out a male character and playing the story with it will help out with that.

[Edds.7681]

i play both genders but i find female asura, sylvari and charr cooler

[Silveron.5096]

Play what you want, a lot of girls have male characters as well, it's really not weird. Personally I almost always pick a male character in games usually cuz I like dressing up the guy more, prefer the male model or simply can't stand the girl versions voice. Xp

I'm a girl and I have 2 male characters out of my 6. A male Human and Sylvari and female Char, Norn, Human and Sylvari.

 

Variety is fun, and games are supposed to be fun. XD

[sephiroth.4217]

If you're gunna run around looking at the back of your characters butt all day you might aswell make it a good butt to look at.

[Vavume.8065]

> @"Chorne.8195" said:

> I was actually thinking of going as a giant ridiculous charr, you're right on the mark.

 

I would happily bet gold that you will reach mid level (if levelling up the old school way) before you get the "this feels all wrong feeling" and delete it and call it a lesson learned. I do actually think it is a bit weird guys playing female chars, and vice versa.

[Tsakhi.8124]

I don't think it's weird, personally. In fact I usually main a male healer. He's also a werewolf pumpkin married to a fish? Yeah. Something like that. I normally can pass as a guy and if I'm playing a male character and someone flirts with me, I tell them my gender and say role-playing isn't out of the question, however. Back in PW, my cleric has a few boyfriends, a wife, and an exploding flame. Very interesting times. I haven't slept yet, help. XD

[Oglaf.1074]

No weirder than male players playing female characters.

 

> @"sephiroth.4217" said:

> If you're gunna run around looking at the back of your characters butt all day you might aswell make it a good butt to look at.

 

This is a trope/meme for a reason: it **is** the truth.

[VaaCrow.3076]

OP it seems like you're just being a diva. generalising all men who play female characters into being "creepy dudes", just because of how you perceive the outfits on other people. To be honest i just think you need to fix your perception, as that is 100% of the problem, not everything else, or anyone else, just your perception.

[Mea.5491]

> @"sephiroth.4217" said:

> If you're gunna run around looking at the back of your characters butt all day you might aswell make it a good butt to look at.

 

Wait, people look at their character's butt? I actually look at the environment, mobs I'm killing and my skillbar. XD Maybe I'm weird.

[Oglaf.1074]

> @"Mea.5491" said:

> > @"sephiroth.4217" said:

> > If you're gunna run around looking at the back of your characters butt all day you might aswell make it a good butt to look at.

>

> Wait, people look at their character's butt? I actually look at the environment, mobs I'm killing and my skillbar. XD Maybe I'm weird.

 

It is not literally about staring at the butt, but rather that in most third person games you do end up looking at the backside of your character (i.e over the shoulder).

[Nikal.4921]

I am female and play both genders. Matter of fact, in some games previous to this, I played male characters exclusively because I hated the way females were presented, or hated the way armor looked on them and on males looked so much better. I never had anyone react as if it were weird. I have seen many posts here by females who play at least some male characters, so I don't think it's extraordinary in any way.

[Gabbynot.2654]

not sure why op is dragging this topic up yet again but the last time this came up well did not end well . any how on topic i play all toons of both genders and do not care what others think or say .

 

they say something i just put them on the blocked list and move on doing my own thing and having more fun .

[Ardenwolfe.8590]

No stranger than males playing female characters. . . .

[Mil.3562]

I have only five characters and they all human females. I can't run around in the game looking at the back of a guy or other race, it makes me feel like it's not me playing the game. I know it's just a pixel thingy but still you are supposed to be that pixel character you are playing and it kinda makes me feel weird if mine is not a female.

 

As for the other races, I don't really like their looks or sizes, like Norn is too big and Asura is too tiny and I am not comfortable with Charr or Sylvari. Anyway, once I did try running around with a male human for a change, but I deleted him two days later lol. I know many guys like to play as female characters, well, they are guys... But then, not all. My fiance used to play quite a few mmos (not anymore due to work commitments), including GW2. He only played male characters but different races and this is why I never play his account : D

 

I have two very close female friends, who like me, play games at times and we did talk about this before. and they too are not comfortable playing as a male character. But that just us. I do know some female guildlies who play both female and male characters. So I guess the thing is to enjoy your game, and if you are comfortable with playing both genders, why not?

[Bladezephyr.5714]

My initial reaction to this post was, "Why would anyone care what gender character you play?" The overwhelming majority of players won't care in the slightest. But then I remembered that I've come across a number of cases where female gamers were harassed for a pile of no good reason... A small percentage of gamers (mostly male, but not always) will harass female players for any reason they can think of, which is pretty sad. Still, there's nothing weird about it--that's what Role Playing Games are all about: pretending to be something you're not! If you should encounter one of those unpleasant people, try not to let it get you down. They are the ones with the problem, not you.

 

I myself mostly play females, in large part because I find the voice actors to just be better, though I agree with you that the Norn female is just awful. She's trying too hard to be gruff and brutish. I agree with the other posts, some of the male voice acting isn't awesome, and some of the art and animation leaves something to be desired. I don't play Charr, I just don't like the race at all.

 

Play what you like, and ignore anyone who tries to make you think you're doing it wrong.

[DearlyMe.5320]

Nice to know my Nyniendha, the first time I made her, was assumed to be controlled by a man because of her carapace top and winged skirt. She's in the elonian set, so guess I'm now safe from untrue assumptions! Joking aside, no. I find it weird when people can't separate themselves from the gender of who they play, but I've grown up playing a lot of male protagonists and I don't insert myself into any game I play. If it's weird to play a male, than is it not also weird to play anything not a human? Those two questions aren't that different.

 

I also could never understand some people's inability to write from the other gender's perspective. Authors do this all the time. They can't have a book of all one gender. From the moment I started writing at 11 to now at 31, I've not been uncomfortable with any male character. I don't look at them as their gender, I look at them as if they were a real person. A real person doesn't have guidelines of how they should behave based on their gender, society norms aside. People sound like they have a very limiting perception of others when they think like that.

 

I'm more interested in female fashion and pretty things. My genders aren't even, but a lot of my future plans include mostly males. Who cares? Most people don't. Anyone who does, Tyria is a large place.

[Oglaf.1074]

> @"DearlyMe.5320" said:

 

> I also could never understand some people's inability to write from the other gender's perspective. Authors do this all the time. They can't have a book of all one gender. From the moment I started writing at 11 to now at 31, I've not been uncomfortable with any male character. I don't look at them as their gender, I look at them as if they were a real person. A real person doesn't have guidelines of how they should behave based on their gender, society norms aside. People sound like they have a very limiting perception of others when they think like that.

 

Well there are two schools of thoughts here:

 

Some people wish to play a character who is totally seperate from themselves and their own entity and as such purposely make characters as far removed from their IRL self as possible

 

Some people wish to self-insert themselves into the game where their character is an avatar for them to identify with and experience the game through their eyes as if they were there themselves and as such give them traits that mirror their own when it comes to stuff like sex and hairstyle/hair colour.

 

I wouldn't say one is better than the other. It is just two different approaches to character creation in these types of games.

[Vavume.8065]

> @"Donari.5237" said:

> a showboating, limelight stealing, super-charming super-handsome ladies man conman Daredevil with an ego the size of Tyria;

 

You just described every thief ever.

 

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

It is obvious to anyone that if you have to play a character that is not your gender, then you have identity issues. The dissatisfaction from playing only girl toons represents an emotional void in your life that you keep trying to fulfill in the wrong way. You are deeply afraid of who you are, because of perceived inadequacies in respect to societal standards for what represents a "good" woman. The truth is, you aren't satisfied with your appearances or demeanor in respect to your identity, and after being unable to express yourself by roleplaying as beautiful women you are attempting to abandon all societal expectations by playing as a man.

 

It is the same reason why I play my girl characters. I no longer have to strive to tough, commanding, logical, physically fit, or an all-around alpha when I'm playing as a girl. I get to escape from those expectations because I am, in truth, a feeble beta male who doesn't feel adequate enough to embody a male hero.

[ToPNoP.2493]

Play what you like. If someone does not like it, satisfaction is just a block away.

[Grampybone.3716]

I play both genders, simply because of the names I want to use, in WoW I'd skip server that already had my preferred names. I'm a 39 YO male, long time RPG fan. Really gender doesn't matter to me. Enjoy the game! That is all that matters.

[Vavume.8065]

> @"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:

> It is the same reason why I play my girl characters. I no longer have to strive to tough, commanding, logical, physically fit, or an all-around alpha when I'm playing as a girl. I get to escape from those expectations because I am, in truth, a feeble beta male who doesn't feel adequate enough to embody a male hero.

 

This was prob the most insightful thing I've read on this forum, I've always struggled to understand why guys play female chars, and I would never have thought of that angle. I admire your honesty, and even if you were being brilliantly sarcastic, which I kinda feel you might be, I would admire that too, since it is so well thought up :)

 

[Razor.6392]

What's weird is that you dress your females "as far away as sexy as possible". Are you insecure?

[Despond.2174]

Eh it's a computer game, make what you want to look at. Some people want to live vicariously through their character so they will make it the same sex and usually the opposite of what they are, some people really like one sex IRL so they want to look @ that while they play, some people just want a character model that suits the armor--hello female human--, and some people purposely mix it up for variety. Whatever your reason, just as long as you enjoy what you're moving around with, no need for any politics - we get enough of that in real life.