Why have gender in Guild Wars?

[Staynair.8073]

So this may seem stupid, but I was thinking "What is the purpose of gender in a computer game?" There is no difference in what the avatar can do based on its gender so why have it? You can still personalize the way the avatar looks without having to choose a gender.

[Batel.9206]

I...don't understand your point of view here.

 

So we shouldn't get to choose if our characters are male or female? They should all just be featureless, androgynous gray rectangles that you can fit pretty clothes on...? What are you getting at? I'm really confused...

[Deimos.4263]

I think the shortest and most respectful answer would be because gender exists and is prevalent in the real world. If you are non-binary person, or want to play a character who is, that may become awkward given the choices presented...but no more awkward than in real life. It does have some effect in game -- the character models are binary, as is the selection of voice actors. I vastly prefer this approach over limiting a character's actions/abilities based on gender, as some games do.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

No doubt the OP thinks the chars should be floating points of light, with weapons. After all, why have different species or genders when you can be a point of light.

[Ameepa.6793]

I like genders.

[Staynair.8073]

lol, you can still allow the user to pick all the choices they have now without picking gender. Maybe you want a more "feminine voice" with a more "Male body".

[biczkowski.2961]

why have legs and arms? why have gravity? why even have body? absolutely unnecessary in a game universe where laws of physics are optional!

[Deimos.4263]

> @"Staynair.8073" said:

> lol, you can still allow the user to pick all the choices they have now without picking gender. Maybe you want a more "feminine voice" with a more "Male body".

For better or worse, they don't have a super-detailed character customization process overall. It's not perfect, but I would say it's better than most games.

 

You can select facial features and hair, and choose an overall body type, but you don't get to tweak individual body components (leg size, arm size, etc.) or choose a voice.

 

Limiting these options is partially a balance between realism and speed; all of this needs to be rendered. Most people don't care and just pick a default face, but there are at least some options for those who do care.

[Blocki.4931]

Aesthetics.

[DaFishBob.6518]

Because this isn't a software toy trying to simulate every day life on a single computer screen, it's an MMORPG where everyone has render and process everyone else. It'd be too expensive programming wise to allow every conceivable customization possible so some things must be locked in some way.

[NanaLoop.7908]

> @"Staynair.8073" said:

> There is no difference in what the avatar can do based on its gender so why have it? You can still personalize the way the avatar looks without having to choose a gender.

 

But you have a choice in most games don't you? So people can choose whatever they want. It's all about personalisation and whatever you want to see.

There are ofc story based games, about a specific character too. And it's not like your run through the world and think: Huh... I wonder why we have genders at all?

Cuz not everything can be grey and blant, and the way I see it is that gaming is somewhat an escape from reality, where you eather follow a character into adventure or make something new. It's all about choice.

 

[Dante.1763]

jesus christ, why here? Every species on the planet outside of a few examples has genders. Guess what, as someone who struggles with identity IRL im glad i can choose /whatever/ i want in a *Video game*.

[Danikat.8537]

If it makes you feel better basically all you're picking is whether your character has male or female features, you can then role-play them however you wish.

[Staynair.8073]

Good Lord. Programmatically I would think that male and female avatars are the same. So why split the customization of the avatar when you could just let the user decide. There would be more choices (combining the male and female) at each point in the customization steps, but it shouldn't matter to the underlying code.

[Dante.1763]

> @"Staynair.8073" said:

> Good Lord. Programmatically I would think that male and female avatars are the same. So why split the customization of the avatar when you could just let the user decide. There would be more choices (combining the male and female) at each point in the customization steps, but it shouldn't matter to the underlying code.

 

No, they arent. When it comes to 3d modeling male and females at least in the programs ive used have different skeletons entirely, and we know in this game that male and females *do* have different skeletons, therefore they cannot do it, and even if they could i would they didnt.

[GDchiaScrub.3241]

Congrats on your first topic OP! Welcome to the Guild Wars 2 forums. Expect healthy skepticism... Also you're asking for more customization, and not necessarily "gender." Saints Row 4, for example, allows voice swaps and even cross dressing. I think this isn't a financially wise investment into the game when the budget can be used elsewhere (content and balance).

 

D:

[Rikimaru.7890]

Because characters need to be relatable in order for us to make a deeper connection with them?

I mean obviously you can play as an amorphous mass too, but how can you relate to that?

Something like that would obviously have different ways of thinking and decision making, which would beg the question "why does it even bother at all?"

Should a character like that care when someone dies? Regardless of the answer the remaining question would be "why?"

 

As a side note, if you have a problem with that then go play a sports game or tetris, seriously the problems some people have.

 

[Khisanth.2948]

> @"Titanium Pig.1462" said:

> What's the alternative (s)? Androgynous amorphous androids, robots?

 

Hey now there is an idea. A MMO where the only playable races are things like slimes and gelatinous oozes.

 

> @"Deimos.4263" said:

> > @"Staynair.8073" said:

> > lol, you can still allow the user to pick all the choices they have now without picking gender. Maybe you want a more "feminine voice" with a more "Male body".

> For better or worse, they don't have a super-detailed character customization process overall. It's not perfect, but I would say it's better than most games.

>

> You can select facial features and hair, and choose an overall body type, but you don't get to tweak individual body components (leg size, arm size, etc.) or choose a voice.

>

> Limiting these options is partially a balance between realism and speed; all of this needs to be rendered. Most people don't care and just pick a default face, but there are at least some options for those who do care.

 

Some people still manage to get far despite the limitations. A while ago I logged into one of my characters for the daily flax farm. Saw a character I thought was male but something looked off. Took me a while to figure out what they did.

 

> @"GDchiaScrub.3241" said:

> Congrats on your first topic OP! Welcome to the Guild Wars 2 forums. Expect healthy skepticism... Also you're asking for more customization, and not necessarily "gender." Saints Row 4, for example, allows voice swaps and even cross dressing. I think this isn't a financially wise investment into the game when the budget can be used elsewhere (content and balance).

>

> D:

 

Voice swaps could be done relatively cheaply. Cross dressing would require a lot more which brings up the obvious question of "who is paying for this?"

[notebene.3190]

> @"Ameepa.6793" said:

> I like genders.

 

Me too. Chicken. With ranch.

[Fallesafe.5932]

> @"Staynair.8073" said:

> So this may seem stupid, but I was thinking "What is the purpose of gender in a computer game?" There is no difference in what the avatar can do based on its gender so why have it? You can still personalize the way the avatar looks without having to choose a gender.

 

There are 8.7 million species of animal with two genders. But wouldn't you know it! We have 63... and counting.

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

I see what you're saying, but gender is a complex construct that goes beyond body type and physical appearance. The way I see it, what we're choosing in-game are body type and physical appearance only, not gender :) The characters don't tell what their gender is, at least not that I'm aware; we make that choice for them (just like many other choices).

[Tailcoat.6920]

Regardless of character sex, if there's ever a GW3, it'd be nice to have a couple voice options, like Saints Row 3 & 4, since maybe you want 1 character to be more soft-spoken, or another more bold-sounding, or have an accent. Cost might be an issue though, especially in a game with new content added regularly.

 

[Blocki.4931]

> @"Tailcoat.6920" said:

> Regardless of character sex, if there's ever a GW3, it'd be nice to have a couple voice options, like Saints Row 3 & 4, since maybe you want 1 character to be more soft-spoken, or another more bold-sounding, or have an accent. Cost might be an issue though, especially in a game with new content added regularly.

>

 

Too much work unless they only make one or two races playable

[Trise.2865]

I've also played Saints Row 3. That game had only a male skeleton, which means you were either male or transgendered male with feminine mannerisms. If that's the limits you folks want to place on inclusivity, then... whatever.

[Staynair.8073]

> @"Dante.1763" said:

> > @"Staynair.8073" said:

> > Good Lord. Programmatically I would think that male and female avatars are the same. So why split the customization of the avatar when you could just let the user decide. There would be more choices (combining the male and female) at each point in the customization steps, but it shouldn't matter to the underlying code.

>

> No, they arent. When it comes to 3d modeling male and females at least in the programs ive used have different skeletons entirely, and we know in this game that male and females *do* have different skeletons, therefore they cannot do it, and even if they could i would they didnt.

 

I wonder why the skeletons are different? I would figure they were the same and the difference would be in size. Are the skeletons (between male and female) different for each race? Since this is a game, what do you gain by having two skeletons. Wouldn't that add complexity and cost to the development?