What gender do you play as in RPGs?

I feel like this thread has been done before, and I probably posted in it. But I'm collating my own thoughts for an article, and so I'm hoping for some fresh feedback.

I almost uniformly start RPGs with a female player character. There are the rare examples where the voice acting or direct character arc are more interesting as a woman (Mass Effect), but for the most part, the characters and their experiences are very similar. So why do it, and why does it matter?

Well, for me there's something innately more interesting about playing as a female than male. I guess there's an element of fantasy in it - games are all about escapism, so why not escape totally and inhabit the role of someone different from yourself? And I won't argue that the females I create are attractive, and that plays some minor part.

But with most RPGs being either medieval or post-apocalyptic in theme, gender politics play a big role. There's something basely satisfying about killing scores of men as a levelled-up female character, but it also plays into the narrative. There are so many stories about young men's triumphs against adversity, and adventure tales, that to me, breaking that mould makes for a more interesting story.

There are also certain examples where gender is acknowledged more directly, such as DA: Origins. Characters react differently to you in light of the rarity of women in the Grey Wardens, adding another element of struggle in an otherwise (happily) pretty gender-neutral world.

It seems like polls either no longer exist or are currently broken, so list your gender and habits in your post. Thoughts and comments appreciated.

Usually male, since I like to play something close to who I am IRL, at least the first time. I try various other characters on subsequent playthroughs, including females.

Happy 2000th post dude. I feel honoured!

I think this is how most people see it. Part of it for me is that I find it tough to relate to male characters in games, as they're usually muscle-bound hot headed soldiers. I don't dislike playing games with male leads - Spec Ops: The Line was my favourite game of last year, and in a way that's all the things I shouldn't like. And it should be less of an issue in RPGs, where the character has a blank personality. So if I do relate more to female chars, I don't really know why. Mostly I think it just makes a change to the norm.

A verbose rationalization masking your true intentions: lesbianism. You and I both know who your canon love interest was in ME1. You never told me shit about DA:O, but we can all make the educated guess that Leliana was the light at the end of your perpetually wet tunnel. Admit it, the first thing you did in both games was put points into cunnilinguistics. But hey, I'm right there with you. However, my character is usually driving through the tunnels. The best part: there's never any traffic.

It honestly depends, usually, i play as a female, mostly because an attractive woman beating the shit out of scores of enemies in badass looking armor is more exciting to me than when its a male character. However, if the game features romance ill usually play as a male character(unless theres lesbian romance, loldragonage), because being a female character and romancing dudes is weird to me.

I play only males in MMOs. In singleplayer games I mostly choose party members and stuff by personality or fighting style rather than gender.

Stunningly accurate analysis, as ever. I'm actually still playing through Dragon Age, but I have no qualms with fucking male characters if I enjoy their personalities (see Garrus). It's just part of the story. It's interesting that you baulk at that, Zaff: we don't have a problem with it in TV or movies, so why with games?

I think making your player char attractive holds for men as much as women, unless you're setting out to be as ugly as possible. If it's a fantasy world why not have fantastical standards of beauty, etc. That said, installing DA Redesigned, I mostly chose 'lore' renovations, rather than beautification ones. There's a line where it infringes on the realism and relatability of the world.

On my first play-through I play as a female because they look better than males. On my second play-through I may play as a male if there are not any other girls left.

Usually tall buff male version of my self, because I am out of shape and really fucking short.

I make female characters too, usually after I do a playthrough.

He deserves it.



Implying I'm being antagonistic in any way, especially with highlights.



I got what I wanted. Admitting the truth is not sarcasm.



This guy knows what's up.



I did that once. Goes to show that, in Mass Effect, anything can get space pussy. If I could play the game as an inanimate object, I would. Preferably a giant dildo.

This. It seems that in almost every game i've played, the female is considered as less powerful in almost all terms compared to men.

Keep in mind that men like challenges. They, almost all the time, like to be put in a disadvantage and, in the end, prove everyone that they can still win even with that disadvantage. Makes you feel more "macho".


I dunno, but I guess that feeling of playing a less powerful being, then being able to overcome all odds, be more powerful than any male counterpart there is, is part of a mental challenge I've set for myself.


Also, because there's something about athletic, powerful women that attracts me. And almost all women avatars are designed this way.

It doesn't really matter for me so it depends on the game. I played Mass Effect 1-3 as a guy but I played Borderlands 1-2 as Lilith/Maya. I'm not really picky with this sort of thing.

Wasn't, just thought it needed addressing.



I do gravitate towards lesbian romances if they're available, sure, but they aren't ever hot (with DA character models that's especially difficult). Fem Shep/Liara was good because of the emotional relationship they established; the Normandy scene at the end of LotSB constitutes one of the best moments in the series. Equally, most of that is available to a male character, and I've played Male Shep/Liara too. His voice acting comparatively ruins it.

Maybe part of me expects that they'll be hot even though I know they won't be, but mainly it's just that factor of being something different, something unusual in the wider media. If you have romances in a game, and you have two options, gay or straight, why not explore them both? Why do I go for lesbian first? Same reason I go female first. Something different.



In terms of me writing an article, this is a bit of a minefield. I agree, there is something about being perceived as weaker and then levelling up and dominating a game world that - in a narrative sense - makes the whole experience more enjoyable. But it's easy for that to cross into a mindset that women are weaker, therefore the personal sense of challenge and satisfaction is greater. Is it 'the game world is sexist and I'm beating it', or does it feed into the player's own notion of gender roles?

I thought you were calling me Zaff. Split your responses, you zeldaphilic tea pisser.



If before you even step foot into the world you think of overcoming the odds as a woman, it's the latter. If you notice gender disparity in the game, then it'll likely be both. One thing I've noticed that has been reinforced by my social psych class is that gender stereotypes—or rather, stereotypes in general—are a powerful thing with a subtle, yet significant, amount of influence.

Also, nice avatar. The bitch is annoyingly distracting.



Because games are unique, as they are an interactive medium that allow us to attach our ego to the character we control and live vicariously through them. (It would be nice, though, to be able to use my controller to have a TV character throw themselves off a cliff while a commercial is on.) If a character is supposed to be a representative of our "self," then when Zaff is offered some dick, instead of thinking, "my female char is is going to suck cock like a boss," he subconsciously thinks, "I'm going to suck cock like a boss," hence the disgust. It's an irrational aversion, but you can hardly blame the guy for not wanting to vicariously drink cum. This is where the cunnilinguistics skill comes in.

If it involves making a character i'll make a Gender bender character just cause i'm horrible like that
But if its picking a gender Male always then Female simply cause i'm a guy

Jennifer Hale kicks ass. Main reason most of my... 6? Wow 6... Shepards... are female.

I generally play as female characters (I'm a dude [as distinguished from a guy]). I'm tempted to attribute this primarily to my being raised by lesbians. From as far back as my memory goes gender roles have been... ambiguous, at best. Which is a good thing, I'm sure. But I never got why people seek to relate to their character by gender, which I've come to see as incidental. In an ideal world, anyway. And we're talking video games, so... yeah.

I mean, one of my mom's girlfriends was the manliest man person I've ever met; she built houses with nothing but her bare teeth. So empowered females have always felt comfortable for me. My default.

As far as sexy time, I choose partners per the character I'm trying to role play as. Or just by whoever hasn't been fucked yet. And I'm sure I impose my tastes onto whomever I craft (chargen is an art, baby) but I've never gone for the effete, coquettish type who inexplicably wield swords twice their mass.

Female because boobs.

This is about the jist of it. Video games are a bit different than movies and TV because you are more involved, especially role playing games with lots of choice that get you really involved like dragon age or ME. And its not just the "vicariously drinking cum" thing either, Its all aspects of the romance, to enjoy the scenes with the character that "I'm" romancing I need to have some sort of base attraction to the character, a dude confessing his love to my character just seems weird because i have no attraction to them, but when the female character does, i get this warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Even to put a real life spin on it, its like the difference between your buddy coming up and confessing that hes in love with you vs this cute girl you've been talking to doing the same.

So when lesbian romances are involved its like the best of both worlds, i get to play the female character while getting to romance a female character. (I did play male in ME though, originally because i didnt like how femshep looked in the first game, but im happy i did because the tali romance was male only)

This is an understandable point and speaks to the degree of emotional investment you have in the games you play. On the other hand, you could always just become bisexual, like I did. As it turns out, dicks are great. DICKS ARE GREAT. ALMOST AS GOOD AS BOOBS.

And come on, Garrus. Garrus? You didn't romance Garrus? Mmmmm.... gotta get me some Garrus juice.

Edit: Reference:

I usually play as a male character when I play RPG's.