Hey, Achaeans! I am working on an assignment and thought you guys might be willing to help me!

Adalie

Or, if not to help me, at least maybe we can have an interesting discussion. Please choose one of the poll options (your choice is anonymous).

Adalie

I feel like Achaea is one of the most accepting games out there, both in relationship to hard-coded stuff (such as same-sex couples being able to marry or adopt as one example) and the playerbase in general, at least ICly. Female characters can smash heads and lead cities just as well as the men and as far as I see, are generally accepted by the mass populace in those roles. 

My question to you is, in general, do you think the acceptance stops with the character? Is a female combatant that we know is played by a man taken more seriously than one we know is played by a woman, for instance? Or what about IG politicians such as city leaders? In OOC clans, I see discussion about the OOC gender of female characters somewhat frequently, and I always wonder why it matters and if the playerbase in general thinks of characters differently if it knows the gender of their player. 

Additionally, do you see any difference when you play a male vs. a female character? When I started playing forever and ever ago, female characters often got harassed outside the Archway (which I think has mostly come to a stop now?), but on the other side of things, I have also felt that I’m often offered more help and/or supplies when I play a female novice versus a young male character. In my mind, Achaea is pretty amazing when it comes to gender equality, but do you think there are still some differences?

Siduri

I am male, identified quite clearly as a male, and play both types of characters equally. I have two male and two female characters in Achaea, but am mostly known for Siduri.

As a rule of thumb, whenever I create a character in a game, I try to remember the gender of the last one I played, and alternate in equal fashion. My reasoning is that back in the days, video games were hard-coded with male-only characters, and I want to make sure game producers understand that giving this choice to the player is important whenever they take statistics.

Likewise, as a french-canadian, I also tend to purchase or download the French versions of games to make sure the developers keep investing money in French voice-overs for those who do not have the luxury of understanding English (my wife, per example, only speaks French).

As for my sexual experience in Achaea, I have noticed that as a female character, I have received propositions from both genders regularly. My male characters have not attracted this kind of attention, but then again, they have not left any notable impression in their factions to attract any form of romantic or sexual attention.

It has happened a few times that gifts were forced on Siduri on the basis of being a girl, but very rarely. I am normally the one paying for meals and showering others with gifts.

Tvistor

I know quite a few females that play male characters in order to avoid sexual advances.

Herenicus

Aren't female grooks basically safe?

Achimrst

About as safe as female Horkval?

Herenicus

Aren't they basically safe?

Rohai

I've heard that people don't really bug horkvals, but things can get pretty slimy with grooks.

Herenicus

And Atavians have duck tails. 

Adalie

Rohai said:

I've heard that people don't really bug horkvals, but things can get pretty slimy with grooks.

Are you a dad IRL, Rohai? That was the daddest of jokes. 

In any case, would anyone care to put us back on track?

Santar

I play male characters in games that involving playing a role, usually.

I play female characters in games with good graphics/hot character models.

Jules

Tvistor said:

I know quite a few females that play male characters in order to avoid sexual advances.

There aren't even that many of those guys out there, but it doesn't take that many  

Jeslyn

I identify as a woman and play female characters. It is too hard to play the role of a male character, because they usually become effeminate on me.

Jukilian

I am a man and I almost only play male characters - primarily for the reason that I am a man. (Sorry, whoever wrote that horribly wrong thing about me in a pastebin  )

I don't feel comfortable playing female characters in role playing games as I'm not a woman and thus do not feel comfortable trying to roleplay as one. I stick with what's comfortable.

Lorielan

To ever so slightly derail with an interesting occurrence that happens fairly often in Achaea:

It's common enough knowledge that denizen interaction, if not a part of their usual response is garden controlled (outside of your pets, of course.) In-keeping with the OP, a member of the garden generally finds themself playing all sorts of character types, ages, and sexes, but a problem we often come across is players refusing to interact with a denizen as a denizen, instead blurring the lines between IC and OOC to presume what they are being told or asked to do is some divine mission or mandate. Players often interact with the garden role they assume is behind the denizen rather than treat with Joe-schmo the average blacksmith who is asking for help finding his horseshoe nails.

On topic, I have little problem playing burly aggressive males, blushing females, and the spectrum in between. It kind of goes with the territory.

Erhon

Slightly related to Lorielan's post, when I'm running rp for people as a DM or ST, I can generate characters of either sex fairly easily, and slip in and out of personas easily and even figure out their agendas and basically play them for extended periods of time. 

On the other hand, when it comes to me playing a character of my own as a primary character, I can't keep up that character very long if I'm playing a female, and balk at the idea of trying to come up with one to play. I have no idea why. 

Nim

Lorielan said:

but a problem we often come across is players refusing to interact with a denizen as a denizen, instead blurring the lines between IC and OOC to presume what they are being told or asked to do is some divine mission or mandate. Players often interact with the garden role they assume is behind the denizen rather than treat with Joe-schmo the average blacksmith who is asking for help finding his horseshoe nails.

This is one of my pet peeves. :c

Blujixapug

When I was younger I played female characters in MMO-type games more often, but I grew increasingly uncomfortable with it. It felt deceptive. People can quickly build up close relationships that slip across the IC/OOC boundary, whether you're expecting it or not. I didn't want to have to deal with, "Don't get mad but actually I'm a dude."

I don't mean to imply anyone else who plays a character of a different gender is behaving somehow negatively or dishonestly, but I'm sure they are well familiar with the awkward situations that can arise.

In single-player games or games with no RP component I don't have any real affinity. In League of Legends the nature of the character is less important than their skills to me (Gangplank is the one exception, nyarharhar). In Shadowrun Returns right now I'm playing a female shaman, because the idea of a racoon shaman seemed cool, and there was a female portrait presumably based on Pris from Blade Runner that supported the concept better than any of the male art.

I would be interested in other gender options in this game, purely for how weird and fun it would be to roleplay them. A genderless amorphous blob race, or sentient crystalline constructs. A race with three genders. A race of snail-people with the ability to change their gender.

Skye

Blupikachu plays Shadowrun Returns.  Much hearts.

Like Erhon,  when writing I have no problems slipping into a male character's persona, but playing a male character in the long run isn't as comfortable. I think it may have to do with a certain amount of investment one puts into the character. 

Mishgul

Tvistor said:

I know quite a few females that play male characters in order to avoid sexual advances.

I feel as though I now get more advances playing as a guy than I used to. I could probably make some assumptions as to why this is, but I feel the population has (slightly) shifted away from the target women for good times demographic, and are slowly becoming, target anything with a hole/holes demographic.

Aedin

I'm like @Santar on this I'm a male and I of course play Male roles within anything that requires me to be IC in something. While graphics wise, I'll create a female character. After all would you rather stare a male rear end or a female rear end that also has "twin peaks" involved

Jonathin

I can only ever play as male characters when it comes to being my main. It's mostly to do with being able to relate to the persona that I build so I can place myself in his mindset. As was said earlier, it also feels a little dishonest to play a female because of the blurred IC/OOC lines and a good portion of the time (in my experience) leads to estrangement and the kind of drama that I play games to avoid. It's an unfortunate thing, but when I think about some of the female/female characters in Achaea, there really are only a handful of archetypes that are taken seriously as more than just possible mates both IC and OOC. Instinctively, I know that it's almost subconscious, but intellectually, I have a hard time with people that can't control it. sorry if it seems a bit disjointed , I'm trying to type on my piece of crap phone.

Aurom

Identify as a male, almost always play males. The one time I played a female in an online game, lol, the harassment was real, but the game was no Achaea in terms of maturity or roleplay expectation.

I occasionally play female characters in single-player games, like Elder Scrolls, KOTOR, and such, but that's still decidedly uncommon for me to do.

Geras

I identify as a male and play male characters when there's RP involved in online games (like Achaea but not World of Warcraft), or in story-heavy single-player RPGs where there are choices and consequences and romance options available (like Dragon Age, Mass Effect but not Diablo, Dark Souls).

I may play female characters otherwise, especially if there are fun factors involved (e.g., GW2 awesome female armors, epic cutness FFXIV lalas) although I generally stick to males.  

Blujixapug

Aedin said:

After all would you rather stare a male rear end or a female rear end

Well, I mean...

Suvaad

I'm a lay-dee! I tend to play two types of characters:

• "Badass" type women, usually leaning towards the side of creepy and evil.
• Adorkable hot dudes. (Sometimes more effeminate, sometimes more big and masculine like Suvaad.)

I'm sort of the stereotype of "straight guy who likes to play as a hot chick" but with the genders reversed.

Still, I actually find it a lot easier to "disconnect" from my character and see them from the outside when I play as the opposite gender. When I play as a woman, I kind of feel the need to make her as awesome as possible and when she makes mistakes or something crappy happens to her, I get unreasonably upset. When I play as a dude, if something stupid happens, I can just think "aww, poor baby, it's gonna be okay" and move on. It feels like it reflects less on me as a person, somehow? idk, projecting and internalized sexism or something.

Nicaara

I'd play a dude, to avoid all the shameless flirting I get, but I'd be so sweet and thoughtful I'd get all the bitches anyway. *shrug*

Jacen

Jacen gets exponentially more time than any of my alts, but I tend to make more female alts. When I make alts, its mostly to explore the atmosphere/RP of other places, and being a different sex helps me focus more on the RP of things and what I'm doing

Jonathin

Jacen said:

Jacen gets exponentially more time than any of my alts, but I tend to make more female alts. When I make alts, its mostly to explore the atmosphere/RP of other places, and being a different sex helps me focus more on the RP of things and what I'm doing

I never really thought about it that way. That really isn't a bad way to explire new avenues.

Bluef

I always play females characters. I think my general personality + a male character might end up =ing a really aggressive or standoffish character that no one likes. 

And no... I'm not <insert guy character everyone hates here>. I really am not able to identify with the male mindset, body image, etc. in games. I think I'm too much of a girly-girl OOC (that's code for I like things to be "pretty").

For some reason, I can slip in and out of different female personalities pretty well (I just pretend I'm <insert random woman I may know IRL here>up or play an archetype female persona.

I'm really surprised at this though: "I identify as a man and play mostly female characters. 0% 0 votes." Because I easily know 10 guys who play Achaea who routinely play only female characters. Maybe they're not willing to trust the anonymity of the poll or just don't forum?

Nizana

The only way I can justify some sort of androgynous-ness to my character (which would be preferable, for me) is when Transmogrify pops and I become a Chaos Lady. Character is still female, but.. it can be fun. Gorilla Arms, Chicken head, Porcupine Quill, your body is already mutated, just take white-out to the specifics of the gender.

By the way, when I say androgynous, I mean like you're just smooth down there. Nothing.

Also, what @Bluef said. I play female characters a lot because it is just.. prettier, in general. I am sure I can make a pretty male character but.. then it'd just be a female in a male body.

Not opposed to it, just cutting out the middle-man.