Gender preference

[Cpt. Lundgren]

What are your thoughts on males playing female characters and vice-versa? Do you have a preference? What makes the determination for you?

All my characters so far has been males. On the other hand, the number of campaigns where I have not been a GM could be counted on one hand. But I will probably try it, if the circumstances is right (Why bother if the gaming session is almost entirely OOC? )

As an aside, do you have problems with people who tend to "gender swap" with their characters?

If the player has an interresting character, they are welcome to do it. But the same things applies to non-human character (I am probably less harsh about gender swapping ). I.e. I would want to know they understand the mindset of a Vulcan or a 700 years young wood-elf.

[Dan Gurden]

Well. I used to have a rule (back when we were kids) that players had to play their own sex. Simply because I believed that it would not be realistic to play cross-gender.

I grew out of that one, at about the same time I realised that an RPG was not Narrator vs. the players. Somewhere around age 16.

I think that the level of maturity does have a significant effect over the characters. There are players I know who, if they were to turn up with a female character, would cause a wince of prospective p[ain, as all they really want to do is pretend to get sexual gratification, and run a gauntlet of barely obscene toilet humour. While others can be fairly convincing.

On the whole most female characters tend to be just like the boys, apart from their basic chromosones (on paper), and I feel fairly comfortable if this is the worst it can be.

To be honest, these days I have no problems with gender swapping, after all, we game so rarely now, that any escuse is a good game. Although my favourite character in our current on-off Earthdawn game is the female windling, played as the equal to a 13 year old girl. Who my elven Woodsman is quite protective of.

For myself, I have played 2 female characters in my life, a Star Wars Rebel Pilot and a Vulcan Security Officer. The Pilot ended up very similar to the role that eventually appeared in BSG as Starbuck, as a hard-drinking, hard-fighting, sexual predator with a chip on her shoulder (there was a good solid background story, along with the feminist issue, after all, did you see any other female pilots in Star Wars?). While the Vulcan was a typical emotional cold fish and barely counted.

Now, one thing that I do not recall anyone ever playing in our games was an openly gay character (male or female), it sounds like there have been plenty of Lesbians out there, but how many male gay characters? And how well played, or did they end up overly camp/butch?

[black campbellq]

We've have a few gay characters show up...one played by a gay friend. The big bi characters were an Andorian married quad with a 'party marriage' where all of the spouses were involved with each other, not just a male/female pair of couples. The men and women were in love with the other three (although the one PC [played by the resident homophobe] was less interested in the other male character.)

[Tobian]

I've always wondered how Andorian 4 way mariages work !

sexuality and homosexuality are very rarelly dealt with on PC and children Firendly shows like Startrek, with a couple of noticeable exceptions, the TNG episode witht he J'nai, which was pretty sensitivelly handled, and the original Trill episode

[tmutant]

I've never played a female PC. (NPC's, of course, are another matter) I've never had any trouble with other players gender-bending. I was once changed from a male 3rd level half-elf Ranger into a female 0 level dwarf fighter by something the GM called "The Ride of Your Life". Had to get a wish to change back. And dodge male dwarves. Not really the same thing, though.

I think I really would have trouble getting into character if I played a female.

[Balok]

I have played female characters over the years, but I don't do it often, simply because it's hard for me to imagine what it would be like to be female. I don't want to play a character badly, and I have seen female characters played badly by male players (I'd imaging most everyone has a story or two like that). But it would likely be a growth experience, in terms of developing new skills.

[Turloigh]

Well, I made the experience that males playing females usually end up with cliches and not a real character. I think it takes at least some experience to play such a role, because at least for some females are as "alien" as Andorians

I like clichés. I think they definitely have a place in role-playing.
For the record, I know one male player who ALWAYS plays females (usually bisexual), and a female player who ALWAYS plays males (usually bisexual or gay). Go figure.
As for myself, I've occasionally tried cross-gender characters but ultimately decided that I prefer to play my own (usually hetero or bisexual, BTW), because that's what I can best identify with*. Evan is right, females are sometimes very alien to me.
It's interesting to see that each player, GM or group seems to have different experiences. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, as the Vulcans say.

* Is my grammar OK? English is not my native language.

[black campbellq]

Is my grammar OK? English is not my native language.

Excellent.

And I like cliches, too. we call it "having a schtick..."

[Phoenix]

Your doing better than some of us English speakers.

[Turloigh]

Your doing better than some of us English speakers.

You're too kind!

[RaconteurX]

I generally play whatever gender suggests itself when I create a character. While I do not profess to know all there is to know about women, I can portray one with a reasonable degree of realism. Heck, I do not profess to know all there is to know about men, and I have been one all my life!

[black campbellq]

Your doing better than some of us English speakers.

Yo, jak...like we be down widda ebonics, yo, 'cause it be like annuder langumage fo da homies.



An once again, you have a school district in California trying to pawn that crap off as a "new language..."

[AslanC]

Yo, jak...like we be down widda ebonics, yo, 'cause it be like annuder langumage fo da homies.



An once again, you have a school district in California trying to pawn that crap off as a "new language..."

What in the name of the Great Bird of the Galaxy does that have to do witht he topic at hand? Gender Roleplaying = Ebonics bashing? Wow... now that's connecting some distant dots.

Back on topic, I don't allow men to play women or women to play men, I find it all too disturbing at the table... I once allowed Don to play a female in an IRC game, that was less disturbing, since I wasn't looking at a man while it was happening

[Dax]

Althought I did a few RPGs I prefer to play woman it's easier for the role play.

[black campbellq]

Althought I did a few RPGs I prefer to play woman it's easier for the role play.

I would infer from the comment you're female...