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Estarra · 06-21-2005, 11:42 PM

Research! Research! Research!

There are plenty of historical precedent for strong female roles. Of course, if you're bound and determined to stick to a European medieval theme, you may be somewhat limited. But if your willing to look a little further afield, especially in a fantasy realm, you'll find lots of interesting facts to inspire you. Of course, there are many "wise woman" roles, and many societies that revere the magic of childbirth.

But perhaps it is the role of warrior that may trip you up. However, even then, there is a lot about which may help you gain other perspective. My favorite is the King of Fanti's elite female warriors (circa 1800's), who at their height were 2500 strong and enjoyed equal status with male warriors. They had different divisions, such as the 'blunderbuss women' and the 'razor women'.

Anyway, I'd suggest not be confined to one culture, you could create a hybrid culture or, if you have the resources and inclination, have several different cultures that offer diverse socities that players can choose from. As far as gender differences, maybe females are more dexterous and males are more physically stronger--as long as these statistics balance in the game design. I believe Imperian once tried an Amazon guild open only to women, which I always thought was a novel approach.

06-21-2005, 11:42 PM	#47
Estarra Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Home MUD: Lusternia Posts: 191	Research! Research! Research! There are plenty of historical precedent for strong female roles. Of course, if you're bound and determined to stick to a European medieval theme, you may be somewhat limited. But if your willing to look a little further afield, especially in a fantasy realm, you'll find lots of interesting facts to inspire you. Of course, there are many "wise woman" roles, and many societies that revere the magic of childbirth. But perhaps it is the role of warrior that may trip you up. However, even then, there is a lot about which may help you gain other perspective. My favorite is the King of Fanti's elite female warriors (circa 1800's), who at their height were 2500 strong and enjoyed equal status with male warriors. They had different divisions, such as the 'blunderbuss women' and the 'razor women'. Anyway, I'd suggest not be confined to one culture, you could create a hybrid culture or, if you have the resources and inclination, have several different cultures that offer diverse socities that players can choose from. As far as gender differences, maybe females are more dexterous and males are more physically stronger--as long as these statistics balance in the game design. I believe Imperian once tried an Amazon guild open only to women, which I always thought was a novel approach.