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Old 07-29-2004, 05:08 AM   #21
Kastagaar
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Old 07-29-2004, 08:11 AM   #22
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Jazuela will become famous soon enoughJazuela will become famous soon enough
...and then we have another twist in the tunnel:

a heterosexual male player, playing a swishy bisexual male.

or a heterosexual female player, playing a masculine-appearing, lesbian character. We're talking the big brawny burly warrior type woman, decked out in full plate armor, swinging a leg-sized blunt object in one hand and an axe in the other hand - who just so happens to like wearing silk scarves and has - no joke - dainty feet.

I played the second - it was a hoot. A friend of mine has played the first and pulled it off flawlessly.

I actually prefer playing the oddball - the one who doesn't fit the norm. The only male character I've played was an 18-year-old virgin in a game I no longer play. He loved his mom, got along with his family even though they were upset that he decided to do his armorcrafting business in the "wrong" alignment.. was "all boy" - loved to flirt with the women, enjoyed a good ale with a dwarven buddy of his, was respectful to his elders in public but would snicker about their silly politics in private...

He had a lot of depth, my guy. I didn't focus on masculinity OR femininity. I focused on his upbringing, the back-story that got him to where he ended up when he showed up for the first time in town. And flattery of all flatteries, I was told by a few people that they never had a clue that it was a female who played him. They thought he was 100% believable as a male and couldn't imagine any female being that good at getting into a "boy psyche." So I'll toot my own horn and give myself a w00t! on a job well done.
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Old 07-29-2004, 03:46 PM   #23
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Old 08-03-2004, 02:39 PM   #24
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Theomanic writes: "And for some reason a lot of guys playing girls giggle. A lot."

That's because a lot of the guys playing girls are high school or so age guys, and thus the age of girls they're around *do* giggle. A lot. On the other hand, most of the same guys have no particular idea what in a girl's mind *causes* her to giggle at something, so their timing may be on and off from one situation to the next. :> It's also worth noting that anime girls, at least those I've seen (channel-surfing usually; I'm not much an anime fan) giggle a lot. A very lot. And a lot of male RPers are anime fans. :>

On a different note, while it may be true that a lot of males play the big-chested females, I also have met plenty of females who desced their characters with big breasts. If only because they didn't feel they could compete for male attention otherwise.
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Old 08-03-2004, 04:52 PM   #25
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I think the saddest thing about this comment is that it is true. And it makes me wonder why women would rather compete with their breasts than their accomplishments, or their minds, or by virtue of being a good person, or an evil person, or by being a person who makes things happen. Something to think about when you have children and contemplate how to raise your daughters.
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Old 08-03-2004, 07:06 PM   #26
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Personally I've never played a character of the opposite sex, for the simple reason that I wouldn't know how. I mean whenever I create a character I draw from my personal experiences and knowledge with that character's main characteristic. And having that in mind, I don't think a male would know how to play a female character accurately, because he doesn't know what it feels like to be a woman. A woman reacts differently to a situation than a man, and in one of his reactions to an IC situation he might be using his personal experiences, and that would be bad because his previous experiences are that of a man.

See what I'm trying to get at?
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Old 08-03-2004, 09:28 PM   #27
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I think the standard answer for this one is: that's why it's called roleplaying. We can't use our experiences directly if a dragon attacks us, or someone throws a fireball at us either, and yet we extrapolate: this makes me frightened like this thing in my life, that makes me angry like those other things.

I think it requires a bit more extrapolation that's a little less clear-cut to cross-gender, especially in very segregated IC societies, and often that's harder or a step people are unwilling to take. I don't think that it's valid to say that it's possible to roleplay a starving peasant with the plague, however, and not someone of the other gender.
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Old 08-05-2004, 06:26 AM   #28
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Old 08-05-2004, 10:24 AM   #29
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Old 08-05-2004, 11:50 AM   #30
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Old 08-05-2004, 01:11 PM   #31
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Wel,l I wouldn't necessarily say that I choose those qualities for my character as a reaction to the way some people narrowly view the opposite. Instead, I find it much more fun to play characters who are unconvinced of their own failings. I find that to be the case in RL, as well. We are not always aware of how we rate, and not eveybody is exceedingly self-aware. And even if my character is self-aware to the point of being self-judgemental, it is often fun to play against it.

You say, "I am hot and sexy."
You say, "Stop staring at my voluptuous bosom."
You say, "You may be prettier than me, but I'm an elf. If I wait long enough, you'll go away."
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Old 08-05-2004, 07:39 PM   #32
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Old 08-06-2004, 12:09 AM   #33
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That is a very good question.  Myself, I have made characters both good and bad looking.  I find it very interesting the changes and lackthereof in the perceptions of my character.

First of all, when I am a less attractive character, I find a lot of people are still responding basically to my personality and the fact that I am female.  I've had characters described outright as homely, and still I get flowery compliments and presents, as long as I'm nice.  Call me cynical, but I think if they were really envisioning my character, that many people would not be so inclined to kindness towards strangers.

Secondly, when I make descriptions that are very sexy or good looking, I get a little more attention, yes, but I have noticed the "good" roleplayers tend to be cautious around me.  Basically most people assume that anyone who has a description like that is probably interested in c-sex (and probably a guy, I bet).  People who have been roleplaying a long time tend to look down upon characters who are too sexy in their descriptions.  I feel I have to prove myself as capable of RP to anyone who has a lot of credibility, because they are wont to assume otherwise.

- Theomanic
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Old 08-06-2004, 11:19 AM   #34
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From what I've noticed, it's definately the quality of the RP that matters more than the description.

The description, as said several times before by several people in several places (do I get a bonus for using the word several that many times?), is only a first impression. However, in text based envirorments, it can't be absolute as their are many people drawing different pictures of what the character looks like in their mind.

Anyway, I think this is why the actual RP has more weight than description in the attractiveness. The picture painted through RP says more about the author's intent than the description does. - Especially how it's discouraged to suggest attractiveness or whatever.

On another note, I don't think it's wrong to make characters that are attractive or whatnot, but I'll admit if I see an overly attractive character who I've never RPed with before, I'll be slightly suspicious. Especially having seen people (that were largely male, in my experience) that must mention their female character's breasts every other pose... but I have seen people whose description suggested attractiveness and been incredibly good. It's just like any other group, you have the good and the bad, I think there is an unwritten set of rules that require 'higher standards' for those who wish to play overly attractive characters though.
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Old 08-06-2004, 10:33 PM   #35
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Old 08-08-2004, 02:57 AM   #36
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I've finally been cleared to participate here!

My apologies for my response being kind of retrograde with the topic.

The majority of my alts have been female, in some ways I've patterned each to try out the Mother, Maiden, Crone aspects/characteristics. I've had one male alt, but he didn't work out well.

I think perhaps it wasn't so much that I couldn't play a male, but that his character was built solely to fill a craft need. Another player and I traded - he would create an alt who made things my main character needed and I'd do the same for him. My new alt worked fine on that level, but when in actual RP, he tended to be a bit stilted. I think if I had put more effort into his story, he would have been more fleshed out.

As far as the discussion so far about male/female stereotypes, I agree that actual in scene posing makes much more impact on me than a person's description. Whether a character is believable depends on the sincerity of the portrayal - a woman can play a ditzy female character, and I'd feel the same way about the player's skill as I would a man playing a ditzy female character. Miind you, ditzy is fun, but an insincere ditz isn't - they're just one dimensional.

Anyway, my two imps. Thanks to Greenie for keeping the thread going.
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