Nahat Anoj
First Post
This thread would have been way cooler if every response to this thread's OP matched every response to the original thread's OP, only with "female" replaced with "male."
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Male gamers: Weal or woe?
- Thread starter fuzzlewump
- Start date
Oh, really? That's not what my toddler-raising friends say....
cmrscorpio
Explorer
Cassander
First Post
Hi!
I thought I'd join the conversation to give the perspective of what it's like to be a male gamer. I'm probably in the minority in that I didn't get into rpgs through my girlfriend, which seems to be the most common route.
Anyway, I do like gaming, but I've had to develop something of a thick skin. Hopefully, one day, the hobby will be more welcoming to other men. Here are a couple examples of things that are driving male gamers away:
Sexist House Rules: If a guy joins your group, he'll probably want to play a male character. But many groups seem to have a house rule that gives males a -2 to Intelligence. When the male player protests, the rest of the group says that it just wouldn't be realistic for the men to be as smart as the women. Some even claim this penalty is "balanced" by the fact that men can't get pregnant. Unfortunately, a lot of times these rules only serve to discourage men from playing and it really seems to be hurting the gaming community.
Semi-Pornographic Art: I think a lot of men like the idea of gaming until they see the artwork. Book covers that feature scantily clad men only reinforce the idea that gaming is only for girls. I really wish gaming companies would get the message that men are also interested in gaming and stop making covers like these:
Oh, and ladies, please, please do not hand a guy a character sheet with a character portrait like this!:
I thought I'd join the conversation to give the perspective of what it's like to be a male gamer. I'm probably in the minority in that I didn't get into rpgs through my girlfriend, which seems to be the most common route.
Anyway, I do like gaming, but I've had to develop something of a thick skin. Hopefully, one day, the hobby will be more welcoming to other men. Here are a couple examples of things that are driving male gamers away:
Sexist House Rules: If a guy joins your group, he'll probably want to play a male character. But many groups seem to have a house rule that gives males a -2 to Intelligence. When the male player protests, the rest of the group says that it just wouldn't be realistic for the men to be as smart as the women. Some even claim this penalty is "balanced" by the fact that men can't get pregnant. Unfortunately, a lot of times these rules only serve to discourage men from playing and it really seems to be hurting the gaming community.
Semi-Pornographic Art: I think a lot of men like the idea of gaming until they see the artwork. Book covers that feature scantily clad men only reinforce the idea that gaming is only for girls. I really wish gaming companies would get the message that men are also interested in gaming and stop making covers like these:
Oh, and ladies, please, please do not hand a guy a character sheet with a character portrait like this!:
Nifft
Penguin Herder
It's possible to raise a toddler without ever having sex.
It's also possible to have sex without raising a toddler.
If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend the latter.
Good luck, -- N
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