Playing characters of the opposite gender

[Silver Moon]

I'm happy to have folks play cross-gender PCs, and I play them myself. No one minds or cares.

Exactly, well said! Of the six players currently in my weekly gaming group four have had cross-gendered PCs while two never have. It's all fine.

 

[smdmcl]

Historically, I'd say 1 in 5 of the characters I have played have been females. Currently I am playing 1 female and 1 male character. I've never had an issue doing so (nor has anyone ever had an issue with me doing it, AFAIK) and I am actually totally surprised that there are people out there that have a problem with it.

The genders of the characters I play often effect the way I play them but the characters sexuality never does.

 

[smdmcl]

Exactly, well said! Of the six players currently in my weekly gaming group four have had cross-gendered PCs while two never have. It's all fine.

In my current group of six, four of us play cross-gendered characters, one never does and one member is new so it's hard for me to comment. We have one female player who probably plays male characters about as often as she plays female ones.

 

[Kzach]

I don't know; do I personally desire to be a murderer that kicks in the door and slaughters people?

I think this is probably an important point and where people differ significantly in their enjoyment of roleplaying.

For me playing a video game, I rarely see myself as the character. So playing a female doesn't bother me. It's not an extension of myself, it's just a means to play a game. And why not have a means that I find interesting to look at?

But for roleplaying, I definitely envisage myself as the character. I think this is also where I had difficulty understanding the desire to play evil characters. For me, roleplaying is about seeing myself as the character in another situation, in another world. It's pure escapism. I am the hero that gets all the chicks, etc.

Same with Dexter. When I watch a movie, I sympathise with a character. I put myself in their shoes and let the movie take me to another place. So I feel conflicted that I enjoy watching Dexter.

This point actually helps me a lot. I 'get' why someone would play a female character or evil character now. It's just a role, not an extension of themselves. Just a character with no real connection to it other than to play a game.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I don't care if anyone plays the opposite gender, but if you're just going to use it as an outlet for your frustrated sexual urges, take a hike.

That's a nice, concise description.

I guess that explains why I never got any traction with you with my cross-gender concept: Tigglebitty Funbaggs, the whip-cracking halfling whore of Greyhawk.




EDIT: Hey! Fun with Search Clouds! A quick search for "Funbaggs" turned up all the other cross-gender threads of the past few years.

 

[WhatGravitas]

An RL RPG is where you envision yourself as the character. You are ROLE playing.

In that case, I don't really envision myself as the character - I rather try to understand the character I play and try to do the decisions from their point of view instead of my own (and usual) point of view.

For that reason, exploring different genders, mindsets, and moral codices with characters is fun to me - because it's distinctively *not* me. And to me, that's playing the different role.

But, obviously, your mileage may vary!

On the topic itself: I rarely bother with playing female characters - first of all, I tend to be DM, second... I've seen too many people with repressed sexual urges in RPing. Takes the fun out of it.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Storminator]

That's a nice, concise description.

I'm happy to have folks play cross-gender PCs, and I play them myself. No one minds or cares.

I'm looking forward to your take on Dangergirl! Sidekick of the Estranged Sidekick Dangerboy! in the upcoming All Sidekicks Issue!

PS

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Perfectly fine with people playing someone of the opposite sex in my games. I routinely play opposite gender as well. We simply do, it is a character and just like with an author who decides, "this character feels like they should be male or female" it is the same deal with our characters.

 

[Silvercat Moonpaw]

For me I've never been exactly sure if the desire to play a different gender is really about playing that gender or about playing something I'm not. I can play my own gender if the character is removed from being human.

 

[Piratecat]

I guess that explains why I never got any traction with you with my cross-gender concept: Tigglebitty Funbaggs, the whip-cracking halfling whore of Greyhawk.

Well, duh. My game doesn't take place in Greyhawk.