Girl Gamer Stereotypes...or lack thereof?

[NewJeffCT]

Ah, you don't know my wife.

Pretty, fashion-conscious, hyper-intelligent...

and the most blood-thirsty dwarf head-hunter I've encountered.

Part of ROLE-playing is taking on personas, from minor to
extreme, that are different from who we are day-to-day.

And girls and guys are both equally able to do this.

Well, I tend to agree with a friend who says we always tend to role-play ourselves, even if it is a bloodthirsty savage of a PC. It may be a different aspect of ourselves, but it is in there.

But, the one woman I've gamed with over the years was not a bad player (see my post above), but she had a tendency to play beautiful, but slightly bloodthirsty, elven mages. She'd always put her two highest scores in CHA and INT...and, she was always very lucky in character gen with her dice rolling.

 

[Qlippoth]

RE: "Metrosexual"

I prefer the older terminology:

Not a slob, or not a male-chauvenist pig.

...

Sexuality has nothing to do with it though. How your momma raised you does.

Big time. My GF had a roommate (thankfully long-gone) who fancied himself quite the "metrosexual." Yep, he was groomed, wore expensive clothes, and worked out every day. He was also quite possibly the most narcissistic, self-centered, misogynistic, objectifying SOB I've had the displeasure of meeting.

 

[Arnwyn]

But why do they even ask that question? Can anyone explain to me why this a prevelent attitude?

Because the demographics clearly show that, for the time being, it is a male-dominated game/hobby. (I can't speak about the "condescending" tone, though, as I have never encountered such an instance.)

 

[Steverooo]

And then there's the DM, me. I'm 40 something. I suppose I'm of average attractiveness... <Snip!>

Certainly I wouldn't frighten children, nor win a beauty contest.

If you're average, then I'm uglier than a brick. I agree you wouldn't frighten children, but disagree on the rest. From what I've "heard" on the boards, your personality is rather on the pastry side, too...

 

[Darklone]

Gamer girls... They are a minority over here. About 25%- 35%. Present but mixed.

Since some of the more interesting dudes nowadays do RPGs, many girls start with it too... and enjoy the attention.

Girlfriends and co: Got a girl in the group who joined with her boyfriend. They split, she stays.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

But, the one woman I've gamed with over the years was not a bad player (see my post above), but she had a tendency to play beautiful, but slightly bloodthirsty, elven mages. She'd always put her two highest scores in CHA and INT...and, she was always very lucky in character gen with her dice rolling.

Yeah, she used to always play rogue/wizard types, totaly
non-combative. But, 3.0 rolled around, she wanted something
different.

I said, "play a stereotype, be a plain fighter!"

She said fine, and choose an ultimate stereotype...dwarf.

So here rolls out this female dwarf w/ a great axe whackin' heads
off...left people uneasy with her joy of hacking.

Now she says she prefers fighter...go figure

 

[Teflon Billy]

I've only ever gamed with one woman who annoyed me. She was very easily offended by anything she construed as "guy talk". If we mentioned any of several kinds of movies, if anyone made a comment polite or otherwise regarding women or if the slightest trace of testosterone entered the conversation she would roll her eyes and complain in this irritating motherly tone that seemed to be trying to convince you that you were beneath her contempt.

Just the memory of that woman grates on my nerves...

Jeez, I can't believe she made it all the way down to Austin Texas from Vancouver BC.

 

[Voadam]

If there's one stereotype I think I can claim of female gamers it's that they tend to not go out and seek new gaming groups. Most of the ones I've encountered still game with the people they did when they first joined the hobby.

This can make them seem a lot rarer than they are, because so many of them keep a low profile.

20 years later I'm still gaming with most of the same guys I learned D&D with, only now its a lot less frequently becuase we are scattered across five states and three time zones. I've only been involved in three different serious gaming groups over that time. As we are all guys in my long term one, I have to say from my experience that is not a girl only phenomena.

 

[Arnwyn]

As we are all guys in my long term one, I have to say from my experience that is not a girl only phenomena.

Yep, same here for me.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

Jeez, I can't believe she made it all the way down to Austin Texas from Vancouver BC.

I think there's someone like that in every group, for every activity , everywhere. They can be male or female. Hypsersensitive. I'm a woman and women like that grate on my nerves too. (As do guys like that). I had a roommate like that in college. She was a hard core feminist which I think can be a good thing, but she took it to the next level where she thought men were beneath her and was frequently rude and mean to my little brother (who was 13 years old at the time) just because he was male.

what can you do?