Girls (Females) in D&D/Roleplaying

[nedjer]

Pics or it didn't happen.

a) about young enough to be my daughter

no need for b) as I ain't Gary Lineker (don't know a US equivalent)

but b) dependent on her artwork for RPG work, so I'd have to be both a psycho weirdo and an idiot to go there

Some pretty funny comments, mainly to do with being too weak to learn rules after two fingering breakfast and getting all confused choosing a lipstick. Unfortunately not family friendly for reporting back as soon as the comments strayed on to self-harming.

 

[Dragonbait]

1. How many female roleplayers do you have presently in your campaign(s)? 3
2. Percentagewise, with how many females did you share your hobby in your own gaming history so far in comparison to the males? 25%
3. How do female roleplayers change the style of play in your groups? Characters having intimate relationships (gasp! s-e-x!) was discussed in the games. Typically by the female players. It never took over the game session, and was more matter-of-fact... Also there seems to be a lot less gas in groups that have female players. Coincidence? My Friday night group of all guys sounds like a choir of bagpipes sometimes...
4. Do you think that female roleplayers are more drawn in to the storytelling aspect of the game? No
5. Do you think that female roleplayers are more or less immune to powergaming/maximizing? No, but the female games I've seen are less likely to do it.
6. Do you think that female roleplayers are generally ignorant about the rules, concentrating more on the stories and the roleplaying itself?No
7. Where do you see advantages/disadvantages of a group that features some/majority/none female roleplayers? It may look better to people who have very stereotypical views on games, but I'm really reaching for that one.
8. Why do you think that male roleplayers are the vast majority in the hobby? Society?
9. Do you think that socalled "Storytelling Games" like e.g. "Vampire" draw more female roleplayers to their genre than traditional roleplaying games like D&D? No
10. Are there systems/settings out there in your estimation that are completely devoid of female roleplayers? I doubt it. I've never seen a woman playing Warhammer FRP for isntance, but that does not say much.
11. Do you know female gamers, that, even after some years of play, have only miniscule/no knowledge of even the simplest rules? If so, why? Yes, because she did it just to be social. I know a male player like that, too.
12. Did you ever play in groups that only featured female gamers?No Did you play in a group that only featured male gamers? Yes. How do those groups differ in style? Again, groups with females had some references to characters having sex. That's it.
13. Do you think a lot of female gamers are drawn into the hobby because their boyfriends are already playing it, or they want to get to know a boy better in the group, rather than out of personal interest? No, not from my experience
14. Have you ever seen relationships break in a group, maybe even while playing? If so, why? Yes. There was a strange love triangle in a group.
15. Do you think that female gamers are more prone to draw private problems/conflicts into the actual roleplaying than males? If so, why? No. Most drama llamas I've encountered are guys.
16. Is there generally more quarreling in a group that features some female gamers? If so, why? Could this be also to the benefit of the gaming, e.g. problemes are being dicussed rather that ignored? No. The most quarrelsome groups were almost all males, and the female players were not involved
17. Do you think that the general approach of a female gamer is different from a male gamer? If so, how? No.

 

[Gilladian]

1. 2 of 5 in one game, 3 of 5 in the second.
2. At least 50%
3. Guy players are boring. I try to avoid "them". :^) I'm stuck with my husband, though.
4. We like story; we like combat; we are as widely variable as any group of guys.
5. No
6. No. I'm the DM. I'd darned well better know the rules.
7. I can't conceive of not having myself in my group, so I guess I think having females is a good idea.
8. Because of silly surveys like this one! No, really, your questions are extremely typical of the attitude that makes women roll their eyes and go elsewhere.
9. Ugh! Hate "storytelling" systems. All gothy and self-absorbed. Ick.
10. Never seen one. Don't want to.
11. No. They learn the rules (like anyone else) or they don't get invited to a long-term campaign.
12. I had a 3 year span in college (traditionally women's college) where the only guy was my husband. He didn't seem to mind. The game was very little different than any other campaign. Although we did spend one memorable game rug shopping... and kidnapping a bad guy, rolling him in a rug and carrying him around.
14. One marriage made, none broken.
15. What sort of question IS that? Of course not.
16. Discussion is not quarreling. Decide what the question is. NO, there is not more quarreling.
17. No. Players have different approaches. Genders don't.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

1. 3 of 5 in the game I'm currently running.
2. I haven't really kept track specifically. At least a third and definitely less than half.
3. They don't really.
4. No, not especially.
5. I think they are less likely to obsess about min/maxing. That doesn't mean they're less likely to want to have powerful and effective characters.
6. No.
7. It's really 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. I play with my friends, gender isn't really a factor.
8. Are they? Men tend to be more drawn to formally structured activities. I don't think RPGs per-se are different from the rest of society. Women play organized sports and they play RPGs too. I think men just tend to be a little more prone to doing it.
9. Dunno, I doubt it.
10. F.A.T.A.L? (obvious reasons, or so I've heard). Honestly I've had female gamers in all but a very few of my games of all genre.
11. Nope.
12. Now and then I've had groups that were only women, though very rarely. Likewise I've had a few groups that were only men, though that is somewhat more common.
13. I think a lot of gamers play to hang out with their friends etc. It isn't men or women especially. Most of those people are pretty casual gamers and rarely last long but they aren't overwhelmingly female.
14. No.
15. No.
16. No.
17. No, not really. Men and women DO have slightly different problem solving approaches in general, but the difference is pretty small. I think both groups are looking for the same basic things out of a game. My female players don't really play any kind of distinctly different game.

Honestly I think differences between men and women when it comes to gaming are more related to what they are EXPECTED to like and want to do than anything else. This is especially true for young people. I find that the older I get and the older the groups that I play with are the less likely it is to run into all male groups for instance.

 

[pawsplay]

11. Do you know female gamers, that, even after some years of play, have only miniscule/no knowledge of even the simplest rules? If so, why?

Does anyone else find this questionaire a little leading?

 

[Umbran]

Does anyone else find this questionaire a little leading?

Does anyone else find the sky to be blue?

 

[nedjer]

Does anyone else find the sky to be blue?

Varies with the synaesthesia from day to day

 

[TarionzCousin]

Does anyone else find this questionaire a little leading?

"Mr. Pawsplay, please tell the jury an exact date--when did you stop beating your wife?"

 

[Smoss]

After posting XP to Paws I notice it could be taken entirely wrong. Meant maybe the Original Poster (Or those who think with such leading questions) would learn. *sigh*

We need to be able to edit XP...
Smoss

 

[Wolf1066]

1. How many female roleplayers do you have presently in your campaign(s)?

1 - would be 2 but the other one interested in playing isn't free on the night that everyone else is.

2. Percentagewise, with how many females did you share your hobby in your own gaming history so far in comparison to the males?

Don't know if I can do a percentage - I've lost track of how many blokes I've shared the hobby with. I've had two female DMs and played alongside more than 10 women in various games.

3. How do female roleplayers change the style of play in your groups?

Haven't noticed any major change - most the females I've encountered can cuss, fart and tell dirty jokes as well as any of the males can.

4. Do you think that female roleplayers are more drawn in to the storytelling aspect of the game? If so, why?

No. Like the blokes, they're attracted to the various games for many reasons.

5. Do you think that female roleplayers are more or less immune to powergaming/maximizing? If so, why?

Hell no. I've not played with her, but one of the 2 female DMs I mentioned had a reputation for being a major "Munchkin" when playing.

6. Do you think that female roleplayers are generally ignorant about the rules, concentrating more on the stories and the roleplaying itself?

Nope. Most the female players I've met are quite up on the rules and pick up new rules quite quickly.

7. Where do you see advantages/disadvantages of a group that features some/majority/none female roleplayers?

Dang, that looks like it needs a 2x3 table to answer it.

All the games I've played/GM'ed have either had no females or a minority. It certainly added to the mix of personalities having the females there - because of who they were as people/players, not because they were female.

8. Why do you think that male roleplayers are the vast majority in the hobby?

Because so many of the games are focused on combat and machismo - and fewer women are interested in that than men are. Some women are, and good on 'em. Other women gravitate towards games that offer different aspects.

9. Do you think that socalled "Storytelling Games" like e.g. "Vampire" draw more female roleplayers to their genre than traditional roleplaying games like D&D? If so, why?

Well, there were certainly more women involved in the Mind's Eye Theatre Masquerade games than in any of the (A)D&D, Traveller, Cyberpunk etc games I've been in. As to why, I don't know. Too busy playing to ask.

10. Are there systems/settings out there in your estimation that are completely devoid of female roleplayers? If so, why?

I don't know all systems/settings but I'd have to say "No" on the grounds that I've known females who've played D&D, Call of Chthulu, Traveller, Cyberpunk, Vampire, Werewolf, New World of Darkness and others - if they can play that much of a diversity, I don't think anything's devoid of female roleplayers.

11. Do you know female gamers, that, even after some years of play, have only miniscule/no knowledge of even the simplest rules? If so, why?

No. And why would someone - anyone - who's been playing for years not know the rules?

12. Did you ever play in groups that only featured female gamers? Did you (if so, how often percentagewise) play in a group that only featured male gamers?
How do those groups differ in style?

If I joined a "Females-Only Game" it would instantly no longer be "Females-Only" and any stylistic differences would be lost by the inclusion of a male.

13. Do you think a lot of female gamers are drawn into the hobby because their boyfriends are already playing it, or they want to get to know a boy better in the group, rather than out of personal interest?

Some of those I've gamed with came to it because their bf or spouse was playing, others were drawn to it because it sounded interesting.

14. Have you ever seen relationships break in a group, maybe even while playing? If so, why?

I've been in a game when a couple who were playing broke up because the guy was a wanker. Not too surprisingly, the break-up was around the time the guy was independently kicked out of the game by the GM - for being a wanker. Seems the GM and his GF both had similar tolerance thresholds for his jerky behaviour in and out of game...

15. Do you think that female gamers are more prone to draw private problems/conflicts into the actual roleplaying than males? If so, why?

Nope.

16. Is there generally more quarreling in a group that features some female gamers? If so, why? Could this be also to the benefit of the gaming, e.g. problemes are being dicussed rather that ignored?

I've not had experience of any real quarrelling in games - aside from two players arguing with their DMs over the players' in-game behaviour. Both resulted in the death of the PCs and the players stalking off in a huff.

17. Do you think that the general approach of a female gamer is different from a male gamer? If so, how?

The general approaches of all players differ from those of other players - it's all due to our diversity. The females I've gamed with have been just as unique in their approaches to the game as the guys.

Just so folks are aware - this thread is over 5 years old, and the OP hasn't been on the boards since 2006. This doesn't mean you cannot discuss the topic, but the person who wanted answer is unlikely to see them now.

I'm just here because I'm awed by Nikodemos' Necromancy and the OP's ability to fill a post with questions. Two truly Herculean efforts in one thread - I figured that deserved an answer.