Girls (Females) in D&D/Roleplaying

[Berandor]

And now for a real male's perspective:
[sblock]1. How many female roleplayers do you have presently in your campaign(s)?
There are female roleplayers?
2. Percentagewise, with how many females did you share your hobby in your own gaming history so far in comparison to the males?
There are female roleplayers?
3. How do female roleplayers change the style of play in your groups?
*shudder* I don't even want to think about that.
4. Do you think that female roleplayers are more drawn in to the storytelling aspect of the game? If so, why?
Yes, because they can't understand the rules.
5. Do you think that female roleplayers are more or less immune to powergaming/maximizing? If so, why?
Yes, because they can't understand the rules, and therefore are unable to form a concept, min/maxed or not.
6. Do you think that female roleplayers are generally ignorant about the rules, concentrating more on the stories and the roleplaying itself?
I would say so, yes.
7. Where do you see advantages/disadvantages of a group that features some/majority/none female roleplayers?
There will be a lot of talking/gossiping in play, which probably enhances the atmosphere. On the other hand, there will probably no combat, which is no fun.
8. Why do you think that male roleplayers are the vast majority in the hobby?
Because they're better at it.
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?
Yes, because they're more broing games than D&D.
10. Are there systems/settings out there in your estimation that are completely devoid of female roleplayers? If so, why?
Probably Dark Sun, because the desert is a harsh mistress, and women females can't survive there.
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?
If I knew females, I'd guess they wouldn't know the rules, since females are bad at math, anyway.
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?
*shudder* see above.
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?
I would think it's probably the only reason a female would play.
14. Have you ever seen relationships break in a group, maybe even while playing? If so, why?
Well, Brian's character, Lynndara, broke up with my ranger recently because I didn't want to share the loot I stole from a prostitute.
15. Do you think that female gamers are more prone to draw private problems/conflicts into the actual roleplaying than males? If so, why?
Yes, because females are socially inepter than males.
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. Females always keep their sentiments hidden and strike when their opponent if flat-footed. There would be a lot of angry looks and talk about hairstyles, though.
17. Do you think that the general approach of a female gamer is different from a male gamer? If so, how?
*shudder*[/sblock]

 

[S'mon]

7. There are fewer misogynistic/racial jokes and more seriousness in the roleplaying experience...

OT: I don't think I've ever seen misogynistic/racial joking from male RPers either. Definitely not in London, or even back in my homeland Ulster (which is a lot like redneck USA in some respects). The UK doesn't really seem to have a misogynistic culture in the same way the US sometimes seems to. For race, stretching a bit... One time back in Ulster I was playing a US Special Forces Vietnam War game based on the likes of the Tour of Duty tv series with an old friend GMing and another friend playing, and our Chinese or Vietnamese neighbours were cooking outside, their youngest child wandered into my backyard, adding greatly to the atmosphere and I put on a Vietnamese-civilian-in-Tour-of-Duty voice and said "No VC! No VC!", which was what they usually said when the protagonists were pointing guns at them. If that counts, I think that's the only time I've heard a racial joke at an RPG session.

 

[Odhanan]

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

I have 4 women and one man as players in my campaign.

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

I'd say... something like 10%, maybe. That still represents a fairly "large" (sorry, ladies) number of women.

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

Well. I'd say that female roleplayers get bored more quickly with game mechanics and combat heavy games. However, they like strategy. They like the brains and not the numbers, if you like (that doesn’t mean they don’t realize numbers are useful tools for the game, mind you). They also like more diplomacy, flirting with NPCs, these kinds of things. This makes the whole experience different, but not too much. I enjoy playing with women very much.

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

Not especially, no. Not "storytelling". However, women tend to use other tactics than men. They may try to charm and backstab instead of charging into a fight. They may try to discover the motives behind this or that NPC's actions before acting against him/her. But in the end they do act as much as men.
Aside of this, I’d say women need more coherence than men in a RPG setting. They tend to have zillions of questions, more than men do (and that holds true for everything, not just RPG), which I think explains why *we* male gamers think they like “storytelling” stuff.

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

Definitely NOT. This is not true. They are statistically as much interested in minimaxing and powergaming than their male counterparts, but they understand the word “power” in a different way. Influence over attack bonus. Acting ability over spells’ DCs. Thought and imagination over numbers and dice. Strategy over tactics.

(which does not imply “story over game”, by the way, so they won’t become automatically more interested with White Wolf games over Wizards)

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

Same as #4. This question is redundant.

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

Advantages with entire male or female parties come from the fact that everyone is more or less attracted by the same things. Try humor during a game session: men and women do not laugh at the same things. So at least, when you have just one gender around the game table, there are more chances for the players to share the same interests.

With a mixed party, it is more subtle. As a DM, you’ve got to take care that everyone around the table has a good time. So you could end up deploying more attention on each player’s needs, rather than thinking about the group as a whole. But that’s a possibility, not some kind of irrevocable flaw. The same way, it can be an advantage: a mixed party would allow you to explore many different styles in a single campaign. I don’t know for you, but when I’m at the restaurant, I prefer to have varied courses and not the same stuff served to me over and over. See what I mean?

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

Because RPGs are historically coming from wargames and are thus geek games. Young and teenage girls don’t care for geeks – they are busy trying to get respected: have a social life, other girls admiring you, having close allies to protect you against sworn enemies, etc. They want romance with the quarterback of the house team. They want to party and show themselves as beautiful and cool… to be loved. Geeks are part of the lowest social rank within schools. They are the anti-coolness for most teenage girls. So playing D&D? Certainly not.

However, since the early fans of RPGs are now in their thirsties, there is a different approach to such games – playing with the kids, or with friends to not stay alone while the husband plays “his game night”. Soon, such women discover that RPGs are not that bad, and even pretty cool, because they use imagination and creativity, two things women generally like. Plus, RPGs at this later age come often with other things, like painting minis, building 3-D environments, designing cool logos, runes, drawings, costumes, etc etc. All these things will potentially interest women, for their “craft/art” value.

These are just some of my answers of course. They aren’t the only true answers by any means.

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?

Redundant question. See #4

Women may be as interested in D&D as in Vampire. All you’ve got to show them is what’s truly cool about it beside bashing monsters and numbers.

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

I don’t think so. None. I’ve known some female utterly fans of things like Kult, Vampire, D&D, Warhammer FRP, Call of Cthulhu, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Deadlands… each have their own interests.

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?

Like said above, most (though I do have a mathematician-teacher aunt, but that's beside my point) women are not interested in numbers and stats.

Now, let’s assume that this is your problem: you got a female gamer that just does not like dungeon crawling and never learned the rules. That’s because pure dungeon crawling has to have a purpose. It has to mean something. Like the numbers, stats, dice. Some women will not see the link between stats and drama, how they can nourish each other. Some will see that, and will learn the rules pretty fast. But all, or almost all of them, will not like the stats for what they are, but what they represent.

Plus, remember that women are generally WAY more on the defensive than men are. Many are scared of saying/doing the wrong thing at the wrong time and look foolish. That may hold them back quite often.

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?

Only female gamers? No (since I’m male). But I’ve known groups of 100% female gamers yes. They are pretty rare in my experience, though.

I’d say that about 90% of my groups only featured male gamers (in almost two decades of gaming). For the difference in styles, that’s a redundant question: see #7

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?

Yes. A lot of women are drawn to the hobby because of a boyfriend, a friend, a brother, a dad, or other male gamers in their lives. That’s how it usually happens, but not always.

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

I’ve seen relationships created during game sessions, but never break. I guess I’m one of the lucky ones.

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

This is almost redundant regarding #14. I do not think so. Male and female gamers are as likely to bring private issues to the game table (something that I haven’t seen for years, personally).

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. problems are being dicussed rather that ignored?

If quarrels erupt during a game session with women, that will be generally because of the defensive stance I was talking about. See end of #11 for this.

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

I think the goal is the same, but the approach could (or could not) be different. See all previous questions for more detail.

Hope this helps,
Odh

 

[JamesDJarvis]

1. My present campaign currently has no female players in it currently, they have all moved away generally because of careers or school. Thye were almost 50% of the players for a while.

2. throughout my gaming histoiry only about 10% of polayers have been female.

3. Female players allow a wider range of social situatiions to enter play with few adolescent hangups about boys playign girls.

4. I do not think that female roleplayers are more drawn in to the storytelling aspect of the game.

5. Female roleplayers are not more or less immune to powergaming/maximizing from what i have seen.

6. Female roleplayers are generally no more ignorant about the rules then the male players.

7. Women do think different from men to some degree and i find hte wider range of atitudes helpful in haviing an exciting and dynamic campaign.

8.I think that male roleplayers are the vast majority in the hobby becasdue males wirte the vast amount of the games and the are heavily marketed towards the adolescent end of male characterisitcs.


11. I know female gamers and male gamer that, even after some years of play have only miniscule knowledge of even the simplest rules becasue they enjoy the playign of the game and are happy to let the DM andf other players worry about all the picky rules.


13. I think women are drawn to the games out of personal interest.

15. Female gamers are no more prone to draw private problems/conflicts into the actual roleplaying than males.

16. There is generally less quarreling in a group that features some female gamers? because soem of the "little boys" at the table behave when women are around.

 

[Empress]

Hello everybody out there!

Hello in there! *g*

It seems I found a good thread to start "serious" posting

1. How many female roleplayers do you have presently in your campaign(s)?
A. 3

2. Percentagewise, with how many females did you share your hobby in your own gaming history so far in comparison to the males?
A. 33%

3. How do female roleplayers change the style of play in your groups?
A. I have always gamed with women, so I'm not sure how to answer that. I'd say we're pretty much like every other group out there.

4. Do you think that female roleplayers are more drawn in to the storytelling aspect of the game? If so, why?
A. Well, I like the opportunity to slip into other people's minds, to try and act like my character really would. I guess that's what the women I game with enjoy, as well as the guys. But I can only say that the whole group likes to hunt some orcs, as well - even if they haven't captured our hobbit (or is it halfling?) friends

5. Do you think that female roleplayers are more or less immune to powergaming/maximizing? If so, why?
A. From what I understand, these terms denote severly competitive characters. If so, I'd say the women enjoy the coopoerative part of roleplaying too much to go out and make a game-breaking character. That doesn't mean the characters are incapable, though.

6. Do you think that female roleplayers are generally ignorant about the rules, concentrating more on the stories and the roleplaying itself?
A. (I hope that's the right emoticon) But I would agree that our women are mostly concerned with advancing the storyline, not adhering to every single nook and cranny of the game system.

7. Where do you see advantages/disadvantages of a group that features some/majority/none female roleplayers?
A. I think groups with women in them have more fun, because life just is incomplete with a solitary gender.

8. Why do you think that male roleplayers are the vast majority in the hobby?
A. Probably because a lot of gamers start in early teens, when girls are uncool, and the hobbies intermingle too late. Also, a lot of fantasy is male-centric (it should be Hermione Potter!)

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?
A. Well, I started with Vampire. What I liked about the game was that it helped you create a character - you had archetype and demeanor, virtues to really form the role-playing aspect of the character, whereas my cleric has no characteristics, only abilities. I admit I still find it a little hard to adapt to this lack of "holding hands", so to speak.

10. Are there systems/settings out there in your estimation that are completely devoid of female roleplayers? If so, why?
A. I don't really think so. I mean, there are women who even play Counterstrike and similar games, right?

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?
A. I don't know one, but I'd say it's a matter of interest. If she is only playing because her boyfriend is (or something), then she has no incentive to learn the rules, and will not do so. If she has fun playing, she'll learn most rules in due time.
I wouldn't say I know all the rules, myself, but we just converted from Vampire, and I do know that system's 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?
A. I don't know such groups. I can't imagine them being a lot different, though.

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?
A. I always hear about that, though I don't know anybody who fits that descirption, personally. One of our women started gaming with her boyfriend, but because she was interested in it, as well (and she plays a mean Gangrel, let me tell you)

14. Have you ever seen relationships break in a group, maybe even while playing? If so, why?
A. Relationships break, it just happens. In game, though, I haven't seen it yet.

15. Do you think that female gamers are more prone to draw private problems/conflicts into the actual roleplaying than males? If so, why?
A. Yes, why? I don't think so.

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?
A. What kind of movies have you seen?
I think our group tackles any problems pretty heads-on. Maybe that is a result of playing with a mixed group?

17. Do you think that the general approach of a female gamer is different from a male gamer? If so, how?
A. Women sneak into the enclave and steal the amulet instead of trying to fight their way in. They're smarter

I hope that helped. Bye,

Empress

 

[Samothdm]

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

Game 1: Six Players and One DM - two players are women
Game 2: Six Players and One DM - two players are women (used to have a 3rd woman player but she had a baby and hasn't come back to the group yet)
Game 3: Five Playes and One DM - one player is a woman

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

Roughly 20% or so. Back in my early days, none of the players were girls/women.

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

They don't change the style of play at all. Gamers are gamers.

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

I haven't seen it. I think that age (or, more appropriately, experience with gaming) is more of a factor than gender when it comes to this. That's not to say that more experienced gamers don't hack-and-slash, but rather that storytelling is not normally something I've seen people focus on who are brand new to gaming.

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

Not in my experience. Again, what I've found is it's more a matter of gaming experience than a matter of gender. A newbie does not normally grasp enough of the mechanics to powergame/min-max.

In the three games that I either play or DM in, I'd say we really only have one, or at most two, min-maxers. Both are experienced, veteran players. They are both male, but I really don't think that has anything to do with it. And, the sample size is too small to be statistically accurate anyway.

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

In the game I DM, pretty much all of the players (with one exception) are ignorant of the rules, guys and women alike. They're almost all newbies.

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

I don't see advantages or disadvantages either way. Again, gamers and gamers. They either want to play and should be allowed, or they don't want to play.

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

I think a lot of it has to do with socialization skills while children are young. It's getting better, but it used to be in the "old days" that boys were, in general, socialized in "team activities" (which usually means sports), whereas girls were socialized with individual activities.

Gaming is a "team activity", really, and so I think that in the past, boys were drawn to it more often. Many of the themes present in gaming (especially war and fantasy gaming) tend to appeal to male (mostly adolescent male) affinities - military history, superheroes, and that kind of thing. That's not to say that women universally don't like these things, but rather that males composed more of those activities' core audiences. Gaming naturally extends from that audience.

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?

I've heard that before, but I don't know if there is any statistical evidence to prove it.

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

Not to my knowledge.

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?

I know players (of both genders) that have only miniscule knowledge of even the simplest rules after some years of play. Gender is irrelevant.

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?

I have not played in any female-only groups - since I'm male, that would be impossible.

I have played in two male-only groups, but both were when I was in junior high or high school. Those groups differed because, as teenage males, we were more interested in telling dirty jokes and talking about girls than we were interested in gaming.

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?

Probably both, but I imagine that the scenario works in reverse, too (guys joining gaming because their girlfriends are into it).

My wife plays in the game I DM mainly to show her support for the vast amount of time and energy I've put into my gaming world design over the past 15+ years. Another woman player just wanted to find out what it was all about and was, in fact, the reason that our group got together to start gaming. The other woman players I know started playing because someone asked them if they would be interested in joining.

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

No.

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.

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?

Not in my experience.

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

Not really.

Just checkin` if the stereotypes are right, and if so, why.

My guess (hope?) would be that the stereotypes are not statistically accurate.

 

[fusangite]

My guess (hope?) would be that the stereotypes are not statistically accurate.

Well, I don't think anything coming out of this will be statistically accurate because I suspect a number of people are doctoring their answers in order to produce a survey outcome consistent with their social/political values. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Well, I don't think anything coming out of this will be statistically accurate because I suspect a number of people are doctoring their answers in order to produce a survey outcome consistent with their social/political values. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing.

Why do you suspect such?

I mean it's fairly hard to define statistical accuracy given the context for any number of reasons, but this seemed a fairly cryptic and provoking response.

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Opinion-based questions, such as some of the questions asked in this thread, can only normally be used to form conclusions about opinions. However, some of the questions ask for statements of fact, and from these, statistically significant non-opinion-based conclusions could be drawn.

Since we don't know the hypothesis behind the questions - or even whether a hypothesis exists - and we don't know which of the questions will be used to draw conclusions, it is manifestly false to say that any conclusions drawn will not be "statistically accurate."

Here's a good example of a statistically accurate conclusion that might be drawn:

"According to internet-based research, from a sample size of X, the mean number of female roleplayers per roleplaying group was Y, with a standard deviation of Z."

 

[MonsterMash]

1. How many female roleplayers do you have presently in your campaign(s)?
One in a group of 5

2. Percentagewise, with how many females did you share your hobby in your own gaming history so far in comparison to the males?
Roughly 20%

3. How do female roleplayers change the style of play in your groups?
No real difference

4. Do you think that female roleplayers are more drawn in to the storytelling aspect of the game? If so, why?
Again no discernable differences

5. Do you think that female roleplayers are more or less immune to powergaming/maximizing? If so, why?
No, powergaming can be a problem with all gamers.

6. Do you think that female roleplayers are generally ignorant about the rules, concentrating more on the stories and the roleplaying itself?
No, really comes down to individuals.

7. Where do you see advantages/disadvantages of a group that features some/majority/none female roleplayers?
No real advantages or disadvantages

8. Why do you think that male roleplayers are the vast majority in the hobby?
Partly games are seen as a 'male' activity, especially RPG and the 'nerd' image can put people off.

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?
Anecdotally yes, but as I don't play storytelling games no direct experience

10. Are there systems/settings out there in your estimation that are completely devoid of female roleplayers? If so, why?
No

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

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?
No

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?
Most gamers seem to have been introduced by friends so while female gamers have often been introduced by boyfiriends, most of the male gamers have learnt from other gamers (though not necessarily partners)

14. Have you ever seen relationships break in a group, maybe even while playing? If so, why?
No

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

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. problems are being discussed rather that ignored?
No, probably a bit less.

17. Do you think that the general approach of a female gamer is different from a male gamer? If so, how?
Slightly more emphasis on RP, but this is much more a feature of individuals rather than gender specific.