How often do you play a differently-gendered character when gaming?

[Snarf Zagyg]

When reading the "bearded female dwarf" thread, I started thinking that maybe my reaction wasn't that common simply because I don't play female characters very often.

And by very often, I mean ... at all. It's just not something that I have ever done. On the other hand, I have known players that have enjoyed playing characters of different genders than themselves. I would say that in my limited anecdotal experience it seems more common now than in the past, but that could just be what I've been observing.

I thought I'd try to make a poll.

I guess this is necessary to say today- please don't make this political. I apologize in advance if I used any incorrect verbiage (gender/sex/etc.).

The poll is from 1-5. 1 is always play different gender(s) from yourself; 5 is never play different gender(s) from yourself. The others are in between.

 

[GMMichael]

I'm a GM. Playing other sexes or genders is kind of required.

Might want to fix your typo - breading female dwarves sounds like a state fair food stand.

 

[Gradine]

This is a complicated question to answer for me for numerous reasons, but I went with "mostly" for the reason stated above: I am the GM in my group.

Prior to my transition I played mostly male PCs when I did play; I did play a few female characters. Since then I have gotten a few opportunities to play, in which case I've played cis female characters, which I still would not necessarily qualify as the "same" gender as I identify as.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

@DMMike
@Gradine

Thank you both for your response (and I appreciate the response gradine- I was trying to be sensitive in the wording).

That said, I think the DM role (which requires you to undertake multiple people) is different than that of a player. I was just thinking when I was reading that other thread - this is a roleplaying game, and we often play against type, but it is still the overwhelming default to play the same gender. I think?

 

[Gradine]

That would be my expectation; my friend group is probably very atypical in this regard. For instance, in the current game I'm running, all six of my players a cis; one of my two male players is playing a female PC; all four of my female players are playing male PCs.

 

[DammitVictor]

As a GM, I regularly play female characters. As a player, I run about 50/50 between male characters and genderless characters.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I think it’s probably 50/50 for me.

The trickiest part of playing female characters is finding less-than-outrageously-hot artwork to use as avatars.

 

[hawkeyefan]

This is something I do as GM quite a bit. But I think as a player I tend to lean more toward playing male characters. Definitely not exclusively, but mostly, I'd say. It's probably a few different factors that contribute to this, but I expect the biggest is that I tend to invest or inhabit in a PC more than in the NPCs that I run as a GM, and so it's easier to relate? Or maybe that's my perception of it? I don't know. I don't generally notice a huge difference when I have played a female character, so it's hard to say.

I also tend to play human characters in D&D and other games that allow alternate races. This is why I think it's a kind of "easier to relate" kind of thing.

Our group is made up entirely of male players, so I imagine that plays a part in it, too. But there are several who play female characters very often. There's not a significant change in the way other players handle that.

 

[prabe]

At this point, unless I have some specific concept in mind, I flip a coin.

 

[Fenris-77]

I tend to play male characters, historically exclusively so. I'd probably be more likely to play gender neutral or fluid than female. To answer this question entirely honestly is actually kind of intense. We all have habits, but how often do we really try to articulate them? Anyway, great thread.