Dragonbait
Explorer
Winterthorn said:
Quoted for truth
Turnabout Is Fair Play - Female Gamers
- Thread starter WayneLigon
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Quoted for truth
Wik
First Post
Ha. I once gamed in a group where I was the only male (and I was DM!). That group was a lot of fun, but they *really* wanted to play in a world where "women were supposed to stay home and look after the kids" so that it was more impressive when their characters broke from their culturally-defined roles (I think it was grade 9... every girl was a feminist!). Fun group, that.
Beyond that, I never really noticed a difference in gaming styles. I've had players who were most interested in role-playing (one of the most interesting characters I've ran a game for was a female human druid/ranger with a fey bloodline), killing stuff, and even dealing with puzzles. ABout the only "generalization" about female gamers I've ever picked up was that a) they generally don't "optimize" characters as readily as male gamers and b) In my experience, they aren't as tactical.
That being said, I remember a game we were playing with my friend Wendy (who was introduced to the game by her boyfriend, but became quite addicted and played independantly of him, including participating in the "all girl" group). The group had been given a map to find a cabal of mages that had gotten trapped in the woods while a bunch of gibberlings were doing their "Thang". So, the group manages to use the map to figure out where the mages were, but are promptly stuck in the woods, surrounded by gibberlings. They had no idea how to escape, until Wendy (then only a "newb" - I think it was her second game) pipes up "You know, we have a map. We can use it to get OUT of here just as easily as getting IN". The rest of the players had forgotten all about the map the second it had served it's primary purpose. Wendy's quick-thinking probably saved the group.
Kinda miss her, actually.
Right now, our only female player at the table is a "happy to be here" character that, sadly, doesn't really contribute much to the group, unless there's a trap in the way.
Beyond that, I never really noticed a difference in gaming styles. I've had players who were most interested in role-playing (one of the most interesting characters I've ran a game for was a female human druid/ranger with a fey bloodline), killing stuff, and even dealing with puzzles. ABout the only "generalization" about female gamers I've ever picked up was that a) they generally don't "optimize" characters as readily as male gamers and b) In my experience, they aren't as tactical.
That being said, I remember a game we were playing with my friend Wendy (who was introduced to the game by her boyfriend, but became quite addicted and played independantly of him, including participating in the "all girl" group). The group had been given a map to find a cabal of mages that had gotten trapped in the woods while a bunch of gibberlings were doing their "Thang". So, the group manages to use the map to figure out where the mages were, but are promptly stuck in the woods, surrounded by gibberlings. They had no idea how to escape, until Wendy (then only a "newb" - I think it was her second game) pipes up "You know, we have a map. We can use it to get OUT of here just as easily as getting IN". The rest of the players had forgotten all about the map the second it had served it's primary purpose. Wendy's quick-thinking probably saved the group.
Kinda miss her, actually.
Right now, our only female player at the table is a "happy to be here" character that, sadly, doesn't really contribute much to the group, unless there's a trap in the way.
Princesskeyblade
First Post
I "found my inner gamer" all because my friend needed someone to come and play in his convention game. So we went and I played.... I was hooked. I don't get much of a chance to be creative ....or let out any of that stress tension at work so it is interesting to bring that to the table. I think one of the reasons why I as a girl love to game is that I can create a character that has a life of her own....
I am admitedly a girl geek and quite proud of it. I didn't really think a lot of gamer guys were looking for a gamer gal... All the guys I had ever seen in the game store always asked me if I needed a hand finding something or I needed something explained. That is until I met my gamer boyfriend
We met at a convention and he joined in a monthly game I played in. He is the first gamer guy (asside from my guy gamer friends) who didn't look at me and think, "There is a woman trying to game. How cute." He finds it more sexy than cute...
What bugs me is that all the games written for girls are all fairys and things like that... Do I want to play that?? Oh hell no, I love to kill NPC's. I have yet to be part of one but I play a game soon where I am excited cause there is one thing I have always wanted to happen... Three little letters: TPK.
I am admitedly a girl geek and quite proud of it. I didn't really think a lot of gamer guys were looking for a gamer gal... All the guys I had ever seen in the game store always asked me if I needed a hand finding something or I needed something explained. That is until I met my gamer boyfriend
We met at a convention and he joined in a monthly game I played in. He is the first gamer guy (asside from my guy gamer friends) who didn't look at me and think, "There is a woman trying to game. How cute." He finds it more sexy than cute... What bugs me is that all the games written for girls are all fairys and things like that... Do I want to play that?? Oh hell no, I love to kill NPC's. I have yet to be part of one but I play a game soon where I am excited cause there is one thing I have always wanted to happen... Three little letters: TPK.
Drowbane
First Post
Kafkonia said:<snip>...But I have had one (and only one) problem that is directly attributable to the gender of the players -- the game I was DM'ing has gone on hold because one player just had a baby.
That isn't as gender specific as it might seem. The wife of one of our regular players (and secondary DM) had a baby... and we haven't seen him in 7 (8? 9?) weeks. We expect to seen him in 5-8 yrs... with his new cohort.
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Jeysie
First Post
This seems as good a thread to de-lurk in as any...
I don't know if it's just because I RP solely on IRC at the moment, but I'd say that almost half the roleplayers I know personally are fellow women.
My own D&D group currently has two guys and three gals. The two guys tend to alternate DMing duties, so the other fellow (and their character) ends up adventuring with us three ladies. *cackle*
I admit I'm the stereotypical sort who prefers social interaction and skill monkeying to combat (the least of which reason being that my real life spatial sense is very lousy), but the other two gals love kicking in heads as much as anyone.
In regards to the OP, I tried getting a friend of mine to play with my group back when we were roommates. He was a creative roleplayer, but never developed a very good grasp of the mechanics. I kept having to go over to his computer during his turn to point out the appropriate modifer to roll from his sheet. I also ended up doing most of the figuring whenever he had to make a character/level up (and he's actually better at math than I am!). He eventually had to bow out completely due to other commitments.
Peace & Luv, Liz
I don't know if it's just because I RP solely on IRC at the moment, but I'd say that almost half the roleplayers I know personally are fellow women.
My own D&D group currently has two guys and three gals. The two guys tend to alternate DMing duties, so the other fellow (and their character) ends up adventuring with us three ladies. *cackle*
I admit I'm the stereotypical sort who prefers social interaction and skill monkeying to combat (the least of which reason being that my real life spatial sense is very lousy), but the other two gals love kicking in heads as much as anyone.
In regards to the OP, I tried getting a friend of mine to play with my group back when we were roommates. He was a creative roleplayer, but never developed a very good grasp of the mechanics. I kept having to go over to his computer during his turn to point out the appropriate modifer to roll from his sheet.
I also ended up doing most of the figuring whenever he had to make a character/level up (and he's actually better at math than I am!). He eventually had to bow out completely due to other commitments.Peace & Luv, Liz
Zendragon
First Post
In my current group, we have 4 guys and 3 girls. It is amazing what they come up with. They think outside the box and are very clever. We have a Minotaur Frenzied Beserker, Elven Rogue and Elven Ranger. In another group that I play in we have 3 girls(different girls) and 5 guys. This group is just getting started so I can't judge too much yet. First few sessions have been good though.
mhacdebhandia
Explorer
My current group was supposed to be more than 50% female, but various problems prevented it - though, happily for the state of the hobby, one of those problems was "I'm in too many games already!" Now, I have six players, but the only female player is my wife.
I've known many female gamers, only a few of whom joined because they were asked to by their gamer boyfriends - and most of those were already interested in a vague way, having simply not had the opportunity to play until their boyfriends made it happen.
I don't know many female gamers who aren't dating other gamers, with the exception of my friend who married a guy with almost zero interest in games of pretty much any type - computer, card, board, roleplaying, et cetera. That said, it's probably because our collective social group is oriented around SUTEKH, the gaming and SF society at the University of Sydney, and most of my good friends are involved with other SUTEKH members (or wish they were, gossip time!).
I've known many female gamers, only a few of whom joined because they were asked to by their gamer boyfriends - and most of those were already interested in a vague way, having simply not had the opportunity to play until their boyfriends made it happen.
I don't know many female gamers who aren't dating other gamers, with the exception of my friend who married a guy with almost zero interest in games of pretty much any type - computer, card, board, roleplaying, et cetera. That said, it's probably because our collective social group is oriented around SUTEKH, the gaming and SF society at the University of Sydney, and most of my good friends are involved with other SUTEKH members (or wish they were, gossip time!
).
I have been gaming for years and have had very few sessions and no campaigns where at least 1/3 of the players werent female. Most of the girls i have played with (including my fiance) started because someone they were seeing asked them to... However some of them also turned out to be much better gamers then the guy who first asked them to join in.
I think my groups have been wierd though, through all the years i have played with military people, actors and actresses (none famous sadly, all aspiring) cops, former cops, jocks, and a bunch of people from martial arts classes and ren fair and sca groups, none of whom you would see and peg as a "geek". Out of all the groups only two really stand out as geeks, one being a total geek who totally deserved the term... and the other being a math teacher at a university who if you met him you would never guess if he didnt tell you what he did.
The only real stereotype of female gamers i have seen to be true is that they dont get into the optimization/wargame aspects as much as men. Most enjoy the combat, they just dont want to number crunch as much as us. Females have added a lot to the RP elements in my games, but thats because each group has had at least one stand out. There was allways at least one other female who just wanted to kick butt.
I have never had a problem recruiting females. I find mentioning there are allready other girls in the game helps alot, other then that mentioning its mainly about acting and storytelling rather then being a constant human calculator helps. If you can really live up to those things as a DM then you wont have a problem getting girl gamers IME. And the variety they add to the game will help alot. More bloodthirsty, or more RP focused, girls do react to things differently then us males. And having them in a group will add to the variety of that group and its reactions.
I think my groups have been wierd though, through all the years i have played with military people, actors and actresses (none famous sadly, all aspiring) cops, former cops, jocks, and a bunch of people from martial arts classes and ren fair and sca groups, none of whom you would see and peg as a "geek". Out of all the groups only two really stand out as geeks, one being a total geek who totally deserved the term... and the other being a math teacher at a university who if you met him you would never guess if he didnt tell you what he did.
The only real stereotype of female gamers i have seen to be true is that they dont get into the optimization/wargame aspects as much as men. Most enjoy the combat, they just dont want to number crunch as much as us. Females have added a lot to the RP elements in my games, but thats because each group has had at least one stand out. There was allways at least one other female who just wanted to kick butt.
I have never had a problem recruiting females. I find mentioning there are allready other girls in the game helps alot, other then that mentioning its mainly about acting and storytelling rather then being a constant human calculator helps. If you can really live up to those things as a DM then you wont have a problem getting girl gamers IME. And the variety they add to the game will help alot. More bloodthirsty, or more RP focused, girls do react to things differently then us males. And having them in a group will add to the variety of that group and its reactions.
Prophet2b
First Post
Just to chime in with everyone else... My wife started before me. Her sister is also into RPG's. In every game I've played there have been two girls - both married. Funny enough, when we move this summer we lose one but gain another, after a friend gets married and his wife moves to the same town. So we'll have 2 guys/2 girls playing (plus the DM).
Of course, I might have been into gaming before my wife, except that my mother taught me that all things D&D were evil and of Satan and I would become demon possessed if I walked down that road... heh.
In my experience, too, though, the girls are way more bloodthirsty. One girl in our last campaign played a dwarven fighter. That was fun!
DM: "You see 300 orcs coming up the hill."
Player: "I charge them!!!"
Party: "Uh....."
Player: "C'mon you cowards! ARGH!"
Of course, I might have been into gaming before my wife, except that my mother taught me that all things D&D were evil and of Satan and I would become demon possessed if I walked down that road... heh.
In my experience, too, though, the girls are way more bloodthirsty. One girl in our last campaign played a dwarven fighter. That was fun!
DM: "You see 300 orcs coming up the hill."
Player: "I charge them!!!"
Party: "Uh....."
Player: "C'mon you cowards! ARGH!"
