A question for women (gaming related)

[Poj]

I just watched the 48 minute Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay video. As in many other RPGs, you're given the choice of making your character male or female.

Now, a lot of my male friends and a lot of the males here on this forum seem to choose a female character if there is a choice.

My question for female gamers here: Do you tend to pick the male option? If so, why?

Me personally, I pick the male and I style the hair and skin tone to try and make the character look like me. That way I feel like it's me in the game world and I treat it as such. I always try to play as the "good guy".

How about you?

 

[Surakian]

Just depends on how good the character creator is in a game with that kind of customization, how the story plays out, and what mood I'm in.

 

[xxracerxx]

My wife doesn't usually play games with create a characters, but I let he design mine quite a bit and she will usually try and design herself or me depending on what he choses.

 

[Deleted member 21220]

I tend to just go with the female characters, especially if it's a character creator. I can never get the male characters to look right in the character creator!

 

[LinLeigh]

I have been having for decades and most of my experiences are as a male character. So when I have the opportunity to play as a woman I will never pass on it.

In fact being able to play as a woman is a huge reason for buying a game.

 

[gcncontroller]

it just depends on the game, but usually i pick the cuter of the two options (and in character creators this is normally the female options). i don't base the character off myself, though, it ends up being a sort of original character i can come up with a scenario for

if they're predefined characters that i choose between, however, i normally choose the male one. i remember playing video games before there were female "options" so it just feels a little more natural, i guess, since the male choice often still feels like the default

 

[Deleted member 4434]

I usually choose to play a male character.

When I started playing games as a kid, there was usually no option to play a female character.

Because of that, it doesn't make a difference for immersion what character I play. And like many men choosing to play as a female character for looks, another reason is that I rather look at a male than a female character.
For multiplayer, choosing a male character also saves me annoying "go to the kitchen" comments, so that's another bonus.

MMOs used to be the exception but lately even there I main a male character.

Only if the game has a romance option, then I choose the female character. Otherwise 9 out of 10 times I choose male.

 

[Dralos]

my gf always makes her character look like herself.

 

[Platy]

Only if the game does not have bikini armor

Else I try to do the girliest man I can make

 

[Freckled Milk]

I always create a female character with pale skin and dark hair, so that she has some resemblance to me. My sister usually picks male characters, though, so it really depends on the person.

 

[Vitor]

My wife always picks the female character if possible. She says in most games she's already forced to play as a dude, so she won't waste any opportunities to do otherwise.

 

[Aly]

If there's a female option then I make her look like me if possible.

 

[oofouchugh]

Playing as a male is pretty much the default in every game so theres no novelty in it for me, so when given the option I always pick female.

 

[Alent]

I like to go with female options unless its spectacularly sexualised, or the female option is just dumb-looking (Lyra in Pokemon HGSS).

 

[neferteetee]

I will make a black female character if possible. Not many games have protagonists that look like me so I get it where I can.
I've been playing as white males since 1989 and I'm kinda over it

 

[CattleCalypto]

I will make a black female character if possible. Not many games have protagonists that look like me so I get it where I can.
I've been playing as white males since 1989 and I'm kinda over it

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so your probably not excited for Red Dead Redemption 2 (protagonist is a white male)?

 

[Fliesen]

I think many male players pick the female options in games wherever possible, because games that do not have selectable player character gender, you're likely to play as a dude.

I'd think women would follow the very same logic and have the added benefit of the immersion you yourself seek.

I don't think there's all that many women who go out of their way to pick male heroes when the player character's gender is selectable.

 

[Esfolia]

No I usually pick to play a female character when there's the option
They are usually better designed or cuter anyway

 

[Nilou]

I always choose the female character option when given the choice. Just far easier to relate then playing a male character. Plus many games make characters aren't exactly eye candy to me and more what I'd imagine guy players would like themselves to be/look like.

 

[Lordciego]

My wife says that when able she chooses Female.

 

[Dice]

Often always female. I'll dabble with a male characters, but since females are still leading games less, it feels good to go for the option when it's there.

 

[molnizzle]

My wife and I both tend to use the female option.

 

[neferteetee]

so your probably not excited for Red Dead Redemption 2 (protagonist is a white male)?

Click to shrink...

Oh I am because Red Dead is awesome. But if I have the option to be a black woman I'll take it.

 

[Poj]

My wife says that when able she chooses Female.

Click to shrink...

My wife and I both tend to use the female option.

Click to shrink...

Interesting. Tell me why.

 

[Maligna]

Me personally, I pick the male and I style the hair and skin tone to try and make the character look like me. That way I feel like it's me in the game world and I treat it as such. I always try to play as the "good guy".

How about you?

Click to shrink...

Sorry to chime in since I'm not a lady, but this is the exact opposite of what I do. I play games to escape my real life. I'm me all the time. A robust character creator is a chance to be someone else. I always make a character that's as far from the real me as possible. So a female non human if that's an option, is best.

 

[CattleCalypto]

Oh I am because Red Dead is awesome. But if I have the option to be a black woman I'll take it.

Click to shrink...

For online it will be there.

 

[Jubbe]

I'm male, but I always go with the default look in every character creator because I'm there to play a video game not play dress up.

 

[molnizzle]

Interesting. Tell me why.

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I do it because it's refreshing to have a female avatar when I've played thousands of games with male avatars.

She does it because she hasn't played thousands of games, so she tries to make the character look like herself.

 

[oni-link]

I let my girlfriend design the character I play as if there is a character creator

Playing DA:I at the moment and she designed me a male rogue, though I think she tried to make the character look like me as much as possible

 

[Pau]

Often always female. I'll dabble with a male characters, but since females are still leading games less, it feels good to go for the option when it's there.

Click to shrink...

Pretty much my experience.

Now that I've been playing games with more set female protagonists or with options, I wonder if it will eventually change.

 

[bahorel]

I go with a mix but if I can be gay then I will be male. (Skyrim, etc) If there's no romance option I'll go with the most attractive looking based on hairstyle. I did girl for Far Cry 5 because it's first person so it felt more natural to represent me.

In fallout 4 I did a file for both a guy and a girl.

I can't decide whether I want to be male or female Morgan for when I play Prey.

 

[BDS]

I always pick a female character because the number of games where you can play as one is low enough already.

 

[Xita]

Always female because I am female and there still aren't nearly as many games where you can play a female MC.

I used to not style characters like myself but recently I've been trying to and it works alright even if black options tend to be lacking

In fact being able to play as a woman is a huge reason for buying a game.

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This so much

 

[Auron.90]

I usually pick the male option for a character that uses brute strenght (warrior, tank etc.) and a female one for a smarter and more charismatic approach to the game (mage or long distance fighter). In games such as pokemon I choose the female option for the second run.

 

[blitzblake]

I go with a mix but if I can be gay then I will be male. (Skyrim, etc) If there's no romance option I'll go with the most attractive looking based on hairstyle. I did girl for Far Cry 5 because it's first person so it felt more natural to represent me.

In fallout 4 I did a file for both a guy and a girl.

I can't decide whether I want to be male or female Morgan for when I play Prey.

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Hold up, if you can be gay then you pick male, but you yourself aren't a gay male? That's like me picking a girl but only if I can get off with other girls.

 

[JilloftheJungle]

Depends on my mood, but I think I always choose female. The male models just look too bulky/hulked out? But if there's a choice to make a hefty lady I do that lol.

 

[someday]

When given the choice, I always create a black female character. It's about the only time I get to play as one.

 

[Boiled Goose]

I've made some lookalikes. Some opposite gender. Some wacky.

Depends on mood I guess

 

[Joltik]

I will make a black female character if possible. Not many games have protagonists that look like me so I get it where I can.

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Same. If there is a female character option where I can have dark skin, I will take advantage of it. You rarely get to play as PoC in games and WoC are especially nearly non-existent. Game designers could do better with black hair options though.

 

[Lordciego]

Interesting. Tell me why.

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Because there are not so much games where you can choose to be a woman, she like to imagine that she is the protagonist and because if its a game where romance is possible (even if is a same sex option) she prefers to play it as a female.

 

[Stoney]

Never understood why dudes play as women in games. To me that's weird.

 

[Aeana]

I prefer to play as women in games if I'm going to be roleplaying. With that said, based on the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay footage, there was a lot of ogling the player character, with camera focusing on her thighs or butt, which came off as very strange to me. If they're going to manipulate the camera to look at the player character like that, maybe I'll play as a guy.

 

[Reedirect]

Never understood why dudes play as women in games. To me that's weird.

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Funny. What I find weird is people who want to play as themselves. Why would I want to do that? Videogames are about certain role-playing after all. To each their own, I guess.

 

[SchrodingerC]

I usually tend to pick female characters because like many have said it's slim pickings for actual fem MCs already so it's nice to have the choice.

 

[tommy7154]

Wife will pick female characters and make them look like her. She plays Fortnite a lot and almost exclusively plays as women.

Never understood why dudes play as women in games. To me that's weird.

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Have you played Tomb Raider or something else with a female lead character? Or is it just choosing the opposite gender over the one you are that's weird to you?

 

[bahorel]

Hold up, if you can be gay then you pick male, but you yourself aren't a gay male? That's like me picking a girl but only if I can get off with other girls.

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There's several layers of gender politics about why women feel safer identifying with a gay male character rather than a woman designed for men, but to simplify there's nothing wrong with that. I'm not getting off to it.

(Sorry not saying Skyrim is a male gaze game but just in general about why)

 

[Kain-Nosgoth]

Never understood why dudes play as women in games. To me that's weird.

Click to shrink...

guess i'm weird then, what am i gonna do with my life now?

 

[djinn]

I always play as a female given the option, and generally as elderly as I can make them. Grandmas kicking arse makes me smile.

 

[atomsk eater]

Depends on the game. For mmos and games with dating options I'm more likely to select a female avatar. It's a toss up for most other types of games, but I think either way I do choose/make female characters more often overall.

 

[Gakidou]

If it's a single player with a more linear narrative I am often tempted to make myself, so female.
If it's something more creative roleplay-ish and non-linear or community driven (like tabletop DnD, MMOs, Diablo-likes, etc) I feel more inclined to make an original character, in which case there's even chances of my picking male, female or nonbinary characters. I've got a biiiiiiig sweet spot for RPing big intimidating paladin type lads or barbarian women :#)

Planning on getting MHGU soon and my (male) partner really likes playing female chars, so I'm gonna make a male hunter in that so we get to see more armour sets between us. Actually we did the same in borderlands tps and saint's row 4.
I don't feel like I have to, we often play as 2 women and get just as flirty with eachother, but yeah, drawn to the variety.