Character gender choice in gaming

[porina]

The above I think summaries how I feel, but I was wondering how other people choose.

 

So the question is, when you are given a choice, do you tend to pick a particular gender? In some games, the character is fixed, so those should be excluded from consideration.

 

I think I would have liked to break down further into LGBT with the poll options but the list would get rather long. I'm not doing formal research so will have to accept limitations from that.

 

[WereCat]

Well, that picture sums it up perfectly

[Jurrunio]

I play more recklessly when playing with character of the opposite sex. If I want to win, I need to play with character of the same sex as I am IRL.

 

Games I play rarely let me make the choice though. Hitman, male (if you think Agent 47 is feminine, you need a doctor). Assassin's Creed games, depends on the plot but you dont get to decide. Ghost Recon Wildlands, male. Grand Theft Auto, male. Sniper Elite, male. Final Fantasy 15, male. Portal, female. Tomb Raider, female. Those that let you choose character genders are quite few.

[Majestic]

Most of the times male, because developers are lazy and almost never have a seperate gait/mocap moveset/meshes (that don't clip) for female characters. So they just move like men. Exceptions are: Saints Row 3/4, Mass Effect 1 (they fucked it up in 2 and 3). Nor does it make sense for most games I play, because women would suck in those scenarios IRL. Unless it's sci-fi and they have power armor 'n shit. 

 

I have no issues with a female protagonist though, but it can put me off if they overplay it and come off as tryhards.

 

On the subject of LGBT:

 

Have a nice day.

[Streetguru]

30 minutes ago, porina said:

 

If you can play as cute anime girl keep game

If you can't play as cute anime girl, return game

Simple.

[vong]

I usually choose to play as a female just to change it up since most games out you can only play as a male.

[Mooshi]

Need a "Plays whatever TF I feel like playing" option. People put way too much thought into gender tbh

[porina]

15 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

Games I play rarely let me make the choice though.

That's in part why I had to explicitly exclude those from the question. Thinking more, that may affect certain genres more than others. My main timesink is FFXIV, so MMOs in general, you will have that choice. I recall GTAV allowed you to create a character, although on that occasion I was unable to find anything I'd consider cute. Pokemon Go? The young son (<10) of a relative was rather confused to see my character was female. 

 

Just now, Streetguru said:

If you can play as cute anime girl keep game

If you can't play as cute anime girl, return game

Simple.

Unfortunately I can't play many games that feature cute anime girls. Like Touhou, love the fanart around it, but the game itself is not something I can cope with.

 

Maybe I should expand it further. When characters are fixed, does that impact your choice of game? For example, FFXV I think is the end of the road for me on the offline FF main series. I bought the game but didn't get into it. I didn't connect with the bromance (or Cindy), and the combat style didn't help either. I did watch gameplays on youtube and enjoyed the overall story, but it didn't make me want to play it myself. On the other side, I'm curious about Blue Reflection, but I'll wait until that goes on sale I think... I also wonder if I should start in the Atelier series.

2 minutes ago, Mooshi said:

Need a "Plays whatever TF I feel like playing" option. People put way too much thought into gender tbh

There are "don't have particular preference" options.

[kilgore_T]

when playing a 3rd person rpg I don't want to being looking at a dudes butt the whole time so always choose a lady

[Guest]

Idc what gender I am in game as it doesn’t make much of a difference. 

Usually guy is default so I play that. Sometimes I decide to play a girl to make that play through different. Even though it’s basically the same anyway. 

[Lathlaer]

2 hours ago, porina said:

Maybe I should expand it further. When characters are fixed, does that impact your choice of game? For example, FFXV I think is the end of the road for me on the offline FF main series. I bought the game but didn't get into it. I didn't connect with the bromance (or Cindy), and the combat style didn't help either

It's funny because it was the other way around me. I enjoyed the gameplay immensely esp. with the fighting but the story felt a bit rushed, not to mention the forced 

 

 

Lunafreya's death

 

when you haven't even had the chance to start to be emotionally invested in her fate. It gets better later in the story and I think I will give it another go but only after the rest of the DLC are there (episode Lunafreya and Arachnea should complement it enough I think).

 

As for the OP: I do feel like I'm unconsciously leaning towards playing a female character but I will choose a male if it offers something unique and different. I have played both FemShep and MaleShep in Mass Effect and had fun.

 

When the game does not give you the choice it's fine as well. I have played Witcher 3 and had a blast and I have just finished a 100% marathon of both Tomb Raider reboot games and they were fantastic. In other words, the fact that a game is genderlocked in no way will determine whether I will play it or not.

 

So yeah, given the choice I will probably play a female on my first playthrough (like I will do in the new Cyberpunk game) but it doesn't necessarily mean I will not explore other options. 

[rentaspoon]

I've always played as a female character, a lot of games use to have females as the more agile characters so I found that fitted my play style better, I think now it's escapism, I rarely will pick a male character in game because the last thing I want to do is play myself. It's what bothers me with the usual comment that "men get to be themselves in games". Plus playing a bad ass female character is better than a male badass character. 

[ivan134]

Straight, male, female characters

[impure]

Well that depends. On whether or not the game has a nude mod.