Is it weird to play as a female character?

It's weird if you have a girlfriend. It's weirdER if you don't. No, I'm kidding. Do what you want. Sometimes female animations just look better.

@f22_king_raptor: I don't think it's weird at all, whatever floats your boat i guess

@Chief9088: My brother and I have this conversation from time to time. He commonly chooses females when given the chance, I do the contrary. If I am to choose a female protagonist, my level of immersion is damaged, as I am no longer playing as an accurate representation of myself. Despite finding fantasy and the act of fantasizing pleasurable, the altering of the main character's sex from my own (when given the choice) has never interested me

That's interesting. Because, unless I miss my guess, you're also not a space marine or a wizard, but you probably don't have the same immersion issues while playing as one. Not judging, because I hear a lot of people say things like this, but why when you suddenly attach a different set of genitalia in a game where sex is little more than cosmetic does it suddenly cause a disconnect? And I mean it as a genuine question.

For me personally, when I play as a female character I have no problem with immersion and generally play the character as I've imagined her...sometimes with the same morals as I have, but sometimes with the morals of a character I might have imagined. The only difficulty I have is when it comes to relationship options...my characters are pretty much always single (no lesbian action, either). That's where it breaks down for me, because I don't have that same issue with male characters. This leads me to wonder if I have a daughter, would I be one of those overbearing fathers that scares all her boyfriends/girlfriends away? At the very least, then, you could say playing on a female toon has led me to learn something about myself. :D

@ Ish_basic

"...... you're also not a space marine or a wizard, but you

probably don't have the same immersion issues

while playing as one."

Holy Cow ! How did I not see that ? Damn !

When given an option to customize a character's appearance/sex, my goal is to create the most accurate depiction of myself. As I mentioned prior, I enjoy indulging in fantasy; however, altering the sex is damaging to my immersion, as I lose a sense of connection. I am a male, and as such, I prefer to role play as one. If I fantasize and role play, I imagine every detail. Changing the sex of a character is absolutely not a simple cosmetic tweak, it completely alters the way in which I perceive the character, play through the story line, and engage in social interactions. Imagining myself or my character as a female offers no enhancement of joy and only serves as a detriment to my immersion.

I find it a little bit odd, but maybe that's just me projecting my mindset for playing on other people. When I play a game I always get into being the character in the game, so playing a female would be a lot like crossdressing. I'm sure a lot of people don't take their games as seriously and just go for eye-candy though and that's fine.

That's a fair question. I would say in a game I like to play as an ideal and more interesting version of myself. Heroic/wizard/whatever fits the bill on that, but not being a different gender.

@ Chief9088

it is a "cosmetic tweak.... Atleast on the game's side its cosmetic. Whatevers breaking your immersions is in your head and how you actualy perceive differences in genders in a non-physical context (sincce most games don't feature the actual differences, like how your character pees). In other words you're ruining your own experience. You can immerse yourself in a female character, if only you just applied whatever allowances you made for race and class to gender aswell.

But then immersion is not an objective endeavor.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/running-from-the-dead/id635224952?mt=8&uo=4

Running from The Dead is a Match-3 Survival RPG with a lot of zombies & bullet!

Who know you may love this game like I do!

To answer that question its because of immersion and no for some its not just a buzz word and as a male i of course chose to be a male character. Since i have no real need to act like a women.

But that's just me and we all play different and i do not care what people play as :)

Nope

Yes it might just be a cosmetic change but for a lot of people gender is a integral part of ones identity so its only natural that they of course choose what gender they are.

And also its a load of PC BS to say that gender doesn't change anything or makes a difference.

@ Jacanuk

Actually it doesn't. Atleast not inherantly. The differences between the two are just how society has brain washed you into thinking that Lara Croft's gender matters. The differences are real because we make them real by believing in them. And this happens even before you are even born, Parents painting the nursery pink or blue in anticipation of a son or daughter (after the ultra sound ofcourse).

There are many potential arguments and debates lurking within this discussion, waiting for the right signal phrase or word to pop up before initiating their overtake of this thread. I'll avoid all that with this vanilla response:

As I said, when I role play or fantasize, I imagine every detail. Of course the source of my immersion ( or lack of) is originating from withing my own mind; that is what we are discussing after all, our own personal thoughts. Every detail matters when I role play in a game, every single detail. Additionally, I already stated that role playing as a female adds absolutely no enhanced level of enjoyment to my experience. I can immerse myself in any character of any race and any sex, I simply prefer crafting a character that, at least physically, resembles myself. I am a male and I am content with that notion; therefore, I see no need to change that when I role play. It is really that simple.

@ Chief9088

Personally I think immersion is overated

I don't actually role play, granted Commander Shepard does what I make her do but I never try to put myself in there. But somethings gotta get in there right, she is empty after all. I just fill in the emptiness with something or someone capable of saving the world. I don't actually want to be that person (or that person to be me). I just wana create and execute.

If it's a game where you can customize your apperance and gender, Then I usually pick male and try to make the figure look like me the very first time.

That said, I don't shun games with female protaganists nor do I feel the the immersion is lost, I still manage to live myself into the game. It's just easier if the character looks like me. Which I would assume is how it is for most people.

Also the whole " Well would you rather look at a male butt or a female butt while you play?" question is just silly and rather juvinile, I tend to focus on the game rather then a simple portion of a character when I play.

You're crazy. A lot of the differences are certainly magnified by societal roles, but a lot of it is also down to hormones and other biological factors a smarter person could articulate for you.

@ darkmoney52

To a degree. How much of your identity is purely genetic ? And how weak is your will that you let hormones dictate your identity ?

"......but a lot of it is also

down to hormones and other biological factors....."

My only problem with your point is you say "Alot of It" as if who we are is like 90% genetics. And the Nature Nurture argument has no definte answer yet, but I'm willing to amuse you if you want.