Transgender Play No. 2

[andvice2]

So, you do not feel shorted irl

Definitively! Now i know, i made her so short and breastless because IRL i'm very tall!

[sidusar]

Why I play a female character... Well, I'll give you the story and let you decide which answer I should vote on. I wasn't planning on doing so when I started with Ryzom. In previous online games I had always played male characters, had in fact always considered playing a character of the opposite gender to be 'wrong', as it was misleading to the other players. Recently, after having been introduced to the concept of roleplaying, I changed my opinion about this. It's a role playing game after all; players create characters to play in an imaginary world, and the character doesn't have to be a virtual copy of the player behind it. Still, I didn't think this way of playing was for me, so my first character to set foot in Atys was as always male. Two weeks into playing, after having met various female characters played by males and learning that a female friend was playing a male character, I became curious as to how crossgender playing would be different, and I decided to give it a try. Thus Marelli came into being mostly as an experiment. My expectation was that playing with her would feel completely awkward and I wasn't planning on ever getting her off the training island. But as it turned out, I had more fun playing with her than with my first character. Mostly this was because my male characters always end up being game versions of myself: When playing with them I'm not playing a character, I'm just playing myself in a different world. Playing a female made me constantly aware of the fact that my character is not me. Unlike with my male character, I soon found myself thinking up stories about who she was, where she came from, and so on. It was a much more immersive gameplay experience to not only play in a strange world but also with a strange character. Yes, I do know it's perfectly possible to create a character of your own gender and still have them be very different from yourself, but I guess I'm just lazy, and my character being of the opposite gender forced me to realize I was playing a character.

So much for my reasons to create a female character and my reasons to make her my main. Nowadays, not wanting to start over again is enough reason to continue playing with her, even though at times I wish I was playing a male character again. This wish comes mostly from finding it very difficult to decide how to act towards the other inhabitants of Atys. Ideally, I would like to act in character, so act how I think Miarelli would act. But I know that a lot of players out there don't roleplay, and I wouldn't want to make them believe I'm female myself. (This isn't just a problem with gender, by the way. As another example, she's Matis, so my intention was once to play her a bit arrogant, but in reality I rarely do so because I don't want players to think I myself am like that. Basicly, it's just the ic/ooc problem that has been discussed before, but it seems that gender lies particularly sensitive with a lot of people.) The result of this not knowing how to act is that I end up doing my best to avoid forming any relationships, which is not how I'd like to play a mmorpg. The whole purpose of these games is to play together with other people, after all. So... yeah, I'm still kind of exploring the whole crossdressing thing, I'm not at all sure I'd make a female character again if I was starting over, but since I don't want to start over I'm stuck with one.

But really, what I meant by 'weird' was, as in *you* feel weird for having that gender switch inside your own head of the other player, even with already knowing that player is a "guy behind the girl", if you will.

I'd say if I'm in game, that means I'm acting towards the character. Which means female characters are treated as female, male characters as male, regardless of the players behind them. Only if I was talking to a player out of character might I treat the player by their own gender rather than by their character's. Like I said before, this did feel weird to me when I just started playing mmorpgs and met crossgender players for the first time. But after getting a little more familiar with roleplaying, I've learned to seperate the player from the character, and it doesn't feel weird to me in the least anymore. Usually my mind can quickly and automaticly switch between the ingame setting (where there are no players and only the characters exist) and the outgame one. The only thing that still feels weird to me is dealing with players who don't make that separation. Like when a male player controls a female character but displays obvious male behavior. Or when someone is constantly referring to a female character as 'he'.

[borg9]

..... The only thing that still feels weird to me is dealing with players who don't make that separation. Like when a male player controls a female character but displays obvious male behavior. Or when someone is constantly referring to a female character as 'he'.

Well said on the bit I snipped.

Yep I agree with the last bit completely. It real breaks the mood when this stuff leaks into the game. But, some people just can't accept 'it a roleplaying game'.

I have met a number of very good roleplayers on my travels.

There was a Zoria, srry forgot the name it was late and I was very sleepy, and we debated for a long time about the 'kami/karavan' all IC.

But recently and I have much respect for Darkket, we met just outside Min-Cho and spent a good 2 or 3 hours hunting/digging exporing. With only the odd line OoC we were able to notify each other of AFK's & interuptions without leaving character.

I am a smoker and I don't smoke in the house. So to take a ciggy break means going afk. Neun now smokes a strange tabaco (found in Zoria) and is often seen sitting under a tree.

I now avoid AFK, and use Going to sit and smoke. This adds to the reality of the virtual world.

I have been so impressed with the amount of Roleplayers and would like to thank those who do and all those that at least try.

[andvice2]

wouldn't you fall in love for such lovely and breastless creature?
http://www.geocities.com/archiviobk/Mura.JPG

[hans1976]

wouldn't you fall in love for such lovely and breastless creature?

*breathless*

Is there a reason that small Tryker girl and this small Tryker girl never met before?

Join me in some clopperkilling and the feast afterwards, I hear Juydas knows where to obtain nice firewine...

[andvice2]

*breathless*

Is there a reason that small Tryker girl and this small Tryker girl never met before?

Join me in some clopperkilling and the feast afterwards, I hear Juydas knows where to obtain nice firewine...

Oh! Yeah we really let them meet!

[dazman76]

Neun (and others), you need to remember there are two types of player - RP, and non-RP. They all pay their fees, and they're all entitled to play as much as the full-on RP players.

Just logging in and controlling a fantasy character is roleplaying - you're playing a role which isn't your own, and that's enough to satisfy that argument When I played FF7, I didn't do it using acting - I played using the characters and alter-egos provided for me, and FF7 is an RPG. In fact, FF7 is pretty much the definition of RPG, when it comes to computer-based games (obviously tabletop/paper/P&P RPG is somewhat different). MMO pushes it into a different light, where it becomes more like tabletop RPG, and it's the interaction between real players that changes the definition again.

Yes, the definition of RPG will change - mainly it will be weak (FF7 example) with non-RP players, and strong with RP players, since they feel there is more to a role than just controlling a character. Either way, the term RPG can be a little vague.

I hear where you're coming from in terms of people that don't understand, or react strangely to RP. That's a shame, and I don't think there's much you can do to fix it. However, there are still people here who accept RP, even if they don't indulge in it themselves - better to have 200 mixed RP players, than 20 pure RP. Too much talk of 'those that don't RP' will result in a very low server population, and that can't help RP in any way.

Sorry this a bit off-topic, but I don't post much nowadays (rubbish excuse...)

@Murasaki - did you create your Avatar image yourself? (not the sig...) If so, very nice work indeed Lovely art style

[borg9]

Miss you daz, post more!

I agree with your point.


I tracked the posts of another player, a long time ago, on the forums that wanted 'everyone' to roleplay. This is not my view point.

The OoC stuff, is fine with me as well as the non-rp. I can tell very quickly when someone places an armour order, if they want the 'Neun Service' or a ql150 blue HQL set with a Max slash protection of greater than 250.....

I enjoy the roleplay and roleplayers .... I have equal fun with the non-roleplayers, I can 'Woot! Ding' with the best of you.

The point I have been make previously is .....

I roleplay, if I am flirting with a female fyros, don't tell Seren, I couldn't careless if they were male or female IRL (Neun is not flirting with the person sat at the PC). Its roleplay!

So come one and all, join the party.... be what you want be and don't let others tell you any different.

Hope that clarifies my stand point.

[andvice2]

@Murasaki - did you create your Avatar image yourself? (not the sig...) If so, very nice work indeed Lovely art style

No that's a gift from a guild friend, you can see the full sketch here
http://www.wj.ramsay.btinternet.co.uk/MuraColor2.jpg

She's very talented

[dazman76]

Hehe, thanks Neun Don't worry, I haven't disappeared completely - just having a little break, and keeping the subs going as planned (And keeping up on gossip, obviously...)

And, I knew I could count on you for a nice reply I'm sure with the number of dedicated RPers in this community, the RP situation will improve. By the way you've been posting some very good, positive stuff recently, keep up the good work my friend I admire you for keeping calm in the face of adversity, and hope to see you again on Atys soon...

EDIT: @Murasaki, indeed she is very talented I really like the art style - a little bit Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl) in places