I'm female irl and generally play female characters-- mostly because I've enjoyed telling stories about women, my way. As someone else said, there's an excitement to wanting to write a well-written lady. In the stories I'm writing, I have the freedom to make my characters something I'm happy with, ie, people with feelings and hopes with dreams. I haven't always felt that way about female characters in media-- sometimes I'm sitting there like "come on, does every lady in this show/movie/game gotta be the writer's sexy sexy blow-up-doll?"
As a result, yeah, I tend to walk the other direction when I meet a female character and it reads in a way that's just straight-up slimy and objectifying-- like the player is typing with one hand, describing the character's luscious lips and alluring gaze in every post. Which, alright, there's a place for that, enjoy that-- I've just been repulsed by it too much elsewhere to want to have any part of it here.
As it's been said a few times in this thread, if you're really wanting to play a lifelike character of your opposite gender, it's easy! Just play a person, not a sentient pair of jiggling, heaving breasts that shimmer oh-so sensually in the pale moonlight. The rest will follow, I promise! And if you really still want a sexy character, use a little "show, don't tell"-- make your character's personality one that proves appealing to other characters.
As a result, yeah, I tend to walk the other direction when I meet a female character and it reads in a way that's just straight-up slimy and objectifying-- like the player is typing with one hand, describing the character's luscious lips and alluring gaze in every post. Which, alright, there's a place for that, enjoy that-- I've just been repulsed by it too much elsewhere to want to have any part of it here.
As it's been said a few times in this thread, if you're really wanting to play a lifelike character of your opposite gender, it's easy! Just play a person, not a sentient pair of jiggling, heaving breasts that shimmer oh-so sensually in the pale moonlight. The rest will follow, I promise! And if you really still want a sexy character, use a little "show, don't tell"-- make your character's personality one that proves appealing to other characters.
