(02-27-2015, 05:49 PM)Maia Wrote: Thank you, Volk. Just trying to help parse things out. I'm a Psych Major in RL, so data on these things is interesting to me. /NerdGlasses
To contribute a more personal anecdote to the discussion, I started out playing a male as my main (being female in RL.) I don't find it too difficult, since gender stereotypes aren't what they used to be. Females can be strong, athletic, and emotionally blunt and, heck, one of my best male friends collects angel figurines. Interests, abilities, and most things that compose a 3-dimensional character aren't usually gender exclusive.
However, due to past experiences, I'm no longer keen on playing male characters. With my old main, and also with the male character I had after that, it frequently felt like I was parrying romantic tension wherever I went. I absolutely don't mind romance in RP, but I prefer that it happens over time and in a natural way. When playing my male characters, I seemed to come across characters who would aggressively pursue them without any particular build up or reason. All of the thoroughly detailed backstory and nuances I'd put into developing him felt frequently shoved aside to make way for a shoujo plot.
Strangely, this hasn't happened with my female characters. Without the pressure of being ushered into a quick and desperate-seeming romance, I've been able to take my time and explore friendship, loss, uncertainty, and a general variety of themes with them.
This is only my experience, though, and I'm not intending to generalize it onto anyone else. It's just why I no longer play male characters. ^^;
I'd say that's likely a consequence of many role-players using role-play as a substitute for real world interaction. Even among the 'good' role-players there's an alarming number of people who seem to only ever devote to role-play that involves romance and sex rather than getting out into the wider game world to explore and fight monsters.
That's not to suggest that romantic role-play is awful, or anything. It can be a lot of fun! It's just very dodgy when OOC and IC bleed into each other.
