Female to Male Ratio

[Kellach Woods]

It's true that the boys ain't got no booty though. Have to be fairly crafty to get one (subligars work quite well for both booty and bulge purposes, depending on the subligar - Star-Spangled Subligar handle both quite nicely, which is the reason I've got it glamoured as a Monk).

[Aaron]

<- has no problem with more females who rp then males.

 

I was coincidentally talking to my friend about this the other day and he said it's probably because a lot of guys don't role play outside the bedroom because it makes them feel stupid. 

 

Not only did I immediately stop the conversation before it went in the gutter, but I also kinda can see his point. I myself thought role play was for women until I decided to try it. 

 

Now I have no regrets. Well my friend calls me a chick jokingly now but that's because I don't wanna endgame with him all day anymore.

[Chris Ganale]

I think your friend has an ignorant way of looking at things. I've been RPing for 15 years now (okay, 14 years and like 8 months), and it has been 99.8% combat or military-based and .2% smut. I've never considered non-eRP to be the realm of women. That's just...

 

[Aaron]

I think your friend has an ignorant way of looking at things. I've been RPing for 15 years now (okay, 14 years and like 8 months), and it has been 99.8% combat or military-based and .2% smut. I've never considered non-eRP to be the realm of women. That's just...

 

Its not the plot of the rp he has a problem with, but how can i put this. . You know what ima just quote what he said to me. WHAT I AM POSTING IS NOT MY TAKE JUST A HEADS UP.

 

"My problem with rpers Aaron, is they think all their ideas are original and they get mad over the slightest crap. What do you mean i cant be a badass female character and not look gay? DO YOU KNOW WHO MY FATHER IS!? Or they think just because they got some epic character in their imagination they can go around acting tough. Real men are confident playing as male characters. Only ones who play females are gender confused."

 

and im like. . . Dude. . . You played Tomb Raider which the character is a female. . . And idek wtf all that extra stuff came from. . ."

 

I dont know once he gets his mind on something trying to get him to think open minded is like trying to open a steel safe without the keys.

[Aaron]

And ima be honest. . . If I play females it's only so I can admire their bodies while I play.

 

Haven't on final fantasy because the women have no bodies, but I know I cant be the only one that's done this?

[Nara'to]

I usually play female characters in MMO's since armor tends to look better on them.  But FINALLY I find one where the males look just as good as the females.

I play strictly male characters.  Sadly I've yet to find any RP for my character.  With all the rumors I heard about people avoiding Miqo'te RPers I didn't think nothing of it.  I'm starting to believe it now, people avoid me like the plague for some reason ._.

 

But yeah, I've noticed alot of female characters as well.  Honestly doesn't bother me.  I just view the majority as dudes playing female characters.  Doesn't matter to me who is behind the character.

[Chris Ganale]

And ima be honest. . . If I play females it's only so I can admire their bodies while I play.

 

Haven't on final fantasy because the women have no bodies, but I know I cant be the only one that's done this?

..Are we playing the same game?

 

Its not the plot of the rp he has a problem with, but how can i put this. . You know what ima just quote what he said to me. WHAT I AM POSTING IS NOT MY TAKE JUST A HEADS UP.

 

"My problem with rpers Aaron, is they think all their ideas are original and they get mad over the slightest crap. What do you mean i cant be a badass female character and not look gay? DO YOU KNOW WHO MY FATHER IS!? Or they think just because they got some epic character in their imagination they can go around acting tough. Real men are confident playing as male characters. Only ones who play females are gender confused."

 

and im like. . . Dude. . . You played Tomb Raider which the character is a female. . . And idek wtf all that extra stuff came from. . ."

 

I dont know once he gets his mind on something trying to get him to think open minded is like trying to open a steel safe without the keys.

 

Sounds like your friend is the one confused.

 

With all the rumors I heard about people avoiding Miqo'te RPers I didn't think nothing of it.  I'm starting to believe it now, people avoid me like the plague for some reason ._.

 

I don't think it's miqo'te who get avoided as much. When I sit around on Chao I get a lot of hits. Granted, that's not a proper sample because she's the only one I sit around on as much. I can sympathize with the feeling of being avoided, though.

[Nara'to]

And ima be honest. . . If I play females it's only so I can admire their bodies while I play.

 

Haven't on final fantasy because the women have no bodies, but I know I cant be the only one that's done this?

..Are we playing the same game?

 

Its not the plot of the rp he has a problem with, but how can i put this. . You know what ima just quote what he said to me. WHAT I AM POSTING IS NOT MY TAKE JUST A HEADS UP.

 

"My problem with rpers Aaron, is they think all their ideas are original and they get mad over the slightest crap. What do you mean i cant be a badass female character and not look gay? DO YOU KNOW WHO MY FATHER IS!? Or they think just because they got some epic character in their imagination they can go around acting tough. Real men are confident playing as male characters. Only ones who play females are gender confused."

 

and im like. . . Dude. . . You played Tomb Raider which the character is a female. . . And idek wtf all that extra stuff came from. . ."

 

I dont know once he gets his mind on something trying to get him to think open minded is like trying to open a steel safe without the keys.

 

Sounds like your friend is the one confused.

 

With all the rumors I heard about people avoiding Miqo'te RPers I didn't think nothing of it.  I'm starting to believe it now, people avoid me like the plague for some reason ._.

 

I don't think it's miqo'te who get avoided as much. When I sit around on Chao I get a lot of hits. Granted, that's not a proper sample because she's the only one I sit around on as much. I can sympathize with the feeling of being avoided, though.

Understood and thanks for clarifying.  I just don't fully understand how things work here yet.  Maybe I just need to give up on trying to RP and focus on something else.  I really don't know what to do to be honest concerning roleplay though.  Just seems like no matter what game I attempt it on it is always heavily cliquish and hard for newcomers to get in on.

 

Though that is just my observation only, it may not actually reflect what really goes on.  I may just be really unlucky is all.  Doesn't matter though, still love this game.

 

Now to find me an FC to join.  Just gotta figure out how to go about doing that.

[Blue]

Girl RPer here, proudly main-RPing male characters! (I have made female characters too but they were mostly friend's requests/alts for story connections with my mains)

 

And yeah, way way way too many girls around.

[Knight Kat]

 

Understood and thanks for clarifying.  I just don't fully understand how things work here yet.  Maybe I just need to give up on trying to RP and focus on something else.  I really don't know what to do to be honest concerning roleplay though.  Just seems like no matter what game I attempt it on it is always heavily cliquish and hard for newcomers to get in on.

 

Though that is just my observation only, it may not actually reflect what really goes on.  I may just be really unlucky is all.  Doesn't matter though, still love this game.

 

Now to find me an FC to join.  Just gotta figure out how to go about doing that.

 

Hey there, this is a bit off topic, but I would like to address it. Many people have had this same problem.

 

The thing about cliques is they are actually very natural. Characters are built on themes and concepts. For example, a Highlander Garlean spy would not suit my FC. That is not because that is a bad character concept, but because it does not fit my FC's theme.

 

Why do people form cliques? Because one person can only manage so many relationships, and we tend to desire stronger bonds with a smallish group of people; rather than try to bond with all of society. That is natural too.

 

So what can you do? I recommend deciding on what kind of clique or theme you are looking to explore with your character then posting a thread on the "Making Connections" section of this site. If you don't get any hits, it might seem discouraging, but then you just search for FCs or LSs in the Linkshell Hall to see what you might like to join. Leave a post on their profile thread, or send them a PM. You can also browse character wikis to see if there are characters you think might interact well with yours. Make a list and send them tells.

 

It's best not to think of this as a social exercise. I highly doubt people are avoiding you because they don't like you or your character. Finding RPers who are available and willing to random RP is actually like rolling the dice. Even in the Quicksand, people are unusually occupied with other people they met before you came along. The methods I mentioned are more like fishing. Rig some bait on a hook then offer it into the ocean that is the RP community.

 

Now for an on-topic contribution:

 

I find it funny there are so many female characters when it was just over a year ago that the RP character census (I think that is what is was) showed more males than females. Most of which were Hyur Midlanders too.

 

I have nothing to add about the gender topic that hasn't been said already, but there are indeed many Miqo'te. I like Miqo'te a lot, but I don't like the feeling that they are generic now. I am hoping the Au Ra will change that a bit.

[Naunet]

Eh, people play what they like. I don't really have any negative feelings towards the number of women characters (or the number of miqo'te ). So long as people are having fun with their characters, then it's all good.

 

FFXIV was the first time I actually made and roleplayed a male character, though. I had a male castanic alt in TERA, but he didn't really see any action - was just eye candy.

[Bopdoot]

And ima be honest. . . If I play females it's only so I can admire their bodies while I play.

 

Haven't on final fantasy because the women have no bodies, but I know I cant be the only one that's done this?

 

You right.  It's an asian game though, and asian girls have no ass so all of the females in this game have pancake butts.  I was also annoyed at how you can't make female Highlanders more muscular.  Their "max" muscle tone has like..tricep definition and THAT'S IT.  What gives?  Are women not allowed to be more muscular than some slight lines I Just- *breathes* ok that's a different topic..

 

ON this topic: I play female characters with blonde hair and blue eyes because I find them pretty..And I'm a girl irl with blonde hair and blue?(teal?) eyes >.>..Self-insert but w/e it's aesthetically what I like.

[Domri Blackblade]

I'm a short (5'1") female who plays a hulking muscular mass of man and I'm proud of it!

[Brynhilde]

Woman playing a woman here. I play male characters here and there, briefly. But I just love the strong woman warrior archetype too much to seriously consider playing anything else.

[Hihimi]

Honestly? I still don't understand why this is even a discussion. People will play what they want to play, and very little will persuade or dissuade someone from playing a female if they want to play a female, or a male if they want to play a male. As there are no tangible benefits to playing a female toon, it is not any sort of problem, or even something to be noticed at all. 

 

If anyone is butthurt about this, I apologize, but people will always play what makes them happy, and you can't force me to play more male or more female characters, no matter how the gender makeup of the server falls. I have no qualms about playing male characters-I have several-but for the record, encouraging people to play what they don't want to play for the sake of "Realism" is outright stupid, and never works.

[Devereau]

Honestly? I still don't understand why this is even a discussion. People will play what they want to play, and very little will persuade or dissuade someone from playing a female if they want to play a female, or a male if they want to play a male. As there are no tangible benefits to playing a female toon, it is not any sort of problem, or even something to be noticed at all. 

 

If anyone is butthurt about this, I apologize, but people will always play what makes them happy, and you can't force me to play more male or more female characters, no matter how the gender makeup of the server falls. I have no qualms about playing male characters-I have several-but for the record, encouraging people to play what they don't want to play for the sake of "Realism" is outright stupid, and never works.

I am more or less just guessing it's acting more as a personal opinion census than, say, a means of debate. An observation now giving way for others to state their preferences. I figure that is more than likely the case. Identifying with a character archetype tends to help people write more convincingly, and I think more or less some people don't like to deviate from that. 

 

For example, just like in real life, I play a negligible, androgynous thing with a penchant for fashion and a queer balance of gender traits. 

 

Or, as one might put, "masculine enough for a man, feminine enough for a woman."

[Kellach Woods]

I don't think anyone is trying to make an argument that people should play to help balance out the server or something like that.

 

They're making an observation, one that in my case hasn't fallen on a deaf ear because I play anything and everything, and it's helped me determine that if I make an Au Ra alt we're gonna have some horny (geddit?) dudeness.

 

 

However, my whole "I'd delete my womens" thing? That was mostly a joke. I like Sasati's name too much and I just now fleshed out Sylvie - why would I delete them?

[Elysia]

I think Fantasyland always provides a platform for creation of characters that subvert, play with or even flout gender conventions. This is not to say that Eorzean society isn't gendered in the least (it is, terribly so). My point is that players shouldn't feel anxious (even though I've personally been guilty of it) about playing characters of a different gender because it's entirely possible to create lore-adherent, compelling, convincing characters that don't necessarily conform to gender codes. 

 

That said, I'm also a female playing a female, because I've always been interested in fictional representations of women in fantasy. 

 

So while we could use more male characters, I think RPers should just play what they're most comfortable with - or what they'd like to genuinely experiment with. 

[Kellach Woods]

Hell, I'm trying to make a male maid outfit.

 

I'M DOING MY PART I THINK.

[Arcian]

When I was young, I used to exclusively play male characters because I was uncomfortable with the flak I'd get for being a woman playing an MMO (my WoW server at the time was...not pleasant). I eventually grew out of that and started to appreciate the idea of female characters getting to do cool stuff, so now I've essentially flipped around since I play women exclusively.

 

I've never actually thought about it much before now.

 

At any rate, as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to disapprove of anyone playing what they'd prefer/are comfortable with. Gaming is supposed to be fun, after all.

[Flickering Ember]

More females than males? Well, the census would disagree with you and that is based on actual statistics. That is for the whole server of course, not just the RPer community. Still, all evidence we have on this is completely anecdotal and not indicative of how things actually are. I do believe I am usually in more scenes with more female characters so if the RP community really is dominated by women (doubt it) then *shrug*. Usually it's the other way around so if there is an imbalance I don't mind it. It's pretty sad if we think the norm is 'a number of male characters with a small smattering of female characters.'

 

My point is, you're rarely going to have an exact ratio of genders in RP scenes. In this sense, RP is more like RL. Unlike the movies and tv shows, there is never a perfectly corporate selected ratio of 3 guys and 2 gals to a scene. Sometimes I'm in all female groups. Sometimes I am the only female in a group. The genders of the characters I would like to think don't matter, only the quality of the character.

[Zyrusticae]

I have both a male and a female character, and I am a female irl. It's however more of a "recent" development to my RP, as previously I've always been like, me? Playing a male? Nooooope. Can't do that! Based on lack of knowledge on how guys work. 

And I know a chunk of other female rpers who have felt the same way or even still do, where as it seems more common for men to play female characters. 

I've actually wanted to make a post on this for the longest time, just haven't gotten around to it.

 

Frankly, I think it speaks to broader issues about societal notions of gender that this comes up so often. "I can't play [the opposite sex]! I don't understand them!" Well, you don't understand them because you're thinking of them as their sex or gender first, and not as people. That's really what it comes down to, really. I won't go more into this here, because it really deserves a thread of its own, but I've always thought this line of thinking to be profoundly silly, especially considering that fictional writing has a history of great stories written by people who are most definitely not the same sex as the principle characters.

 

And ima be honest. . . If I play females it's only so I can admire their bodies while I play.

 

Haven't on final fantasy because the women have no bodies, but I know I cant be the only one that's done this?

 

Edit: Just realized I never added to the informal census.

 

IRL I am an AMAB genderqueer individual, and I, unsurprisingly, tend to play genderqueer characters in games, but all of them are biologically female. They tend to range the gamut from the completely androgynous (T'rahnu) to the sickeningly sweet and effeminate, but I never, ever play a male character or a really macho, masculine character, though I do admit I would consider playing an Armstrong-style (FMAB) character for shits and giggles. I don't do alts, however, so that will probably never happen in FFXIV, at least.

 

The thing is that I tend to think of my characters in terms of what I would like to be, rather than simply characters in a play or a novel. It's probably a bad habit, but it's what I do, hence my characters tend heavily towards what I find attractive in that sense. Unlike a lot of folks, you can pretty much assume that, yes, I would want to be whoever I am playing as at the time, not just because I happen to like the look or whatever. That doesn't mean they're always going to be likeable, however. After all, I'm not that likeable myself.

[Brynhilde]

I have both a male and a female character, and I am a female irl. It's however more of a "recent" development to my RP, as previously I've always been like, me? Playing a male? Nooooope. Can't do that! Based on lack of knowledge on how guys work. 

And I know a chunk of other female rpers who have felt the same way or even still do, where as it seems more common for men to play female characters. 

I've actually wanted to make a post on this for the longest time, just haven't gotten around to it.

 

Frankly, I think it speaks to broader issues about societal notions of gender that this comes up so often. "I can't play [the opposite sex]! I don't understand them!" Well, you don't understand them because you're thinking of them as their sex or gender first, and not as people. That's really what it comes down to, really. I won't go more into this here, because it really deserves a thread of its own, but I've always thought this line of thinking to be profoundly silly, especially considering that fictional writing has a history of great stories written by people who are most definitely not the same sex as the principle characters.

 

Superb post, and I agree. Perhaps this is a bit of an aside to the discussion, but it always annoys me when renowned male literary authors say in interviews that they 'can't write female characters'. How do you write a female character? How, for that matter, should you go about writing a male character? It really does reinforce that whole idea of Mars and Venus, and never the twain shall meet.

[Kuzhuk]

Every MMO community I've RPed in recently has had a gender imbalance skewed in favor of female characters. When I first noticed this in Wildstar I assumed there were more women OOC at first, but after awhile I started to notice a pattern and took some surveys. The end conclusion I came to is somewhat obvious: there are tons of men playing as lesbians (and bisexual women) as a kind of fantasy fulfillment.

 

Is this a problem? That discussion brings up a broad set of issues and there is no one answer to that question. It depends on your priorities. Where I'm coming from however, I have a pretty simple answer: yes. Putting it simply, and in the broadest terms possible, it's a kind of virtual 'blackface' problem but with a set of lesbian-queer identities.

 

Men fundamentally lack the real world experience to know what it's like to be a woman in a culture of restrictive gender norms AND heteronormativity. We live in a society where lesbians in pornography exist almost solely for non-demographic consumers (straight men). It results in a product which incorrectly characterizes those relationships on so many levels (sexual and otherwise). Scissoring, long nails, out-of-the-mouth tongue fondling; most men's exposure to lesbians is deeply inaccurate to the average picture. And of course the problems go far beyond sex.

 

Even when women are straight, the way men RP them is often ham-fisted and insulting. Popular depictions often have subtle sexist roots. For example, I've seen men RPing women have their characters act horrendously socially incompetent only to fall back on the horribly misogynistic "I was on my period" excuse.

 

None of this means female characters played by men HAVE to be badly done. Many aren't. But many are too, and I think that's something people need to hear and think about.

 

I know people will disagree with me. I know many will get defensive. I hope it was food for thought none the less.

[Caspar]

I usually think of the character's background and the general impression visually I want them to have before deciding their sex. Sometimes it's almost a coin flip.

 

Granted, this is probably because I tend to favor certain plot or character motifs, and those motifs are pretty independent of being a particular sex. They can interact or be informed by it, but things like obligation, inability to conform, revenge, etc, don't stick to one or the other specifically. I can do this because my interests allow me to, and I can see how others might have story focuses that complicate things.

 

Originally when I picked up FFXIV though, I picked Lala because they're cute, but unlike Tera, I wouldn't get creeped on for being Elin. I wanted to play a female character, but I was aware that sort of thing would happen if I did. =_=