Do you play characters of your same gender?

Tornaad

I was just curious, so I thought I would ask, I personally play both. I don't really have a reason, but if I had to pick one, I would say it is because sometimes the character I want to create just feels like it should be one gender.

whitecrow

Both

I have both of the two genders but my main is the opposite sex.

Lady_Galadhiel

Both

I have from both but most of my characters are female,so of my sex.

Franchise408

Yes

Yes, I play same gender. I identify with my characters more when they are the same gender.

BomblePants

I only play gals… cause I am one and my toons are sort of based on me… (yeah maybe it’s vain)…

Franchise408

Yes

BomblePants wrote: »

I only play gals… cause I am one and my toons are sort of based on me… (yeah maybe it’s vain)…

You're not alone.

Obviously, I'm not a brooding necromancer or a Psijic sorcerer in real life, but my characters are a reflection of what I see myself as in a fantasy / Elder Scrolls world, a reflection of my tastes, interests, and preferences, so I feel the same way that in a way, my characters are a fantasy version of myself.

Feljax

Both

I play both. My main is female (I am male IRL). I just think a vampire magblade feels right as a female. And she looks cool too! My werewolf is male. I go by what feels like it fits the role the best in my mind.

BomblePants

@Franchise408 Phew…. It’s not just me

Sarannah

No

As a male myself, I only play with females! Females have way more outfit and characterization options which look good on them, and they just generally look better in my opinion.

Nestor

Both

I have a near equal mix of the genders.

I believe in equal rights.

Tornaad

Both

Franchise408 wrote: »

Yes, I play same gender. I identify with my characters more when they are the same gender.

For me, I have to create a backstory for my character that is compelling before I can really get into the character. My Sorcerer is actually from another reality, but he does not know that. He is starting to figure it out, but that is another story. He was attacked by a mage as a child and scarred on his face and chest, and was determined to master the arts his attacker used, but when his father refused to let him, they had a big fight and he left home. When he tried to get back after cooling off, he could not find home. He has been looking for it ever since.

For my warden, she witnessed the brutal murder of her whole family as she was hiding in a bush in the Valenwood. She wanted to help but was unable to because of how weak and pathetic she viewed herself as, so she has been on a quest to become better ever since. She has developed quite the attitude over the years and has little tolerance for anyone who reminds her of the person she left behind.

The Templar I just started was attacked as a child and saved by a wandering healer, and now has chosen to follow his same path. I will likely flesh out his story a little more, but that was enough to get me started.

Ippokrates

Both

It depends on idead I have for particular character (hopefully some will knew what inspired each of them)

Nutt gro-Uuk it is of course male I made for orc Templar

Bhaalat Fyr - my Dunmer necro.

Draconarius Pullo - Imperial DK

Amellissana - High Elf Sorcerer

Nirntrotter

Both

Primarily same gender, but not exclusively.

Odovacar

Both

On both my accounts I have various genders. I don't really have reasoning behind why aside from (if) their background during character creation...usually due to their character names i.e. Theoderic the Great- male | Fiery Joanna of Flanders-female...etc.

Kiralyn2000

No

It's interesting. Usually when this question/poll comes up (as it does periodically), it's phrased the reverse.
("do you play characters of the opposite gender")


So, for me - I don't see the characters as an avatar of 'me' but rather an action figure/dress-up doll/etc, and I'm a more visual-arts person (rather than writing/etc). So I'll make characters that I find attractive/interesting, not ones that match a narrative or background I've come up with. /shrug

SilverBride

Yes

I only play females because I see my character as an extension of myself. I've tried playing males in a few games but end up deleting them or changing them to female if it was possible. The only one I kept playing as male is my Worgen in WoW, because he doesn't look human in his Worgen form and it was easier to relate to him then.

But it was interesting to see how different I was treated as a male. I was really surprised by how many females flirted with me.

Ei8htba11

Both

Create character with a general idea about who they might realistically be, choose gender/race based on the concept. Play dress up till the look is right, job done.

tomofhyrule

Yes

For the most part, yes.

I can't play a character without coming up with an extensive backstory, even for my alts who really are just there to farm motifs. For my actual story characters, I really need to get into the zone and play as them, and it's just easier to relate to someone of the same gender. Even my main is very similar to me, and then the others will start to have more and more differences as they go along.

I do have a character of the opposite gender in planning and I'm excited to start them, but there's just so much I want to finish with my other characters first. I may or may not have a real problem with starting projects and then they end up taking on a life of their own... (looks at my main's story, which has somehow ballooned to almost 500 pages and is still not finished)

Shazanti

Yes

I only play females because I'm also of the 'character is extension of myself' group. My character is most definitely NOT me, but each character I make (tabletop or CRPG) has some aspect of my real life self within it. I ground the character in that aspect (maybe it's a major part of my personality, maybe it's but tiny speck of my inner self) and they grow from there.


Long, LONG ago, I used to also create male characters, but after all these decades of so very many CRPGs having male protagonists, I kind of got overdosed on playing guys and I just hit an 'I am SO DONE with this' level. And then, in MMOs specifically, it just feels weird to me to not play my gender, like I'm putting on a man suit and trying to convince people I'm something I'm not. (Yes, it's stupid and weird that I think that.) I mean, it's not like I'm ACTUALLY a Dunmer Necromancer or what have you, but I still can't get past that inner feeling. I'm not bothered by other people not sticking to their behind the screen gender, nor do I even expect it, so it's just a mental restriction on characters I myself make.

SeaGtGruff

Yes

So far all of my ESO and other TES characters have been males, except for a random female Nord Healer in TES:Arena, and a random female Orc in ESO on the PTS. I've had so much fun playing my random Arena character that I've decided to try using the same technique in the future with other TES games.

Chips_Ahoy

Yes

The only female character I can play with is Samus.

Franchise408

Yes

Zuboko wrote: »

Franchise408 wrote: »

Yes, I play same gender. I identify with my characters more when they are the same gender.

For me, I have to create a backstory for my character that is compelling before I can really get into the character. My Sorcerer is actually from another reality, but he does not know that. He is starting to figure it out, but that is another story. He was attacked by a mage as a child and scarred on his face and chest, and was determined to master the arts his attacker used, but when his father refused to let him, they had a big fight and he left home. When he tried to get back after cooling off, he could not find home. He has been looking for it ever since.

For my warden, she witnessed the brutal murder of her whole family as she was hiding in a bush in the Valenwood. She wanted to help but was unable to because of how weak and pathetic she viewed herself as, so she has been on a quest to become better ever since. She has developed quite the attitude over the years and has little tolerance for anyone who reminds her of the person she left behind.

The Templar I just started was attacked as a child and saved by a wandering healer, and now has chosen to follow his same path. I will likely flesh out his story a little more, but that was enough to get me started.

I, too, have backstories for all of my characters. Together, all of my characters are in a "guild" of Tamrielic heroes, and each one has a chapter that they are responsible for in "canon"

My original character (Nightblade stam DPS) is my Vestige, an orphaned Wood Elf who was kidnapped by the Worm Cult. While captive by the Worm Cult, he learned certain dark arts (summoning shades, teleportation, invisibility) before he was sacrificed by Mannimarco. Upon encountering Lyris Titanborn in Coldharbour, he began his quest to defeat Molag Bol and restore his soul.

My main (Necromancer tank) is my Elsweyr character, a Breton from the Mage's Guild who is fascinated by necromancy and death. He traveled to Morrowind and Skyrim, intrigued by the tombs and crypts that dot the territories. Upon his journies, he heard tales of the Vestige, the one who restored his soul from Coldharbour. This piqued his curiosity, as the possible height of arcane talents he had been seeking out. In seeking out the Vestige, he came across Abnur Tharn in Elsweyr. After defeating the dragon threat in Elsweyr, Abnur Tharn told him where to find the Vestige, and together, the 2 formed a guild to gather Tamrielic heroes to defeat evil forces that threaten Tamriel

I have a number of alts with backstories that also join up with this group, my Warden tank is my Morrowind character, my Sorc healer is my Summerset character, my Necro healer is my Greymoor healer, and I'm thinking my Necro mag DPS will be my Blackwood character. They all have backstories that tie them to the ESO storylines, tie them to each other, or tie them to other TES characters of mine.

leeux

Both

I play both, 4 females and 3 males... but my main has always been my female templar, since the start. I do not see them as me (not even the males,) they're just characters that I want to play.

In other games I often (but not always) think of a plausible background story for my characters within the world where they live in, but in this game I didn't do that, for some reason... I guess the fact that it's a MMO and there's tons of players around just break the magic, somehow.

Tornaad

Both

Franchise408 wrote: »

Zuboko wrote: »

Franchise408 wrote: »

Yes, I play same gender. I identify with my characters more when they are the same gender.

For me, I have to create a backstory for my character that is compelling before I can really get into the character. My Sorcerer is actually from another reality, but he does not know that. He is starting to figure it out, but that is another story. He was attacked by a mage as a child and scarred on his face and chest, and was determined to master the arts his attacker used, but when his father refused to let him, they had a big fight and he left home. When he tried to get back after cooling off, he could not find home. He has been looking for it ever since.

For my warden, she witnessed the brutal murder of her whole family as she was hiding in a bush in the Valenwood. She wanted to help but was unable to because of how weak and pathetic she viewed herself as, so she has been on a quest to become better ever since. She has developed quite the attitude over the years and has little tolerance for anyone who reminds her of the person she left behind.

The Templar I just started was attacked as a child and saved by a wandering healer, and now has chosen to follow his same path. I will likely flesh out his story a little more, but that was enough to get me started.

I, too, have backstories for all of my characters. Together, all of my characters are in a "guild" of Tamrielic heroes, and each one has a chapter that they are responsible for in "canon"

My original character (Nightblade stam DPS) is my Vestige, an orphaned Wood Elf who was kidnapped by the Worm Cult. While captive by the Worm Cult, he learned certain dark arts (summoning shades, teleportation, invisibility) before he was sacrificed by Mannimarco. Upon encountering Lyris Titanborn in Coldharbour, he began his quest to defeat Molag Bol and restore his soul.

My main (Necromancer tank) is my Elsweyr character, a Breton from the Mage's Guild who is fascinated by necromancy and death. He traveled to Morrowind and Skyrim, intrigued by the tombs and crypts that dot the territories. Upon his journies, he heard tales of the Vestige, the one who restored his soul from Coldharbour. This piqued his curiosity, as the possible height of arcane talents he had been seeking out. In seeking out the Vestige, he came across Abnur Tharn in Elsweyr. After defeating the dragon threat in Elsweyr, Abnur Tharn told him where to find the Vestige, and together, the 2 formed a guild to gather Tamrielic heroes to defeat evil forces that threaten Tamriel

I have a number of alts with backstories that also join up with this group, my Warden tank is my Morrowind character, my Sorc healer is my Summerset character, my Necro healer is my Greymoor healer, and I'm thinking my Necro mag DPS will be my Blackwood character. They all have backstories that tie them to the ESO storylines, tie them to each other, or tie them to other TES characters of mine.

My Warden hates my Sorcerer ... a lot. She finds him insufferably positive, and wants to bash his face in.

Penniegrim

Yes

In this game yes. All the other MMOs I've played though, I have a mixed set of both females and male. I don't know what make this game different but it's just something that happened, or didn't.

Folkb

No

Nope. Rarely.

Davor

Both

I do. Before, I would only play males because that is what I can relate to. A few years ago on these forums, I realized about girls/women view video games, so I started to lay as females so I tried it, and now I play both.

Vevvev

Both

Both, but mostly the opposite. Been something I've done as far back as Pirates of the Caribbean Online.

aaisoaho

Both

For me, characters are not an extension of me, but a protagonist of their story. They are a way for me to materialise bits of my ideas, be it a parody or a serious story, a way to test the ice on some more idealistic narratives or me trying to create mundane.

My main is of opposite gender, and I cme up with her when I grew a bit tired of the heroic undefeated man trope. I eanted to create a flawed character, who just stumbles upon problems and solves them eventually. But the storytelling aspectof the character has been long forgotten, and I keep maining her because I like the playstyle of stam sorc and because there's just so many achievements achieved on her.

I have men alts, an argonian with whom I practiced negative space of storytelling (posh and glittery costume, a red splatter on his face and a werewolf hunter hat, he's a dragonknight with whips, sword and a shield). I also have an altmer, with whom I tried to mimic foolish arrogancy.

Sylvermynx

Both

I used to play only females (in single player games). When I got into MMOs it seemed more interesting to mix it up some. I still have a preponderance of women but the men get some love too now. My girls are all a little bit "me", not so the guys - it's sometimes difficult for me to RP males since I'm not one!

Hapexamendios

Both

I use both. Have 18 characters, 9 female and 9 male.