Girls Rule Boys Drool
Jordan_Black
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I don't read the forums much so I apologize if this has been brought up before, but is anyone else sick of this attitude in the storyline? When you encounter a male NPC, odds are he's stupid, cowardly, a buffoon, or all three. When you encounter a woman she's always uber-competent and often generally spiteful.
Weak men and spiteful women can make interesting characters in stories, but I find the excess of this in ESO stories extremely annoying. Guys, are you cool with this? I guess to some extent I must be cool with it because I keep playing the game, but it's a big turnoff. I liked rescuing princesses in video games as a kid, and when I played Oblivion and Skyrim I enjoyed the strong, well-written female characters. This girls rule boys drool business is for playground taunting, not stories ostensibly written for adults (or 18+).
Anyone agree or am I way off base here? I don't mean to be non-constructive - if people do agree with me I want the writers to take this into consideration as they develop more content.
JB
Weak men and spiteful women can make interesting characters in stories, but I find the excess of this in ESO stories extremely annoying. Guys, are you cool with this? I guess to some extent I must be cool with it because I keep playing the game, but it's a big turnoff. I liked rescuing princesses in video games as a kid, and when I played Oblivion and Skyrim I enjoyed the strong, well-written female characters. This girls rule boys drool business is for playground taunting, not stories ostensibly written for adults (or 18+).
Anyone agree or am I way off base here? I don't mean to be non-constructive - if people do agree with me I want the writers to take this into consideration as they develop more content.
JB
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icontested✭✭✭✭Jordan_Black wrote: »I don't read the forums much so I apologize if this has been brought up before, but is anyone else sick of this attitude in the storyline? When you encounter a male NPC, odds are he's stupid, cowardly, a buffoon, or all three. When you encounter a woman she's always uber-competent and often generally spiteful.
Weak men and spiteful women can make interesting characters in stories, but I find the excess of this in ESO stories extremely annoying. Guys, are you cool with this? I guess to some extent I must be cool with it because I keep playing the game, but it's a big turnoff. I liked rescuing princesses in video games as a kid, and when I played Oblivion and Skyrim I enjoyed the strong, well-written female characters. This girls rule boys drool business is for playground taunting, not stories ostensibly written for adults (or 18+).
Anyone agree or am I way off base here? I don't mean to be non-constructive - if people do agree with me I want the writers to take this into consideration as they develop more content.
JB
I'm just amazed that every random player I've done a dungeon with always refers to the female boss with derogatory terms. Its clear the men of this game dont respect women.
I support the female npcsVoted and Current reigning champion of most handsome ESO player of 2013-201611 -
Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭Another way of putting it is when Every Single Female Character is Aela the Huntress from Skyrim, then Aela the Huntress ceases to be interesting. And even Aela wasn't as spiteful as half the female NPCs in this game.1
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Personofsecrets✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭@Jordan_Black , I'm not saying you are right or wrong, but can you give 10 examples of 5 male and 5 female examples that show your point that you make. Please don't just point out their name, but do give a piece of dialogue or situation each that shows what you are saying to be true.Rest in Peace:
The Dragonknight
2014-2025
This commemoration is for the class that has constantly been plundered and dismantled by designers for no obvious reason while other classes continue to have coherent skill lines and feel both powerful and cool.7 -
PBpsy✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭Why don't you girls "go upstairs so I can protect you."
No it doesn't bother me a bit. Some of the most competent people I have worked IRL have been women so I don't know..Edited by PBpsy on November 26, 2015 5:47PMESO forums achievementsProud fanboiElitist jerkTrollHaterFan of icontested(rainbow colors granted)5 -
Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭Personofsecrets wrote: »@Jordan_Black , I'm not saying you are right or wrong, but can you give 10 examples of 5 male and 5 female examples that show your point that you make. Please don't just point out their name, but do give a piece of dialogue or situation each that shows what you are saying to be true.
If you haven't noticed it, I guess I'll just mark you down as cool with it. That's fine. If most people are cool with it, then I am a small minority and I can either just shut up or play a different game. I'm playing Fallout 4 right now too and that manages to have some really awesome female characters in it without making all the men look like dweebs.
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icontested wrote: »Jordan_Black wrote: »I don't read the forums much so I apologize if this has been brought up before, but is anyone else sick of this attitude in the storyline? When you encounter a male NPC, odds are he's stupid, cowardly, a buffoon, or all three. When you encounter a woman she's always uber-competent and often generally spiteful.
Weak men and spiteful women can make interesting characters in stories, but I find the excess of this in ESO stories extremely annoying. Guys, are you cool with this? I guess to some extent I must be cool with it because I keep playing the game, but it's a big turnoff. I liked rescuing princesses in video games as a kid, and when I played Oblivion and Skyrim I enjoyed the strong, well-written female characters. This girls rule boys drool business is for playground taunting, not stories ostensibly written for adults (or 18+).
Anyone agree or am I way off base here? I don't mean to be non-constructive - if people do agree with me I want the writers to take this into consideration as they develop more content.
JB
I'm just amazed that every random player I've done a dungeon with always refers to the female boss with derogatory terms. Its clear the men of this game dont respect women.
I support the female npcs
Yelling obscenities at particularly nasty bosses, regardless of gender, is perfectly standard MMO behaviour. In fact, when the gender is unspecified people will almost always use male terms.
OT: I tend to agree I think. It kinda feels like ZoS was so afraid to come off as insensitive or old-fashioned that they took it too far in the opposite direction.Fat Argonian Cook.6 -
RedTalon✭✭✭✭✭
✭Jordan_Black wrote: »
Given my orc eats anything not nailed down, better then calling everyone meatbag would catch flank for that one also, but may start using milk drinker myself1 -
wayfarerx✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭Razum-dar, Darien Gautier, the last Ayleid King, Count Verandis Ravenwatch (among others), these guys take issue with you characterizing them as weak, stupid or cowardly.@wayfarerx - PC / North America / Aldmeri Dominion14 -
Daraugh✭✭✭✭✭It is annoying when the women seem all uber-strong and confident and the men are...lacking. (and I'm female.) One thing I have noticed is that it seems more prevalent in the human and mer races and less so among the Khajiit and Argonians.May all beings have happiness
May they be free from suffering
May they find the joy that has never known suffering
May they be free from attachment and hatred3 -
Holycannoli✭✭✭✭✭
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej0iUcgNCpg
But yeah I've noticed it. I'm going to be dead honest here: I'm not fond of many of the female NPC "personalities" in this game. Yeah they're really damned spiteful aren't they? There's a "B" word we use for them in real life
Some of them are pleasant. There's a female NPC in the mage's guild (DC) who's pretty OK.2 -
PBpsy✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭Razum-dar, Darien Gautier, the last Ayleid King, Count Verandis Ravenwatch (among others), these guys take issue with you characterizing them as weak, stupid or cowardly.
Yep and In the end they are very lame charters compared to the epicness that is Rigurt the Brash aka best character in ESO.Edited by PBpsy on November 26, 2015 5:56PMESO forums achievementsProud fanboiElitist jerkTrollHaterFan of icontested(rainbow colors granted)3 -
Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭It is annoying when the women seem all uber-strong and confident and the men are...lacking. (and I'm female.) One thing I have noticed is that it seems more prevalent in the human and mer races and less so among the Khajiit and Argonians.
For sure! It's nice to hear this. In my experience women generally like confident men.0 -
Personofsecrets✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭Jordan_Black wrote: »Personofsecrets wrote: »@Jordan_Black , I'm not saying you are right or wrong, but can you give 10 examples of 5 male and 5 female examples that show your point that you make. Please don't just point out their name, but do give a piece of dialogue or situation each that shows what you are saying to be true.
If you haven't noticed it, I guess I'll just mark you down as cool with it. That's fine. If most people are cool with it, then I am a small minority and I can either just shut up or play a different game. I'm playing Fallout 4 right now too and that manages to have some really awesome female characters in it without making all the men look like dweebs.
There is no reason to jump to conclusions about my preferences based on my question. While it is possible that I or others are less sensitive to this specific characterization than you are, and I'm not making a value judgment if that happens to be the case, it is still important to come up with examples of what we say in order to prove our points.
Let's say that I wanted to make the opposite case that you have made. Let's say that I wanted to say that certain characters act too forgiving and caring while others are mean and spiteful. One example of this characterization would be between the spiteful, albeit mind controlled husband, Nerien'eth and very loving wife Alanwe from the Crypt of Hearts story line.Edited by Personofsecrets on November 26, 2015 5:59PMRest in Peace:
The Dragonknight
2014-2025
This commemoration is for the class that has constantly been plundered and dismantled by designers for no obvious reason while other classes continue to have coherent skill lines and feel both powerful and cool.5 -
Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭Holycannoli wrote: »https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej0iUcgNCpg
But yeah I've noticed it. I'm going to be dead honest here: I'm not fond of many of the female NPC "personalities" in this game. Yeah they're really damned spiteful aren't they? There's a "B" word we use for them in real life
Some of them are pleasant. There's a female NPC in the mage's guild (DC) who's pretty OK.
There are some pleasant women and strong men yes. When I said "every" I am using hyperbole. Nice to see that I'm not the only one that thinks this way :-)0 -
Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭The men have much more humour in the game and are far more memorable IMO.
Totally. It goes back to what I was saying about if every woman is Aela the Huntress, Aela the Huntress ceases to be interesting. Dweeby, cowardly men can be really funny and memorable characters. It's the high proportion that gets my goat.
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Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭Razum-dar, Darien Gautier, the last Ayleid King, Count Verandis Ravenwatch (among others), these guys take issue with you characterizing them as weak, stupid or cowardly.
Yep and In the end they are very lame charters compared to the epicness that is Rigurt the Brash aka best character in ESO.
Rigurt is hilarious :-)0 -
Lenikus✭✭✭✭✭I like to call it "Realism", like:
Every guy Is indeed, somewhat stupid. That is a fact. We're pretty dumb.
And teh girls, well, you'd figure they'd be a bit like that if they had to deal with us. I'd be such a b(*) if I were a girl.... Mai cave. >:30 -
Phinix1✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Jordan_Black wrote: »The men have much more humour in the game and are far more memorable IMO.
Totally. It goes back to what I was saying about if every woman is Aela the Huntress, Aela the Huntress ceases to be interesting. Dweeby, cowardly men can be really funny and memorable characters. It's the high proportion that gets my goat.
"Excuse me while I cast this incredibly powerful and fantastically impressive spell!" -Vanis Galarion
You mean that didn't add to the epic mood and seriousness of your final assault on the daedric prince of schemes?
I agree ZOS plays the goofy trope just a little over the top.2 -
Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭I like to call it "Realism", like:
Every guy Is indeed, somewhat stupid. That is a fact. We're pretty dumb.
And teh girls, well, you'd figure they'd be a bit like that if they had to deal with us. I'd be such a b(*) if I were a girl.
You might be kidding, but I guess this goes along with my point - are guy gamers these days this loathing of their own sex that they *like* this sort of portrayal?1 -
Jura23✭✭✭✭✭
✭More heroic female NPCs certainly doesn't make me feel unsafe. I don't know the reason why it is that way. Maybe they feel like girls need some extra confidence boost or something. I'm cool with that.Georgion - Bosmer/Templar - PC/EU1 -
runagate✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭Um... I certainly never noticed this and suspect it's more your own insecurities. The female that sticks out in my mind recently is that fatuous artifact hunter.
But more than anything I was recently thinking, a LOT of the NPCs in storylines are incompetents. That orc that fights with just his fists. All your helpers are cowering or useless. Some badass people here and there, but it's actually sort of realistic. There's so many of us hero players with amazing abilities there's no sense in super-NPCs, I suppose. Then again I am a male player who plays a pink argonian female with one milky dead eye and one orange one, so perhaps I'm rather blasé about such perceptions.
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Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭More heroic female NPCs certainly doesn't make me feel unsafe. I don't know the reason why it is that way. Maybe they feel like girls need some extra confidence boost or something. I'm cool with that.
I don't understand this post. Why are you using the word "heroic?" I'm talking about spite, not heroism. Heroic female characters are great. That said, I'm glad you don't feel unsafe playing ESO. I think the reason I don't feel unsafe playing ESO is I play it on PC. Last night I played fallout 4 on my big 65'' HD TV. Watching a Glowing One come at you on that screen can make you feel unsafe for sure ;-)0 -
Holycannoli✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭More heroic female NPCs certainly doesn't make me feel unsafe. I don't know the reason why it is that way. Maybe they feel like girls need some extra confidence boost or something. I'm cool with that.
I wouldn't say they're more heroic. The ones we're talking about (or at least I'm talking about) are spiteful, angry, annoying characters. Hardly heroes. They're unpleasant people. There are genuine female heroes and some very pleasant female NPCs but they actually seem to be in the minority.1 -
Jordan_Black✭✭✭✭Going offline to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family now. I appreciate the response this post is getting. I'll check back in later with more replies if needed.
That said, if you feel like I do (and annoyed is not the same thing as insecure, thanks to whoever that was. . .) just drop in letting me know you agree.
If there are enough of us, maybe in the next expansion we'll start seeing guys like Geoffrey and Ulfric Stormcloak on a regular basis again.0 -
Phinix1✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Holycannoli wrote: »More heroic female NPCs certainly doesn't make me feel unsafe. I don't know the reason why it is that way. Maybe they feel like girls need some extra confidence boost or something. I'm cool with that.
I wouldn't say they're more heroic. The ones we're talking about (or at least I'm talking about) are spiteful, angry, annoying characters. Hardly heroes. They're unpleasant people. There are genuine female heroes and some very pleasant female NPCs but they actually seem to be in the minority.
Perhaps because cynicism and rudeness are too often mistaken for "strength" in a culture that has allowed marketing to dissolve it's identity and ability to effectively communicate?
It is unfortunate how often "role playing" devolves into "playing the role that was defined for you."
Personally, I prefer a character that knows and relies on their own strengths, not one that follows the mold and fills in the gaps with rudeness and frog DNA.
Some might claim the little wood elf from the Orsinium main quest was flaky and pretentious but to me the thought process came through in the dialogue where she was clearly aware of what was happening and not just a "ditzy blonde," and simply embraced that presentation as a function of her personality.
Wearing humor and earnestness as armor is far superior to rudeness and spite. It tends to draw less need to maintain an armored personality.2 -
Xsorus✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭........Really? Are we really going to make a post about something like this?
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXpX7JMwRXtczc5GTrIYRIw
ESO and GW2 PvP videos6
