Why do you play a female character?

tactx · January 2019

Many female characters in game with the most feminine outfits and names, all the details with lipstick, personality, etc. are played by guys. My wife asked me why do so many guys play females? I play a male character. I didn't really know why. I said in jest, maybe they had a sister and didn't get to participate in the doll dress up stuff when they were growing up?

I know some say "because I like how they look", but many she's encountered take it to another level and then she finds out on discord it's a guy and she's really surprised.

In all seriousness:
1) Why do you play a female instead of a male?
2) If you're a female do you play male characters? Or is this a 1 sided sort of thing?

dovakiin5574 · January 2019

I am a female (by birth, identify as genderless left that out originally to avoid taking anything in this thread off topic) and 12 out of my 15 characters are MALE. I only have some female characters because my fiance asked me to make some female since he plays mostly male and idk he's odd

Tapio75 · January 2019

I am male, so i see male enough all day long and want to look at something more atractive while i play

Jhalin · January 2019

Woman here, i play both, and the primary reason for playing female toons is the aesthetics

the default male run animation is... special

The male proportions are also really funky with super noodle legs no matter what I do, and it’s hard to make one look lithely muscled instead of a squareish beefcake

CMDR_Un1k0rn · January 2019

I'm actually considering changing my character to a male in a few days.

I kinda' regret making a female character. A male would be much easier to RP, and I care about RP. Why else would I play as an Imperial?

Zelos · January 2019

Becuase I play a Male in real life and have no choice, but in a video game I have a choice:)

Loves_guars · January 2019

Its an rpg. Also female playing both genders.
Idk about you but when I make a char I don't create 'me' I just make characters.
With that line of thought no one would create a khaajit ever cause no one is a cat irl.

Tan9oSuccka · January 2019

I play both genders though, I’ll never understand the armchair psychologists diagnosing/asking this very question.

There’s two choices. Why not?

Lipstick is neat. Beards are cool. Problem?

Tapio75 · January 2019

All this ones Khajit are male though.

dovakiin5574 · January 2019

Then again even if you pick male/female in character creation that doen't exactly mean that's their actual gender, just their born sex. So technically you can be a ftm trans

Watchdog · January 2019

I am a male. Out of my 11 characters 9 are females.

1) Eye candy - I like looking at attractive females.
2) If the attractive female is an intelligent, self-confident one, all the better. Needles to say, all my female characters are so.

max_only · January 2019

In other games i had to choose female because the male choices were too over the top distorted/ wacky/ ugly.

In this game i only play male characters.

As for the why?

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coop500 · January 2019

Loves_guars wrote: »

Its an rpg. Also female playing both genders.
Idk about you but when I make a char I don't create 'me' I just make characters.

This is pretty much me to the T

kargen27 · January 2019

No reason really. I choose race based on what type of character I am creating but with gender it is a whim. As I level them up I try to give them each a few personality quirks for my own amusement.

Darkstorne · January 2019

Zelos wrote: »

Becuase I play a Male in real life and have no choice, but in a video game I have a choice:)

Technically you do have a choice irl these days

In games I play males and females. I think my ESO characters are pretty much 50/50. It’s always aesthetic reasons, and I don’t RP so that’s never a concern. I always tend to avoid stereotypes though. If I’m making a 2 handed heavy armour character, it will absolutely be female. If I’m making a healer in robes, it will absolutely be male.

Ananoriel · January 2019

I like creating characters with backgroundstories. I also have one male khaijit nightblade, but my other 4 characters are female. I like the bigger variety of adornments, outfits and stuff, but also because I can relate more to them, I guess? I am female myself. I never really thought about it actually.

Mintaka5 · January 2019

2 of my 15 characters are male. Why? I have no idea. Making an ideal digital woman is fun. I can't explain that.

Sapphire_Lily · January 2019

I’m female and the preponderance of female characters is simply because roleplaying as a female character facilitates immersion and it’s easier for me to maintain.

Some are prepossessing and others are quite hideous to look at. Male characters aren’t appealing me in the same light; maybe it’s an innate preference for my own gender? It’s certainly easier to establish a female character if I can empathise with her. I’m not a writer with gifts of imagination, I’m quite confined to my own experiences so my characters reflect that.

LurgidBean · January 2019

All of my characters are female when possible because not every game gives the option to play as female.
The default protagonist is typically male if there is no gender selection.
I know you asked about ESO specifically, but that's my reasoning generally.

Verbal_Earthworm · January 2019

This begs the question:

Why don't you play a female character if you are male?

I think the answer would be more entertaining than the question you pose.

tactx · January 2019

Verbal_Earthworm wrote: »

This begs the question:

Why don't you play a female character if you are male?

I think the answer would be more entertaining than the question you pose.

Ohhhh I like that question.

StarOfElyon · January 2019

I've always played female characters in games if I had a choice. I think they are beautiful and have their own strengths. I like to bring that out in a fantasy setting.

It does make RP feel uncomfortable though which is why I won't try it until I make a male character.

max_only · January 2019

Jhalin wrote: »

Woman here, i play both, and the primary reason for playing female toons is the aesthetics

the default male run animation is... special

The male proportions are also really funky with super noodle legs no matter what I do, and it’s hard to make one look lithely muscled instead of a squareish beefcake

What race do you want, I’ll post how to do it. It’s easiest for me on an Imperial because they can be any faction.

I can also make Reguards look like Nords.

zvavi · January 2019

honestly, most of healers that are created by males are females.

other than that, as another male player, i gotta ask you. why do you play male characters? up until now i have 8 characters, 4 males, 4 females.

Lab3360 · January 2019

Female character design is much more pleasing regarding aesthetic. The proportions are much more in line with a superhero. The inseam is much longer than that of male characters giving the illusions of the character model being taller.

I have some male characters. To get the male characters to appear taller and leaner, I need certain stlyles to reshape them.
The problem with male character modeling is the legs are too short and the waste and body are too thick. (Ever look at how distorted Breton Hero costume looks on large torso male?) This oftern turns into large fireplugs eventhough rhe male character is technically 7ft tall ingame.

CMDR_Un1k0rn · January 2019

Verbal_Earthworm wrote: »

This begs the question:

Why don't you play a female character if you are male?

I think the answer would be more entertaining than the question you pose.

I'll be making my character a male in a few days.

Why? Because when I get to dungeons I now think it just makes sense to put a male character to a male voice like mine.
See, nothing amusing about it. Just stone-cold logic.

Fiktius · January 2019

I have created several characters with both genders. I have strong ladies and epic gentlemen to kill enemies in PvP.

Orticia · January 2019

I am female and i play both male and female characters in games. In eso my main is a male, in gw2 a female. Whatever feels best for the character and whatever the sliders come up with as good looking (not necessary handsome/pretty, characterful is just as important). Why... why not? I might not be a male but I sure as heck ain't a khaijit or argonian either in real life either, nor can I summon demons or get away thieving or hurling around lightning and I do enjoy playing those and that too... so... playing something you are not in real life is very much ok with me. Heck it is part of the fun, gender is just part of it.

General_Zeranth · January 2019

I'm female irl and I prefer to play male characters. 12 out of my 15 are male so far. xD

This here Sorc fella has been with me the longest out of my male characters:

I just prefer the male models tbh. The female models feel unreal to me. Especially the way the female plate armor fits. I'm pretty sure its not supposed to be skin tight like that. >->

Chicharron · January 2019

I do not know, I can not play with a female character, for example Tomb Raider, no matter how good it is, I will never play it.

Maybe it was the way I was raised.

Red_Feather · January 2019

I have 3 lady characters and 3 men. I don't know what's wrong with that. 2 of my 3 lady characters are pretty tough looking. My sorceress is 7 feet tall, with a low deep laugh. I think it's because I like having characters with variety in their character.