Roleplaying the Opposite Gender?

[Rune]

Generic "all women are played by 40 year old greasy fat bald men" stereotypes aside, have you ever tried to RP a character of the opposite sex?

Do you know anyone who successfully does so? What sort of hurdles or pitfalls do you run into?

Personally.. I tried it once.. elven wizard. She made it to level 6 before I deemed myself trying too hard (with the giggling and fluffiness) and decided that I in fact could not RP a female for a damn.

Your thoughts?

[DCSL]

Yeah. I've got a couple of male characters. One of the most outgoing of them is particularly popular among the ladies, although I personally think he's an utter sleezeball.

It hasn't ever been too hard for me.

[HarmNone]

I had characters of both genders. I didn't really find it all that difficult to play a male character, since there were plenty of "role models" around to watch and learn from.

[Olanan]

The band of ravenous organisms deemed "females" would recognize me instantly. If I played a girl she'd be TOO whorish...I watch the empaths in TSC too much.

[Drew]

I find it a bit queer personally, so I've never done it. I know some well done of both sexes but most of them are pretty easily seen through. Women and mens brains are wired differently and it's hard to put yourself in the right frame of mind to do the opposite. This is why I've never written a book with a female lead, too hard.

[Wezas]

I made a Warclaidhm character in World of Warcraft. It was a chick mage. It was basicallly just to make sure he couldn't take the name if he tried and for storage/disenchanting.

There wasn't alot of interaction, so my roleplaying was mostly trying to remember to curtsey instead of bow. I was amazed at how much more helpful people were to a girl. Helping me do quests, hunt, etc without me even asking.

[Czeska]

I RPd a dwarven male one time, which I found to be pretty much the same as RPing a Dwarven female. Grunt, belch, insult elves.

Other than that, not in ages. But yes, I do know people who've done it successfully.

[Hulkein]

I never had the urge to roleplay a female, but I did buy an older Ranger (was almost done playing at this point, save the newb insults) just to mess around with archery when reallocation first came out, and the character turned out to be female (was a great price, guess that's why). I can't really say I RPd a female, I hung out at the bolder and killed people for fun, then would throw a giggle and watch how pathetic some people were to what they thought was a chick behind the keyboard.

[Sean of the Thread]

Ask Klaive for advice.

[Bobmuhthol]

Replace ranger with rogue and Hulkein's post becomes mine.

[thornhappy]

I have three main characters, all that I've played frequently and consistantly for at least 5+ years. One is male. I'd hazard a guess that if people found out he was played by a female they'd be astounded. heh

I have a few other males that I dabble around with ocasionally. I find it fun and challenging to RP.

[RichardCranium]

I was amazed at how much more helpful people were to a girl. Helping me do quests, hunt, etc without me even asking.

I experienced the same thing. I rolled up a female empath once in GS3, and before she was level two I had acquired enough coin and gear to last her until level twenty without doing more than returning blood to a couple of people.

[Stanley Burrell]

When I was in 8th grade, one of my best friends who played GS at the time had a female character, so naturally, I had to make one too.

I still have said character (who happens to have been my first ever alt)

I extremely hastily will inform everyone who meets my female char that I have the wang. I giggle and bounce and foam annoyingly at the mouth with her but that's only because she's a halfling and that's what halflings do.

Pretty much all halflings are androgenous as is :shrug:

[Things2Come]

I've found after playing both sexes, that people are much nicer to females then to males. When two males meet, in most conflicts, all they want to do is kill, where if a female meets either a male or female, it tends to go a much different route if they have a conflict.

I also think more people are quick to report a male, than a female in the various reportable situations that occur.

[Drew]

I giggle and bounce and foam annoyingly at the mouth with her but that's only because she's a halfling and that's what halflings do.


So you play Chica!

[Aaysia]

I have a male Gnome ranger who's AWESOME. But I hardly ever play him anymore which is really unfortunate :( but I'm focusing on my other girls right now. When I get some of those arrows that I bought from anfelt for him I'll go have a party.

It isn't that hard to play him IMO. I rolled him to be a friend's arch nemesis. He sticks to himself. He has a silly name so absolute strangers just tend to grin or smile at him (I don't know if it's because of his name or cuz he wears a rabbit fur loincloth) but despite his appearance he's a rather somber character. He's my comic relief when I want a drastic change :D. I've had him interact with females a few times, wasn't hard -- if anything he was annoyed they thought he was cute since he's an old gnome.

[DeV]

I've had the most fun in game playing my male characters. Second what Aaysia said... it's not difficult by any strecth of the imagintation to play an opposite gender character and play one well.

[Asha]

It's eye-opening to see how many times female characters are hit on.
Only after putting myself in the females perspective did I notice it. Also, playing the kind of character who would be sickened by the advances makes it hillarious.
Groin kick FTW.

[Wezas]

I've had the most fun in game playing my male characters. Second what Aaysia said... it's not difficult by any strecth of the imagintation to play an opposite gender character and play one well.

DEV has her way of hitting on women who claim to be straight, in game. This is just one of them.

[Beguiler]

I have a mid-level male wizard char, who I have no problem playing easily. In fact, my biggest problem is keeping him out of trouble. He's courtly and courteous, very polite, and keeps getting hit on! You wouldn't believe the whispers he gets...no, wait, you might. It's funny, he pretty much keeps to himself socially. I suppose it's only sheer luck he hasn't been hit on by a guy yet..<grin> But he's a lot of fun to play..

[Asha]

My girl was hit on by another girl. Who was probably another guy.

[Wezas]

I think Edine tried to mess with me once, when he had access to Emberbrite's account. Used one of her alts to hit on me.

[Asha]

Did it work out? :)

[Wezas]

I knew it wasn't the normal player of the character quickly (the fact that she wasn't on AIM was a tip-off)

[Hulkein]

I've had the most fun in game playing my male characters. Second what Aaysia said... it's not difficult by any strecth of the imagintation to play an opposite gender character and play one well.

Especially when you're a lesbian... No offense, just seems like a little easier for you to play a male or Arkans to play a female.

[Asha]

That wins. :lol:

[HarmNone]

If the category is half truth and half conjecture, I'll award it the jelly doughnut. ;)

[Hulkein]

Keep the jelly doughnut, Ma'am.

Arkans is into fashion, therefor he'd have an easier time roleplaying a popular aspect of a woman than most men.

Effeminate men would have an easier job roleplaying a stereotypical female, and butch women would have an easier time roleplaying a stereotypical male.

[Sean of the Thread]

My girl was hit on by another girl. Who was probably another guy.

But don't you roleplay your guy as a homosexual male?

[Asha]

And you never once accepted his offers Xyelin. Shame.

[Satira]

I have a male rogue that the ladies seem to love. I don't really find it that hard, but maybe it's easier to roleplay a convincing guy than it is to roleplay a convincing girl.

It seems to be one of two extremes when I find out a guy is playing a girl. Either they have them dressed terribly and/or like a man or they have them bouncing around and giggling.

[DeV]

Especially when you're a lesbian... No offense, just seems like a little easier for you to play a male or Arkans to play a female.No offense taken though I can say that being a lesbian has little to do with it, although I can't speak for Arkans, lol.

I know a couple of straight women who roleplay male characters very convincingly.

[Shari]

Heh, ya'll would tell me if one of my chars was hittin on your male chars, right ladies?

I wouldn't be freaked out at all, but I'd like to know who I'm making myself look like and idiot to. :D

[CrystalTears]

As long as people who play the opposite sex are honest when confronted in real life. Something about a guy who is playing a girl who talks to people in IMs AS a girl just bothers me.

I knew someone who played a female but was a guy, but he would talk to me and someone else through IMs as though he were a woman. He was also leading my friend to believe that a romance was possible. It was creepy when we found out he was false. We would have been fine in the game had he just been upfront about it.

I played a male once. I basically behaved like some of my male friends did at the time. I made a girl cry. After that I couldn't do it anymore.

[Hulkein]

I know a couple of straight women who roleplay male characters very convincingly.

No doubt, some people are amazing roleplayers.

I, on the other hand, will admit I'm not the best. I try, but when I get bored/angry my normal personality comes out a lot of the time. Made it hard for me to roleplay a passive and quiet cleric, heh.

[Augie]

A have a few male characters and I find it a lot of fun and even more challenging to roleplay with them. I have to remember things like don't giggle, don't pout, don't smooch people heh.

There seems to be a lot less of random interaction with my male characters. My females would have people coming up to them out of the blue to hit on them (even the ugly scarred up not pretty ones! God guys hit on anything as long as it walks - and sometimes not even then!). The male characters I have tend to be more of loners or the regal, brave, knight-in-shiny-double-leather types.

[Satira]

My male rogue has flirted with one of your characters, Shari! Teehee!

[Snapp]

I have a couple female characters. I think it's a hoot to play them, but I definitely avoid anything romantic. Like Drayal said, when they don't take "no" for an answer, groin kick ftw.

[Shari]

OMG Woman, REVEAL!