so pissed at Obsidian

[Lady Evenstar]

I've never heard anybody complain about Lara Croft being a woman in Tomb Raider.

 

I'm not a fan of playing female characters, especially if I'm roleplaying.

 

Is Tomb Raider a role playing game? No?

 

How about about Alpha Protocol?

 

As a heterosexual male, I have to say if I had to be forced to roleplay a game as a female, I probably wouldn't like it either.

 

Just sayin'

 

...

 

Will I buy this game and play it? Yes.

 

Will my fianc

Edited October 1, 2009 by Lady Evenstar

[cb.spike]

Great title. Can we turn it into another thread about delay

[Purkake]

My husband also plans to buy AP, while I don't. I did enjoy Torment despite finding it off-putting to have to play as the Nameless One, but my gaming plate is full at the moment, and I've no motivation to add a game that appears to be not quite my cup of tea to my backlog. Designing a second game around a male protagonist also begins to look like a pattern that I don't want to encourage.

 

What about games built around a female protagonist? There's lots of game where you are forced to play a female character, games like The Longest Journey, Syberia, Beyond Good & Evil, Portal, No One Lives Forever?

 

I don't have problem playing them, but should they have also offered a male option?

[Morgoth]

I don't mind playing a female protagonist, as long as she seems natural and well written.

[Pop]

From this point on I highly doubt there will be an RPG made in which you can only play as a female character. Not a traditionally published one, anyway.

[Oner]

Adults and their obsessions...

[kirottu]

Designing a second game around a male protagonist also begins to look like a pattern that I don't want to encourage.

 

Pattern?

[Purkake]

From this point on I highly doubt there will be an RPG made in which you can only play as a female character. Not a traditionally published one, anyway.

 

I can't think of any, but you do get to make choices in The Longest Journey and Fahrenheit, so it's kind of roleplay-y.

 

Why do people want to play themselves in an RPG anyway? I personally don't think that playing a character of a different race/gender/species diminishes the experience in any way by itself.

 

Also, centering the game on one pre-determined character helps flesh out the story better and focus resources on making that experience great instead of spreading it out for all the different race/gender/whatever combinations.

Edited October 1, 2009 by Purkake

[Lady Evenstar]

My husband also plans to buy AP, while I don't. I did enjoy Torment despite finding it off-putting to have to play as the Nameless One, but my gaming plate is full at the moment, and I've no motivation to add a game that appears to be not quite my cup of tea to my backlog. Designing a second game around a male protagonist also begins to look like a pattern that I don't want to encourage.

 

What about games built around a female protagonist? There's lots of game where you are forced to play a female character, games like The Longest Journey, Syberia, Beyond Good & Evil, Portal, No One Lives Forever?

 

I don't have problem playing them, but should they have also offered a male option?

 

None of those was marketed as an RPG. My impression is that players of action/adventure games don't typically have the sort of relationship with their characters I'd expect to have in a role-playing game. Of course, if AP didn't claim to be a role-playing game, I wouldn't be buying it for different reasons.

[Purkake]

None of those was marketed as an RPG. My impression is that players of action/adventure games don't typically have the sort of relationship with their characters I'd expect to have in a role-playing game. Of course, if AP didn't claim to be a role-playing game, I wouldn't be buying it for different reasons.

 

I don't think that the player-character relationship depends on the genre of the game. It has more to do with the writing and character design in general.

 

I'd play April Ryan over Child of Bhaal any day of the week. As you gain more options, your character becomes a vague blur, lacking any distinct personality or identity, defined only by the company you keep and the choices you make. It's an interesting concept, but I prefer clearly defined characters.

 

EDIT: My point is that you can have a clearly defined character, but not lose the choice-consequence aspect of an RPG.

Edited October 1, 2009 by Purkake

[Lady Evenstar]

I think the difference is that in an RPG I expect to mold my character rather than animate a character defined by someone else while it's my impression that that is more typical in adventure games. I'm happy to include male NPCs in my parties and have played male PCs on occasion, but not having the option to play a female is a definite negative when I'm assessing the appeal of an RPG. This may not be true for other women, but it is for me.

 

I understand that role-playing can more closely resemble what an actor does when they interpret a part, but if a developer goes that route they need to expect that interest in their game may depend on interest in the available role(s).

Edited October 1, 2009 by Lady Evenstar

[Purkake]

It's obvious that some people care about it more than others, but I still don't understand why.

 

Does playing a character of a different gender ruin the immersion? How is that not the case when playing an elf or a wizard?

[Zombie_K]

i role play as the character given to me, if he is too be crafted by my hand into something i just go with something simple.

 

i don't care how i look its not how i look that determines things is what i do, also i play rpgs for the awesome story and the wild cast of characters to meet and beat. i mean haven't you ever played a final fantasy game or any old rpg games? they give you exactly how your character looks...which isn't a bad thing saves on voice actors and time spent into making a million different ways to be you. i'd rather have a million ways to interact with the world and story than a million ways to look.

[Lady Evenstar]

My first CRPG was Betrayal at Krondor. Does that count as old?

 

As for the "why," I suppose it may be a matter of comfort at some level, but I don't know that it's a matter of reasons. Why do I like vanilla ice cream and not chocolate, even though I like chocolate in other forms? Bottom line I just do.

[Purkake]

Ok, just trying to understand your side.

 

I usually choose human over the other races, but that's mostly because of the stats and the other races usually look weird. Who wants to look at a weird character the whole game, right?

[alanschu]

And you don't see the parallels?

 

While I can play a female character in an RPG, I'll admit it does feel "different."

[Purkake]

And you don't see the parallels?

 

While I can play a female character in an RPG, I'll admit it does feel "different."

 

I didn't feel any different playing characters of either gender in Mass Effect for example. Maybe you're weird?

[alanschu]

Perhaps you're the weird one?

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

You're both weird. And nerds.

 

<3

Edited October 1, 2009 by WILL THE ALMIGHTY

[Purkake]

You're both weird. And nerds.

 

<3

 

Says the dude posting on a video game forum

 

I never think of the character as me, but as someone who's actions I happen to be controlling. Maybe that's the difference?

[gamerguy845]

Well, I'm certainly sorry you feel that way, but we appreciate your feedback.

 

don't be sorry, be glad we don't have to deal with this wack on the forums!

[alanschu]

@Purkake

 

Yet you don't enjoy playing non-humans...

Edited October 1, 2009 by alanschu

[Purkake]

@Purkake

 

Yet you don't enjoy playing non-humans...

 

I don't have a problem with it, but given the choice I choose human most of the time. I think it has more to do with me wanting to do it all when I play and enjoying the extra skill points and feat more than the crap that comes with other races.

 

I would totally play a game where I had no choice but to be a bear/alien/Shoggoth.

[Lady Evenstar]

i'd rather have a million ways to interact with the world and story than a million ways to look.

 

I think there's more to sex than the appearance of your avatar ...

[Purkake]

i'd rather have a million ways to interact with the world and story than a million ways to look.

 

I think there's more to sex than the appearance of your avatar ...

 

As far as dialog choices go, not really. I don't remember any significant differences in BG2, MotB or Mass Effect, other than the pronouns and voice actor.

 

EDIT: And the romances, of course.

Edited October 1, 2009 by Purkake