General: Guild Sores Comic - Creating a Hero

SBFord

From the mind and hands of David North, comes this brand new weekly web-comic. Guild Sores is the tale of three friends and their misadventures in the fabulous (and frustrating) world of MMORPGs. Check out the latest installment of Guild Sores and be sure to offer your thoughts.

Click here to view Guild Sores - Creating a Hero.

NameWasTaken

You know, there is another reason male gamers create female avatars...

* frap * frap * frap * frap * frap * frap * frap *

Castillle

Because its better to stare at a female butt while playing. Keeps you awake n alert! O.o

but the endibg is soo true lol! Girl chars get moar freebies o.o'

eisheiliger

Actually I hate playing female chars and therefore games that include genderlock -.- I want to be one with my character, I want to feel, what HE feels and I want to imagine its me slaying orcs

booskA

Just change the last line  to,  "and I love having boobs," and then you have an accurate comic. Also a lot funnier. = )

garrett

haha, this one made me laugh out loud.

futnatus

As a guy I would never play a female character, the idea just freaking creeps me out and it makes me shiver in disgust when I think about how many people are doing it.

I think if you keep it in your head that these crossdressers are around you come to really distrust any female figure in-game, even the real girl gamers. 

I like when a game forces your account and all characters on it to be one gender by what you chose in your registration male/female field.  I guess it limits choice, but I don't think people really need that choice and would do fine without.

{mod edit}

ManJunk

Futnatus, you're disgusted by the fact guys play female characters in a fictional environment?

I think what is more disturbing is that you and other people have a problem with it.  What possible harm can it be causing you?  Unless of course you've fallen victim to one of these male impersonators that managed to seduce you out of your money.

Seriously, at the end of the day do you really care?  Really, do you?  Is it effecting your life in any way shape or form?  If it is, you're the one with the mental problems.

*laughs his way out the door*

anothername

You all think to much into it. The comic pretty much explains it perfectly. 

gundamwing

I don't see the big deal with playing a character in a video game that is not the same gender as you. Me being male I have played female characters and no it is not because I enjoy looking at their backside. I usually have only played males in games, be it single player RPGs or MMORPGs. I got to the point where I am tired of playing the same gender in every game, so I decided to just change it up a bit and play a female character for once. I am not the guy that goes around and dances on mailboxes asking for gold or anything else disgusting. 

In games like City of Heroes/ villains or Champions Online I actually enjoy makeing a female character more than the male. I can come up with better designs for their costumes. I do have a male character in each game though, but still my main is a female. Now in Fallen Earth my main is a male due to the immersion of the games setting and since I plan to roleplay a bit I would feel better to roleplay my gender. In lotro my very first character, which is also my main, is human male lore-master but my alt is a human female minstrel. I have other alts but they are all males, and I just got tired of seeing the same gender. Its nice to change it up and I have been enjoying playing her.

Does this mean that I have a social issues or there is something wrong with me mentally because I play a fictional character in a video game that is not the same gender as me? No. Whats the difference between playing a female in an mmo and playing Lara Croft in tomb raider or joanna dark in perfect dark zero? I guess people that play those games have issues also.

 To people that dance half naked on a mailbox and act like a female to get free stuff, yes I hate people like that. Its stupid and immature. I have never and would never do something like that.

lectrocuda

Originally posted by futnatus

As a guy I would never play a female character, the idea just freaking creeps me out and it makes me shiver in disgust when I think about how many people are doing it.

I think if you keep it in your head that these crossdressers are around you come to really distrust any female figure in-game, even the real girl gamers. 

I like when a game forces your account and all characters on it to be one gender by what you chose in your registration male/female field.  I guess it limits choice, but I don't think people really need that choice and would do fine without.

{mod edit}

 

usually people such as yourself have the strongest homophobic tendancies.

 

I see nothing wrong with gender bending. Seeings I am transgendered, I take your remark as highly offensive. It is one thing to hate it is another to spread that hate through words and actions.

Jaxaar

sad world we live in... xD

Kwansei

Before we get in this huge argument again about avatar gender choice and sexuality. There's a good deal of quality emperical research on this out there (Journal of Cyberpsychology is a good place to start) which delves into the many reasons a majority of male players gender-swap avatars as do female gamers, albeit to a lesser extent. Basically we have two major types of players here; Thoese who see their characters as an extension/representation of themselves in a virtual world and those who want RP and tend to want to try something different (I for one hating to play a 'boring' human character).

Anicdotally, all the gay players I've met online always play male characters. Their reason being "If  I'm gonna stare at a butt all day it should be a pretty one". A sentiment echoed by many straight male players on theser forums.

The big question for me however lies in people attaching any sort of sexual feeling toward a bunch of pixels. Then again I guess it takes all types.

Oh and concerning the bust size of the female characters I make from time to time.. Of course their not silicon.. they're polygon

That said good luck on the new comic!

Ironfungus

I really have no idea why people think so much into this.

 

OH MY GAWD IT'S A MAN PLAYING A WOMAN!!?!!? IT'S PLAIN UNNATURAL, I TELL YOU!!!

 

WHAT is the difference, I say, when the male author of a book series writes in and develops female characters? You are required to know that woman's mind or what she would do in every situation and how she reacts to certain things, what she looks like, what she wears...you roleplay as that character for her to seem real and believable. So, what's the difference when a male creates a female character in a video game?

There is no difference. Stop debating a subject that has no room for debate.

StormwindX

I enjoy playing female characters... sometimes.

 

The decision of creating a male/female character usually hinges on the role that I plan on playing - for some reason, I just can't stand the idea of playing a female tank, so all my female characters will invariably end up being something else.

 

Also, species (race) plays a big role too. As in, I will not, just not create an unattractive female character, which usually means things such as... no female Dwarves in fantasy games, for instance.

 

And yes, I'm one of those people who can spend up to an hour or so just fine-tuning my character's appearance features in the AION character creator.

Micro_angel

Ok, so you buy an mmo, you create your first avatar and... realize your going to watch that ass for MANY HOURS ingame. You better have a good ass, right?

StormwindX

Originally posted by ironfungus

I really have no idea why people think so much into this.

 

OH MY GAWD IT'S A MAN PLAYING A WOMAN!!?!!? IT'S PLAIN UNNATURAL, I TELL YOU!!!

 

WHAT is the difference, I say, when the male author of a book series writes in and develops female characters? You are required to know that woman's mind or what she would do in every situation and how she reacts to certain things, what she looks like, what she wears...you roleplay as that character for her to seem real and believable. So, what's the difference when a male creates a female character in a video game?

There is no difference. Stop debating a subject that has no room for debate.

 

Unless you're a roleplayer, there is usually even less of an issue in playing a female character, as all you have to do is... play as the female.

 

Being a writer myself, though, I'll have to agree with you that were males playing video-games as female characters a real problem, male writers making up female characters would (and probably should) be considered somewhat... problematic. Which it is absolutely not.

CoffeeOfDoom

What I find funny is that no one finds it strange if a woman plays a male character.

Orthelian

Originally posted by CoffeeOfDoom

What I find funny is that no one finds it strange if a woman plays a male character.

That's because while a man playing a woman is an offense to masculinity, a woman playing a man is a compliment.

Elikal

Creating a MMO char for sexual stimulation? It makes me feel a 100 years old, but... I don't get it. And no, not because I am not into girls, but the very idea to create some silly pixel char to satisfy my fleshly urges? How poor can a person be! I mean, just go buy real porn, there is plenty out there.

Maybe it's just since I am so much a roleplayer and interested in story. I want a character which has meaning to me, who becomes part of a story that this sort of primitive motivation just sounds so absurd to me. A character where I can identify with as a heroc version of me. Something along these lines.

Maybe if some people had sex in RL they wouldn't need to make porn-characters in gams. Just a guess.

 

Sidenote. I am baffled to think any person can mistake a man playing a female character as a real woman. (Maybe if you haven't seen a woman for a long time...) Few man can hide their true gender. The way most men act and talk just betrays them the minute they open their mouth. Sorry to burst your bubble.

ssjdagas

It's a game! You can be whoever you want to be. You want to be a hero you can be a hero, you want to be female you can be a female. No one would say "You are not a hero IRL so you cannot be a hero in game." so why would people think "You are not female IRL so you cannot play as a female."? Same as with playing an evil character in games. I like to play evil in games specifically because I am not evil IRL. If you had to be the exact same person in game as you are IRL then why even play roleplaying games?

 

7777

The avatar isn't the person, merely the digital version of an action-figure or doll that the person is playing with.

GI Joe action-figures included Scarlett and Baroness.

Barbie dolls included Ken.

It's not the toy that defines the person, how they play with their toy does.

Blah.

Sovrath

Originally posted by Elikal

Creating a MMO char for sexual stimulation? It makes me feel a 100 years old, but... I don't get it. And no, not because I am not into girls, but the very idea to create some silly pixel char to satisfy my fleshly urges? How poor can a person be! I mean, just go buy real porn, there is plenty out there.

Maybe it's just since I am so much a roleplayer and interested in story. I want a character which has meaning to me, who becomes part of a story that this sort of primitive motivation just sounds so absurd to me. A character where I can identify with as a heroc version of me. Something along these lines.

Maybe if some people had sex in RL they wouldn't need to make porn-characters in gams. Just a guess.

 

Sidenote. I am baffled to think any person can mistake a man playing a female character as a real woman. (Maybe if you haven't seen a woman for a long time...) Few man can hide their true gender. The way most men act and talk just betrays them the minute they open their mouth. Sorry to burst your bubble.

erm, who are you to say what a person finds erotic?

And lest I say this for the 100th time, erotica was around far longer than the camera. I know, I realize people think that erotica started with the early photos but that isn't even remotely true.

So it doesn't matter to me why a person creates any avatar nor does it matter the sex they use. I'm sure some people create avatars of the opposite gender because of a storied reason or character reason and some because it gives them a slight thrill or that they just appreciate watching curves over the blockiness of the male figure.

I'm sure some people can look at erotic paintings and get more of a charge over a photograph that is poorly framed and just a bad picture.

In any case "I' personally don't look down on or judge people who desire erotica that isn't mainstream or isn't fully endorsed by the local chamber of commerce.

See, thing is, once we start doing that then were do we draw the line? Do we start regulating books and movies or start regulating what people do in the privacy of their own homes?

Sovrath

Originally posted by ironfungus

I really have no idea why people think so much into this.

 

OH MY GAWD IT'S A MAN PLAYING A WOMAN!!?!!? IT'S PLAIN UNNATURAL, I TELL YOU!!!

 

WHAT is the difference, I say, when the male author of a book series writes in and develops female characters? You are required to know that woman's mind or what she would do in every situation and how she reacts to certain things, what she looks like, what she wears...you roleplay as that character for her to seem real and believable. So, what's the difference when a male creates a female character in a video game?

There is no difference. Stop debating a subject that has no room for debate.

the issue is that it does't remotely enter into some people's mind that the writer needs to enter the psyche of their characters, male or female and essentially live their lives in order to put it down on paper.

They also probably don't realize that there was a time when all actors were male as female actors weren't allowed. Not everywhere but in many places. Heck that is one of the reason that castrati were created.

tochicool

I like to think my characther is ME!

But what happened to the 'RPG' part of 'MMORPG'?

Kwansei

Originally posted by tochicool

I like to think my characther is ME!

But what happened to the 'RPG' part of 'MMORPG'?

 

Without the great risks of pen and paper RPGs, such as spending a large amount of time in asmall room with folks who may or may have not bathed for days, or the dangers of stepping on four sided dice with bare feet; online RP just doesn't capture that adreneline you get from P&P-RP

 

Note- author has not actually played P&P since 1990. Actualy risks of RP are subject to change.