Navigation


Home
 
Register a new account  
Log in to view your messages  
Female character concepts, and you
Forum Index   Θ   General Discussion

Reply to Topic Create a Topic
Bartleby
Registered



Post Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:02 pm      Reply with quote

Blue wrote:
I simply suspect that some may feel they're going out on a limb, and perhaps playing something they aren't comfortable with, and if they go ahead and do it, and are subsequently ignored in favor of the ultra-femmes, it's not going to work out in the long run.


I completely agree with everything you say but I think there's something here that MUST be addressed, lest our discussion fall prey to more stereotype delerium:

Part of the problem is equating femininity with weakness (which I know you're not actually doing [because I know you and know you were just being lazy Cool], but it must be said).

This is something that players of female PCs do, and something that players of male PCs do. Femininity itself is not weakness itself, it is perfectly possible to be feminine and strong (and there is at least one PC I can think of in the game who exemplifies this very well), and players who want to play feminine PCs need not assume that this means that their PCs must also be weak.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a "masculine" female PC (I personally adore them, as much as some other people adore the sex kittens), but there is equally nothing necessarily weak about a feminine PC (dude, talk to Ellie), male or female.


View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
I would prefer not to.
Confederate
Registered



Post Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:04 pm      Reply with quote

I think there's room for compromise. My character, if you talk to her and she's not kicking ass, is hella girly. Hates blood, dislikes dirt, will go into the sewers but freaks out about the nasties after.

But she also shoots people. So.


I don't remember the point of this. I'm tired.

Oh, right. Compromise.


View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
Bones
Registered



Horsecorn

Post Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:11 pm      Reply with quote

There's also a whole area between fragile girly-girly and badass warrior. I think both extremes are fine, and can definitely add flavor to the game, but (and this is applicable to male characters as well) it'd be great to explore the full spectrum. Though I think it's too early in the game to worry. Personally, I haven't even met a fraction of the playerbase yet.

View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
No, I'm not THAT Bones.
Aken
Registered



Post Posted: Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:29 pm      Reply with quote

It's really not so coarse-grained as "play a fragile PC" or "play a warrior". There absolutely is gender dimorphism. That's fine.

I've done my best to articulate my point, but I'll try to break a few things down a bit:

It's Rust. It's a nasty place to live in. Reaching adulthood is a success in and of itself. Most PCs should be capable of a measure of self-sufficiency. Fragile PCs have little place here. That's not to say that they won't exist; I guess a particularly sheltered sort could grow up within a Family.

Another point is that I despise the spillover of OOC attitudes and negative stereotypes into the game. I don't think that's unreasonable. It creates an uncomfortable atmosphere.


And re: female PC warriors: I guess I'm qualified to pass an observation regarding these.

Bet. First, a thought on appearance: had she not taken up arms aboard the Phoenix (in her background), no doubt she'd have been 'a statuesque, pale-skinned redhead' as opposed to 'a sinewy, viciously-scarred woman'. She'd still have been a damn strong character either way. That wouldn't change. Granted, though, skillwise, she was the best PC fighter alive for quite some time, the best doctor without exception, and for a time, especially after Sal's death, the de facto head of the fighters on Atlas. Yes, she had to be a fighter for that. Except so would any male PC in the same position, so there's that.

Elizabeth, meanwhile, achieved her position, such as it was, by simple strength of personality and force of will -- again, though, she did fight, when it came down to it, although she was far from the best ever.


View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
caellyndria
Registered



Post Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:05 am      Reply with quote

Throttle: IT WAS ME! That person! Ego demands it.

I don't know that pretty description has a lot to do with anything, man or woman. I mean, I can make an uggo PC and pull just as much e-tail and interest as I can a hottie. Why? Because I hate being boring and people get drawn to that like flies.

I understand the point and the frustration, but it can also go so many ways with male PCs and their own variety of vapidness and readiness to thugfight to the max. They just have combat to help cover it up. To me, people just kind of go background no matter what their desc if they don't own into it. It's kind of like real life-- you can know someone is hot and also know they're uninteresting and vapid... then it's just decor and you don't fall for their stupid crap (ideally). Females are going to have wiles. It's historic. It's futuristic. It's tradition. Men are going to fall for those wiles. But they still should be played well.

There's lots of bottom lines that have been addressed well here, but it all kind of boils down to one thing for me when I think of characters and concepts: Rhyme and Reason. Be soft, be hard. Be pretty. Why are you so well-maintained and pretty? Was it your backstory? Is it because you make your living off being pretty? That's okay. Pretty happens. So does buff and oversurly and everything else that tends to be overdone in RPI's.

Be anything you wanna be. Just make sure you own it. Be interesting and make all your pieces fit.


View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
Shy
Registered



Post Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:36 am      Reply with quote

Consider that creating a super skilled, super strong female that could actually physically overcome a super skilled, super strong male without using a gun is pretty unrealistic in a world of humanoids.

Sorry, girls...Rust is not politically correct nor is it a fantasy world where mere humanoids are endowed with supernatural powers. It's gritty, it's dirty. It's about survival. How does a physically weaker individual survive in an existence so raw? She or he uses whatever advantage comes natural.

I personally adore the girls of the New Guard. However they endear themselves to the group - each one truly desires to contribute - and most are doing a great job without pretending they could actually physically compete with the males. I imagine it's that way in the Reds and Niners as well. Brilliant rp.


View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
Tyrant
Registered



Benevolent Despot

Post Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:47 am      Reply with quote

One thing that has always amused me with the damsel in distress and delicat flower characters is that they usually live for a very long time and as this is a game, end up with truly beastly skills. I often wonder how they keep the act up when their combat skills are superior to most combat characters.

View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
wirsindallein
Registered



(ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧

Post Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:48 am      Reply with quote

Shy wrote:
Consider that creating a super skilled, super strong female that could actually physically overcome a super skilled, super strong male without using a gun is pretty unrealistic in a world of humanoids.


I'm sorry, I'll try to remain civil about this, but--
The reason this thread was made was to discuss the prevalence of such inherently false and harmful stereotypes inhabiting the gameworld, and why that should not be. Either you're a troll, or you're a legitimately terrible person.


View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
Feawen
Registered



Post Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:49 am      Reply with quote

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=Q1qndga6SNU&feature=endscreen

View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
Holmes
Dictator in Absentia



Post Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:51 am      Reply with quote

Shy wrote:
Consider that creating a super skilled, super strong female that could actually physically overcome a super skilled, super strong male without using a gun is pretty unrealistic in a world of humanoids.


Yeah, sorry, no.

This is my world. As far as the game is concerned, women and men are equal. Your character can be as sexist as you want, but, I utterly and violently disagree with this statement, and anyone trying to claim that 'women are naturally weaker than men' is just wrong. Plainly and completely.


View user's profile  Send private message  Go to Top
Display posts from previous:   
Page 3 of 7   Θ   Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7  Next
Jump to:  
Reply to Topic Create a Topic


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Featured artwork used on Parallel RPI given permission for use by original artists macrebisz and merl1ncz.