EQ Players Are Fascinating!

[EZ_Shomya]

Hello all! I'm an EQ-playin' Sociology graduate student working on a paper about the most interesting bunch of people I know, EQ Players! Specifically, I'm interviewing people who play characters that are their gender opposites. That is, men who play female characters and women who play males. I'm interested in their reasons for playing them and their perceptions and thoughts about playing them. The information provided will be kept private and only be used in writing my paper. If you think you might be interested in chatting with me, you can contact me at socjournerproof@hotmail.com or contact me on Terris-Thule. My main is a lvl 60 Rogue named Shomya. Even though I play on Terris, I will make a character on any server to talk to people.

I look forward to hearing from any interested players!
Thanks.

[EZ_RabidMonkey01]

Heheh Ebayer huh? I saw a post a while back about a sociology course that had requirement of EQ account.
How long have you been playing? being 60th have you joined a guild?

Most common reason is that friend that has allready been playing will tell his friend that you should play x character and go a female cuz people help you out more and give you free stuff, which may be true or may not be /shrug...
Personally i always just envisioned a fat truckie in a singlet behind any female avatar ;p

[EZ_Shomya]

I've actually been playing since 1999. I'm not a hardcore leveler, though, and have spent a lot of time away from the game busy with other things like school and life. I have been in an awesome guild pretty much since I started playing. We moved to Terris when Karana split.

I don't think all the reasons people play different gender characters is for the "more stuff" reason, although I've personally experienced that. I also think you can sort of tell if a person is a man playing a female character and vice versa because of the language they use. It's my underlying theory in all this.

[EZ_AThousandYoung]

You're writing a paper on manginas? That's funny. Caffron, Wizard of <Sanctus Lumen>, the Good team PK guild.

[Jazya]

Can't I just fill out a survey or something? Your Sister in Arms,

Jazya Vechette
Deceiver () Ayonae Ro
Email | Profile

[EZ_Shomya]

A survey would be easier, however it really wouldn't offer the sort of information I'm trying to get. When doing interviews sometimes people will say things that spark more interest and allow me to take the interview in another direction. That's why I am doing an interview type study and not a survey. This research is for my Master's thesis. It's not a psychological evaluation about the people who play female characters, it's looking more at the culture of the game. I would really love to chat with you about it if you're interested.

By the way, what is a mangina and why would my research be funny? :confused:

[Jazya]

Mangina - Male who plays a female character.

Shoot me a PM or email and we can arrange some kind of online meeting. Your Sister in Arms,

Jazya Vechette
Deceiver () Ayonae Ro
Email | Profile

[EZ_RabidMonkey01]

this site may help you out shomya...alot of info on online games i think there is even write ups on the gender bending thing, plus demographics

www.nickyee.com/daedalus/

[EZ_Aavixx Soulreaper]

A lot of my alts are female...I mean if I'm gonna spend gobs of time staring at an avatar...might as well be female....

I started when my server came up, and damn near everyone seemed to be a male starting in qeynos with an eyepatch so I did something different...plus my ex picked her <!--EZCODE FONT START---<span style="color:"#FF0000";"> Sir Aavixx Squarepants </span><!--EZCODE FONT END---
<!--EZCODE FONT START---<span style="color:""#99CCFF";"> Grave Lord
<!--EZCODE BR START---<br /><!--EZCODE BR END---
--- Insert Guild Here <-- </span><!--EZCODE FONT END---

[EZ_Lyria Whisperwind]

Silly topic for a paper, really .... I mean would you ask Agatha Christie why she wrote some books with Hercule Poirot as the lead and some with Miss Marple? Would you ask people who play Tomb Raider or a Mario game if they had gender issues based on which one they play? Would you ask Quentin Tarantino why he made a movie with Uma Thurman as the lead?

Mature people create characters they think are cool, regardless of gender. It's that simple.

[EZ_Myrkskog]

And there's nothing cooler then ginormous barbarian boobs.

[EZ_Crollwynn]

Quote:I also think you can sort of tell if a person is a man playing a female character and vice versa because of the language they use.

Language is one way. If the person behind the toon is horrible at navigating and gets lost all the time chances are also good that it is a female. Not that I mean anything by the statement mind you. Men are just more spatially oriented then women.

[EZ_AThousandYoung]

Quote:why would my research be funny?
Because manginas are funny. Caffron, Wizard of <Sanctus Lumen>, the Good team PK guild.

[EZ_aliona]

Quote:Language is one way. If the person behind the toon is horrible at navigating and gets lost all the time chances are also good that it is a female. Not that I mean anything by the statement mind you. Men are just more spatially oriented then women.

Negative. I've known men that make better EQ women than some RL women do, and some RL men that can't find their way out of a wet paper bag in this game.

On topic I did try to play a male character of my own once, and I couldn't pull it off. At all. Exarch Aliona Goosh
Baroness Spri Odarkness
Heralds of Dawn
Karana

[EZ_AsturiasAurora]

I had a female Wood Elf Bard at one time. Got her up to level 25 or so before I gave her up. It's werid trying to play a woman. I just don't get it I guess. hehe

I tell ya though, with all the socially "inept" players you meet in the game, playing a female character gives you an almost sickening realization of just how desperate half the players you meet actually are.

Was a bit too much for me~ Bardy girl I had got the axe and I rerolled her as a him.
Click the pic for my Magelo


~"Classes are not that out of balance"--AbsorEQ~

[EZ_Elasto]

I think most dont try to 'be' a girl. They are just themselves. There isnt really anything to 'get'

They play a female cos they are nicer on the eye and if people ask they'll normally just say they are a guy. Nothing deep and meaningful..

[Koru]

The three female players I knew the best were all excellent at finding their way around. Just as well since we spent most of our time trying to find the guys after they got lost, fell down a pit, died somewhere, couldn't find the zone line and so forth. Sometimes I feel I should have 'Ranger Rescue' on my tunic. From rescuing rangers of course, it's amazing how lost they get.

As for telling who's what, there are certain speech signs. Nothing definite that you can point to and say "omg, that's a guy/girl for sure" but rather little indicators that add up. For instance even a bard in bright pink, if she has to go afk to 'take a leak' that's a very good indicator that she is less of she and more of a he. Excessive girly hugging is also a good hint. I know females quite well and most of the ones I know would not constantly kiss and hug like some of the EQ females do. To be fair though a lot of the women I know are exceptionally bloodthirsty. Probably side effect from having to rescue lost men so often.

As for me, I like to leave people confused. That way they're forced to deal with me as a player first and whatever gender they currently think I am second. I don't need handouts or extra help, or god forbid, tells of "u want a man in ur life?" after 15 mins of grouping (yes that did happen once). Besides, it's fun to occasionally creep guys out by hugging them on a male char.

[EZ_Sharkeye Shadedsight]

OMG so true Coins, I tried to roll a female char (DE wizzy) because I thought the 3d model was Hawt, and I encountered the same thing at level 5 in such a creepy way I had to stop playing her right then.

[EZ_Shomya]

Wow, I check out for a little while and look what happens. Thanks for the input.

And yes, Lyria, I would ask Agatha Christie that because it's an interesting question.

[EZ_lejax]

Why is this fascinating?

I mean, why is this more fascinating than the reasons people pick non-humans?

I'm not a Wood Elf IRL, but no one feels that it's necessary (or even interesting) to write a paper on why I picked a WE character to play instead of a Human.

[EZ_Lyria Whisperwind]

You said you'd ask the first question but avoided the other two ....

Sorry, but there's nothing to be "discovered" by this paper; all you are going to do is exploit stereotypes of online gamers to get an easy grade. I would love to see you post your final paper here, but I know that you would not do that un-edited.

[EZ_Kaewyn Quickbow]

I am a female and I play all female characters. I once tried to play a male half elf and it was just too weird for me. But I was able to play a male troll. I think this is because they are basically non-sexual, stupid, and cute. No one is going to hit on a troll.
This topic has also interested me for quite some time. I find that the majority of female characters are usually played by younger teenage boys. You can speculate what you want from this. They are usually easy to spot by their grammar, rude behavior, their constant use of.."wtf" , "lmao", etc.., and the way they admire their characters assets.
Normally when I run into another female playing a female character they are considerate, polite, and the majority have good grammar.
There are always a few individuals that defy the norms. I think it is awesome when I run into a female character that is played by a man and I had recieved absolutely no hint of it. More power to ya! I wish there were more roleplayers out there. This is a roleplaying game after all.

[EZ_Shanke Overkill]

I personally dont play a female character, but I know people do and I dont see why it'd be a bad thing. When you play a game like final fantasy isn't there woman players? A woman monk, cleric, etc. But the main character is a man. So what's the big deal, no one says anything when you can choose on final fantasy what characters you want in your party, and 1 or 2 of them are female, so why on here? Think about it, a guy cleric, or guy enchanter? that seems kinda fruity really, a guy cleric could pass off if he was old, but not an enchanter. So why make a character of the opposite gender? Because some classes seem better suited for certain types, an ogre wouldnt make such a good monk or a gnome for a warrior, even though a gnome can be a warrior, and ogre a beastlord.

[EZ_XanthassKos]

I played a female char for a while, infact first char of mine to break 50...
got the char to 53 w/ 6aa (baronESS)
Could not resist how cute a halfling pally was tho. this lil female runnen around choppen the legs off of various orcs. A mighty shield maden! Tho, got tired of her, too many ogre, YES ogres, pigs. no offence, but seems who ever plays an ogre (emphasis on warriors) seem to be a pig, i'd even bet in real life too(although, people have less inhabitions when using an avatar cause they are not worried about their char, as they would their real life). (but i wont point my finger at just ogres, as i've observed many others do it, just seems that ogres are more forward about it). all they would do is bug the @#%$ out of me, untill i told them i was a guy.

As for gear, well i never expected any.

[EZ_rabican1]

Oh my god nothing in EQ ever changes. The @#%$ why do men play women characters question.

I played a male iksar monk, because I liked the male iksar better then the females. That is the only reason.

I played an halfling female druid because I thought the female model looked better then the males.

End of story. These @#%$ homophobes who get all caught up in the why are males playing females and why are females playing males are so @#%$ stupid.

[EZ_Kaerou]

i dont see why its so important..

Its a game.

[EZ_hushed13]

My main is a male. All the alts I made were male. I quit EQ, and started a female character in SWG. You could make attractive female characters in SWG and not have your class determined by your race/look. In EQ, your race determines your class.

I came back to EQ, and now all of my alts are females, typically Dark Elves. Lately I have taken to starting them on new servers and naming them Transgender. I still get hit on by guys who are trying to flirt with me. While it does make me want to play a male character so I don't have to tell males that I am a male aswell, I still do not want to spend my time looking character if it is a male.

[EZ_Izabelle Lanys]

I knew some female players who played male characters because they really liked and knew their game mechanics, but it was easier to get respect as a Raid leader as a male character.

I have known men who play women for all kinds of different reasons.
1) They think they get more twink gear
2) Couldn't tell what gender the iksar was (LOL I am serious)
3) Females are better to look at
etc.

[EZ_Lithe Carver]

what a topic; a few days old, I know, but still...

A few of my alts are fem because:

1) They're nicer to look at while sitting around trying to get a fishbone earing. (and sometimes I dont want to ruin my faction, so I have the girls do my dirty work--kinda like James Bond )

2) Because I think the devs spent a bit more time on female models than males. In -most- cases they look much cooler in just about every armor combination you can think of, humans and half elves in chain owning all.

3) Because I get bored, because I feel like it, and because I can.

4) Yeah, that's about it.

One of -my- problem on my (manly-manly) main is that not a week or two goes by without someone confusing me for fem.... At first I thought it was just ooc chat, but it's happened in groups(!) as well.

example:

toon_a tells the party, "Where's Lithe?"
toon_b tells the party, "She died"
toon_a tells the party, "kk"
toon_c tells the party, "I'll rez her in a sec"
...meanwhile i'm sitting at my bind point waiting to see if any of my groupmates recognize the error for a few moments... no, they dont...
You tell your party, "her?"
toon_a tells the party, "?"
toon_c tells the party, "what?"
You tell your party, "I'm a guy..."
toon_c tells the party, "oh, sorry. With vah shir it's hard to tell"
...speechless, because while I'd like to accept that explanation, the same sort of thing happened with my old barrel-chested barb main a few years ago too....

Though I have found it interesting how something as simple as fictious gender effects how people deal with you. I've had a number of experiences where people have been either overly (anoyingly) kind/'helpful" or overly (anoyingly) asnine. And I imagine I've been guilty of doing that sort of thing as well...

[EZ_Kahlimaa]

I'm a woman who's main is a female Vah Shir Beastlord, I also have a female Barb Warrior, a female Iksar Monk, and a female Erudite Mage. I have noticed that as a woman playing a female character I often get rather annoying amounts of attention from the males (wouldn't call them men, since most are barely teenagers). Also, I often feel that I would get taken more 'seriously' if I had chosen male characters. As I am an up and coming raid leader in my guild, it is important for me to be taken seriously.

I really began to notice the difference when I started a few male toons, Dwarf Cleric, Barb Shaman, Ogre SK, and Troll Beastlord. I chose these characters because they seemed to make more sense in my mind as the race/class/gender combinations. I found that I was less likely to get 'special treatment' and more likely to be treated like a normal human being. Everyone automatically assumed I was a man, and I rarely bother to correct them. Never had women hitting on me, but in all the time I have played a female toon I have had three stalkers, and more than a few annoyingly interested men. ("Where do you live, call me please, I'm going to trace your ISP, etc" Not to mention chasing me around, sending constant tells, and more.)

If I had it to do over again I would only play males. Sashaan Ahimsa
Khati Sha
Malevolent Spirits

[EZ_rictorg]

I would like to echo Shanke Overkill's comments about certain classes having a sort of masculine or femanin appeal. For instance, enchanters are intended to be highly charasmatic and mezmerizing... enchanting if you will. Since I am a male, I am more enchanted by a female then a male (us straight folk are... not that there is anything wrong with the other choices). With that said, in my mind, enchanters should be female, and when I rolled a chanter, I made mine female.

I play each character to a personailty, if you will. My rogue is unrefined, blunt, and has an "inmature" sense of humor; I chose a male gnome. My druid is kinda soft, flowery, all that crap... a female human was my choice. My cleric is arrogent, cocky, confident, kinda british (not that there is anything wrong with that) sense of humour; my choice was a high elf male. Basically, the gender is part of the race in my choices of whom to roll, and whom I can roleplay a bit.

Riktorg, Gnome Rogue of Noble Dreams, and midget backstaber on Solusek Ro

[EZ_Hawks Weaponsmaster]

My original character was a hobbit chick cleric, and I'm a guy. I wanted a hobbit, and all the male models sucked to look at. I just let people assume what they are going to assume. When people got to know me and found out who was behind the pretty face, I got to know who my true friends are. I never got preferencial treatment, never got any gear just cause I was a chick toon. And being a hobbit, never really got hit on either. People that knew me, knew me for who I was and the true friends were the ones that stuck around. On the other hand, the other day, I started a Vah Shir chick beastlord and soon as I got to the nexus, some ogre kid starts hittin on me. It does get annoying, but lets you weed out those who are superficial in the game and also those that are just kids. I have random characters that are either female or male. And after 4 years, I know who to avoid, and I know who I don't have to worry about. Vhashei Angelknight, Scaly Knight of the beasts.
Savil Onda'Ashke, Bristlebane's Personal maid and healer.
Hawks Weaponsmaster, 52nd punching bag of all Norrath's critters.

[EZ_Shomya]

Lyria, an unedited THESIS would be around 60 or 70 pages so there's a good reason I wouldn't post it here. I have no intention of exploiting stereotypes for an easy grade. I'm not even sure what stereotypes you're referring to. Anyway, anyone who is interested, please let me know. Anybody who agrees to an interview is welcome to see the paper once it is finished. I will mail copies to everyone who participates and wants one.

[EZ_Mayli Fatedefy]

What do you mean this is a s**t topic?

EQ mimicks society in so many different aspects. It's a great TOPIC. People are more themselves online then anywhere else, which is why Shomya's question is so fascinating. What are the underlying reasons to play a char of the opposite sex? Purely for the eyecandy? Because it fits your nature better?

If you've ever read any of the true literary geniuses who take their stories right from EQ then you'll know exactly why Shomya's paper will get an A+. The things done in EQ say alot about a person. As someone said, you can tell if it's a guy by their speech patterns, the excessive ogling of female assets, etc...

There is alot to be entertained by if you are a researcher, journalist, therapist etc...EQ is a playground for them.

As for Shomya...

My first chars, a cleric and paladin were both male. For whatever reason, I have no idea. I got sick of the constant "Bud" or "Man" comments I got or how most males felt they could be totally asenine around one of their own sex. The one thing I did notice was that I was a total lady magnet and attracted quite a few because..well to be total cliche, I knew what they wanted as I was one. P

I quickly switched to female tho and other then a few sexual remarks here and there it's been better on me.

And you're welcome to find me on the Bristlebane server ) Mayli Fatedefy
Assassin of Tunare
"My world is shadows, my work is unseen, my name unknown...that is what it is to be a rogue, and you shall never see me coming, until it is too late."

[EZ_Darael]

While all of my current characters are male, I do occaisionally play a female character.

The reasons are quite simple. A female character is able to interact with other characters (male and female) in normal conversation (as opposed to pure game mechanics) without being regarded as "odd." I play this game for the social aspect, moreso than the game itself. "Wats weap is taht?" isn't nearly as interesting as an actual conversation. And yes, I am opposed to the usage of letters and numbers to replace words or parts thereof. "can ne 1 sow" irritates the hell out of me, even if none of my characters are capable of casting the spell and the question wasn't even directed at me.

Reason two is quite simple: Roleplaying. It is a challenge to be a character that is *not* you. A Dark Elven female rogue worshipping Innoruuk is quite a bit further from myself than a male dark elven rogue of Innoruuk. - Darael Dracobaite, Dominus Magicus

[Koru]

Quote:A female character is able to interact with other characters (male and female) in normal conversation (as opposed to pure game mechanics) without being regarded as "odd."
Oh you can still do this on a male character. Of course after about 3 years of it people will start to think maybe you're sort of gay... which lead to some interesting reactions once they found out I was just female in real life. But it can be done.

[EZ_Shomya]

You guys are wonderful! Thanks for all the input and please e-mail me if you'd like to be interviewed. All your opinions and experiences are so interesting and are a lot of help to me.

[EZ_Shaderick]

This topic amuses me enough to post on it.

I'm a guy. Most of my characters are male, with two exceptions. My research-page mule is female because I was feeling "witty" that day, and "Libreri" sounded like a female name. The other is my Vah Shir shaman, who is female for purely aesthetic reasons (Male Vah Shir look kinda odd and hunched over to me - they should've used a different base model for them).

If I behave any differently while playing my shaman, it's because I have a roleplaying background, and it's almost a habit to give my characters some...well, character. Though my poor enchanter has been mostly bleached of it since I keep having to lead stuff with him. =/ But the rogue and the shaman, and even the goofy ranger I never play have personality. So does my cowardly bard.

Can you tell who the lads and lasses are behind the keyboard? Sometimes. But to say it's "easy" is to oversimplify. It's easy if people make it easy for you, but a reasonably intelligent person can fool you without much effort. Hell, you don't even have to do anything other than behave in a fairly neutral fashion, and keep a little bit quiet. I mean heck, I know people who two-box and yet people don't even realize they're the same person until they say something like "Darnit; The second PC just crashed. Logging Bob back in." Unmei, Coercer.

[EZ_damadiel1]

I dont feel comfortable running around eq in a female body, I have tried it a couple times and never made if past level 1, I have a friend on my server that had a famale ranger on the firona vie server, he leveled her to 44 and had a guy that was armorous with him, my friend promptly told him that he was a guy in womens closthes and the guy told him that it didnt matter it was roleplaying, my friend was so creeped out that he deleter his ranger and rerolled into a male pally. He was never the same and quit the fv server and move to torv server.
Also in my guild we have a female 60 plus iksar warrior that is played by a guy. We asked him why he played a female iksar and he said that when he made him he didnt realize it was a female character till he was in his 40, which was plausible to me because I still have a hard time tell male and female iksars apart.
Another guy told me that he made a female character because they get all the breaks. Personally I think guys make female characters for kicks, to see if they can pull it off.

[EZ_Geelone]

Quote:By the way, what is a mangina and why would my research be funny? :confused:

because its freakin game, and I doubt a dude who plays a chick in EverQuest is anything really worth scientifically studying.

[Llabak Tharr]

OK, this is getting rediculous. If you don't think the subject of this thread is worth anything, quit @#%$ replying to it. I don't know what happened that all of a sudden every dink on the internet feels an obligation to come to the SH and show their dinkiness by posting rude and unnecesary comments in other people's threads.

Enough. I don't care how stuipd you think this research is, don't post in this thread unless you have something meaningful to add. Capice?

[EZ_SleepyBoyX2]

some guy who is doing a documentary about EQ....

www.dvdocumentaries.com/d...quest.html

[EZ_Shomya]

Thank you guys so much for the great feedback and support! I'd still like to interview more people, so if you are interested please don't hesitate to e-mail me. For those of you who have e-mailed me already, I apologize for the delay. I will be contacting you soon to schedule times to get together. If any of you are women, or know women, who play male characters as their mains, I would really like to talk to them. Please let them know what I'm doing.

Thanks again!