Around Agon: Character Choice - Male or Female?

Ready set go. The game is out...you rip open the box you install, you patch, what is the first character you make? Do you make a character that is the same sex as you, or opposite sex?

I have asked many guys why they make female toons...the answers I have gotten are "I like to look at their butts more", "they have more clothing options", "they get more free stuff", "there are more choices". All of these are great responses. Several people I know will make a female as their first character just to see how they look. I know some people that if the females don't look good, they will not play the game, it is that important to them. It was also pointed out to me that if you are a flirty character and male you get tagged a flirt and there are issues with it. If you are a female it doesn't seem to matter and is even cute.

Most of the guys I talked to never hide the fact that they are a guy playing a female. According to them there doesn't seem to be a need to. As a player, I have to say it does bother me when I start hooking up with an opposite sex character and come to find out it is the same sex playing them. But should it? This is all about fantasy. You are free to play whom you want to play and how. You are free to play any age of a character you want to play.

I myself have made both genders of characters. I am female and mostly make female characters. But I have made several males. I tend to make the gender of character that I see that type of character being. I have had male miners/smithies. I have had male alchemists, female fishers, mages, and warriors. I have to say the females generally get more help.

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While i cannot say that their choices should be restricted in some way... i have never understood the desire to play as the opposite sex, especially in males. I could go on and on about the social taboos that have to do with things such as cross dressing and such and how the "non RPers" run around as women all day yet fully assert their man hood yet like to hate on people who are not of the same sexual mind set as they ..apparently are, but i won't.

The only thing i'd like to touch on is the apparent fact that female characters are taken care of, and males are not. This is a truth i have investegated. I have made 1 or 2 female characters to test this very theory. There is a game called Dragon Realms, which is a very old but extremely well done MUD. In this game the thieves guild has, well, at times been more cut throat than at other tinmes. Basically the younger "higher ups" start pushing their authority around and killing or beating younger thieves who aren't subserviant to their point of view (in the bad times). However as the female i played for a day or so, i had absolutely no problem pointing out things because as you mentioned, it was probably considered "cute" instead of "insolent".

This however is a cultural stigma placed upon males and lifted from females... as the virtual environment for the most part lends it self well to "other" types of fantasy as well as those that are acctually intended within the game. I suppose my point is that while females are given alot more help/consideration than males... it's not as if it's any difference than i nreal life... except for the fact that any harm done wouldn't be nearly as traumatic. For all of you guys who wish to play out your days as females for a free ride... well, that's your pride not mine. There is nothing wrong with females... but to mascerade as one just simply to get a free ride is dishonorable and many other words.

Edit: I'd also like to point out this is probably why the physical attractiveness of the females matters to them as well... as the road would be harder as a male and if females and males are even... they won't have their "tools" per say. As far as staring at 3d modeled asses... i don't know.