Female vs male character attributes and skills

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Scryler
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Joined: July 26th, 2008, 11:23 am

Re: Female vs male character attributes and skills

Post by Scryler »

Scryler wrote:I am a feminist...and have been for a long time. I don't have a problem with gender based points in strength and dexterity. I think I would have a problem, though, if the skills were gender based. Overall, physical characteristics are different between the sexes, generally. If attributes that are not physical characteristics (intelligence, empathy, etc.) and skills are gender based, then this is where, IMO, stereotyping enters in.
Ok, I've been rethinking this issue. If I was given 1 extra stat point to use, I highly doubt that I would use the gender of my character to determine how I would use the point. I would use the extra point to increase an attribute because it benefited some skill of the character class or deficiency of the racial type. So if I wouldn't do it if I had the choice, why make it mandatory? In some ways, making it mandatory limits the amount of stat points available.

The majority of my characters, when I have a choice, are female. I like having the option to make my character(s) female (especially the lead character) because I am female and can identify better and immersion is more complete. It becomes a better game to me. Big female 1/2 orcs, tiny female halflings. They already get penalties or bonuses, so why add to it?

All of this said, if that's what you want to do, I'll still play the game.
When the long night is behind you and the sun climbs the sky once again, fly with the birds on the warm wind: sing a song of joy, for you were smiled upon while you slept.
Tiavals
Initiate
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Joined: November 19th, 2007, 11:44 am

Re: Female vs male character attributes and skills

Post by Tiavals »

As is often the case, there is a simple solution to all this.

Make it optional. You could have three different modes when creating a character: Balanced mode(all races and genders are identical), Variance mode(there are slight variances between each) and Extreme mode(huge differences with all).

This way everone can choose which mode they play with and no one should be able to complain about it. Or is the mere idea that some people think differently from you so repugnant that you cannot help but feel angered at it?

It shouldn't require much at all to code anyway. Just a simple 3-part switch. Perhaps 10 minutes of coding, I would think.

It may be that the case is much more complicated than I think and that such a simple solution wouldn't work, but sadly I cannot think of a reason with my slow brain.
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CrazyBernie
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Joined: November 29th, 2007, 1:11 pm

Re: Female vs male character attributes and skills

Post by CrazyBernie »

Or better yet... make a gender free race that can look like either male or female with no stat bonuses. Call it the "Can't Please Everyone" race... basically a Golem with a brain. Personally, I'll take whatever stat bonuses I can. +1 Dexterity will suit my roguish character tastes... ^_^
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woem
Fellowcraft Apprentice
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Joined: February 5th, 2009, 5:21 am

Re: Female vs male character attributes and skills

Post by woem »

CrazyBernie wrote:Or better yet... make a gender free race that can look like either male or female with no stat bonuses. Call it the "Can't Please Everyone" race... basically a Golem with a brain. Personally, I'll take whatever stat bonuses I can. +1 Dexterity will suit my roguish character tastes... ^_^
Perhaps the Golem could get +1 Intelligence.
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