Post by Admiral Striker General on Jun 23, 2011 20:16:11 GMT -5
So here on VC, we seem to have a lot of members who have difficulty playing one gender or the other. In some cases- like Caden, Elayne, and Windchime- it's a matter of being uncomfortable outside one's own gender, which is a bit understandable. However, while these cases are likely to always prefer the same, it doesn't mean they can't become more comfortable with the other. In other cases- like Jay, Kero, and Ryuujin- it's a matter of only really having muse for the opposite gender, which seems especially common around here as silly as it may sound to some. Again a preference will probably remain, but can be reduced.
So~! SG is here to help try to explain how to help you, dear member, learn to play both genders comfortably.
STEP 1:
STOP STEREOTYPING.
Women are not necessarily soft and sweet and men not necessarily hard and tough. Women aren't necessarily emotional, motherly, either prudent or slutty, or generally "girly". They don't necessarily care about clothes or appearance or status or cute things. They aren't necessarily weak or in need of any help at all to do anything. Men aren't necessarily stoic, badass, perverted or too shy, or generally "manly". They don't necessarily care about fighting or mechanics or sex or cool things. They aren't necessarily strong or protective or willing/even able to be the hero-type.
Either gender can have any particular blend of traits. Granted, on average, women will often be a little more empathetic and a little more in touch with stronger emotions (though they could certainly hide it well) or the like, because that's how the female brain is generally programmed, but there are always exceptions. On average, guys may have a little more trouble recognizing some feelings and come off as a little tougher/blunter, but again, there are always exceptions. AGE also plays as much or more a factor in such things than gender anyway.
STEP TWO:
Blend it! If you aren't sure you'd "be very good at" playing a character outside your typically played gender, try giving it traits that make it closer to your norm. For example, if you're used to playing straight guys, you might try playing a lesbian. Alternatively- or perhaps next- you might try a bi character of either gender: a girl to take a leap and still be able to play your normal 'likes girls' thing or even a bi guy to get used to playing a char that likes guys at all first. Alternatively, just make a character who is either honestly asexual or just disinterested for the time being. Romance is optional, after all.
Let's say you're a little uncomfortable with the female body. Make a flat-chested girl with short hair who hates skirts. They exist, whatever anime tries to tell you. *shot* x3 She could be a total girly girl and straight if you wanted; one trait need not affect another. Unsure about being too masculine in playing a male? Make a guy with long bishie hair and flamboyant tastes in clothes; they don't necessarily need to be gay to like formfitting clothing or bright colors or whatever, though with guys they'd probably get teased about it at least a little. Nothing's stopping you from making a sheltered character who was always supported and completely unaware of what most people will think of his or her odd styles, though, or anything with a similar effect. ^^ Of course, you can't really give a guy boobs (without surgery XP ... and we totally don't have a no-trap rule if you really wanted to x3) the way you can make a girl flat-chested.. though you could always make a really overweight guy and-- *SHOT* X3 Sorry that was bad; I couldn't resist.
Used to playing a total bitch? Try a really dickish guy. Used to playing the chivalrous sort? Try a mama bear. Used to playing a manwhore? Try a regular whore! X3 *SHOT* Used to playing a really shy girl? Guys can be just as quiet and awkward. Anyone can be anything. Really. There's a counterpart out there; you just have to find it. :3
STEP THREE:
Does it matter? Think about this when playing with a new character concept. How much does gender actually affect them? I'm not saying it never will or will never make a huge difference even, but you'd be surprised when you break it down enough how little it often does. Of course, if you're making a potential romantic interest for your friend's character who is a straight girl or gay guy, you're going to want to make a guy. But if you're playing, say, a teenager who never had too many close friends or experience in the world and recently started a Pokemon journey...
Children get this especially. Of course, many people are uncomfortable playing children too young, and this is another issue entirely and totally understandable. But if you want to make a kid anyway, their gender more than anyone's rarely matters much. Plenty of little girls dislike dolls and prefer toy cars and so-on. Because sexuality isn't really an issue for someone who hasn't yet neared puberty, you don't have to worry if you don't like playing chars who aren't straight or even bother considering who they'd like.
STEP FOUR (Only for those who have trouble with their own gender.)
Self-inserting can be good. Try creating your EXACT self to play for practice. x3 Really. Change your last name for anonymity. Perhaps alter age by a FEW years if you like a number more but keep your general age range. Alter your history to leave out things you'd rather not people know and/or for anonymity and/or to make it more exciting, using strong fantasy parallels to actual events. Keep your personality as close as possible. (I know for some of us the us in real life is very different from the us behind a keyboard, and in some cases the latter is even more true to ourselves than when under pressure. It doesn't matter which you do more; the idea here is something that feels natural to you.) Change your hair/eye/skin color if you want to but at least keep your same general body type. Now, you have a character that you ALWAYS know how to have respond to ANYTHING, because they would always do exactly what you would do. x3 Try this until more comfortable with the general idea of playing your own gender in a fictional setting.
Once you're comfortable with this, or if you think it would be too boring and want to skip the previous step, try a character with a few small but major differences. For example, though this one is a little further than you might want to try starting, my Kali is actually a lot closer to (online) me than a lot of members realize. x3 She's just more ambitious, less lazy and more athletic, less sympathetic to people she doesn't know well, and generally much more lacking in guilt. She's a more outgoing me who's less afraid to show what a bitch we often want to be. x3 Among a few other smaller differences, of course, like a love of seafood I can't stand. Such trivial matters hardly affect playability, but can actually for that very reason be good tools in starting to differentiate a character from yourself without too greatly affecting ease of playing. :3
===============================================================
In the event you have further issues not addressed in some way by this, please feel free to reply, as it will also help me expand the guide. :3 Overall, just remember, "I can't play a" girl/guy is rarely good enough reasoning on its own. What ABOUT the girl/guy do you think you'd have trouble playing? Chances are you can change it! :U
In conclusion: Era needs women kthxbai. X"P
So~! SG is here to help try to explain how to help you, dear member, learn to play both genders comfortably.
STEP 1:
STOP STEREOTYPING.
Women are not necessarily soft and sweet and men not necessarily hard and tough. Women aren't necessarily emotional, motherly, either prudent or slutty, or generally "girly". They don't necessarily care about clothes or appearance or status or cute things. They aren't necessarily weak or in need of any help at all to do anything. Men aren't necessarily stoic, badass, perverted or too shy, or generally "manly". They don't necessarily care about fighting or mechanics or sex or cool things. They aren't necessarily strong or protective or willing/even able to be the hero-type.
Either gender can have any particular blend of traits. Granted, on average, women will often be a little more empathetic and a little more in touch with stronger emotions (though they could certainly hide it well) or the like, because that's how the female brain is generally programmed, but there are always exceptions. On average, guys may have a little more trouble recognizing some feelings and come off as a little tougher/blunter, but again, there are always exceptions. AGE also plays as much or more a factor in such things than gender anyway.
STEP TWO:
Blend it! If you aren't sure you'd "be very good at" playing a character outside your typically played gender, try giving it traits that make it closer to your norm. For example, if you're used to playing straight guys, you might try playing a lesbian. Alternatively- or perhaps next- you might try a bi character of either gender: a girl to take a leap and still be able to play your normal 'likes girls' thing or even a bi guy to get used to playing a char that likes guys at all first. Alternatively, just make a character who is either honestly asexual or just disinterested for the time being. Romance is optional, after all.
Let's say you're a little uncomfortable with the female body. Make a flat-chested girl with short hair who hates skirts. They exist, whatever anime tries to tell you. *shot* x3 She could be a total girly girl and straight if you wanted; one trait need not affect another. Unsure about being too masculine in playing a male? Make a guy with long bishie hair and flamboyant tastes in clothes; they don't necessarily need to be gay to like formfitting clothing or bright colors or whatever, though with guys they'd probably get teased about it at least a little. Nothing's stopping you from making a sheltered character who was always supported and completely unaware of what most people will think of his or her odd styles, though, or anything with a similar effect. ^^ Of course, you can't really give a guy boobs (without surgery XP ... and we totally don't have a no-trap rule if you really wanted to x3) the way you can make a girl flat-chested.. though you could always make a really overweight guy and-- *SHOT* X3 Sorry that was bad; I couldn't resist.
Used to playing a total bitch? Try a really dickish guy. Used to playing the chivalrous sort? Try a mama bear. Used to playing a manwhore? Try a regular whore! X3 *SHOT* Used to playing a really shy girl? Guys can be just as quiet and awkward. Anyone can be anything. Really. There's a counterpart out there; you just have to find it. :3
STEP THREE:
Does it matter? Think about this when playing with a new character concept. How much does gender actually affect them? I'm not saying it never will or will never make a huge difference even, but you'd be surprised when you break it down enough how little it often does. Of course, if you're making a potential romantic interest for your friend's character who is a straight girl or gay guy, you're going to want to make a guy. But if you're playing, say, a teenager who never had too many close friends or experience in the world and recently started a Pokemon journey...
Children get this especially. Of course, many people are uncomfortable playing children too young, and this is another issue entirely and totally understandable. But if you want to make a kid anyway, their gender more than anyone's rarely matters much. Plenty of little girls dislike dolls and prefer toy cars and so-on. Because sexuality isn't really an issue for someone who hasn't yet neared puberty, you don't have to worry if you don't like playing chars who aren't straight or even bother considering who they'd like.
STEP FOUR (Only for those who have trouble with their own gender.)
Self-inserting can be good. Try creating your EXACT self to play for practice. x3 Really. Change your last name for anonymity. Perhaps alter age by a FEW years if you like a number more but keep your general age range. Alter your history to leave out things you'd rather not people know and/or for anonymity and/or to make it more exciting, using strong fantasy parallels to actual events. Keep your personality as close as possible. (I know for some of us the us in real life is very different from the us behind a keyboard, and in some cases the latter is even more true to ourselves than when under pressure. It doesn't matter which you do more; the idea here is something that feels natural to you.) Change your hair/eye/skin color if you want to but at least keep your same general body type. Now, you have a character that you ALWAYS know how to have respond to ANYTHING, because they would always do exactly what you would do. x3 Try this until more comfortable with the general idea of playing your own gender in a fictional setting.
Once you're comfortable with this, or if you think it would be too boring and want to skip the previous step, try a character with a few small but major differences. For example, though this one is a little further than you might want to try starting, my Kali is actually a lot closer to (online) me than a lot of members realize. x3 She's just more ambitious, less lazy and more athletic, less sympathetic to people she doesn't know well, and generally much more lacking in guilt. She's a more outgoing me who's less afraid to show what a bitch we often want to be. x3 Among a few other smaller differences, of course, like a love of seafood I can't stand. Such trivial matters hardly affect playability, but can actually for that very reason be good tools in starting to differentiate a character from yourself without too greatly affecting ease of playing. :3
===============================================================
In the event you have further issues not addressed in some way by this, please feel free to reply, as it will also help me expand the guide. :3 Overall, just remember, "I can't play a" girl/guy is rarely good enough reasoning on its own. What ABOUT the girl/guy do you think you'd have trouble playing? Chances are you can change it! :U
In conclusion: Era needs women kthxbai. X"P
Saying "SG rants a lot" is like saying "Longcat is long".