Just wondering, no value judgement (I have one all-male group I like a lot) - I just noticed I like it best when my player groups are something like 2f 2m, 2f 3m, or 3f 3m. I generally like to have at least a couple female players, but I remember I got a bit apprehensive recently when it looked like one game would be 2m 4f and I'd be outnumbered. :D Not sure exactly why I prefer gender-balanced groups; I think maybe male and female players both tend to bring slightly different and complimentary assets to the table. Anyone else find this?
I don't particularly mind, as long as they are there to play and have fun. In mixed groups I've never had more or less issues than all-male groups. Sometimes it's fun to have a married couple playing a married couple.
The only thing I'm a little wary of has nothing to do with someone's gender, but it's who's married to/dating the GM.
Otherwise, it's all about the same to me.
Irrelevant. Whoever shows up and isn't an ass can play. My main thing is group size - I want 3 to 5 players, and get quite uncomfortable if outside that range.
I like having a diverse group of players from different backgrounds and experiences.
Also girls are prettier than boys :/
I have no specific preferences. If it's fun they are after, they might be serial killers turned nuns.
I guess the only problem would be to play rules-heavy RPGs with larger (6+) all-female (or all-kids) groups that don't know how to play at all. I'm bad at explaining details.
Quote from: Necrozius;902051Also girls are prettier than boys :/
SEXIST ! STOP OBJECTIFYING THE OPPRESSED BODY OF UNWILLING AND INDENPEDNAT WOMEN, YOU MALE MONSTER ! CHECK YOU PRIVILIEGE !
Ahem ! Stupid (and lazy) joke aside, I do not care if the player is a man or a woman. I just want them clean and interested in playing the game.
Interesting question. It would be cool in a way to be able to answer "doesn't matter", but in my experience it does make a difference. If I'd been able to find more mixed groups in my teens I probably wouldn't have quit gaming for twenty years! At the time I found that the all-male games groups I knew were a haven for immature and unwashed fellows that were in no danger of even talking to girls, and i preferred to be in mixed company. These days now that I'm back to gaming I've played with more mixed groups and I find it, like you, to bring out good elements on both sides. Currently I'm playing with two groups, one of which is three women and two men, including me, the GM, so we're outnumbered! But I've found that group to work well so far. The players, so one male and three female, are all new to gaming, and are taking to it well. The other group is all experienced gamers and all male, and we're rotating GMing duties for a series of one shots. It's a quite different experience, but again a really good one. Neither group has been going on for long enough for me to draw many conclusions, but so far I've found the stereotypical increased emphasis on relationships and sex with the group with women to be a thing. The character creation process with the two groups highlighted this: two of the women, when choosing their character's Passions (we're playing RuneQuest 6) chose Is Secretly in Love with (another female PC), and Loves Sex, as central drivers for their characters, and the male player choose a Passion to do with being attracted to a certain type of woman. By contrast, in the all male group, no one said anything at all about love or sex in relation to their character.
I'd be interested to hear how other people's experiences confirm or don't the differences in style between male and female players, or how mixed or single gender groups interact differently.
Quote from: Necrozius;902051I like having a diverse group of players from different backgrounds and experiences.
Also girls are prettier than boys :/
On average - I've had some pretty boys and some homely girls in my groups. :D
Actually I know one (female) player who's so breath-takingly beautiful, it's genuinely a bit distracting and actually makes GMing harder - a cross I decided I'm willing to bear, but I did wonder for a moment about inviting her back. I decided that discriminating against the too-beautiful was unfair, and anyway I'd get used to it. She did get a lot of attention from the male players (even the one who never normally reacts to that sort of thing), and a slight bit of jealousy from the normally-good-looking female players. :D
I'm with Markfitz in the sense that I notice a distinct change in dynamic when playing with an all male group as opposed to a mixed gender group. All male groups I've played in tend to drift towards boyish antics and lame sex jokes. Both boys and girls make lame sex jokes in mixed groups, but don't go over the top to become annoying. I theorize most people find the presence of the other gender puts a lid on excesses (and that goes both ways).
Come to think of it I've never been in a female majority group. It's always been about equal numbers or all male.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902053I guess the only problem would be to play rules-heavy RPGs with larger (6+) all-female (or all-kids) groups that don't know how to play at all. I'm bad at explaining details.
Some of the most gear-head crunch-loving players I know are female though, and some of the most fluffy can't-handle-a-4e-character-sheet ones are male. Probably modern RPGs tend to attract the more techie types to start with anyway, but I think the most diehard number-cruncher I know is an early years schoolteacher. When she brought her equally gearhead female friend to a 16th level 4e D&D game it was quite terrifying. :)
Quote from: S'mon;902059On average - I've had some pretty boys and some homely girls in my groups. :D
Actually I know one (female) player who's so breath-takingly beautiful, it's genuinely a bit distracting and actually makes GMing harder - a cross I decided I'm willing to bear, but I did wonder for a moment about inviting her back. I decided that discriminating against the too-beautiful was unfair, and anyway I'd get used to it. She did get a lot of attention from the male players (even the one who never normally reacts to that sort of thing), and a slight bit of jealousy from the normally-good-looking female players. :D
I often think that it must be hard to be genuinely, devastatingly beautiful. A certain amount of attractiveness is a definite asset in life, including personal charm as well as looks, but at a certain point physical beauty must become a bit of a hindrance to normal interactions.
Quote from: Battle Mad Ronin;902060I'm with Markfitz in the sense that I notice a distinct change in dynamic when playing with an all male group as opposed to a mixed gender group. All male groups I've played in tend to drift towards boyish antics and lame sex jokes. Both boys and girls make lame sex jokes in mixed groups, but don't go over the top to become annoying. I theorize most people find the presence of the other gender puts a lid on excesses (and that goes both ways).
Come to think of it I've never been in a female majority group. It's always been about equal numbers or all male.
Having attended an all-boys school and having friends who went to all-girls ones i can attest to the truth of the idea that mixing the genders tends to curb the excesses of either one alone. Boys alone tend towards barbarity, girls to breathtaking bitchiness. When they get older, I find that all-male groups can regress to this teenage state, and all female groups tend to be snarky towards each other too.
Quote from: markfitz;902058Neither group has been going on for long enough for me to draw many conclusions, but so far I've found the stereotypical increased emphasis on relationships and sex with the group with women to be a thing. The character creation process with the two groups highlighted this: two of the women, when choosing their character's Passions (we're playing RuneQuest 6) chose Is Secretly in Love with (another female PC), and Loves Sex, as central drivers for their characters, and the male player choose a Passion to do with being attracted to a certain type of woman. By contrast, in the all male group, no one said anything at all about love or sex in relation to their character.
I'd be interested to hear how other people's experiences confirm or don't the differences in style between male and female players, or how mixed or single gender groups interact differently.
I think that fits my experience, though personally I enjoy having romance & relationship stuff in the game a lot, and I know female players who aren't interested. But yes in general it seems to be more common with female players & in mixed groups. I guess that's one reason I like mixed groups. The all male group I GM, most of the players like romance/relationship stuff too (male PCs with female NPCs - even the gay male player prefers it that way). I guess that's one reason I enjoy playing with them. In general anything that gives the PCs an inner life enhances enjoyment for me, and that seems most common with mixed-sex groups.
Quote from: markfitz;902063I often think that it must be hard to be genuinely, devastatingly beautiful. A certain amount of attractiveness is a definite asset in life, including personal charm as well as looks, but at a certain point physical beauty must become a bit of a hindrance to normal interactions.
I didn't really believe it until this recent experience, although I know there are studies that the most attractive female fruit flies have shorter lives (they exhaust themselves trying to fend off amorous males). When I found myself considering discriminating against someone on the basis of her too-good looks I realised that it was indeed a thing.
Quote from: S'mon;902067I think that fits my experience, though personally I enjoy having romance & relationship stuff in the game a lot, and I know female players who aren't interested. But yes in general it seems to be more common with female players & in mixed groups. I guess that's one reason I like mixed groups. The all male group I GM, most of the players like romance/relationship stuff too (male PCs with female NPCs - even the gay male player prefers it that way). I guess that's one reason I enjoy playing with them. In general anything that gives the PCs an inner life enhances enjoyment for me, and that seems most common with mixed-sex groups.
Yeah this really adds something to the game for me as well. Characters having an inner life, and relationships with each other and NPCs, seems to not only make them better rounded but to lead to innumerable plot hooks and complications. It's much easier as a GM to threaten or drive to action a character that has family ties and relationships than a brooding loner type.
Quote from: S'mon;902069I didn't really believe it until this recent experience, although I know there are studies that the most attractive female fruit flies have shorter lives (they exhaust themselves trying to fend off amorous males). When I found myself considering discriminating against someone on the basis of her too-good looks I realised that it was indeed a thing.
I wonder how you can tell if a fruit fly is attractive? Wingspan? Featheriness of feelers?
But yes, it's really weird to be confronted by your own prejudice against what you had previously considered a privileged group. I catch myself treating people differently according to their looks from time to time, which is a little different, and try not to do it. I guess it's the same even if you're discriminating
against someone for good looks rather than the more common treating them better ....
Quote from: Shipyard Locked;902047Irrelevant. Whoever shows up and isn't an ass can play. My main thing is group size - I want 3 to 5 players, and get quite uncomfortable if outside that range.
+1. Size matters...er, so to speak...
Having had mixed groups for several years now, I haven't noticed a great general difference in playstyle due to gender. You have the same personalities, regardless--exhibitionists, thinkers, observers and some folks who just wanna roll some dice. The common denominator is that we don't treat it very seriously. And, of course, no assholes.:-)
Quote from: markfitz;902075I wonder how you can tell if a fruit fly is attractive? Wingspan? Featheriness of feelers?
I'm curious about this too.
Also, I thought animals that reproduced quickly and in large numbers had less aggressive mating strategies and more sperm competition.
Quote from: S'mon;902040Just wondering, no value judgement (I have one all-male group I like a lot) - I just noticed I like it best when my player groups are something like 2f 2m, 2f 3m, or 3f 3m. I generally like to have at least a couple female players, but I remember I got a bit apprehensive recently when it looked like one game would be 2m 4f and I'd be outnumbered. :D Not sure exactly why I prefer gender-balanced groups; I think maybe male and female players both tend to bring slightly different and complimentary assets to the table. Anyone else find this?
Personally, I prefer to start with as many female players as possible. If I manage that, the male players usually just call and ask to join, for some unfathomable reason:p.
In the end, this approach tends to end up with a balanced group, IME;).
I don't really care one way or the other as long as they're fun to play with.
No preference. I have daughters so I'm assuming they age if they are interested in the hobby I'll be running a group for mostly girls. Right now, I play with guys, and I enjoy it because it's our 'guys night out' night and it's a lot of fun to get away from our wives and just sling dice.
And no romance in my games. Not "off scene" or anything. It can be part of something between adventures but I don't want to waste my active time with it.
Quote from: S'mon;902069I didn't really believe it until this recent experience, although I know there are studies that the most attractive female fruit flies have shorter lives (they exhaust themselves trying to fend off amorous males). When I found myself considering discriminating against someone on the basis of her too-good looks I realised that it was indeed a thing.
I haven't really seen this one before, mayve it's correct, but there are many studies showing how males of various animals wear themselves out fighting for females and reproducing while females wear themselves out primarily through reproducing. In general, where there is competition for females, the males tend to have shorter life spans.
As a raving misogynist ;) I like to have a mix of players, though I never thought much about the proportional composition of the group. I enjoy the company of women in general.
I have never played in any 50/50 group split between male and female gamer except at conventions. And judging from that limited experiance I would say that I have never seen an real benefits at those convention games than the convention games with only guys, and vice versa. But used play in groups with a least one girl and 3-4 guys. In my hometown most female gamers are hardcore larpers, and tabletop rpgs are more of a secondary interest, and dont like same stuff as I do, or the stuff that the girl in our group likes. So naturally she used to play with us than with SJW-Vampire-Larpers. I would never invite people to a game because of : "Well we need more women in this group for diversity" or some other stupid crap like that. If you are a guy or girl that have the same taste in tabletop rpg like me or the group I am playing in, I dont care about if you got dick or vagina, I happely play with anybody as long as they are not assholes. And yes, female gamers can also be disruptive assholes like males gamers. And not all girl gamers are much more socially adjusted than all male gamers. I have met some really weirdo female gamers that are the exact mirror image of that unwashed greasy-haired 'special' guy you really try to avoid starting a conversation with in local gaming store, who just wont shut up about their characters.
Quote from: S'mon;902040Just wondering, no value judgement (I have one all-male group I like a lot) - I just noticed I like it best when my player groups are something like 2f 2m, 2f 3m, or 3f 3m. I generally like to have at least a couple female players, but I remember I got a bit apprehensive recently when it looked like one game would be 2m 4f and I'd be outnumbered. :D Not sure exactly why I prefer gender-balanced groups; I think maybe male and female players both tend to bring slightly different and complimentary assets to the table. Anyone else find this?
I haven't paid attention to it much. As long as a player can role-play is all that matters.
In my (limited) personal experience female players fell usually into one side of the extrem: some brilliant players and a lot of irritating up to toxic players (f). And while there were also quite a few bad to toxic male players, the following disputes usually don´t rapidly go into discrimination and sexism territory when they don' t get their way.
So I am willing to give everyone a chance (it would be a shame to miss one of the brilliant ones), but am rather sceptical to find them in a given sample.
I personally don't care. I just want my players to show up want to play.
Having female players and male players in a mixed party does introduce different dynamics in my experience, which is kind of fun in its own way. But I've seen it go haywire just as badly as any other group, so it's a wash.
The first group I ever GMed with was an even mix. That remains my preference.
I'm not as comfortable with men as I am with women... and even as a Player I feel like mixed groups are somehow healthier.
Quote from: Crüesader;902045I don't particularly mind, as long as they are there to play and have fun. In mixed groups I've never had more or less issues than all-male groups. Sometimes it's fun to have a married couple playing a married couple.
The only thing I'm a little wary of has nothing to do with someone's gender, but it's who's married to/dating the GM.
Otherwise, it's all about the same to me.
Ditto. Gender is mostly irrelevant to me. Interpersonal issues that impact the game are.
Never played with an even mix, and have never experienced playing with more women than men. My experience is that I get a better dynamic if there is a mix, and that this tendency correlates with the number of women.
Vote: +1 for a mix.
Quote from: markfitz;902063I often think that it must be hard to be genuinely, devastatingly beautiful. A certain amount of attractiveness is a definite asset in life, including personal charm as well as looks, but at a certain point physical beauty must become a bit of a hindrance to normal interactions.
It is a hindrance, I dated a Vidal Sassoon model, very beautiful, and everywhere she went, there were annoying flirtations from guys.
Quote from: Teodrik;902089I have never played in any 50/50 group split between male and female gamer except at conventions. And judging from that limited experiance I would say that I have never seen an real benefits at those convention games than the convention games with only guys, and vice versa. But used play in groups with a least one girl and 3-4 guys. In my hometown most female gamers are hardcore larpers, and tabletop rpgs are more of a secondary interest, and dont like same stuff as I do, or the stuff that the girl in our group likes. So naturally she used to play with us than with SJW-Vampire-Larpers. I would never invite people to a game because of : "Well we need more women in this group for diversity" or some other stupid crap like that.
If you are a guy or girl that have the same taste in tabletop rpg like me or the group I am playing in, I dont care about if you got dick or vagina, I happely play with anybody as long as they are not assholes. And yes, female gamers can also be disruptive assholes like males gamers. And not all girl gamers are much more socially adjusted than all male gamers. I have met some really weirdo female gamers that are the exact mirror image of that unwashed greasy-haired 'special' guy you really try to avoid starting a conversation with in local gaming store, who just wont shut up about their characters.
I like the phrase "SJW Vampire Larpers":).
I'm also quite sure that the reason people like mixed groups isn't "for diversity". "We think it would make a better mix of players and potentially a bigger group" has nothing to do with diversity.
And lastly, I don't invite people to play because I think they'd like it. I invite them because they might want to play;). Whether they will like it, is up to them, and if they don't, they're advised not to join.
I'd love to have the luxury of picking and choose players based on criteria other than "wants to game and is willing to show up".
Quote from: Krimson;902121I'd love to have the luxury of picking and choose players based on criteria other than "wants to game and is willing to show up".
Quote for truth !
I can agree that having at least one woman on the table tends to change the table's dynamic, generaly in a good way.
One of my most fun RPG time was a CoC covention game were 2 young women played some desperate housewives in 1930' middle west USA, and it was glorious !
I'm not going to make a blanket statement that there are no differences between men and women, but as far as this specific question, as a GM there are no differences between men and women players. A person is either a fun person to game with, they "get it" as far as taking the game seriously without taking it seriously, and are creative and make interesting character choices, or they don't. Nothing in my experience has led me to believe any of these traits are primarily masculine or feminine. I've almost always had mixed groups, but I wouldn't seek them out or say they are superior (they aren't). As far as gaming goes, people is people.
Actually, Tristam, according to my personal experience, the average woman player is far more apt to play a woman PC than the average man player.
Quote from: markfitz;902075I wonder how you can tell if a fruit fly is attractive? Wingspan? Featheriness of feelers?
You can tell they are attractive because you can see how many interested potential mates they are attracting. You don't have to be attracted to someone or something to notice how much attention they get from those who are.
Quote from: markfitz;902063I often think that it must be hard to be genuinely, devastatingly beautiful. A certain amount of attractiveness is a definite asset in life, including personal charm as well as looks, but at a certain point physical beauty must become a bit of a hindrance to normal interactions.
I know from experience that it cuts both ways. Being a very attractive guy is nice when you want attention. It makes it easy to get service in restaurants, bars, or hotels because the food service and hospitality industries are heavily staffed by people who are attracted to good looking guys. I never have to wave or shout to get a server's attention when I want something because they're usually waiting for me to make eye contact. Air travel in Asia is really easy because the receptionists are always young women who always seem nice enough to call me over to the business/first class check in counter for help when I'm waiting in the economy class line.
On the other hand, it's hard to have a quiet moment alone as an anonymous customer. When I go to a coffee shop, I like to just sit quietly and read something while i enjoy my coffee and scone. I feel like I'm forced to be rude when waitresses try to chat and flirt with me and I need to brush them off so I can have some alone time.
Overall, it's definitely a net positive, but there are downsides. The downsides are probably a bit more pronounced for attractive women because men are much more aggressive about showing their attraction and a bit more clueless about giving up when their target isn't interested. When women try to make excuses to touch me (feeling my arm or rubbing my shoulders or pressing her chest up against mine "to see how tall" I am, etc.), it's not physically threatening because they're almost always smaller than me. An attractive woman would probably be a bit more freaked out by guys grabbing them.
Didnt we have this discussion about 3-4 months ago?
Gender is irrelevant. Ability to play well and not be a problem is what is important.
(This being said while in a group where I am outnumbered 3 to 1. :eek:)
Quote from: Omega;902163Gender is irrelevant. Ability to play well and not be a problem is what is important.
(https://robbiemacniven.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/image.jpeg?w=500)
Totally indifferent to the gender, age, racial or religious etc mix as long as they're friendly and cooperative. In my experience in scores of games at a dozen conventions in the past six years, the latter is what matters to me.
Quote from: yabaziou;902154Actually, Tristam, according to my personal experience, the average woman player is far more apt to play a woman PC than the average man player.
Fair enough.
Quote from: Teodrik;902089SJW-Vampire-Larpers
*brrr* :eek:
Quote from: Teodrik;902089And not all girl gamers are much more socially adjusted than all male gamers...
I've had the female equivalent of the extreme*-right-wing knife-wielding (in US would be gun-wielding) Survivalist type in my group - she was 'interesting'... nice legs though. :D
*She was German, liked Hayek, which was ok, so do I. She also seemed to think the Third Reich had been unfairly maligned - not so ok - and objected to my Sven Hassel books on that basis. She liked the positive portrayal of the Waffen-SS in
Assault Battalion Wotan, though.
Quote from: AsenRG;902110I'm also quite sure that the reason people like mixed groups isn't "for diversity". "We think it would make a better mix of players and potentially a bigger group" has nothing to do with diversity.
Diversity - I get a fair number of east-Asian and south-Asian players (one of my current campaigns was initially 50% east-Asian, until a player left) but I've never given any thought to balancing a group by race - or by age, social class, sexual orientation* etc. I wonder if anyone has; it seems like something SJWs might talk about in the abstract maybe.
*Playing in London, I have had all sorts, including groups consisting mostly of cute bisexual girls... And yes they play D&D exactly like everyone else... It was fun going to see
Gloryhammer &
Blind Guardian with one on each side of me. :D
Quote from: Omega;902163Didnt we have this discussion about 3-4 months ago?
Gender is irrelevant. Ability to play well and not be a problem is what is important.
(This being said while in a group where I am outnumbered 3 to 1. :eek:)
It's not irrelevant if you're intimidated, though.
I may have posted something previously. This thread was actually prompted by my 'uh oh' feeling recently when it seemed I'd be GMing for 2m 4f, and thinking how I'd probably prefer more like 3m 3f whereas I've previously thought more in terms of recruiting more female players. It did make me feel sympathy for my female GMs, who are typically GMing for mostly or entirely male groups. If I'm feeling intimidated at the thought of a mostly female group, when I've been GMing for women for 15 years tabletop (longer online), I think it must be worse for them, especially the less experienced ones. And I guess that again makes me think more sympathetically of the Contessa project with its all-female groups - but again, I think an even mix is probably best.
Quote from: S'mon;902176I've had the female equivalent of the extreme*-right-wing knife-wielding (in US would be gun-wielding) Survivalist type in my group - she was 'interesting'... nice legs though. :D
If you'd have ended it here, I'd have asked where I needed to send her some roses... but I've actually had a few 'tough girls' in my gaming groups. While I won't say it's a 'better' experience, if you get someone like this in a militarized game like
Delta Green or
[Any Warhammer 40k RPG]- the results can be interesting when they guys start roleplaying as 'tough' as the lady.
Quote from: S'mon;902188It's not irrelevant if you're intimidated, though.
I may have posted something previously. This thread was actually prompted by my 'uh oh' feeling recently when it seemed I'd be GMing for 2m 4f, and thinking how I'd probably prefer more like 3m 3f whereas I've previously thought more in terms of recruiting more female players. It did make me feel sympathy for my female GMs, who are typically GMing for mostly or entirely male groups. If I'm feeling intimidated at the thought of a mostly female group, when I've been GMing for women for 15 years tabletop (longer online), I think it must be worse for them, especially the less experienced ones. And I guess that again makes me think more sympathetically of the Contessa project with its all-female groups - but again, I think an even mix is probably best.
Keep in mind I'm not trying to tear you down here- I'm just more concerned about why you'd play with people who intimidate you? Do you find open game nights or something? I've played with folks that annoy me after a while (and I part ways), but if someone gives me a bad vibe of any sort I'm not even going to plant my ass in a chair at that table.
I do think it's kind of strange that these lady-folk we're discussing could be intimidated by one man at the table, when it's mostly women. That's not a reason to be concerned about the event, that's a cause for concern to those ladies' mental condition... how does a person live like that? Do they stay indoors, never work, and just put newspapers over their window?
Actually I'm pretty sure most of the ladies for this event didn't give a shit- there's just always that 'one person' that has to find a reason to whine about something cool just to be a contrarian or hear themselves talk.
I would much rather have equal distribution - for most of my years I had it and loved it - but lately, I don't. I am running three weekly groups, and each has one woman.
-clash
Quote from: Crüesader;902194Keep in mind I'm not trying to tear you down here- I'm just more concerned about why you'd play with people who intimidate you? Do you find open game nights or something?
I GM at a Meetup, generally I don't initially know the other players. The other day I was on my way in to the Sunday game (players 3m 3f) when I got a PM from a person with a gender-neutral name who said they'd just arrived in UK, asking if they could sit in & observe my game. I assume typical D&D nerd, from the PM well-spoken & not obnoxious. I said I'd try to squeeze them in - preferably as a player for the session. So I arrive, and sitting at the table with my regulars is the most incredibly beautiful woman I've ever seen! Yeah I was a bit intimidated - mostly in a good way. :D Didn't help that we're playing through
Shattered Star #2 - the Sinful Dungeon of Lust...
Quote from: S'mon;902040Just wondering, no value judgement (I have one all-male group I like a lot) - I just noticed I like it best when my player groups are something like 2f 2m, 2f 3m, or 3f 3m. I generally like to have at least a couple female players, but I remember I got a bit apprehensive recently when it looked like one game would be 2m 4f and I'd be outnumbered. :D Not sure exactly why I prefer gender-balanced groups; I think maybe male and female players both tend to bring slightly different and complimentary assets to the table. Anyone else find this?
I'm just happy that anyone shows up to the games. Who they are is pretty irrelevant to me.
Quote from: S'mon;902211I GM at a Meetup, generally I don't initially know the other players. The other day I was on my way in to the Sunday game (players 3m 3f) when I got a PM from a person with a gender-neutral name who said they'd just arrived in UK, asking if they could sit in & observe my game. I assume typical D&D nerd, from the PM well-spoken & not obnoxious. I said I'd try to squeeze them in - preferably as a player for the session. So I arrive, and sitting at the table with my regulars is the most incredibly beautiful woman I've ever seen! Yeah I was a bit intimidated - mostly in a good way. :D Didn't help that we're playing through Shattered Star #2 - the Sinful Dungeon of Lust...
Many folks would be shocked at how many attractive women play these games, or are at least willing to look into them. I'm not going to sit and say that I've had hot chicks in bikinis all over my gaming table making lustful eyes at me, but the female players I've gamed with are usually a split between
'pretty and cool' and
'not really pretty, maybe a bit older, but like a big-sister cool'. There's a few 'average' girls I've played with, but IMHO if she likes cool shit and geeks out, she gets +10 bonus points.
I had a friend many years ago, who was drop-dead gorgeous. She and I had a brief thing but we remained friends, and she's one that genuinely meant it. She went through a spell where all she was meeting was horrible douchebag guys that just wanted to go get drunk and meet at the hips, then ignore her for their buddies or whatever football game was on. She would meet me for coffee and ask what she was doing wrong, and I kind of had to explain to her that if you're not having fun together with your clothes on, then you've just got a committed fuck-buddy pretending to be in a relationship with you. So she asked about stuff guys do, she came and did some D20 future with me and some friends, and she actually liked it. She ended up getting into Pathfinder and became kind of a WTF attraction at the FLGS, and ended up working there part-time. Now she's married to a 40k geek that I used to play with, and he's actually a successful orthopedic surgeon... so, the moral of the story is that geek stuff makes cool attractive women even MORE cool and attractive.
Oh, and she Cosplays. And despite how hot she is, she does a lot of superhero girls for sick childrens' events.
never played in a group my sister wasn't part of
Quote from: S'mon;902059On average - I've had some pretty boys and some homely girls in my groups. :D
Actually I know one (female) player who's so breath-takingly beautiful, it's genuinely a bit distracting and actually makes GMing harder - a cross I decided I'm willing to bear, but I did wonder for a moment about inviting her back. I decided that discriminating against the too-beautiful was unfair, and anyway I'd get used to it. She did get a lot of attention from the male players (even the one who never normally reacts to that sort of thing), and a slight bit of jealousy from the normally-good-looking female players. :D
oh come on we all know you just like the boner it gave you :P
Quote from: yabaziou;902154Actually, Tristam, according to my personal experience, the average woman player is far more apt to play a woman PC than the average man player.
and im the guy who normaly plays female pcs................................
Assuming a party of 4+1 DM/GM/ST:
-Just one unattached chick will end up scared off because of creepy unwashed loser syndrome.
-Conversely a female player who is a wife/gf/loveslave of another ({fe}male) player will be totally fine because she's "taken" and that will be respected
-One out lesbian girl will be fine assuming she has no ingrained anti-male hostility
-2f2m is probably ideal assuming the girls can be chatty and gregarious
-3f1m should be fun for broheim
Standard of discourse: Raised!
Quote from: kosmos1214;902244and im the guy who normaly plays female pcs................................
Are you as talented as the average RPG guy playing a woman PC ? ^_^
And I am somehow convinced that S'mon only initiated this thread to boast about the foxy woman he happens play RPG with ^_^ (for the record, I do prefer dating beautiful women over playing Tabletop RPG with them ! ^_^).
Quote from: yabaziou;902300And I am somehow convinced that S'mon only initiated this thread to boast about the foxy woman he happens play RPG with ^_^ (for the record, I do prefer dating beautiful women over playing Tabletop RPG with them ! ^_^).
[ATTACH=CONFIG]126[/ATTACH]
I dated a wonderful girl when I was stationed in Okinawa, and like the fool I am- I didn't put a ring on it (probably the best for her). She was with me at the PX when the little 'Nerd Kiosk' was selling
Oriental Adventures and I bought it. She went through the pictures of creatures and elaborated on the ones that were Japanese folklore, and told me some pretty wild legends. She was curious to see how the 'game' worked, so the little cluster of nerds we had there brought her in for that campaign, and she played a Shugenja (I think that's what they were called) and loved it. I'd made a convert. Awesome ladies are out there willing to get into your hobbies, and my best friend has recently converted his gal over to playing Tyranids in WH40k (and she's an impressive painter).
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902053I guess the only problem would be to play rules-heavy RPGs with larger (6+) all-female (or all-kids) groups that don't know how to play at all. I'm bad at explaining details.
As opposed to a rules-heavy RPG with large all-
male groups that don't know how to play at all? It's not as if possessing a penis confers some genetic knowledge of RPGs denied to women.
Quote from: yabaziou;902300(for the record, I do prefer dating beautiful women over playing Tabletop RPG with them !)
For my part, I don't see that it's mutually exclusive. With the exception of my very first girlfriend, every woman with whom I've ever been involved (from my two wives to casual flings) have been gamers.
Anyway, in 39 years of this, I've never not had a woman at my table, and ran an all-woman group (that being at Smith College). With one of them GMing her own homebrew, and three of them going on to become gamewriters, I don't figure they were lacking in technical expertise.
On sheer demographics, my groups have averaged 2/3 m to 1/3 f, although it's been more of an even split the last decade. My preference is for more women, but it's a mild one.
Quote from: yabaziou;902300And I am somehow convinced that S'mon only initiated this thread to boast about the foxy woman he happens play RPG with ^_^ (for the record, I do prefer dating beautiful women over playing Tabletop RPG with them ! ^_^).
That particular foxy woman may or may not be joining one of my groups, but yeah that was a catalyst. :D For some reason that particular campaign is a babe magnet, I already had two good looking female players in the group but they're more cute nerd girls, rather than Hollywood movie star looks.
Ideally I think I'd be both dating & playing Tabletop RPGs with the same beautiful women, though like I said as GM it can make focusing difficult, on a date it'd mean we always had something to talk about. Been dating again recently after separation, and 'let me tell you about my character' type talk doesn't go down so well with girls who've never heard of D&D...
No, I just prefer having players.
Quote from: Ravenswing;902313As opposed to a rules-heavy RPG with large all-male groups that don't know how to play at all? It's not as if possessing a penis confers some genetic knowledge of RPGs denied to women.
I don't recall any of my buddies minding when they've heard "
shut up, [censored], this is how this [censored] rule works, this is how we're gonna play this [censored] shit". Which is what I might have said more than once in times when all reasonable arguments were depleted. :cool:
...you, of course, entertained the idea that it might be about "
I prefer all-male group because it allows me to apply certain, specific conflict-managing accessories, rather forbidden in all-female or all-kids groups", rather than "
women are too stupid to understand certain rules", right? :D
I've also always had at least one woman play in my groups. Whether they, or anyone else played as a character of their own gender was pretty random (like, 50% chance).
Quote from: Orphan81;902320No, I just prefer having players.
Do you prefer them with or without tentacle ?
I want engaged players who are there to have a good time and can do so without being disruptive to the table as a whole. I welcome any player who fits that description.
I only care how you game and treat others at the table. I totally don't care how you pee.
Quote from: Krimson;902121I'd love to have the luxury of picking and choose players based on criteria other than "wants to game and is willing to show up".
That's always the first criterion:).
Invite more people, and you might get to have another, too;).
Quote from: S'mon;902187Diversity - I get a fair number of east-Asian and south-Asian players (one of my current campaigns was initially 50% east-Asian, until a player left) but I've never given any thought to balancing a group by race - or by age, social class, sexual orientation* etc. I wonder if anyone has; it seems like something SJWs might talk about in the abstract maybe.
*Playing in London, I have had all sorts, including groups consisting mostly of cute bisexual girls... And yes they play D&D exactly like everyone else... It was fun going to see Gloryhammer & Blind Guardian with one on each side of me. :D
Yeah, if your place is diverse in general, "whoever wants to game" probably means you're going to end up with a diverse group...as long as you're one of those old-school people that actually think that everyone has equal right to play. If you're living in a monoethnic country, different races of people are much less likely, but different sexualities are likely still going to be well-represented.
Quote from: S'mon;902211I GM at a Meetup, generally I don't initially know the other players. The other day I was on my way in to the Sunday game (players 3m 3f) when I got a PM from a person with a gender-neutral name who said they'd just arrived in UK, asking if they could sit in & observe my game. I assume typical D&D nerd, from the PM well-spoken & not obnoxious. I said I'd try to squeeze them in - preferably as a player for the session. So I arrive, and sitting at the table with my regulars is the most incredibly beautiful woman I've ever seen! Yeah I was a bit intimidated - mostly in a good way. :D Didn't help that we're playing through Shattered Star #2 - the Sinful Dungeon of Lust...
:D
That's always a nice surprise.
Quote from: Crüesader;902241Many folks would be shocked at how many attractive women play these games, or are at least willing to look into them.
Indeed.
QuoteOh, and she Cosplays. And despite how hot she is, she does a lot of superhero girls for sick childrens' events.
Tell your friend that what she's doing is really cool. If necessary, you can add I don't mean the working in a game store thing:).
Quote from: S'mon;902316That particular foxy woman may or may not be joining one of my groups, but yeah that was a catalyst. :D For some reason that particular campaign is a babe magnet, I already had two good looking female players in the group but they're more cute nerd girls, rather than Hollywood movie star looks.
Unsurprising, IME.
QuoteIdeally I think I'd be both dating & playing Tabletop RPGs with the same beautiful women, though like I said as GM it can make focusing difficult, on a date it'd mean we always had something to talk about. Been dating again recently after separation, and 'let me tell you about my character' type talk doesn't go down so well with girls who've never heard of D&D...
OTOH, it becomes way easier to focus on the sessions once you start dating seriously:p!
Quote from: Warboss Squee;902364I only care how you game and treat others at the table. I totally don't care how you pee.
Remembering a "creepy gamers" thread on TBP...I feel it's better to add "as long as it's not on the table":D!
Quote from: yabaziou;902154Actually, Tristam, according to my personal experience, the average woman player is far more apt to play a woman PC than the average man player.
The male player I've gamed with have generally played male or female characters but they may be the exceptions. The stigma attached to cross gender play has gone way down since I started gaming though.
Don't much care about gender mix. As long as everybody gets along, c'mon and play.
That is my preferred player group ratio. My GURPS Traveller group in 2004 to 2008 was 3 women, and 1 to 2 guys.
- Ed C
Quote from: yabaziou;902300Are you as talented as the average RPG guy playing a woman PC ? ^_^
And I am somehow convinced that S'mon only initiated this thread to boast about the foxy woman he happens play RPG with ^_^ (for the record, I do prefer dating beautiful women over playing Tabletop RPG with them ! ^_^).
if that a lesbian striper ninja joke \yes yes i do i honestly never had a pc who tryed to use her body to her advantage
on the other had i did have a swash buckler in3.5 who was a bit of a perv and in the middle of a fight with like 7 succubus thew down his sword and try grappling instead
Quote from: Orphan81;902320No, I just prefer having players.
yah that kinda where i am right now
Quote from: AsenRG;902373That's always the first criterion:).
Invite more people, and you might get to have another, too;).
I think the highest ratio of girls to guys while playing a game was 3:2 in one of my old groups. I did run a game of Star Wars RCR for the local Fan Force years ago, and I'm sure most of the players were women though I wasn't counting. I was more impressed at GMing for a group dressed as Jedi.
You can't pick your friends.
Quote from: Gnashtooth;902449You can't pick your friends.
You really can.
Generally speaking, the more the merrier. I don't find that the playstyle varies as much between men and women as some people presume. That said, there is one particular pair of women that I used to play with that I liked playing with one or the other just fine, but having both of them in the same game was a recipe for off-topic table discussion, so that's a data point that might color my preferences a hair.
Quote from: Caesar Slaad;902466I don't find that the playstyle varies as much between men and women.
That is certainly true. I have seen different sorts of play styles but nothing I could call specific to gender.
I prefer sausagefests for home campaigns.
I've not been lucky with mixed groups in home campaigns, far too much relationship drama spills over into the game. Which is a shame because a couple times the girlfriends/wives were better gamers than their husbands/boyfriends. I don't need that stress during my fun time.
For me, mixed groups have worked far better for LARPS and certainly for convention events. Perhaps being in a public environment / gaming with strangers makes people less likely to dump their drama on the table.
Quote from: Spinachcat;902474I prefer sausagefests for home campaigns.
I've not been lucky with mixed groups in home campaigns, far too much relationship drama spills over into the game. Which is a shame because a couple times the girlfriends/wives were better gamers than their husbands/boyfriends. I don't need that stress during my fun time.
For me, mixed groups have worked far better for LARPS and certainly for convention events. Perhaps being in a public environment / gaming with strangers makes people less likely to dump their drama on the table.
I hate to say it to you, but this is the entire reason I started a private gaming club. It sounds like a dickish thing, but if I'm going to host any kind of game at my house I want people to understand that causing drama will get them ejected- by the police, if need be. All of my gamers have invested into this group, they've financially supported it, and there's a degree of loyalty and support. Because of this, the biggest 'argument' I've ever seen between them was more laughing and picking at each other than a real 'drama' situation.
We do try to do one game at the FLGS once a month with other people, just to see what's out there and learn the meta and find new guests to invite over. Every now and then, we do find a loon or a creeper, and we just make a mental note of it. One of my preferred tactics is to introduce myself to new players, shake hands and ask for names- and I'll write down those names in my notebook, and if they're scummy/weird/obnoxious? I'll make a note of it so I can avoid them later.
Right now, ours is entirely focused on WH40k, but a couple of the guys have played some D&D to break the pace and we're very likely to start some Dark Heresy. Not sure what sort of room that is in the local game community, as everyone in the area seems to have a hard-on the size of a polearm for Pathfinder.
Quote from: Krimson;902469That is certainly true. I have seen different sorts of play styles but nothing I could call specific to gender.
I've noticed that the women I've played with seem more interest in interpersonal and social roleplaying like romance and relationships and tend to flesh out their characters more in that sense. I know its cliched and its not universal but its been a tendency, IME. And usually once they introduce those aspects the guys get onboard pretty quickly so might be less a gender difference as willingness.
Quote from: Shipyard Locked;902047Irrelevant. Whoever shows up and isn't an ass can play. My main thing is group size - I want 3 to 5 players, and get quite uncomfortable if outside that range.
Yup.
Quote from: Crüesader;902483I hate to say it to you, but this is the entire reason I started a private gaming club. It sounds like a dickish thing, but if I'm going to host any kind of game at my house I want people to understand that causing drama will get them ejected- by the police, if need be. All of my gamers have invested into this group, they've financially supported it, and there's a degree of loyalty and support.
Sounds awesome. Do you guys do $20/mo and spend it on beer, chips and minis?
Quote from: S'mon;902460You really can.
(https://staticdelivery.nexusmods.com/mods/804/images/65-3-1453683153.png)
Quote from: Gnashtooth;902449You can absolutely pick your friends, and this choice is a reflection of your character.
Fixed that for you
Quote from: Xisiqomelir;902494Sounds awesome. Do you guys do $20/mo and spend it on beer, chips and minis?
We spend it on 'whatever we need'. Sometimes it's food, sometimes it's sodas, sometimes it's gaming supplies. Beer is your own responsibility.
Quote from: Gnashtooth;902449You can't pick your friends.
Of course you can. There's even a proverb around here that says "you can't pick your bosses, coworkers and relatives, but friends are a matter of choice", so it's
proverbially untrue:).
Quote from: Krimson;902444I think the highest ratio of girls to guys while playing a game was 3:2 in one of my old groups. I did run a game of Star Wars RCR for the local Fan Force years ago, and I'm sure most of the players were women though I wasn't counting. I was more impressed at GMing for a group dressed as Jedi.
Well, that's a good start, right there;).
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902322...you, of course, entertained the idea that it might be about "I prefer all-male group because it allows me to apply certain, specific conflict-managing accessories, rather forbidden in all-female or all-kids groups", rather than "women are too stupid to understand certain rules", right?
Can't claim that I had, no, given that I'm at a complete loss as to what "conflict-managing accessories" are permissible in all-male groups but are forbidden to all-female groups.
Quote from: Ravenswing;902536Can't claim that I had, no, given that I'm at a complete loss as to what "conflict-managing accessories" are permissible in all-male groups but are forbidden to all-female groups.
Oh, the answer is easy. It has been, in fact, already posted in the very same comment you're responding to. :cool:
BTW, why do you avoid "all-kids" part and focus on "all-female" only? You did it earlier, you do it right now.
Most of my groups in recent years have had women players; and while I wouldn't say that mixed-gender groups are better than all-male groups, I would certainly say they are different. The style changes; an all-male group tends to be a lot more 'laddish'. On the other hand, groups with women in them tend to have more levels of inter-personal roleplay.
The last steady group I was in had a pretty even spread with respect to genders and ethnic background. It was certainly the most stable and long term goal (form a great company) oriented group I've played with. Previous ones that were more monochromatic or male dominated tended to peter out rather soon but that's all anecdotal. I think coming from different places in life informs people in different ways and can improve experiences working towards a common goal.
With my students majority female groups tended to be the most successful. To generalize:
-All male: fairly decent with a bit too much Leroy Jenkins.
-All female: fairly decent with a bit too much turtling.
-Majority male: dysfunctional clusterfuck with the boys not listening to the girls and the girls hanging back and not helping the boys to get their revenge. Also easily the most PvP.
-Majority female: well-oiled killing machines.
I've been GM for all-female, all-male, and mixed groups. I've had good and bad experiences with all of them.
Honestly, the essential qualities any player should have are regularly showing up to campaign sessions, not being a toxic human being, a willingness to have fun, and yes, a modicum of personal hygiene. Anything else (rules mastery, natural born thespian, etc) is just gravy on top.
Quote from: JongWK;904671I've been GM for all-female, all-male..... groups. .........
Duh. Recent controversies have shown us that at least one of these must be wrong, since you yourself are either male or female (I presume) :D
Quote from: JongWK;904671Honestly, the essential qualities any player should have are regularly showing up to campaign sessions, not being a toxic human being, a willingness to have fun, and yes, a modicum of personal hygiene. Anything else (rules mastery, natural born thespian, etc) is just gravy on top.
[Looks for something controversial to start a flame war over, finds nothing, and moves on] ;)
Quote from: Trond;904688Duh. Recent controversies have shown us that at least one of these must be wrong, since you yourself are either male or female (I presume) :D
I assure you, they are all correct. Here's a selfie I took to prove it. (https://scrapbookoftruthdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/yz8frj0-1.jpg)
(Alternatively, I didn't include myself among the players...) :p
It makes minimal difference to me.
I want reasonably mature players who show up when they say they are going to show up and who actually want to play the game the rest of us are playing. I don't care if they are men or women.
Quote from: yosemitemike;904870I want reasonably mature players who show up when they say they are going to show up and who actually want to play the game the rest of us are playing. I don't care if they are men or women.
My sentiments exactly.
Shemek
Quote from: Xúc xắc;902156You can tell they are attractive because you can see how many interested potential mates they are attracting. You don't have to be attracted to someone or something to notice how much attention they get from those who are.
I know from experience that it cuts both ways. Being a very attractive guy is nice when you want attention. It makes it easy to get service in restaurants, bars, or hotels because the food service and hospitality industries are heavily staffed by people who are attracted to good looking guys. I never have to wave or shout to get a server's attention when I want something because they're usually waiting for me to make eye contact. Air travel in Asia is really easy because the receptionists are always young women who always seem nice enough to call me over to the business/first class check in counter for help when I'm waiting in the economy class line.
On the other hand, it's hard to have a quiet moment alone as an anonymous customer. When I go to a coffee shop, I like to just sit quietly and read something while i enjoy my coffee and scone. I feel like I'm forced to be rude when waitresses try to chat and flirt with me and I need to brush them off so I can have some alone time.
Overall, it's definitely a net positive, but there are downsides. The downsides are probably a bit more pronounced for attractive women because men are much more aggressive about showing their attraction and a bit more clueless about giving up when their target isn't interested. When women try to make excuses to touch me (feeling my arm or rubbing my shoulders or pressing her chest up against mine "to see how tall" I am, etc.), it's not physically threatening because they're almost always smaller than me. An attractive woman would probably be a bit more freaked out by guys grabbing them.
Amen, brother.
I got a free bottomless drink from Nandos the other day because of both this and the fact that I'm a fair hand at chit-chat. I had forgotten to order one, didn't have a fiver on me (paid on card and they charge like three quid for that crap) but she was cool and just grabbed one for me anyway with a bit of a cheeky smile. She had purple highlights in and like kinda 50's makeup on, one of those alternative rockabilly type. Was cool. Small things like that, totally get this.
I find it also makes it a hellva lot easier when explaining RPGs to non-gamer women, doing "recruiting" for the club, running games (especially with sexual content) or just generally nerding out with people. I think being above-average in looks kinda blurs the danger sense a little bit for people so they're less "frightened" of you are, like, more at ease with you in a weird way. And being 6'6", having a tank build (I AMZ NATURAEL 'EAVY GUNNAR'), and people straight up telling me I can be intimidating at times because of my size and presence, I definitely appreciate the aesthetics assist from my genetics.
You will get guys trying to size you up, though. Like they have some kinda insecurity complex or something. Acting tough or talkin' slick. It annoys me, especially when I'm just walking or doing my thing. Some of em' get real weird, like hold their girlfriends closer and stuff. I'm not gonna steal your woman or something, jeez.
Quote from: JesterRaiin;902165(https://robbiemacniven.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/image.jpeg?w=500)
I saw an emprah one you did plus this one and your avatar: hilarious, hah hah! And of course you had to be called Jester.
Quote from: Crüesader;902241Many folks would be shocked at how many attractive women play these games, or are at least willing to look into them. I'm not going to sit and say that I've had hot chicks in bikinis all over my gaming table making lustful eyes at me, but the female players I've gamed with are usually a split between 'pretty and cool' and 'not really pretty, maybe a bit older, but like a big-sister cool'. There's a few 'average' girls I've played with, but IMHO if she likes cool shit and geeks out, she gets +10 bonus points.
I had a friend many years ago, who was drop-dead gorgeous. She and I had a brief thing but we remained friends, and she's one that genuinely meant it. She went through a spell where all she was meeting was horrible douchebag guys that just wanted to go get drunk and meet at the hips, then ignore her for their buddies or whatever football game was on. She would meet me for coffee and ask what she was doing wrong, and I kind of had to explain to her that if you're not having fun together with your clothes on, then you've just got a committed fuck-buddy pretending to be in a relationship with you. So she asked about stuff guys do, she came and did some D20 future with me and some friends, and she actually liked it. She ended up getting into Pathfinder and became kind of a WTF attraction at the FLGS, and ended up working there part-time. Now she's married to a 40k geek that I used to play with, and he's actually a successful orthopedic surgeon... so, the moral of the story is that geek stuff makes cool attractive women even MORE cool and attractive.
Oh, and she Cosplays. And despite how hot she is, she does a lot of superhero girls for sick childrens' events.
I Hit It With My Axe is a great example of that (though none of them are crazy hot -- Skin Diamond's the only one reaching that of Zak's extended group, maybe Satienne too). Funny thing is, attractive people attract other attractive people. My club is about a third made up of aesthetically-pleasing people but then we attract a lot of actors, artist-types, you know how it is.
Quote from: Xisiqomelir;902248Assuming a party of 4+1 DM/GM/ST:
-Just one unattached chick will end up scared off because of creepy unwashed loser syndrome.
-Conversely a female player who is a wife/gf/loveslave of another ({fe}male) player will be totally fine because she's "taken" and that will be respected
-One out lesbian girl will be fine assuming she has no ingrained anti-male hostility
-2f2m is probably ideal assuming the girls can be chatty and gregarious
-3f1m should be fun for broheim
#1 is would be hilarious if it weren't so true.
And bro, do you not lift?
Quote from: TristramEvans;902252Standard of discourse: Raised!
Huzzah!
Quote from: yabaziou;902300Are you as talented as the average RPG guy playing a woman PC ? ^_^
And I am somehow convinced that S'mon only initiated this thread to boast about the foxy woman he happens play RPG with ^_^ (for the record, I do prefer dating beautiful women over playing Tabletop RPG with them ! ^_^).
I find male portrayals of female characters tend to be... "unsympathetic", to put it politely. I've got one guy in my game so far who's been fine but he's a bit of a rarity in my experience. And then one thing I've found is that women tend to be annoyed when m-f transgender people roleplay women because, like Jenner, they haven't experienced life as as a women and end up taking actions or saying things which are really presumpteous and offensive about how one would be.
Quote from: Ravenswing;902313As opposed to a rules-heavy RPG with large all-male groups that don't know how to play at all? It's not as if possessing a penis confers some genetic knowledge of RPGs denied to women.
For my part, I don't see that it's mutually exclusive. With the exception of my very first girlfriend, every woman with whom I've ever been involved (from my two wives to casual flings) have been gamers.
Anyway, in 39 years of this, I've never not had a woman at my table, and ran an all-woman group (that being at Smith College). With one of them GMing her own homebrew, and three of them going on to become gamewriters, I don't figure they were lacking in technical expertise.
On sheer demographics, my groups have averaged 2/3 m to 1/3 f, although it's been more of an even split the last decade. My preference is for more women, but it's a mild one.
*Pictured saying with an ashen cigar in one hand and a glass of glenfidditch in the other, with a slightly glazed look and stubble-grizzled face, particularly on subject of multiple wives*
Quote from: S'mon;902316That particular foxy woman may or may not be joining one of my groups, but yeah that was a catalyst. :D For some reason that particular campaign is a babe magnet, I already had two good looking female players in the group but they're more cute nerd girls, rather than Hollywood movie star looks.
Ideally I think I'd be both dating & playing Tabletop RPGs with the same beautiful women, though like I said as GM it can make focusing difficult, on a date it'd mean we always had something to talk about. Been dating again recently after separation, and 'let me tell you about my character' type talk doesn't go down so well with girls who've never heard of D&D...
One of the sexiest things a women can do is tell me their threat range. *wink*
Quote from: Orphan81;902320No, I just prefer having players.
I'm not saying it was aliens was the reason you don't have players.
But it was aliens.
Quote from: Nexus;902375The male player I've gamed with have generally played male or female characters but they may be the exceptions. The stigma attached to cross gender play has gone way down since I started gaming though.
I always end up having at least one transgender player in the group. Feels a little like being the Larry David of transgenders gamers sometimes.
Quote from: Crüesader;902483I hate to say it to you, but this is the entire reason I started a private gaming club. It sounds like a dickish thing, but if I'm going to host any kind of game at my house I want people to understand that causing drama will get them ejected- by the police, if need be. All of my gamers have invested into this group, they've financially supported it, and there's a degree of loyalty and support. Because of this, the biggest 'argument' I've ever seen between them was more laughing and picking at each other than a real 'drama' situation.
We do try to do one game at the FLGS once a month with other people, just to see what's out there and learn the meta and find new guests to invite over. Every now and then, we do find a loon or a creeper, and we just make a mental note of it. One of my preferred tactics is to introduce myself to new players, shake hands and ask for names- and I'll write down those names in my notebook, and if they're scummy/weird/obnoxious? I'll make a note of it so I can avoid them later.
Right now, ours is entirely focused on WH40k, but a couple of the guys have played some D&D to break the pace and we're very likely to start some Dark Heresy. Not sure what sort of room that is in the local game community, as everyone in the area seems to have a hard-on the size of a polearm for Pathfinder.
I always threaten my players with defenstration. And now my regulars do it to our new players. Excelsior!
The worst thing are the weirdos who are totally oblivious to their behaviour and general presence.
I've done a Only War campaign. Literally had two seperate guys lose their shit when they couldn't play anymore and then when I had to shut it down. Is how much some players have gotten into my game, even moreso because it was Warhammer (and its hard to find a GM who'll let you use Commerce to get a decent, non-req Plaz, let alone know how Commerce would work).
On the flip side, potentially spinning off to do WHRP club in future would ensure domination of the London WHRP scene. Particularly with my acoly-- err, esteemed members promoting it! Only War rules used across the game lines, of course. Can't have no weird contortionist/acrobatics split, you understand.
Quote from: PrometheanVigil;905290I find male portrayals of female characters tend to be... "unsympathetic", to put it politely. I've got one guy in my game so far who's been fine but he's a bit of a rarity in my experience. And then one thing I've found is that women tend to be annoyed when m-f transgender people roleplay women because, like Jenner, they haven't experienced life as as a women and end up taking actions or saying things which are really presumpteous and offensive about how one would be.
When I started running games online I had female players complaining about how some others female weren't acting like "real" women too either being to "masculine", too "girly", too sexually aggressive or prudish, etc. But those characters were being played by women (ones I knew in RL). So sometimes I think that reaction is a combination of reality effecting expectation (you see a guy across the table and can't separate him from his character) and, well, people assuming there is some generic "right" way to play a woman or a mold that all women must fit. One that generally resembles them or fits their experiences. Its interesting how much it happens.
I've had fewer women playing men but for those few I've never gotten the same complaints (not acting like a "real man") even when its clear it was a woman playing them.
Quote from: PrometheanVigil;905290And of course you had to be called Jester.
Affirmative!
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Aren't we leaving the other 17 (last I checked) genders out of the question? :D
Quote from: Nexus;905453Aren't we leaving the other 17 (last I checked) genders out of the question?
Ha ha ha.
To be honest, some of the very few man/lady issues I've had gaming (of any sort) in mixed group is not with female players, but because of female players- by no fault of the lady. Some guys work a bit too hard to turn the group into something it isn't. Most women that I've seen come to a group want it to be as fun as they'd heard or seen, and there's a couple of dudes that will try and 'soften' it up or 'language police' the group. Then they praise everything the woman does, and it makes them uncomfortable.
If your group is doing dick & fart jokes and having a blast, and a woman wants to be a part of it... don't change.
Quote from: Crüesader;905493To be honest, some of the very few man/lady issues I've had gaming (of any sort) in mixed group is not with female players, but because of female players- by no fault of the lady. Some guys work a bit too hard to turn the group into something it isn't. Most women that I've seen come to a group want it to be as fun as they'd heard or seen, and there's a couple of dudes that will try and 'soften' it up or 'language police' the group. Then they praise everything the woman does, and it makes them uncomfortable.
If your group is doing dick & fart jokes and having a blast, and a woman wants to be a part of it... don't change.
Much of the time the women we play are the source of the more colorful jokes and commentary. :)
Quote from: Nexus;905504Much of the time the women we play are the source of the more colorful jokes and commentary. :)
The one joke I've heard that made me throw up a little in my own mouth was from a woman.
Quote from: JongWK;904844I assure you, they are all correct. Here's a selfie I took to prove it. (https://scrapbookoftruthdotnet.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/yz8frj0-1.jpg)
I can verify this.