Everytime I play a female character I just always ask myself

"what is the most insane and evil thing I could do right now?" and do it....

I figure that's pretty accurate

Its not that complicated, true. There is a stigma associated with it, and that is that. You can try to deny it, ignore it or justify it. Weird is weird, culturally speaking. No reason to question how comfortable people are with their sixuality, no need to attack anyone.

Ask 20 people at your local supermarket if its weird to wear women's clothes as a guy, how many of them do you think are going to say yes? no?

People on the internet are an odd sort, and pretty liberal when it comes to topics such as these. I don't think that's necessarily a reflection of the people, but a commentary on the anonymity of the internet. Most people are much more conservative in public with these things IRL.

There's nothing wrong with it, I've played female characters, and being attracted to a sprite is likely more of an indicator of one's social life more than it is of one's sixuality.

Different....strokes.... as it were. /shudder

The reason most people choose their own six is because its easier to imagine yourself in the role, the reason for the other?

Boredom, equipment, combat differences, preference, etc...

All preference.

Nope, I had female characters before, tho I'm astonished at how many people here have an excuse of "I can look at an ass and legs". I'm not even sure what to think..

In any case, I can normally play one and can roleplay too, though I do find it a bit easier to roleplay a male since I'm male.

I feel the same way. I'm female myself, but I tend to create male characters in games like Skyrim. I don't want to play an avatar of myself when I game, because I don't really enjoy that kind of immersion; I'd rather not pretend that's me in there. I get more of a kick out of creating a character in a game as if I were creating one for a story, and then let that character play out their role in the gameworld as according to their personality or backstory, or what have you. I direct their thoughts and actions, but they're not MY thoughts or actions.

And okay, I'll admit - as a girl, I suppose I find it more interesting to watch a male character kick the crap out of stuff from one end of Skyrim to the other, hahaha. Sorta like how some guys like watching badass women in action, I guess?

And lol, on a side note, when I first spotted mention of Draken my first thought went to Drakkhen, which was hideous and crazy. Oh my god the dog heads.

people who say that anyone who appreciates viewing female avatars is gross/creepy/etc obviously has never been to an art gallery.... There have been fictitious drawings of the female body for millennia for crying out loud...

It's not my driving decision... as I stated earlier, I have a fair split in almost all games... that said, I most certainly DO appreciate the female form and neither make any apologies nor see any reason to.

I'm a man.

I enjoy seeing hot women, whether real or imagined. In physical 3D (aka IRL), in a movie, drawn on paper, or digitized on screen.

I'm not sittin on my couch playing my female skyrim character and spank the monkey at the same time either now..... I don't think anyone here is saying that (and if so... eh.... to each their own but keep it to urself ).

I would actually think less of a man who watched baywatch just to see pam/other lifeguards... I mean... at least Skyrim is good content to go with your TnA

Oh dear, I tend to always play Cat species in games that have them. My First char in every TES game so far has been a Kajiit. Does this mean somewhere deep down i imagine myself as a theiving cat? LOL ooo shinies....

Yes.

Because I'm insane.

I said nothing about species, I said six.

lol @ that statement btw

At some level, yes it easier to identify with a character of one's own six even if they are a Sload. Well, sload are actually hermaphrodites... but still.

That's a little condescending. How about we all express our preferences without making pop psychological generalizations about other rp styles. This is a game, not a series of life coaching sessions.

I also think people mistake "I want to play a character I can relate to." While some people actually do self-insert (name a character their own name, make them look like their own appearance), my female characters are definitely not me. I can relate to them with less work and thought, though.

I currently have 2 female and 1 male character active. Female #1 was made just to try things out, and was partly made as eye-candy. She has the "thickest" body type and walks around in her underwear or Forsworn armor a lot. Female #2 was intended from the start as a high-RP character. I have at times "felt" what she was feeling very strongly. Including her discomfort at public nudity -- she absolutely will not take off her clothes unless she is swimming. She is also firmly heterosixual (which I discovered when she got a crush on Faendal), so if she gets married it will be to a male. Actually, female #1 would totally marry Argis or Erik if I hadn't forced her to marry Camilla. I've had some strong reactions to some of the studlier male NPCs in the game when running one of my girls, especially when they save "my" life by being total BAMFs. I've had the same kind of reaction toward Lydia with my male character, though. What can I say, having my butt saved is sixy.

I just realized that I only have used female followers with my male characters. I use males and females with my females. I team up people who I think would be attracted to each other, based on the kind of hook-ups that I like to see. At some level, I'm "writing" a sixy fantasy novel through the game. Good God, I'm Piers Anthony!

I don't have any problems. I don't try to pretend to be any of my characters though. That seems to be different from a lot of people I've noticed.

I've played women before in video games, by choice. On most occasions I don't, but the way I see it, a little variety just adds to the fun.

6 pages on an absolutely meaningless topic that really doesn't have anything to do with the game except your character's preferred gender. The OP's question also indirectly indicates there's something wrong with playing a female character if your male and vice versa . There are no tells or flags here people it's just preferance. Anyone who thinks there is is an idiot.

Amen.

I choose exclusively to play as women in any games with a character creator, and even prefer games that have a set female lead over male (ie Mirrors Edge, Tomb Raider, etc). I think it's a bulk issue; male characters are bigger and lumpier and less attractive in more than simply looks... it puts me off. I want the most attractive character even if I'm not looking at them during play (since I prefer first person). Female is always the most attractive option, imo.

i play males since i m a male, but recently i rolled a female and it works fine too. As long as u realise you are a male, its ok to play as any gender....

That arrogance and pampas really labels you a true people person. I bet you have a ton of friends. I know you have absolutely no concept of what playing an RPG entails. Go back to COD.

I can play as a female without any difficulty. Actually in some cases after I've played a female character for too long, I find it hard to play my own gender.

Always play as a female, an Elven mage, or someone who is black or oriental in Fallout and the like. Role playing as myself? [Sees dragon, runs away, gets a job in a walled town. Wonder if the Bards' College need any banjo players?]

My first and only character so far is a female Bosmer archer/thief called Leaynii. Its the first female char i've ever played in an RPG and i love it! i just play it like a regular badass character.

I like to roleplay both and I'm never wondering if I'm doing it 'right', the only thing that matters is that I'm having fun.

not at all. After all, my character is not me. And for the record i do not put them in "skimpy little dresses".

I have no problem playing female characters, infact i have played more female characters in Skyrim then i have male.

I rationalize as this. I do not roleplay myself, i roleplay fictional characters that are not myself. After all, if i wanted to role play as myself, then i would have to have the character look like me, which means all the non-human races can not be used. Also i would have to act, like i would do in real life, exspecially on morality.

In real life i would NEVER steal from someones house, even if they wern't there, and i knew i could get away with it. But although my Skyrim characters are not evil, i have made them more gray, and allowed them to steal on certain occasions.

Since i don't see the characters i play as myself, i could make them do things that i would never do in real life. For example, i can roleplay a complete Monster, someone who doesn't mind murdering innocents and stealing from anyone. This hypothetical character would be great for the Dark Brotherhood quests.

I can understand why a man would feel "ackward" to play a female character, if this man likes to roleplay characters like him....but since i don't mind roleplaying characters different from me (i.e different morality scale/species/gender) then i have no problem staring at a model that has boobs.

Of course in ways, i do sympathise with people who have a hard time playing characters that are different from them to a degree. Though i have no problem playing the opposite gender, i do have issues playing characters in all forms of video games, who are evil. Sure ill have my characters steal in Skyrim....but i can't seem to get them to choose/do evil acts in quests.

Hm some people play different sixes, because they are intelligent and have a powerful imagination.

Intelligent in the meaning, that they went and asked women and men how they feel about their bodies and their sixuality.
Imaginativ in the meaning, they take the information from those people and try to imagine, how it would be if those feeling were their own.

If you're able to do that, then its extremly funny and interesting to play not only opposites sixes, but different character traits in all its facets.
How boring must it be otherwise?

No. I always play both kinds of genders if the game lets you choose. My female is usually a lisbian, though. Hot. Playing a female altmer mage right now actually.