It’s All About Teh Fun
The secret to making strong female characters is really no secret at all.
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Latova Peterson has an article over on The Iris Network’s Cerise Magazine, 5 Steps to Attract Girl Gamers. Much has been written on this topic by many, but item 4 in her 5-item list intrigued me.
4. Create (Physically) Strong Female Characters
There is no reason to keep disadvantaging female characters in video games. Across genres, female characters are consistently weaker than their male counterparts. We are restricted to working around strength and employing other tactics for survival – female characters tend to have more developed magic ability, feminized weapons, healing prowess, or increased agility and speed. Quite often, this leads to male players of video games eschewing female fighting characters outright – and mocking female players who choose to do battle with a character who is obviously inferior.
Of all the problems with video games aimed at women, I think this is the one that developers just can’t seem to figure out. I also think this section of Latova’s otherwise excellent article only feeds into this confusion.
A character who relies on “working around strength” and isn’t necessarily “inferior” to the all-out brute. As an example, I’ll use the game that really pulled me into gaming. In Diablo II, the female characters (Sorceress, Amazon, and Assassin) rely on their intelligence, dexterity, and finesse. They are not physically tough in that they can take the pounding a Barbarian can, but they are strong, and in fact (with my personal exception of the Assassin) they’re probably the most interesting characters in the game. More importantly, they don’t need to be rescued, they are not crudely depicted in such a way as to maintain a constant erection for the 16-25 demographic, and they each bring assets to the game that show them in a positive light. Back in the day, I knew more women that played Diablo II than just about any other game I can think of1. None of the female characters were physically strong, but they all kicked just as much ass.
On the other hand, sometimes girls really do just want to have fun and beat on shit with their female avatar. MMO’s are great for this. No major MMO (in the U.S. anyway) that I can think of puts any kind of strength penalties or class limitations on female characters. As far as the game is concerned, it’s polygons all the way down. And while your polygons seem to influence the way your fellow players treat or mis-treat you, when it comes to beating on shit, you are da man even if you also happen to have polygonal breasts.
There’s really no big secret to making characters that females want to play. We want the same thing males want. We want interesting characters with a balanced set of strengths and weaknesses. We want to be (and not just feel) useful, and we want to connect with our characters. And by “connect,” I don’t necessarily mean in a touchy-feely way, although sometimes (and in some games) that can be important. Connecting can also be just enjoying the character because it suits your mood and style of play.
Sometimes we want to be physically strong, and sometimes we want to play more of a supporting role, and sometimes we just want to sneak around and gank shit. Some of us are more predisposed towards one style of play or the other, some of us just don’t care as long as we’re having fun. That’s not so hard is it?
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1 They’re easy to spot on Battlenet. Just look for the password protected games.
May 4th, 2007 at 9:27 am
I don’t really agree with that article. I’m not interested in playing a strong manly female character. I like being slender and small and meek. That makes me all the more fun when I WHOMP the big baddies.
May 4th, 2007 at 10:00 am
My favorite female video-game character is Lenneth from Valkyrie Profile. She’s a “strong” character in the sense that she’s bad-ass (and knows it!) but physically, the mechanics of the game allow you to play her as either a “strong” character (few, big-damage hits) *or* a speed character (many weaker attacks). I think that allowing for such character customization is a good thing regardless of the gender of the character or the player — it helps increase immersion. This is especially important for an RPG.
(FWIW, I’m a guy, so take my view with a grain of salt wrt this issue :))
May 4th, 2007 at 10:14 am
OH GOD the AMAZONS. I rocked it with a Bowazon and a Javazon. Gave me AEOGasms everytime I ran the COW level.
Javazons
Bowazons
Frost/fire Sorcs
Necros with 10+Skellys an Golem in tow.
Werewolf Druid that did 25-35K damage a hit.
(All were on Closed, no hacked items)
Good times
May 4th, 2007 at 10:56 am
I really just dislike the female characters that make it obvious the creators thought, “oh snap, we don’t have any gurls, time to add one!”
May 4th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Here’s the questions I have.
1. Are boys and girls different in real life?
2. If they are, and in important ways, should those differences be reflected in game characters such that those differences are meaningful to the play experience?
Sure. You can make male/female toons of the same class and race. And you can make big, strong looking female toons with those typical skills, hits, etc. Or you can make lithe, sinewy female toons that still do whomp ass damage. Whatever. And you can have big, brawny, steroid-lookin’ mutha luva male toons that kick it hard, and skinny little elvish dudes that sneak and run and shoot from a’far. All good. And you can make all options available to both genders.
At which point we’re saying that the differences between men and women in RL are cosmetic? Because we can slap them on in any combo in the games, and the choice of gender is, essentially, one of clothing.
I’m not saying this is right/wrong. I’m asking… are there differences in gender that are valid in RL that should be modeled into game choices? Or are we trying to “get beyond that” in our game spaces.
Again… not sure. Askin’ the question.
May 4th, 2007 at 10:12 pm
I want to play a hermaphrodite, fuck it.
May 5th, 2007 at 12:44 am
Amber: Good points, and I definitely agree with what you’re saying here. Although I would just like to say (partially in response to Cuppycake’s comment) that I don’t think that Latoya was advocating physically strong women above all else, but rather pointing out the current disparity in the portrayal of women.
One thing I would like to see would be more men in traditionally female roles, as well as a greater effort to show those roles as valuable and good. I mean, when was the last time the “hero” of a story was a magic user? I can’t think of many instances if we’re talking about traditional RPGs.
Andy said:
I actually do intend to address this in detail on my blog once I’ve finished my WisCon paper, but the short answer is that, especially since science is nowhere near giving us a complete answer to what gender differences are biologically based and which are socially created, I don’t think that we should use the “real life” line to excuse sexism in video games. I like “real life” to intrude insofar as studying actual female athletes for character models and animations, but not if it means that my character is going to get a strength penalty in a game just for being a woman.
As Amber said, “it’s all about teh fun” and having a harder time making a certain kind of character because I’m a woman, or having to deal with an avatar who is better suited to pole dancing than wielding a sword, is not fun for me.
May 5th, 2007 at 5:38 am
I’m going to be the devil’s advocate here, and disagree. Because, let’s face it, that’s not you on the screen.
DAoC lost me on this issue years ago when they let girls be Friars. I mean… huh? They totally missed out on the opportunity to have butt-kicking NUNS in the name of gender equality!
World of Warcraft: Their own game lore said Night Elf women were the warriors, and men the druids. In the name of gender equality, there went that bit of uniqueness to the game, so all through it we’re told in bits and drabs about the bravery of the NE women and the wisdom of their men, but the players are mysteriously exempt from this.
Lord of the Rings Online: There were hardly any women at all in the books, and those that were there (Galadriel, Eowyn, Arwen, Rose and Lobelia… I believe that is every single one appearing in the books) were set on a pedestal (well, except Lobelia, who was a vicious caricature anyway). Eowyn’s victory over the Witch King at the battle of Gondor was notable precisely because a woman warrior was so rare.
In the name of equality, women’s traditional strengths of (in story, anyway) of witchery, community-building, art, music, wisdom and attention to detail; and men’s of exploration, war, invention and self-sacrifice; have all been mingled in the name of equality and something that could have grown in the spaces between never gets a chance at life.
Sheri S. Tepper’s “The Gate to Women’s Country” takes place in that space. So does Alice Sheldon’s “Houston, Houston, Do You Read?”, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s “Darkover” books, and even E. R. Eddison’s “The Worm Ouroboros”. Contrast with Ursula K. LeGuin’s “The Lathe of Heaven” where, in the main character’s dream-wish to make everyone equal, he wakes to find everyone in the world is similar and gray.
Personally, I think the truth probably is that most game designers are male, and not knowing or caring about the female perspective, assume it’s weak or worthless and just spread the male perspective to both genders in their games assuming that for everyone to be equal, the female viewpoint must be eliminated.
May 5th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
@Tipa: Sweet, mentioning “The Gate to Women’s Country.” Really, really good book. As are almost all of Tepper’s.
You hit my point exactly. I’m not talking about sexism; I’m talking about true differentiation.
Tekanji says, truly: “…science is nowhere near giving us a complete answer to what gender differences are biologically based and which are socially created.” Right. But differences are there. Creating a world that mimics stoopid, sexist Earth tropes isn’t a good idea. But creating a world that doesn’t have any differences between genders doesn’t make sense, either… unless the story backs it up.
Let’s remember, too, that if there is a difference between male and female characters that you feel gives an unfair advantage to one or the other… you are never forced to play *your* gender, eh? See “role” in “roleplaying.” I would love an RPG where the gender differences were subtly, important and played to the story. Where, yes, you could be a female warrior… but maybe not use edged weapons for some weird reason without paying a cultural disad; like many monks in fantasy tales who have to use clubs, etc. Not saying that’s a great idea, but an example. Similarly, maybe male characters could be precluded from using ranged weapons for some reason. Again… make it fit the story… balance it the same way you do between races/classes, and it could be interesting.
I think it would also be interesting to leave open the possibility for players to play *against* those gender-tied characters… maybe at a disadvantage in some situations, and at an advantage in others. Perhaps, for example, a “male witch” has a harder time leveling up (more XP needed) because there are fewer male witches, but gets a larger mana battery. Who knows…
I’m just not sure I buy into the idea that all play differences between genders are necessarily bad, especially when we are so often playing weird-o, fantasy cultures that would probably have very odd rules relating to male/female roles. Not the same weirdo rules we have. That would be… not fun. But something.
Or we can all be the same. La la la. In which case, call me Beverly.
May 5th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Tipa: Just in regard to World of Warcraft, there’s no way that gender segregating the jobs would have worked. Why? Look at the Burning Crusade expansion. One of the things that it did was take away the unique qualities of the Horde and Alliance and give them to the other side (Horde can be paladins now, and Alliance can be shamans).
When you have something as important as an avatar, players don’t want to be limited in their choices. I mean, if you want more evidence of that, look at the Blood Elf controversy and all the baggage it brought up about the character models in general. People want customization because what everyone wants out of a game is different.
Andy: I’m not saying that all games must have every character and every race be exactly alike. But look at how gender difference is handled — everything from the old D&D games to (most recently) Oblivion — it uses bogus gender essentialism to penalize players for picking a female avatar. I think we both can agree that’s not good game design.
Deciding what to keep with realism and what to keep with fantasy isn’t an easy thing, and I’m not saying that we shouldn’t try to play with these notions. I have, myself, rolled around some ideas about creating differences similar to those that you mentioned.
But part of the problem is that most companies, even those who try to be egalitarian, aren’t equipped to handle issues like gender and race sensitively as it is, so it is virtually impossible for them to be able to create an intricate system like the one you suggest without dragging all the problems with it. Such delicate matters are hard enough in the best of situations, and I would not call the game industry’s current situation the “best” by far.
I would rather see game companies focus on the more prevalent problems — such as the hypersexualization of female avatars, and how white is the constant default — first, partially because their lack of inclusive game design speaks of an issue with their overall grasp of the fundamentals of design, before trying to tackle the finer points such as you propose.
May 5th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Just a heads up, I was thinking about how fascinating of a subject that this was in regards to inclusive game design, so I started up a thread on the Iris forums about it.
May 5th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I hate being hamstrung by what I want to play and what I want to look like by some assinine “oh, but the genders are different!” bullshit. I think part of the reason this is so is because in real life, I am not some dainty little flower. I’m 5′11″ and 180 lbs. I am strong. There are lots of men I am bigger and stronger than. And I am not at all nimble. And no, I am not naturally nurturing.
Basically, the “gender differences” thing breaks down because it forgets about individual differences. Are women on average smaller and blahblahblahblah? Sure. But we aren’t all that way, and I get sick and tired of being reminded I’m some sort of UnWoman in real life because almost every tired trope about what women “naturally” are better at is false for me. It gets too close to BIOLOGY IS UR DESTINY LAWL and I absolutely do not trust gaming companies, who generally barely grasp that women play at all, to handle it any way but badly.
I would love to see traditionally feminine strengths be present as ways to solve problems and stuff, because greater variety is awesome, but I absolutely do not want them tied to gender.
May 5th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
I think the world will be a healthier place when we can all celebrate the ways we are different with as much enthusiasm as with the ways we are all the same.
On another note, can you think of how pointless a “Wheel of Time” MMO would be if there were no differences in the classes men and women (in the game) could be?
If men and women have identical stats, at least make a reason for it in your IP, like (to reference LeGuin again in Left Hand of Darkness) people are male and female at different points in their lives and it’s all just unimportant unless you’re planning on having kids. Iain M. Banks’ Culture is the same way.
But if, like in Jordan, men and women have VASTLY different roles, why not respect that? After all, men and women PLAYERS can still choose the gender that fits their desired role.
I do like LotRO’s hermaphroditic dwarves, though
May 6th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
@Tekanji: I agree with you; it’s mostly badly done. And the hypersexualization of an unobtainable, unrealistic female form is endemic to ALL media, not just games. Little Mermaid, anyone?
One of the things I enjoyed most about GMing and playing GURPS was the requirement of including disadvantages as well as advantages in character creation. Depending on how you were defining a starting character, out of (let’s say) a 100 point character, you might have 130 points in stats, advantages, skills, spells and attributes, and -30 in disads. The need to define (and roleplay!) disads makes character balance really neat.
I’d be much more pleased if all characters — male and female — were allowed simply to choose balancing ads/disads. If you want to play a strong, ass-kicking female? Great. That will be offset by a speed/agility disad. If you want to play a lithe, nimble male? Cool. But you’ll take a hit to your damage table.
The question becomes, though… do we apply those kind of rules to the characters on a *social* level, based on the backstory of the game?
For example, if the race of Hill Dwarves you’re playing is matriarchal in terms of politics and economics, do you get a +(plus) for playing a female merchant and a -(minus) for playing a male?
I would say yes… but only if the same kinds of rules apply to OTHER factors, as well. Let’s say this same race of Hill Dwarves is generally anti-magic, and you want to play one as a wizard. OK… but you take a -(minus) to how fast you level your magic abilities. If they prefer blunt weapons in battle and you decide to take up the sword, you get a disad on that… except when fighting other Hill Dwarves, who don’t defend against it well.
What it boils down to, I think, is that *arbitrary* differences in gender are, like most prejudices, total bulldookey and not much good when examined in art/games. But if there’s a good underlying reason in the story or architecture for them… it makes sense. Taking a man’s story and making the man a woman (and vice versa) doesn’t “enable” anyone. But creating stories that explore complex issues in ways that are meaningful… that’s cool.
May 8th, 2007 at 2:20 am
[...] It’s All About Teh Fun Bards, Bombs, and Gaming [...]
May 8th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Hey Amber -
Thanks for the feedback.
After reading some of the other comments, I realize that we may just be coming from different perspectives. I am not an MMORPG gamer - I’ve only dabbled in that world, so I am not familiar with how female avatars can be used and manipulated, and what attributes they can possess.
However, from the console gaming world (and the arcade world), the different attributes are SEEN as weakness - especially by males who use the female characters primarily as healers or mages. All too often I have been playing through games and the female characters are relegated to the back of the party - they are too weak to contribute actual force and power, so unless they have strong magic skills, they get no play.
This is particularly drives me crazy in fighting games. Often times, there will be 1 - 5 female characters on a roster, but they are stereotypically feminized. Hence “working around” stregnth with other attributes like speed and agility. Three of my tiny punches female make up one of your massive male haymakers.
I also remember being a bit miffed playing Mario RPG, and seeing Peach receive a slapping glove, a fan, and a frying pan as her weapons. RPG came out years ago - but have we really changed all that much?
Don’t get me wrong - I don’t have a problem with mages/healers in my gameplay. I just hate that these skills are distributed and weighted using gender stereotypes.
If I can punch a guy and real life and make him feel it, is it so much to ask to have that same skill to appear in my games? Every girl doesn’t have to be super diesel (just like every guy doesn’t have to be healing-inept), but I would like at least one character who can fight her way out of a tough spot.
May 10th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Thanks for stopping by Latoya. I think you’re correct, there seems to be a bigger disparity in console vs mmorpg gaming. It’s unfortunate that there is such a disparity in gender roles in console gaming. Is this partially bad game design I wonder? If female roles were more balanced, I wonder if they would be seen as more than just something the player had to “work around.”
May 11th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
While I agree on the most part, there have been some strides… games such as Kameo (female only avatar, show that women can kick some butt), Guitar Hero II (shows women and thrash with the boys), Fable… and some other titles…
I would like to see more Avatar and character building or representation in other genre of games…
Take Project Gotham Racing for example.. it would be nice to select an avatar to stand next to your cars in the garage… wouldn’t it be nice to be a female and whoop on the boys at the track in a racing game? Why don’t we get to see it or more of it?
There is still a long way to go, and MMO’s are not exempt.. with they women just about nude running around, for the sake of selling boxes.
May 30th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
14th Carnival of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy Fans…
Welcome to the 14th Edition of the Carnival of Feminist Science Fiction and Fantasy Fans, which will probably be known forever as “the carnival eaten by comics posts.” When we stepped up to host this carnival, we had no idea……