Roleplaying is a curious thing. What starts out as a whimsical fancy, an expression of the imagination, suddenly becomes an outlet for feelings that we’re afraid to express, and ideas that we’re afraid to explore. We create an alter ego- another self- a person that’s allowed to be aggressive, or passionate, or fearful, or cold.
But then something strange happens. The character that we created begins to have its own feelings, its own desires, its own needs. It begins to act autonomously, performing actions that we never expected, doing things that run counter to our own thoughts, our own beliefs, our own control. As time goes on, it begins to feel like we’re watching the life of another person, rather than playing the part of a character we’ve created. We celebrate their victories, and we mourn their losses. We enjoy their company, and miss them when we’re apart. These characters become our teachers, our companions. They shape our lives, our thoughts, our beliefs, and our dreams. They teach us not only about ourselves, but about the perspectives of others. They become so much a part of our lives, that they almost become real.
If you frequent Astrid’s Parlor on the Wizards of the Coast website at all, you’ve probably read my post Dove Arrow and Why I Think This Forum is a Great Idea, and are aware that by playing this character, I felt frustrated that I couldn’t play a female character in a roleplaying situation. However, it’s more than just that. I didn’t just feel frustrated that I couldn’t play a female character. I felt like my character taught me about feminist issues by sharing her life, and her experiences with me.
So that’s why I’m writing this blog. I want to share what my character shared with me. I want people to see how the roleplaying industry could improve the marketing of Dungeons & Dragons so that the game can become more inviting to female gamers. I want people to understand how frustrating it can be to feel objectified because of your gender, and that taking away the things that make a person feel objectified will improve the game for everyone.
This is probably your best post yet (besides the Lloth one). It is open, honest, somewhat balanced, and most importantly it is personal. It doesn’t sound like I’m reading a college paper, but a post from real person, with real feelings and experiences that she wants to share. I would like to hear more from this person and not the college student spouting canned feminist propaganda.
Regarding this: “I want people to understand how frustrating it can be to feel objectified because of your gender, and that taking away the things that make a person feel objectified will improve the game for everyone.” I too would like to hear more about what makes you feel frustrated, so that I can understand better. I’m sure that most men can’t relate and don’t understand. So rather than attacking us, why not try explaining, not with grand theories and ideological arguments, but with personal examples of what bothers you and how it makes you feel and why you think it makes you feel that way.
Lastly, men are predominantly visual by nature and if you take some of the material that you consider objectifiying (I’m assuming the scantily clad women typical in fantasy art, literature, and games), then you most definitely not be improving the game for everyone, as you falsely state, but instead create an imbalance in the opposite direction, improving the game for people with your particular views (a minority of the gaming base, I might add) and detracting the gaming experience for others. While I favor improvements, dialogue, and compromise, it would be disingenuous to state that any changes would “improve the game for everyone.”