Gender bender – or why I don’t like when men try to play women in roleplaying games

In MMOs the majority of female characters is played by male players. That’s a fact. And once in a while a while a male roleplayer decides it’s a good idea to play a female character in a pen and paper roleplaying game. If someone can pull this off then I am the last person to object but usually they fail miserably. And what sounds like an interesting approach to roleplaying usually is a major annoyance to all players at the table.

Have you watched the movie “The Gamers – Dorkness Rising“? In this comedy one of the male players plays a female sorcerer that usually forgets that she’s female. And that’s what usually happens when male players play female characters. They “look” female but act male. The result is usually a character that is probably more close to a teenager’s fantasy than a real woman. And that can get old pretty fast.

The funny thing is that female players are usually much better at playing males. Am I less critical when it comes to female players or are men just easier to play?