Why are people put off by playing your opposite gender?

[Mifuyne]

I play female characters since I find the female body more beautiful than the male body (IRL and in games).
A big part of it is that I do not really fit my birth gender, which is male.
Being a man irl and ingame can make me feel awkward at times because I don't feel like one.

[Wildmoon]

I have never played female character. It just feels weird to me but I don't think there's anything wrong with it though. My favourite characters are all male too. I don't find female characters cool except maybe Li-li.

[Idoru]

When WoW was relased I wanted a hunter for my main, and back then the choice was either dwarf or night elf. I had already played a dwarf in the beta so I wanted to see the other story. And since night elf males just look stupid I have played a female night elf hunter for 10 years.

In general, the stereotypical buff male models put me off, and I often have a much easier time coming up with fitting female names.

Also, (IRL) I find powerful/strong yet feminine women more attractive.

[Nirawen]

When WoW was relased I wanted a hunter for my main, and back then the choice was either dwarf or night elf. I had already played a dwarf in the beta so I wanted to see the other story. And since night elf males just look stupid I have played a female night elf hunter for 10 years.

In general, the stereotypical buff male models put me off, and I often have a much easier time coming up with fitting female names.

Also, (IRL) I find powerful/strong yet feminine women more attractive.

Night elf Hunter... ewww.

[Adoxe]

Female characters generally have better looks and animations.

[epLe]

MMORPG - Many Men Online RolePlaying Girls

It's an old abbreviation, but still gold.

The amount of virtual transgenders/crossdressers out there, make me asume by default that any female character is indeed a male player.

[ZazuuPriest]

i play, almost exclusively, female characters if i have the option. Some exceptions are Forsaken, dwarf and worgen males all other classes i prefer females. In other MMOs i only play females especially Wildstar and Tera, single player like KOA female. If im going to stare at somethings backside for 100+ hours its going to be female

also the animations for most of the male classes in wow specifically are terrible to me, the new orc male model smashes its own face in with its weapon, i dont like any model that doesnt wear shoes tauren trolls and draeni obviously, the best bow animation in the game is female night elf but the female orc is on point as well. Blood elves have good models and my female paladin looks sick AF whipping her spear around her body and judging the unholy masses. besides the NE male animations look horrible in any class, have you seen them literally push magic at people or hold their bows horizontal... what is that?

[Gnarilex]

I'm not a fan of most male characters in WoW as they're super builky and there isn't another option. Or in the case of the undead they slouch so far down and it irritates me not being able to see the chest. Would love a velen-like option for draenei. I try to go half and half with at least one of each race but most of my toons are female.

- - - Updated - - -

Female characters generally have better looks and animations.

Also this. Don't female undead warriors do a bunch of flips? Fucking bad ass.

[vindicatorx]

Why do you play a woman if you're a guy and vice-versa?

I don't, I play a male always cause I am a male.

[Pendulous]

Paraphrasing here:

"I used to give people the reason that there aren't enough women protagonists in video games, but I've come to realize that, if you're gonna have a character you have to stare at for hours, it's much better that it be a hot chick."

--Arin Hanson

[Deleted]

Got both male and female characters - for me some classes fits more as a male, and others as females. An example could be in wow, where my warrior is male, and deathknight female.

[Super Kami Dende]

I don't like role-playing as a Female. I feel my immersion in RPG's comes from me playing how I would be inside that World and I am a Male. So I rather play from a Male PoV.

[Deleted]

In most RPGs - especially ones you play in 3rd person - I prefer playing female characters. Why would I wanna stare at a hairy male tauren ass, when I could be gazing upon majestic female blood elf buttocks?
Seriously though, we are playing fantasy RPG games where we can do what we want and be who we want. I am a guy IRL, so I'm not going to play as a male human.

[Vorkreist]

Because its the mmo equivalent of boys playing with barbie dolls

[Mamut]

I always check armor sets and in some games they look better on females. Thats why I have female shadow priest (t6 godlike mode on female) but on the other hand also male dk because plate armor looks better on my orc.

[Deleted]

I'm male and I play female characters because I get really bored if I play male ones. I don't feel excited when I get a new piece of armor because I'm not interested in playing dress-up with a male character.
I also want to look at something nice on the screen, not a guy's butt, which is why I always pick slutty transmogs when possible.

And I don't consider my characters to be a representation of myself in the game.

Most importantly, though, female character models are always better made than male ones.

Also, if there is one male character model I would absolutely NEVER play, is the bulky huge looking one. I can't play midgets like dwarves and gnomes, and I can't play giants like male draenei and male tauren.

[Ratyrel]

Because video games are played by horny nerds and looking at women is done by horny nerds only with a very specific interest. The "being put off" is simple reproduction of heteronormative gender roles.

Just ignore it and do what you want, it's a game. Games exist to playfully test society.

To be blunt: I play female characters because I find them aesthetically pleasing and interesting, because they are different from me. Male characters on the other hand are often linked to the kind of macho/badass behaviour I despise in reality. It doesn't mean that I want to be female or be inside them.

[NatePsy]

Usually when I play characters, I like to put a bit of myself into them; my gender. My characters are a small reflection of myself, in a different universe.

[Deleted]

Because its the mmo equivalent of boys playing with barbie dolls

Aren't all video games basically just that?

[misterbeefy117]

The writer in me thinks there should be more female protagonists, so that's mostly why I play female characters. The pervert in me likes watching said protagonist in as skimpy an outfit as possible.

It's kind of self-defeating, but it's worked out for me so far.