I was not only interested in exploring the motivations for playing female characters in games. I was also curious about how far they take that behavior when they interact with others online. All 33 subjects responded to the following survey question: "When you play female characters in online games, do you try and ‘pass’ as female? Do you pretend to actually BE female when you interact with other players during/after the game?" Their responses fell into five discrete categories:
- 27% (9 subjects) do try to pass as female in the game. These subjects gave no data on their out-of-game behavior with others. Says [CYA] woLf: "Being someone who delights in a challenge, I have to admit, I’ve gone online as female characters both in FPS's and RPG’s….I’ve been able to construct a female persona once or twice that has foxed many people."
- 27% (9 subjects) pretend to be female in the game, but do NOT try to pass as female out-of-game. These subjects spoke of wanting to preserve the role or illusion of the female character in the game, but of not wanting to deceive others into believing that they are female in real life. One subject stated, "I try to pass as female while in the game and use feminine handles but if I interact with people outside the game I do not…. In real life interactions I don’t think this is fair or honest and this does not sit well with me."
Bier Hunter explains: "I pretend to be female in the game, but not out of the game. If I start becoming friends with people in the game…I won’t lead them on or anything like that. If the question ever arises, I tell them I’m a male and happily married (and it’s true). Although, for some strange reason, if I don’t tell them I’m married, then many think I’m homosexual for playing a female. I have no idea what relevance that has to do with playing a game."
- 12% (4 subjects) try to pass as female both in-game AND out-of-game. When these players are directly asked whether they are male or female in real life, they sometimes avoid answering, or even lie. Black Rabbit comments, "When I am online I do not bandy it about that I am male. I do not answer most often when asked. I do not feel it has anything to do with the game being played. I tell those I trust when I feel like it, or when it becomes personal…If I feel like telling I will. But I do not lie about it."
Some respondents have fairly elaborate rules of conduct about when and how they will reveal their true gender. Davpilky explains, "When I’m in character I try to pass to my fullest. I’ll do casual research to assist this effort. I’ll draw on sources like Men are From Mars Women are From Venus, Cosmopolitan Magazine, a school textbook (especially helpful are psychology and sociology books) or just personal observation. I’ve been told by a few people that I’m pretty good at what I do. For RPG’s I use a female name, but if I am out-of-character… I don’t act feminine or try to fool anyone into thinking I am…I will admit I am male and refer to myself with male pronouns….The main exception to [this] is when I’m talking to the person with whom my character has an [in game] romantic relationship. In these cases I avoid the subject altogether. The reason for this is that I don’t want the person who plays the other character to treat my character differently in-character because s/he knows what I am [real life]. It is for the sake of keeping the in-character game consistent and ‘realistic’."
- 27% (9 subjects) NEVER attempt to pass as female, in-game or out-of-game. Despite the fact that they play as female characters, they make no effort to act female. They simply play as themselves. Slacker complains, "Nothing aggravates me more [than] when people try to pass themselves off as someone else. Granted the internet makes being anonymous easy, and you can act however you want to be, I just feel its wrong for me to try and pass myself off as a female."
- 6% (2 subjects) ride the fence: they play somewhat gender-neutrally, and let others make their own conclusions about their real-life gender. They play as female characters, but do not make a concerted effort to pass as female in-game. They do not lie about their true gender, but they do not broadcast it either. L. Patrick Smallwood, aka iamsure, explains: "I don’t generally try to ‘fool’ anyone as to my gender. However, I don’t try to convince them I’m male, either. I think my nick [online handle] is sufficiently gender neutral, and I don’t try to sway their opinions either way. If they are dumb and male enough to assume I am a woman, more power to me. If they have half a brain, they will know better. But I never lie, or put on pretenses."
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