(no subject)

[gilana]

I went to PAX on Sunday -- decided it was about time I see what Aaron's been doing there as an Enforcer for the past 6 years.  It was a little overwhelming, but a fun time.  I spent most of the time on the show floor, wandering around, but they have a Diversity Lounge, so I made it a point to stop by there.  One of the people there was an ethicist who was asking people to write on sticky notes what they think made a good female charpacter in games, and what made a good male character.  I found it an interesting exercise, trying to find specific qualities that were meaningful to me.

So I'm curious -- what qualities do you think make for an interesting female character?  What about a male character?  Do you find one easier to define than the other?  Do you think there's a different in what qualities matter in video games versus in other media, such as fiction?

(I'm deliberately not putting my own answers in yet -- I'll share after some other folks have posted, if anyone does.)

Comments

[gilana]

I should say that I rarely actually play games with characters, myself -- most of what I like to play are are casual puzzle games. Where there is story and character, I tend to click through as quickly as possible to get to the fun bits. But I still found it an interesting question to think about.

My first response for female was "strong", but it took me a while to figure out what I mean by that. I think mostly it's a matter of self-confidence. Agency is definitely important, but I also want female characters who are confident in taking action, before their action means something.

Men were harder for me. In the end, I went with "self-aware". I find men who question their choices and actions more interesting, in games and books and movies. Someone shooting a BFG is boring. Someone thinking about what it means that they are killing other people with a BFG is a lot more interesting.

Of course, the other thing I'd like to see is more female characters in the first place, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms.