Why more women don't play

Loool that's actually hilarious, lighten up. Maybe the problem isn't players being too rude but too sensitive over nothing.

I think this thread is a bit out of control. I don't see the problem with mensuration jokes. It's a normal, healthy bodily function. It's a reality, and unless you've been taught to believe it's something shameful, no one else should be offended either.

I do however have issues with "white knight syndrome". I know you are meaning well OP, but if I had been the female in your group, I would be more offended that you would have the belief I can't handle myself. I'm not a helpless creature that needs saving. Unless she has lived under a rock for 30 years, they know how people behave online. I know those boys may have offended you, but you can't assume it offended her. There is ignore features and reporting options for this reason that she could choose to use herself. I'm not saying they might not have gone too far, but at the same time you can not just assume she needed rescuing. You may not realize it, but treating her like a "damsel in distress" is a bit sexist. Plus there are far bigger issues woman have to deal with on here then a little off color humor.

Slow your roll there, not sure where the hostility is coming from. I said menstruation jokes are typically bad because they are lazy, lazy implying a lack of intelligence and lack of empathy and understanding towards one's subject matter, the latter being the basis of all good humor (the reason why Tosh.0 isn't funny and David Cross is, for instance). Don't know what part of my post gave you the impression that I don't treat women with respect, or that Wonder Woman is my favorite superheroine (it's Raven).

Some of the people on this game are just creepy. hitting on every female toon and sending them tells. I don't get what's going through someone's mind when they do this. It's like they think players look like their characters, even though they all have the same generic face. Wish I had a gender respec token sometimes.

Honestly, the period jokes don't really bother me.

I saw a toon US PC the other day that was female and Rage named Aunt Flow. I kinda giggled.

I've been surrounded by men my whole life, so I kinda have a silly / perverted side. I think you can be like that without being grotesque. If I hear something in game that's really nasty I'll just put the person on ignore.

I like that your group actually stopped once you called them out though. They actually sound nice : )

PS - I know a lot of other females that enjoy this game.

I am a female who plays DCUO.

I am mature enough to know there are some really immature people playing online games. It takes a lot to offend me. Jokes about a menstrual cycle is not one of the things that would fall in the offensive category. If I am in a group that jokes about things like that, usually I turn on my mic and say something like "just to let you know, I am a female in real life". Usually that stops it. If my mic doesn't work, I type it and after a barrage of "you are kidding, you are really a male, right?" kinda things, they still stop the talk about whatever. If they don't, I either, ignore it, come back with some equally offensive joke towards them, mute them, or add them to my ignore list, depending on the severity or my mood. I don't want another player taking up for me. If you want to speak up because it is offensive to you, then that is your choice. I can take care of myself. But thanks for the thought.

You can't enjoy this game if you take everything too seriously or personal. There are too many different personalities in it, and lots of people whom I wouldn't hang around with in real life, but that I need to run some content with me.

OH...A GIRL!!!



Would you like some items?

Would you like some money?

Would you like some soder?

Would you like some plans?

Would you like to do some alerts?

Would you like to join my league??

(credit to "A day in the life of a DCUO player" videos for the above)

So, I'm seeing players here saying the story and the joke were funny, that people should lighten up, that nothing should be out of reach of humour. Does that mean anything is up for grabs? Should we pick on the disabled? The handicapped? Should we type a joke making fun of a player when we find out he's deaf? For any Americans out there, should we go into 9/11? India has also been a ton of fun in the last decades for women. Oh, and all that nuclear thing in Japan, soooo funny...

Yeah, lets forget we didn't write the book on everyone else's sensitivity and use anything for humour.

It is as much one's right to BE offended as it is to offend.

the reason why females get hit on so much is because some of you cant just say, "stop bothering me" simple as that ya wanna beat around the bush and act cute and innocent and then wonder why the person wont leave you alone. I know a few female players who will tell people to back the $%^& up if a player gets clingy. As i am a guy with nothing but female characters and having to tell people off consistently now im pretty much left lone

And ofc, whiteknight to the rescue. Stop treating women like they are helpless creatures or something. Alot of women I know personally are emotionally stronger than the strongest of men. Just because a girl/women was silent throughout the raid doesn't mean that she needs your help. Maybe such petty jokes didn't bother her at all and that she was having a laugh herself and chose to be too modest and didn't write anything in the chat at all.

Remember this...Women appreciates protective and supportive behavior but most of them hate over protectiveness.

None of that is even on the same level as joking about a bodily function. Like seriously, what the heck ?

I doubt it was all men. I suspect a mix of men and boys - not the same thing.

Oh, I don't know - I know some folks who treat that as a handicap

Am I only one that thought of Aiden Warren when they read the thread title?

No, but I think the idea was that what may seem harmless to many people will upset others. I know there would be people that find all of those jokes funny, and would defend it with the same idea many of us are using for this (unfortunately). Setting levels, even sensible ones like your own, tends to get people challenging your standards as your own and no one else's, so I tend to go with the idea that the type of joking brought up by the OP is innapropriate for the game, unless you know everyone in your group well enough to know it won't offend anyone there. After that, any offensive things brought up are not ours to deal with. (Not that it's ok, but it is contained to those people and not to others).

I'm usually the first to pop a "That's what she said" (or he said, no discrimination) but only with people I know. When I'm in pug groups I tend to ignore the jokes unless the players go over the top. When that occurs a, "Seriously? " or "Really? " or "Good Odin" is typed and they generally shut up. If not, I'll tell them that I'm not digging the jokes and if they still don't stop the offender is kicked or I leave. That being said, I have been stalked and harassed and if can be a problem. But, we have some great league members that will stand up when it gets over the top.

If you're the lady looking for a good league, Catalyst is co-led by ladies and we have fun. ^.^

Sadly it all goes with the territory, it certainly wasn't a group of men but obviously a bunch of kids.

Take a look at some of the names and leagues that people clearly pick to seem 'hilarious' and it makes the general maturity encountered in game (this or any other mmo tbh) all too obvious.

What can be done...not much I suspect the real answer to life on the 'web' is to have a thick skin and be as discerning as possible with whom you spend your time. All in all I don't want too much real life intruding on my game time, so take much of it with a pinch of salt or at worse employ that rarely used skill to ignore, without the use of an ignore button ^^.

When I'm in that kind of situation I usually just ignore them or just leave the group but than again this is one of the reason I don't put my mic at all

Boys will be boys.... I've sat in rooms wit women before wit them having their personal convos... Big diff is women speak from experience and men speak out of humor and!/or ignorance... Either way the convo happens between both sexes... u are just upset they had it in group chat.. But inappropriate chat isn't the reason why more women don't play games.... It has more to do with maturity level and lack of interest... Sorry, I know many woman and I assure u, they have never spent enough time playing games to shun the hobby due to inappropriate chatter on mics!!

My girlfriend used to play DCUO after I begged her to start a character and see why I liked it so much. (2011/2012-ish)
She named her toon "Selina Hell" and dressed her in a typical female type super hero outfit. I watched as she played after leaving Brainiacs ship.


Pros:

• Constant invites to groups
• Constant /Tells from other players offering to help her level and show her the ropes
• Constant league invites
• Random players following her to watch protect her from opposite faction players as she did early missions, without asking
• Random e-mail messages containing cash from $50.00 - $80,000.00 (that was a lot of money in 2011/12)
• Any request for help in the chat box was returned with a flood of /Tells and group invites

Cons:

• Constant groups of players standing around her toon pushing the Block button repeatedly.
• Whenever her toon was in the "Rest" emote multiple other players would simply stand directly in front of her or more of the block button dance.
• Constant /Tells asking "Are you a girl?" , compliments on her toons figure, aggressive requests for sexual favors, etc.
• Random e-mails containing sexual jokes or what we figured were attempts to hit on her.
• Any slight comment made in Shout chat turned into a flood of varying comments aimed at her for having a female toon or that she's a man
• Non-stop friend requests and raunchy messages to my PSN account, aimed at her, but while she was playing on my account.

These are things she did not experience or experience at the same level when playing as a male character, she described it as "the best cover ever, but why are the guy faces so busted lookin?"

All of the things she experienced by playing DCUO as a girl are things she has experienced playing Grand Theft Auto IV deathmatches, Grand Theft Auto V Online, Gears of War deathmatches, Metal Gear Solid Online, Street Fighter IV, The Sims 3, Halo 3, Resident Evil V, Demon's Souls and various other online games.

Guys typically don't know how to treat women online or offline, it sucks but it's the world women live in and they've unfortunately/fortunately learned to deal with it.

My girl created a total of 5 toons(Kill Chick, Selina Hell, Lady Deadpool, Christina Charge and Trampire) but eventually gave up because..well because she sucks at gaming.