I live in Ohio, in Lucas County (which voted 60% Kerry btw). Apparently didn't make much of a difference. >_
I'm also looking into moving to Canada. I was going to move back to Seattle in the summer, but Vancouver BC is looking more and more like a good alternative.
Thank you, finally another female commenting on the article. I hate being put in a box, I have always loved games and gaming, for the sake of playing them not to connect with guys. I started gaming at the age where girls think boys have cooties, on an Atari 2600! My parents were geeks, and even then I wasn't encouraged to play on the computer as much as my brother was. I think a lot of girls grow up as non-gamers because they weren't even shown they could use a computer at a young age. I was lucky, I've always been interesting in math and logic problems, and worked my way into the tech industry through QA. I'm now a programmer, and just as avid a gamer as I was when I was 8.
I also often play male personas, especially in FPS's, I feel that the catcalls and stupid comments interfere with my gaming experience. In MMORPGs its different, I switch between characters depending on their function and how I want to roleplay them. When I play a warrior I usually make it a male, as people often will follow a male's lead over a females. The great thing about games is that gender doesn't really matter, you can be what you want and no one will ever know as long as you don't give yourself away.
I have male coworkers who game (and not all my male coworkers are gamers) and their wives don't game and they complain about it all day. I could never be married to someone who didn't share my gaming passion, and I can't imagine why they didn't find female gamers to marry except that maybe we are rarer than I thought. I know a lot of female gamers so I can't believe this is the truth. Becoming a gamer as a way of getting dates? It seems ludicrous to me, but I guess I shouldn't knock one way of creating more female gamers as long as they actually become gamers rather than just pretend to get a date.
I am a huge RPer, and even though I like other types of games, RPGs are my favorite. I have been playing MMORPGs for over 6 years now, and I have to say that your guild can make all the difference. I have been in a bunch of "roleplay" guilds (always seems kindof sad to have to differentiate roleplay and non-roleplay in a RolePlaying Game) and they have kept my faith in the game I was playing. When they went to a new game, I went with them. Having a community that does the same activity that you do (in this case roleplaying) makes all the difference, it allows you to at least mostly shut out all the 1337 d3wdz and interact with people the way you want the game to be played. I recently went back to DAoC just to join Shadowclan, a guild that roleplays a kobold horde, complete with their own language (based off of Tolkien's Black Speech). Its a blast! If you like to roleplay, make your own guild and gather like minds. Or do some research and work toward getting into one of the existing roleplay guilds. Theres a ton out there.
I have to agree with disc-cord, I'm in beta and it handles up to several hundred (100 on all 3 sides) battles flawlessly as long as you have a computer that is up to spec with the game. It can be amazingly hectic and fun, especially if you have a good squad. Its invigorating and addictive.:) The major problem I have with the game is the friendly fire issue, in large scale battles I get killed by my own side as much as any other side. People with itchy trigger fingers not taking time to check whether that sniper (me) is on their side or not are my bane. Sigh. I wish there was an option to turn friendly fire off, but I understand why its there.
I disagree. I happen to be a woman programmer, and a fledgling game programmer, AND a PVPer. I spent my youth in arcades and in front of the computer, and know quite a few female gamers who are grief players and PKers and excellent FPSers. In fact chose the PvP server in EQ because it was more challenging to play against both players and mobs, and I love a challenge... Some of the best PKers I knew on RZ (Rallos Zek) were female, same with DAoC when I moved there (played on Mordred). My brother's wife is a wicked PKer, and a better FPSer than I. Our current hot game is PlanetSide.;) The game I am working on is one with PvP and I know I will be out there with my female friends PKing the hell out of people with this attitude. I do agree that people have started wanting more specialized games catering to their type of player, but I also think that games like Star Wars Galaxies try to cater to a broader range like Ultima Online did... Guess we will have to wait and see how well it turns out.;)
I met and fell in love with my fiance (of 4 years now) in EverQuest, I moved to be with him and we have been together in "RL" for 3 years. We currently both play DAoC on one of the new PvP servers. My guild, which came over from EQ is very close knit, and we all would gladly stand up for each other in RL as well as in game. I have made friends in MMORPGs that are as lasting and real as any RL friend I have, and I also play with and stay close to my family through MMORPGs (as my brothers both play). MMORPGs have become a real community, even if it is a virtual one, the feelings felt in our virtual community are just as close as what we feel in RL.
Thanks so much for saying this. I am sorry but not only "If I wanted to teach my kids about human sexualty and it's blocked by the library, then my kids are being disadvantaged by not being able to look things up like your kids" but also kids know if they are "not supposed" to look at something or "being blocked" from looking at something then they think its "bad". Its the way we have taught them to think. So if we want our kids to be proud of their bodies and be informed about them, and then give them the message (indirectly) that the thing we want them to be proud of is bad then they will not knw what to think! Mixed msgs about something as fundamental as sexuality can be scarring (and I know we do this a lot already but one less mixed msg at least helps a little). I respect other religions (even Christianity) for their beliefs, just dont interfere with the right for others to practice theirs. If someone is of a religion that believes that personal sexuality is a beautiful thing, then this infringes their rights... Thats all for now... Kyriani out. *sigh*
Very good CS dept, tho dont know much about CE... Have several friends there and was until recently taking solo classes there (good post-graduate courses as well). Best to you. -=Kyriani=- (I go by my handle because no one believes my real name)
Not just kindof scary... I cant believe this is happening. Except for being female (and that isnt a big except) I fit *all* the listed characteristics in highschool (and even now!), and so does my brother. Luckily I am now 24 and in the professional computer industry which (mostly) doesnt care about how you dress and what games you play (hell, Quake Tournaments are a Friday event for most of us programmers). But I have a step-sister and step-brother (yes I definitely did have a dysfunctional family and my mother finally divorced my father and is now happily remarried), and those step-siblings are still in HighSchool... I cant say how worried I am for them, for they take after my brother and I, they are always telling me stories about how they got suspended for wearing all black clothes to school or for having blue hair... I cant believe that this is happening without the public's permission! How are we just letting this slide? I dont want to have children in this kind of a society! (and I was kindof looking forward to bringing little geeks into this world...) =P
*sigh* Someone remind me why I live in the US? -=Kyriani=- (i use a handle because people dont believe my real name;) GeekProgrammerArtistGamerGrrrrrrl
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I live in Ohio, in Lucas County (which voted 60% Kerry btw). Apparently didn't make much of a difference. >_
I'm also looking into moving to Canada. I was going to move back to Seattle in the summer, but Vancouver BC is looking more and more like a good alternative.
Thank you, finally another female commenting on the article. I hate being put in a box, I have always loved games and gaming, for the sake of playing them not to connect with guys. I started gaming at the age where girls think boys have cooties, on an Atari 2600! My parents were geeks, and even then I wasn't encouraged to play on the computer as much as my brother was. I think a lot of girls grow up as non-gamers because they weren't even shown they could use a computer at a young age. I was lucky, I've always been interesting in math and logic problems, and worked my way into the tech industry through QA. I'm now a programmer, and just as avid a gamer as I was when I was 8.
I also often play male personas, especially in FPS's, I feel that the catcalls and stupid comments interfere with my gaming experience. In MMORPGs its different, I switch between characters depending on their function and how I want to roleplay them. When I play a warrior I usually make it a male, as people often will follow a male's lead over a females. The great thing about games is that gender doesn't really matter, you can be what you want and no one will ever know as long as you don't give yourself away.
I have male coworkers who game (and not all my male coworkers are gamers) and their wives don't game and they complain about it all day. I could never be married to someone who didn't share my gaming passion, and I can't imagine why they didn't find female gamers to marry except that maybe we are rarer than I thought. I know a lot of female gamers so I can't believe this is the truth. Becoming a gamer as a way of getting dates? It seems ludicrous to me, but I guess I shouldn't knock one way of creating more female gamers as long as they actually become gamers rather than just pretend to get a date.
I am a huge RPer, and even though I like other types of games, RPGs are my favorite. I have been playing MMORPGs for over 6 years now, and I have to say that your guild can make all the difference. I have been in a bunch of "roleplay" guilds (always seems kindof sad to have to differentiate roleplay and non-roleplay in a RolePlaying Game) and they have kept my faith in the game I was playing. When they went to a new game, I went with them. Having a community that does the same activity that you do (in this case roleplaying) makes all the difference, it allows you to at least mostly shut out all the 1337 d3wdz and interact with people the way you want the game to be played.
I recently went back to DAoC just to join Shadowclan, a guild that roleplays a kobold horde, complete with their own language (based off of Tolkien's Black Speech). Its a blast!
If you like to roleplay, make your own guild and gather like minds. Or do some research and work toward getting into one of the existing roleplay guilds. Theres a ton out there.
I have to agree with disc-cord, I'm in beta and it handles up to several hundred (100 on all 3 sides) battles flawlessly as long as you have a computer that is up to spec with the game. It can be amazingly hectic and fun, especially if you have a good squad. Its invigorating and addictive. :)
The major problem I have with the game is the friendly fire issue, in large scale battles I get killed by my own side as much as any other side. People with itchy trigger fingers not taking time to check whether that sniper (me) is on their side or not are my bane. Sigh. I wish there was an option to turn friendly fire off, but I understand why its there.
I disagree. ;) ;)
I happen to be a woman programmer, and a fledgling game programmer, AND a PVPer.
I spent my youth in arcades and in front of the computer, and know quite a few female gamers who are grief players and PKers and excellent FPSers. In fact chose the PvP server in EQ because it was more challenging to play against both players and mobs, and I love a challenge... Some of the best PKers I knew on RZ (Rallos Zek) were female, same with DAoC when I moved there (played on Mordred). My brother's wife is a wicked PKer, and a better FPSer than I. Our current hot game is PlanetSide.
The game I am working on is one with PvP and I know I will be out there with my female friends PKing the hell out of people with this attitude. I do agree that people have started wanting more specialized games catering to their type of player, but I also think that games like Star Wars Galaxies try to cater to a broader range like Ultima Online did... Guess we will have to wait and see how well it turns out.
I met and fell in love with my fiance (of 4 years now) in EverQuest, I moved to be with him and we have been together in "RL" for 3 years. We currently both play DAoC on one of the new PvP servers. My guild, which came over from EQ is very close knit, and we all would gladly stand up for each other in RL as well as in game. I have made friends in MMORPGs that are as lasting and real as any RL friend I have, and I also play with and stay close to my family through MMORPGs (as my brothers both play). MMORPGs have become a real community, even if it is a virtual one, the feelings felt in our virtual community are just as close as what we feel in RL.
Kyri/Kyriani Wyrmsinger
Mordred server DAoC
Thanks so much for saying this. I am sorry but not only "If I wanted to teach my kids about human sexualty and it's blocked by the library, then my kids are being disadvantaged by not being able to look things up like your kids" but also kids know if they are "not supposed" to look at something or "being blocked" from looking at something then they think its "bad". Its the way we have taught them to think. So if we want our kids to be proud of their bodies and be informed about them, and then give them the message (indirectly) that the thing we want them to be proud of is bad then they will not knw what to think! Mixed msgs about something as fundamental as sexuality can be scarring (and I know we do this a lot already but one less mixed msg at least helps a little). I respect other religions (even Christianity) for their beliefs, just dont interfere with the right for others to practice theirs. If someone is of a religion that believes that personal sexuality is a beautiful thing, then this infringes their rights... Thats all for now... Kyriani out. *sigh*
Very good CS dept, tho dont know much about CE... Have several friends there and was until recently taking solo classes there (good post-graduate courses as well). Best to you. -=Kyriani=- (I go by my handle because no one believes my real name)
Not just kindof scary... I cant believe this is happening. Except for being female (and that isnt a big except) I fit *all* the listed characteristics in highschool (and even now!), and so does my brother. Luckily I am now 24 and in the professional computer industry which (mostly) doesnt care about how you dress and what games you play (hell, Quake Tournaments are a Friday event for most of us programmers). But I have a step-sister and step-brother (yes I definitely did have a dysfunctional family and my mother finally divorced my father and is now happily remarried), and those step-siblings are still in HighSchool... I cant say how worried I am for them, for they take after my brother and I, they are always telling me stories about how they got suspended for wearing all black clothes to school or for having blue hair... I cant believe that this is happening without the public's permission! How are we just letting this slide? I dont want to have children in this kind of a society! (and I was kindof looking forward to bringing little geeks into this world...) =P
;)
*sigh* Someone remind me why I live in the US?
-=Kyriani=-
(i use a handle because people dont believe my real name
GeekProgrammerArtistGamerGrrrrrrl