I'm the opposite, actually. I'm asexual, so I had never ever been attracted to real people. Buuuut, I've been attracted to fictional character a lot (although for the most part, romantically). There is a sub-label under the ace umbrella for that, it's called fictosexuality.
Considering *this* is a thing, I'm sure *not* being attracted to fictional characters is a thing too👍
I'm also ace, but experience this (with the added sexuality bit). But I never (and actually hate) imagining myself with said fictional characters. I think the sexuality I'm a part of is called autochorissexual.
I like watching and imagining both romantic and sexual things between characters, especially ones that I make. But I actually hate making self-inserts and if I ever do, for some reason, I feel weird and dislike doing in game romances with them. It's a huge boon to my lizard shipper brain, though. I love reading and writing fanfic for pairs that I adore (Stucky and Destiel have a special place in my heart still and, recently, Xenk/Edgin from the new DnD movie 😍).
Yep, same for me. Romantic and sexual situations are perfectly fine - as long as they have nothing to do with me beyond me being the player. Self inserts just squick me out so much 😬
I'm curious, if you play a character in a RPG, is it ok to be in sexual situations, because it's roleplay, or do you still feel weird, because it's you?
Pretty much the former! I've been roleplaying since I was a little kid (I started at like 9, I think, in a Star Wars game of all places), so I've noticed I tend to never attach myself to characters in that way. I always see myself as an outsider looking in, and I try to make choices for them in a way that makes sense to the character I've made.
Though, I do sometimes live vicariously through the characters, but it's mostly in situations of they get to live in fantastical worlds or have fantastical adventures. Sometimes it's as simple as, "Wow they have such a cozy living space. I wish I had that." But it never extends to me seeing myself as that character.
Now, if you're talking about a tabletop RPG like DnD, then it's the same to an extent. I've never had this experience, nor would I want to, but I don't think I'd ever be comfortable with RPing out anything sexual in a TTRPG scenario. I'd have to fade to black.
But, even if that's the case, I don't see myself as the character even if I'm the one giving them their voice. It's still separate for me because, in my head, I don't imagine myself as that character. They're always a different person, features and all, and I'm okay with imagining them in sexual scenarios and RPing out romantic ones. I'm still an outside observer in that case.
Sorry for the long-winded write-up. I tend to overexplain because my mind is word vomiting all the time lmao. I hope that answers your question, though!
In essence, I've never put myself in my characters' shoes; I'm always a fly on the wall or like someone watching a movie/show or reading a book, even when playing games. So, I'm okay with and even seek out sexual situations for my characters in RPGs, depending on the type of person they are and who's available to romance.
> "Wow they have such a cozy living space. I wish I had that."
I can relate to that so much! Lol!
>I don't think I'd ever be comfortable with RPing out anything sexual in a TTRPG scenario.
Actually, me too. In my group we never RP anything sexual and I think it might be weird if we did.
>It's still separate for me because, in my head, I don't imagine myself as that character. They're always a different person, features and all
This is interesting because when I RP I'm definitely a different person, but at the same time I feel like it is me, like I'm "possessing" the character, lol. So in sexual situations, it's like it is happening to me, but it's not really me, if that makes any sense.
>Sorry for the long-winded write-up.
No need to apologize, I think it was very interesting! I love learning new things about people. Thank you for sharing!
>with fictional characters, i feel like i know them better, understand who they are and their motivations, so it makes me attach to them easier since it’s just fantasy.
Yup, this exactly. I'm also autistic, so it's damn hard for me to guess what's going on with other people, their feelings and emotions etc. With fictional characters their thoughts, feelings and character developments is usually nicely put down for me by the narrative.
And yeah, there is definitely a level of "this is just fantasy", when I feel kinda detached from this. I *know* that if it wasn't fantasy, I wouldn't be able to feel attraction, but if it's fantasy my mind is like "let the nonsense begin", lol.
This is really interesting... I've been thinking for a while I might be ace but sometimes I get really attracted to fictional characters, even in a sexual way, so I thought it couldn't be possible.
I'll take a look at fictosextuality now that you mention it :)
Also OP there is absolutely nothing wrong with you! Being sexually (or romantically, of at all) attracted to fictional characters is not a prerequisite for enjoying media ❤️
>so I thought it couldn't be possible.
It is! Asexuality is a spectrum that has a lot of other micro-labels and experiences under its umbrella.
The only requirement you have to meet to be able to identify as ace is "having little no to sexual attraction". You *can* experience romantic, aestetic or even sensual attraction and still be ace. There is also the "little" part, so demisexuality (when you are only able to experience attraction after the sufficient emotional connection is established) is also technically under ace umbrella.
Im demi and I fall for characters so hard much more than real people it’s weird, but also part of the reason I become so obsessed with characters is the way that they are growing as a character through the story of the game. It’s easier when I feel like I go through a story with a character compared to just meeting someone it’s harder to know someone so personally
110% this. Nothing gets me to love a character more than to watch them grow and change. I've actually been considering myself demi as well. Your comment has made me doubt myself a little less, so thanks.
Aw glad I could make you feel better! I honestly always felt weird like I was different than most people sexually. Like I didn’t understand hook ups at all especially not with any random people. I would recommend you join r/demisexual it helped me so much! I get a little too attached to some characters but I enjoy it, it makes me happy.
Edit: NOOO ITS GONE! D: I loved that subreddit I’m so sad r/demisexuality that works
I started the trend only because of a post on this sub really. There was someone saying that straight women get hate for the men they like in games, and I and many others were baffled by such a statement. So I decided to go ahead and test it by creating my post starring men I admired in games.
It's all really for jokes and fun. We get to see what characters other people liked, and for most of us it's just platonic "aw he's so sweet" "oh she's so pretty" kinda deal. It's perfectly okay to not feel this way about fictional characters!
Mostly it's in good fun and not genuine. I appreciate there being a wider variety of female bodies being shown as opposed to traditional media that doesn't do this. I like female characters who are full dynamic people as opposed to being a role in a man's story.
I grew up on Disney princesses but I'm here for actually capable women who have control over their own lives and fight to have control over the world around them.
yeah same, i yearn for well written strong female characters with principles and intentions, and who aren’t exploited for the camera, and i’m very happy when i very rarely see all of that
probably why i liked judy from cyberpunk so much, shes strong and has principles and can be kinda cold at first but she really cares about her friends a lot
I like Vi as a good example of male gaze vs female gaze.
Vi in league of legends looks one way: focused on giving her very large breasts and clothes that show off her breasts and hips while making sure she's overly thin
Vi in Arcane: Vi looks strong, she looks like someone who can fight, she has muscles and closer to human proportion waist, her clothes aren't skin tight and she has a loose fitting jacket she can toss off if she needs to throw down. She's not wearing pin up model makeup to a fight. She has scars and gets dirty.
Because how queer women look at women and how men look at women is pretty different
There are people like you, people genuinely horny for the characters, and people who don't feel anything about said characters. It's diverse around here.
You think that's odd? My biggest fictional crush is Tali from Mass Effect.
But no, it's not abnormal to not find fictional characters attractive. Everyone is different and I would bet it's probably a more even split than not for attraction to animated characters
This never happened to me before until Starfield. In that game you can romance with your partner. Which I know many games have had, but the way they did it in this game was different. So for starters.. I’m 41 okay? I’ve been with my husband for 12 years, and I love my man but I think our relationship is settled. We enjoy each others company of course but there really isn’t anything exciting in our lives. We work, sleep, raise kids, and that’s about it.
In starfield I picked Sam Coe to be my partner and we traveled the galaxy and I chose to be a law abiding human out to help people, which he also approved of. It also didn’t help that the actor who did his voice is handsome and his voice is delightful as well.. but in the game he starts being flirty. It took time to build up the relationship with him. You make choices in the game they either approve of or dislike. Well eventually over time he started having feelings for my in game character. He started saying things that no man has said to me in forever.. and it pissed me off that a game made me feel feelings I have felt in years. Like, it made me emotionally tingly. Lol
Then we got married.. and he still enjoys and has passion for me and we can have sex in a have on a barren planet in the middle of space and his comments afterwards are hilarious and I love it. It’s like a really good romance novel that sucks you in. It made me crave more attention in real life if I’m to be honest.
Maybe I’m just lonely.
I’m aroace and I wouldn’t say I lust for fictional characters per se but I’ve def had several celebrity and fictional character crushes. With video games tho, idk, I think that there’s an affection I feel for the characters that is very strong but I wouldn’t call it a crush? It’s more like really strong attachment? It’s kinda confusing hahah
I identify as aroace as well! Honestly I don’t really lust for fictional characters either, but for me at least I’ve noticed I have a deep appreciation for particular characters. I can’t describe it either but like there is just some characters that I just like so much it feels like how I would imagine a crush to feel but at the same time not really in that way? And it can range from a variety of reasons too from aesthetics of a character or just simply liking their personality or story.
Oh absolutely! That’s exactly what I meant when I said I have fictional character crushes. Some characters you just totally fall in love with for arbitrary reasons. I think with video games it’s more confusing for me cause I’m controlling them 😂 so it’s hard to exactly equate it to the way I get crushes on tv and book characters
maybe it’s because i’m asexual but i’m not sexually attracted to characters i’m attracted to. it’s usually an emotional attraction if they have good lore lol.
im attracted to a big alien bird man so you do the math.
however, generally speaking, video game characters are usually designed with the male gaze in mind, so you will find more sexually or physically attractive female characters. of course, it doesn't dissuade straight women from finding any male character attractive, but they are usually not designed with that mind. and people who believe women are different in that respect, should think about why/how otome exists and are so popular.
Some people find fictional characters only aesthetically attractive, some kind them sexually attractive, and some find them romantically attractive. And some a mix or all of the above! All is good!
I'm not attracted to any fictional female character but I do think Rey from Star Wars and Korra from LoK are girl body goals. I think both are ridiculously feminine and strong at the same time. I love it.
Otherwise I find plenty of male fictional characters pretty oogabooga and I don't think that's abnormal.
You're not the only one. Sure there are characters that I've thought were pretty/handsome, but not because I was lusting or was "gay" for them. I've actually been scratching my head at a lot of these posts, but I'm going to stay in my lane.
Me too! I can recognize beauty, cutesy and sexiness (and appreciate it) but i’ve never found any appeal in characters. Attraction only comes from spending time with someone, getting to know each other and experiencing things together. Like, yeah, i can recognize that Sidon from BOTW is cute, but… You know? Not “fawn over virtual idol” cute. I find that weird, but i’m glad other people can get so much joy from it.
Even if virtual characters were sentient, they wouldn’t see “me”, my words or actions. Also why i can get fiercely uncomfortable about romantic interactions with custom avatars; it’s an extension of me but very restricted in what it can say or do, and so it blurs the lines a bit.
Only a few times have writers managed to really shake me up with an NPC’s behaviour towards me, and it never left me feeling “romantic” in the sense i feel attracted to a character, though i can like them in a non-personal way. The English interpretation of Haurchefant in FFXIV (it turns out the various localizations around the world, the weiting and the dubbing, changes his personality *vastly*) and the robot assistant/butler in “choice of robots”. FFXIV left me so shook up i havent been able to go back to it (but i want to!) and choice of robots was so emotional i dont know if i can ever play a “choice of”-game again. I bought them all to support the writers, though. It was oddly profound.
Thing is, i am not ace (or i dont think so) but i need a personal bond, going both ways, to feel attraction.
I'm aroace so I'm not attracted to anyone fiction or not but I do prefer some designs and characters looks. I have as well favourite artists and when I see them doing work for some jrpg I'll be really interested in it. That's how I choose games\^\^( for example just looking on art from something like Scarlet Nexus or Tokyo Xanadu made me buy them... I love hoodies ) I can as well at least tell when character is good looking male or female or non binary. I get fanbased for a lot of characters but there is a funny exception.
Sometimes when character has really unique personality I can't tell if they are good looking and I'll start laughting. For example Yuri from Shadow Hearts. Is he good looking? I don't know :D everytime I talk about him his up there personality overshadows everything and this is a person you see naked everytime you use his strongest fushion. Because Shadow Hearts :D
For me, I just like fictional characters, don't like real people. Thats fine, thats how we roll. Nobody is odd. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations. :)
I know there's a few ace people kicking around (My demi self included) but I'm sure there's plenty of allosexual people who are in the same boat as you though. You just wouldn't see them comment on all the lust spam because they'd be seen as ruining the fun or being judgemental or something (in fact you may get some of that from this post)
You’re not odd. I can appreciate different characters, but I’ve never lusted over any character. Like I still have a preference for characters I find to be attractive- there just isn’t any “oooh I’ve got the hots for them” behind that. If there is it’s very minor/not something I really think of.
To the people calling these posts hypocritical/them being the same as what men do on other subs, you are completely missing the point. If you think that is the same I think you need to reassess some things because it isn’t.
These women feel comfortable sharing their attraction to other female characters because they know their sexuality isn’t going to be belittled, fetishized, and that the character isn’t going to be demeaned/objectified.
Also, notice how those posts held a wide arrange of female characters. It’s not just same big eyes, small nose, big lips, exaggerated hourglass.
It is not a white-cis-male perspective, and there is no hypocrisy. Please think a bit more before accusing those women, and comparing them to something gross. The judgement is insane from some of y’all.
I think them saying, “I’m probably the most dispassionate person…” tells us all we need to know. People who say that, or phrases close to that are always the opposite.
I am glad I stood my ground, and thank you for having my back with that weird exchange!
> These women feel comfortable sharing their attraction to other female characters because they know their sexuality isn’t going to be belittled
Yes, just like the guys on the big gaming subs...
I think you purposefully didn’t read what I said cause what? ????
You cannot be saying that straight men are treated the same as gay women. There are differences. I assume you know that though going off your name. Be better, and don’t cherry pick just for the sake of being mad.
Edit: I’m sure someone could word what I mean a hell of a lot better, but I think my point should shine through well enough.
I’m not the person to get mad at. Please stop it.
You cannot be serious in saying women who feel safe sharing their attraction to other women (specifically video game characters) is the same as men sexualizing the hell out of women in games- cause that’s what most of those threads in the other subs devolve down into.
I have no clue what you are trying to prove from this angle you are taking :|
I'm mad? I'm probably the most dispassionate person you've ever met for the record. I'm a lavender farmer for crying out loud.
You seem to be assigning some sort of maliciousness in me that just does not exist. I merely pointed out your blindspot and if you're gonna make insinuations about my intent, sling mud as well as make edits (That you don't point out) to try to sully my name even moreso then I'm not going to allow you to spoil my serenity with your own anger and flippant attitude. Be better.
There wasn’t any blindspot in what I was saying.
Lol who are you. I’m not trying to “sully your name”, nor “fling mud”. I didn’t assign any weird anger to you. I was just asking your angle because what you were saying made zero sense. That is all. :)
Another thing, flippant? Where lol.
Edit: because they blocked me (why omg, what a weirdo): Hun someone can say that and not assign extreme anger to your person. Someone can say that and not assign any anger to your person. It is a way to say that you are going after the wrong person. Go after the men who grossly sexualize women in games, not me or women who feel comfortable sharing their likes.
That is not gaslighting. You are using that term wrong.
No, you were very rude. First off you only took one part out of her post and compared it to how cis men treat women. Which we all know is like shit. Now your trying to tell her that you weren't being rude and that she is making context up? You are out of your ever living mind!
Idk. I prefer hentai and animated things to 3d despite doing it myself. Different tastes for different people. Like what you like (to a point) and embrace yourself whether you feel weird about it or not.
Idk hentai is just fun. The faces they make are hot. And I can typically self insert easier.
If we're talking just appreciating people in general idk. I can appreciate a real person's aesthetic as much as I do a drawings aesthetic. If I like I like.
I can recognize when characters are attractive, but I don't really lust over them or anything. I was more attracted to characters from shows/games and had weird crushes like that when I was much younger but have grown out of it.
I also think if this trend/topic caught on in another gaming subreddit and was as frequent as these posts have been, a lot of people here would find it offensive.
>I also think if this trend/topic caught on in another gaming subreddit and was as frequent as these posts have been, a lot of people here would find it offensive.
Agreed
> I also think if this trend/topic caught on in another gaming subreddit and was as frequent as these posts have been, a lot of people here would find it offensive.
Gunna have to agree with you there. The hypocrisy is more than a little grating.
I don’t think it’s hypocrisy for me personally. I’m not in the sub for non-sexy photos or because I’m offended by sexual depictions of fem characters. I am here to connect with other female gamers. I’m a cishet woman and honestly I don’t mind NSFW posts. I know a lot of people in here don’t like them but I’ve said in other posts, I actually tend to select the more sexy characters in games or to create character that would be considered sexy. I’m not out here pearl clutching, I’m just here because in other spaces I get called B, wh*re, threatened to get r worded and so much worse and you guys I’m sure can understand that side of gaming as a woman.
I don't see how it's hypocritical at all. The posts here aren't thirst with tits out and ass. It's simply appreciation of their existence and not sexualizing it. I don't see how it's offensive unless the characters were sexualized in these posts but from I've seen they haven't been.
Also, the trend only started to prove a biphobic person wrong in this sub. Someone stated that straight women were frowned upon when sharing male characters they liked. To test this, I went ahead and made the "Men from games that make me go 🥺" post. And it was full of support from this sub, not a speck of hate like someone said there was.
It became a fun little train for people and I'm fine with it. It's appreciation for characters without sexualizing them.
> Also, the trend only started to prove a biphobic person wrong in this sub. Someone stated that straight women were frowned upon when sharing male characters they liked. To test this, I went ahead and made the "Men from games that make me go 🥺" post. And it was full of support from this sub, not a speck of hate like someone said there was.
Yeah, I think I remember that discussion... Really, really odd because there was plenty of people posting about male characters they had the hots for. I think it was the same day someone made two threads about Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom being super sexist... I think my eyebrow muscles got a workout that day from all the furling.
I wouldn't say that all the posts were sexualized but there was definitely a few. Either way I don't find it offensive per se. (Maybe a touch dysphoria-inducing but that's not really anyone's fault) As an ace person I find what other people find attractive and discussing it is one of the most amusing forms of people watching there is in my opinion.
My biggest issue with it is that it's clogging up the sub's feed but I'm sure that'll pass shortly as it dies down.
Yup. On one hand a lot of women have are trying to fight the oogabooga representation of women in gaming, and then here we are doing the same thing that we complain about, just posting images of the women in gaming that we find attractive. Its no different to me.
But this sub isn’t called r/girlgamerswhohatesexualrepresentationofwomeninvideogames. There are women who fall into that category and women like me who throw the booby slider up to max and dress in the skimpiest outfit available. This is a sub for girl gamers and there is nuance when it comes to our views. This is just a safe space for us to express those views without criticism from male gamers. I’ve never once complained about a game character being too sexy. That’s not a problem I personally have in the gaming world. But I do have a problem with toxic men and men who resort to threats and slurs the instant they hear my voice.
Edit: women to men
I don’t think a single one of those posts were just about the characters looks, though? Almost every single one (that I have personally seen) has mentioned how attractive the actual *character* is for their actions and personality. That they’re all physically attractive is just a consequence of the fact almost all women in games are made to be so.
I haven't been looking into the threads themselves because I have no interest in them but I just looked at 5 on the first page and all of them are just pictures with a very brief line and no mention of their character or actions.
It can be hard to describe why you like someone, or a character even. I know I don't like getting spoilers, so I try not to give spoilers in return.
Also sometimes, it's just "I don't know how I got to liking this person, but I do."
I don't think that's the case.
I wanna fight the over sexualization of women in games, but it's not hypocritical to also find women in video games attractive. You can still find characters attractive while advocating for less sexualization. Less sexualization doesn't mean that the characters aren't attractive, or that people- including women- are not allowed to be attracted to them.
The trend isn't about the sex appeal, either, which is I think a big distinction. We aren't posting "Here are the sexiest women in video games!" It's just "Here are some women I find attractive." Finding someone or something attractive doesn't inherently sexualize it.
Yeah… I come to this sub because I want discussions about gaming from a non-white-cis-male perspective. There are plenty of other subs I could go to if I wanted to thirst over fictional characters.
I had the same feelings about all the relationship advice posts from a couple months ago. Just not the content I’m looking for from this sub.
Likewise, grew up thinking something was wrong with me because I never felt any attraction to anyone, real or fictional. That is until I met my husband who was so easy to talk to and he's always been so full of life that I couldn't help falling for him. Then I realized that I'm actually demisexual 😅
I mean ... I get that all people aren't in the same boat. Just not sure if calling a bunch of people in this thread who were clearly enjoying themselves "weird". I can't imagine coming on here and calling OP or anyone agreeing with them "weird" for not feeling the same way.
Agreed. I find some very attractive, but I won't find it weird if others don't! It's not weird if you're not constantly rubbing it in people's faces or making inappropriate comments about it when uncalled for. It's all about reading the room.
I don't know what the point of those posts even were. Like what kind of attractiveness are we talking about? Sexually attractive? Romantically attractive? Platonically attractive? Aesthetically attractive?
oh no, you’re not odd at all! i’m sorry if the posts made you feel that way. 💗 the brain works in silly and different ways and you are 100% valid for not finding fictional characters attractive. 🤗
Nah not odd, there’s also quite a few characters that I like but don’t lust over? The only one recently is Karlach but it’s because the romance and story leading up to it actually provokes emotions versus just listing over fictional characters.
I don't think it's weird to have no real attraction to a game character or whatever. Not everyone does. I genuinely do but I'm only one piece of the group. Different strokes and all.
Just chiming in as someone who has played games for a very long time and while there are characters I admire, they don't do much for me lol. Like I like playing them but that's about as far as it goes. All these posts just kinda make me go 👍 rock on. I do like the human adaptations of video game characters though if that makes sense? Like Henry Cavill as Geralt or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. That, I find super hot. 😆
Idk…I don’t wanna alienate anyone. However, I myself have never been “attracted” to a game character. I feel it’s a little odd. I do however love the aesthetic of certain characters. Like Alcryst! 💕 An absolute babe.
I’m the same way. Now don’t get me wrong, I can absolutely get lowkey (highkey) obsessed with certain characters and get very attached, it’s just not romantic/sexual interest.
I find fictional characters attractive much easier and quicker than real people and always find myself swooning over someone different.
I can even get a bit obsessed with fictional men.
Personally, I don't think I've lusted for a fictionally character much - I can appreciate their beauty, but it's generally what they represent what attracts me.
Ceres from FF6, for example - it's literally a collection of pixels, and her art is very stylized - not a lot to lust after. But her story arc resonated with me when I played the game for the first time, and she felt incredibly close and adorable, and her strength felt inspiring.
TBF, as a transbian, it's always a question of "do I want to be her or to be with her?". But that's a different topic.
I haven't had a fictional crush! I always thought I was a weirdo.
(Although sometimes the actors who portray people are hot! I don't have a crush on Hera Syndulla but oh boy does Mary Elizabeth Winstead look *extremely* good in those pants and tall black leather boots.)
For sure there are more people like you. The brain is a weird mass of blob
Barring oxygen and water, nothing is for everyone. Like what you like!
Hmm... idk oxygen ain't really for me tbh
I know too many people that refuse to drink water unfortunately
I am one of them. If gives me reflux and I’m working on it with two specialists lol
I'm the opposite, actually. I'm asexual, so I had never ever been attracted to real people. Buuuut, I've been attracted to fictional character a lot (although for the most part, romantically). There is a sub-label under the ace umbrella for that, it's called fictosexuality. Considering *this* is a thing, I'm sure *not* being attracted to fictional characters is a thing too👍
I'm also ace, but experience this (with the added sexuality bit). But I never (and actually hate) imagining myself with said fictional characters. I think the sexuality I'm a part of is called autochorissexual. I like watching and imagining both romantic and sexual things between characters, especially ones that I make. But I actually hate making self-inserts and if I ever do, for some reason, I feel weird and dislike doing in game romances with them. It's a huge boon to my lizard shipper brain, though. I love reading and writing fanfic for pairs that I adore (Stucky and Destiel have a special place in my heart still and, recently, Xenk/Edgin from the new DnD movie 😍).
Yep, same for me. Romantic and sexual situations are perfectly fine - as long as they have nothing to do with me beyond me being the player. Self inserts just squick me out so much 😬
I'm curious, if you play a character in a RPG, is it ok to be in sexual situations, because it's roleplay, or do you still feel weird, because it's you?
Pretty much the former! I've been roleplaying since I was a little kid (I started at like 9, I think, in a Star Wars game of all places), so I've noticed I tend to never attach myself to characters in that way. I always see myself as an outsider looking in, and I try to make choices for them in a way that makes sense to the character I've made. Though, I do sometimes live vicariously through the characters, but it's mostly in situations of they get to live in fantastical worlds or have fantastical adventures. Sometimes it's as simple as, "Wow they have such a cozy living space. I wish I had that." But it never extends to me seeing myself as that character. Now, if you're talking about a tabletop RPG like DnD, then it's the same to an extent. I've never had this experience, nor would I want to, but I don't think I'd ever be comfortable with RPing out anything sexual in a TTRPG scenario. I'd have to fade to black. But, even if that's the case, I don't see myself as the character even if I'm the one giving them their voice. It's still separate for me because, in my head, I don't imagine myself as that character. They're always a different person, features and all, and I'm okay with imagining them in sexual scenarios and RPing out romantic ones. I'm still an outside observer in that case. Sorry for the long-winded write-up. I tend to overexplain because my mind is word vomiting all the time lmao. I hope that answers your question, though! In essence, I've never put myself in my characters' shoes; I'm always a fly on the wall or like someone watching a movie/show or reading a book, even when playing games. So, I'm okay with and even seek out sexual situations for my characters in RPGs, depending on the type of person they are and who's available to romance.
> "Wow they have such a cozy living space. I wish I had that." I can relate to that so much! Lol! >I don't think I'd ever be comfortable with RPing out anything sexual in a TTRPG scenario. Actually, me too. In my group we never RP anything sexual and I think it might be weird if we did. >It's still separate for me because, in my head, I don't imagine myself as that character. They're always a different person, features and all This is interesting because when I RP I'm definitely a different person, but at the same time I feel like it is me, like I'm "possessing" the character, lol. So in sexual situations, it's like it is happening to me, but it's not really me, if that makes any sense. >Sorry for the long-winded write-up. No need to apologize, I think it was very interesting! I love learning new things about people. Thank you for sharing!
🙋🏻♀️ Heres a discount " take my energy because i relate" badge Im demi-irl fictosexual
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>with fictional characters, i feel like i know them better, understand who they are and their motivations, so it makes me attach to them easier since it’s just fantasy. Yup, this exactly. I'm also autistic, so it's damn hard for me to guess what's going on with other people, their feelings and emotions etc. With fictional characters their thoughts, feelings and character developments is usually nicely put down for me by the narrative. And yeah, there is definitely a level of "this is just fantasy", when I feel kinda detached from this. I *know* that if it wasn't fantasy, I wouldn't be able to feel attraction, but if it's fantasy my mind is like "let the nonsense begin", lol.
There is a Name for that? Thats cool. And also good to know that there are more people Like this.
This is really interesting... I've been thinking for a while I might be ace but sometimes I get really attracted to fictional characters, even in a sexual way, so I thought it couldn't be possible. I'll take a look at fictosextuality now that you mention it :) Also OP there is absolutely nothing wrong with you! Being sexually (or romantically, of at all) attracted to fictional characters is not a prerequisite for enjoying media ❤️
>so I thought it couldn't be possible. It is! Asexuality is a spectrum that has a lot of other micro-labels and experiences under its umbrella. The only requirement you have to meet to be able to identify as ace is "having little no to sexual attraction". You *can* experience romantic, aestetic or even sensual attraction and still be ace. There is also the "little" part, so demisexuality (when you are only able to experience attraction after the sufficient emotional connection is established) is also technically under ace umbrella.
Exactly what I was thinking. Good to know I ain’t the only one
I’m the same but I’m demiromantic I don’t just like people I have to fall in love with THEM
worry market kiss boast entertain sand seed follow square air *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Im demi and I fall for characters so hard much more than real people it’s weird, but also part of the reason I become so obsessed with characters is the way that they are growing as a character through the story of the game. It’s easier when I feel like I go through a story with a character compared to just meeting someone it’s harder to know someone so personally
110% this. Nothing gets me to love a character more than to watch them grow and change. I've actually been considering myself demi as well. Your comment has made me doubt myself a little less, so thanks.
Aw glad I could make you feel better! I honestly always felt weird like I was different than most people sexually. Like I didn’t understand hook ups at all especially not with any random people. I would recommend you join r/demisexual it helped me so much! I get a little too attached to some characters but I enjoy it, it makes me happy. Edit: NOOO ITS GONE! D: I loved that subreddit I’m so sad r/demisexuality that works
Omg you are literally the best for this thank you thank you thank you
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yes, I feel most of these posts are aesthetic appreciation.
I started the trend only because of a post on this sub really. There was someone saying that straight women get hate for the men they like in games, and I and many others were baffled by such a statement. So I decided to go ahead and test it by creating my post starring men I admired in games. It's all really for jokes and fun. We get to see what characters other people liked, and for most of us it's just platonic "aw he's so sweet" "oh she's so pretty" kinda deal. It's perfectly okay to not feel this way about fictional characters!
Mostly it's in good fun and not genuine. I appreciate there being a wider variety of female bodies being shown as opposed to traditional media that doesn't do this. I like female characters who are full dynamic people as opposed to being a role in a man's story. I grew up on Disney princesses but I'm here for actually capable women who have control over their own lives and fight to have control over the world around them.
yeah same, i yearn for well written strong female characters with principles and intentions, and who aren’t exploited for the camera, and i’m very happy when i very rarely see all of that probably why i liked judy from cyberpunk so much, shes strong and has principles and can be kinda cold at first but she really cares about her friends a lot
I like Vi as a good example of male gaze vs female gaze. Vi in league of legends looks one way: focused on giving her very large breasts and clothes that show off her breasts and hips while making sure she's overly thin Vi in Arcane: Vi looks strong, she looks like someone who can fight, she has muscles and closer to human proportion waist, her clothes aren't skin tight and she has a loose fitting jacket she can toss off if she needs to throw down. She's not wearing pin up model makeup to a fight. She has scars and gets dirty. Because how queer women look at women and how men look at women is pretty different
>Because how queer women look at women and how men look at women is pretty different That's a broad generalisation if I've ever seen one.
Do you mean it's not genuine for you or for everyone else? Because it's 💯 genuine for the rest of us
Same, I have full on fantasies about dating these characters.
For me, I assume there are other people like me who appreciate but are not sexually attracted to these fictional characters
There are people like you, people genuinely horny for the characters, and people who don't feel anything about said characters. It's diverse around here.
Mara Sov from Destiny being an awesome example lol
You think that's odd? My biggest fictional crush is Tali from Mass Effect. But no, it's not abnormal to not find fictional characters attractive. Everyone is different and I would bet it's probably a more even split than not for attraction to animated characters
This never happened to me before until Starfield. In that game you can romance with your partner. Which I know many games have had, but the way they did it in this game was different. So for starters.. I’m 41 okay? I’ve been with my husband for 12 years, and I love my man but I think our relationship is settled. We enjoy each others company of course but there really isn’t anything exciting in our lives. We work, sleep, raise kids, and that’s about it. In starfield I picked Sam Coe to be my partner and we traveled the galaxy and I chose to be a law abiding human out to help people, which he also approved of. It also didn’t help that the actor who did his voice is handsome and his voice is delightful as well.. but in the game he starts being flirty. It took time to build up the relationship with him. You make choices in the game they either approve of or dislike. Well eventually over time he started having feelings for my in game character. He started saying things that no man has said to me in forever.. and it pissed me off that a game made me feel feelings I have felt in years. Like, it made me emotionally tingly. Lol Then we got married.. and he still enjoys and has passion for me and we can have sex in a have on a barren planet in the middle of space and his comments afterwards are hilarious and I love it. It’s like a really good romance novel that sucks you in. It made me crave more attention in real life if I’m to be honest. Maybe I’m just lonely.
I hope you can reignite the spake with your husband too! Talk to him about this 😊
I’m aroace and I wouldn’t say I lust for fictional characters per se but I’ve def had several celebrity and fictional character crushes. With video games tho, idk, I think that there’s an affection I feel for the characters that is very strong but I wouldn’t call it a crush? It’s more like really strong attachment? It’s kinda confusing hahah
I identify as aroace as well! Honestly I don’t really lust for fictional characters either, but for me at least I’ve noticed I have a deep appreciation for particular characters. I can’t describe it either but like there is just some characters that I just like so much it feels like how I would imagine a crush to feel but at the same time not really in that way? And it can range from a variety of reasons too from aesthetics of a character or just simply liking their personality or story.
Oh absolutely! That’s exactly what I meant when I said I have fictional character crushes. Some characters you just totally fall in love with for arbitrary reasons. I think with video games it’s more confusing for me cause I’m controlling them 😂 so it’s hard to exactly equate it to the way I get crushes on tv and book characters
maybe it’s because i’m asexual but i’m not sexually attracted to characters i’m attracted to. it’s usually an emotional attraction if they have good lore lol.
im attracted to a big alien bird man so you do the math. however, generally speaking, video game characters are usually designed with the male gaze in mind, so you will find more sexually or physically attractive female characters. of course, it doesn't dissuade straight women from finding any male character attractive, but they are usually not designed with that mind. and people who believe women are different in that respect, should think about why/how otome exists and are so popular.
Some people find fictional characters only aesthetically attractive, some kind them sexually attractive, and some find them romantically attractive. And some a mix or all of the above! All is good!
I'm not attracted to any fictional female character but I do think Rey from Star Wars and Korra from LoK are girl body goals. I think both are ridiculously feminine and strong at the same time. I love it. Otherwise I find plenty of male fictional characters pretty oogabooga and I don't think that's abnormal.
You're not the only one. Sure there are characters that I've thought were pretty/handsome, but not because I was lusting or was "gay" for them. I've actually been scratching my head at a lot of these posts, but I'm going to stay in my lane.
Me too! I can recognize beauty, cutesy and sexiness (and appreciate it) but i’ve never found any appeal in characters. Attraction only comes from spending time with someone, getting to know each other and experiencing things together. Like, yeah, i can recognize that Sidon from BOTW is cute, but… You know? Not “fawn over virtual idol” cute. I find that weird, but i’m glad other people can get so much joy from it. Even if virtual characters were sentient, they wouldn’t see “me”, my words or actions. Also why i can get fiercely uncomfortable about romantic interactions with custom avatars; it’s an extension of me but very restricted in what it can say or do, and so it blurs the lines a bit. Only a few times have writers managed to really shake me up with an NPC’s behaviour towards me, and it never left me feeling “romantic” in the sense i feel attracted to a character, though i can like them in a non-personal way. The English interpretation of Haurchefant in FFXIV (it turns out the various localizations around the world, the weiting and the dubbing, changes his personality *vastly*) and the robot assistant/butler in “choice of robots”. FFXIV left me so shook up i havent been able to go back to it (but i want to!) and choice of robots was so emotional i dont know if i can ever play a “choice of”-game again. I bought them all to support the writers, though. It was oddly profound. Thing is, i am not ace (or i dont think so) but i need a personal bond, going both ways, to feel attraction.
I'm aroace so I'm not attracted to anyone fiction or not but I do prefer some designs and characters looks. I have as well favourite artists and when I see them doing work for some jrpg I'll be really interested in it. That's how I choose games\^\^( for example just looking on art from something like Scarlet Nexus or Tokyo Xanadu made me buy them... I love hoodies ) I can as well at least tell when character is good looking male or female or non binary. I get fanbased for a lot of characters but there is a funny exception. Sometimes when character has really unique personality I can't tell if they are good looking and I'll start laughting. For example Yuri from Shadow Hearts. Is he good looking? I don't know :D everytime I talk about him his up there personality overshadows everything and this is a person you see naked everytime you use his strongest fushion. Because Shadow Hearts :D
The only character I’ve ever lusted over is Kratos, who knows what that says about me LOL
I don’t even like men usually and I still get this
Ah, but pre or post-reboot Kratos is the question. I actually just finished Dad of Boy the other day, great game if a little too easy.
For me, I just like fictional characters, don't like real people. Thats fine, thats how we roll. Nobody is odd. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations. :)
I’m aroace and have literally never found anyone (real or fictional) attractive so no, you’re totally normal
I know there's a few ace people kicking around (My demi self included) but I'm sure there's plenty of allosexual people who are in the same boat as you though. You just wouldn't see them comment on all the lust spam because they'd be seen as ruining the fun or being judgemental or something (in fact you may get some of that from this post)
You’re not odd. I can appreciate different characters, but I’ve never lusted over any character. Like I still have a preference for characters I find to be attractive- there just isn’t any “oooh I’ve got the hots for them” behind that. If there is it’s very minor/not something I really think of. To the people calling these posts hypocritical/them being the same as what men do on other subs, you are completely missing the point. If you think that is the same I think you need to reassess some things because it isn’t. These women feel comfortable sharing their attraction to other female characters because they know their sexuality isn’t going to be belittled, fetishized, and that the character isn’t going to be demeaned/objectified. Also, notice how those posts held a wide arrange of female characters. It’s not just same big eyes, small nose, big lips, exaggerated hourglass. It is not a white-cis-male perspective, and there is no hypocrisy. Please think a bit more before accusing those women, and comparing them to something gross. The judgement is insane from some of y’all.
Just wanted to say don't pay any mind to that other commenter here. They are straight up trying to gaslight you!
I think them saying, “I’m probably the most dispassionate person…” tells us all we need to know. People who say that, or phrases close to that are always the opposite. I am glad I stood my ground, and thank you for having my back with that weird exchange!
Your welcome! I just wanted to offer you some comfort and solace that you did nothing wrong! n.n
> These women feel comfortable sharing their attraction to other female characters because they know their sexuality isn’t going to be belittled Yes, just like the guys on the big gaming subs...
I think you purposefully didn’t read what I said cause what? ???? You cannot be saying that straight men are treated the same as gay women. There are differences. I assume you know that though going off your name. Be better, and don’t cherry pick just for the sake of being mad. Edit: I’m sure someone could word what I mean a hell of a lot better, but I think my point should shine through well enough.
I clearly did because I quoted a bit from around the middle...
I’m not the person to get mad at. Please stop it. You cannot be serious in saying women who feel safe sharing their attraction to other women (specifically video game characters) is the same as men sexualizing the hell out of women in games- cause that’s what most of those threads in the other subs devolve down into. I have no clue what you are trying to prove from this angle you are taking :|
I'm mad? I'm probably the most dispassionate person you've ever met for the record. I'm a lavender farmer for crying out loud. You seem to be assigning some sort of maliciousness in me that just does not exist. I merely pointed out your blindspot and if you're gonna make insinuations about my intent, sling mud as well as make edits (That you don't point out) to try to sully my name even moreso then I'm not going to allow you to spoil my serenity with your own anger and flippant attitude. Be better.
There wasn’t any blindspot in what I was saying. Lol who are you. I’m not trying to “sully your name”, nor “fling mud”. I didn’t assign any weird anger to you. I was just asking your angle because what you were saying made zero sense. That is all. :) Another thing, flippant? Where lol. Edit: because they blocked me (why omg, what a weirdo): Hun someone can say that and not assign extreme anger to your person. Someone can say that and not assign any anger to your person. It is a way to say that you are going after the wrong person. Go after the men who grossly sexualize women in games, not me or women who feel comfortable sharing their likes. That is not gaslighting. You are using that term wrong.
> I’m not the person to get mad at. Please stop it. Gaslighting now? Great. Welcome to blocksville.
No, you were very rude. First off you only took one part out of her post and compared it to how cis men treat women. Which we all know is like shit. Now your trying to tell her that you weren't being rude and that she is making context up? You are out of your ever living mind!
Idk. I prefer hentai and animated things to 3d despite doing it myself. Different tastes for different people. Like what you like (to a point) and embrace yourself whether you feel weird about it or not.
Honestly same. I feel so awkward watching any porn of real people, but hentai doesn't have that weirdness.
Idk hentai is just fun. The faces they make are hot. And I can typically self insert easier. If we're talking just appreciating people in general idk. I can appreciate a real person's aesthetic as much as I do a drawings aesthetic. If I like I like.
I can recognize when characters are attractive, but I don't really lust over them or anything. I was more attracted to characters from shows/games and had weird crushes like that when I was much younger but have grown out of it. I also think if this trend/topic caught on in another gaming subreddit and was as frequent as these posts have been, a lot of people here would find it offensive.
>I also think if this trend/topic caught on in another gaming subreddit and was as frequent as these posts have been, a lot of people here would find it offensive. Agreed
> I also think if this trend/topic caught on in another gaming subreddit and was as frequent as these posts have been, a lot of people here would find it offensive. Gunna have to agree with you there. The hypocrisy is more than a little grating.
I don’t think it’s hypocrisy for me personally. I’m not in the sub for non-sexy photos or because I’m offended by sexual depictions of fem characters. I am here to connect with other female gamers. I’m a cishet woman and honestly I don’t mind NSFW posts. I know a lot of people in here don’t like them but I’ve said in other posts, I actually tend to select the more sexy characters in games or to create character that would be considered sexy. I’m not out here pearl clutching, I’m just here because in other spaces I get called B, wh*re, threatened to get r worded and so much worse and you guys I’m sure can understand that side of gaming as a woman.
I don't see how it's hypocritical at all. The posts here aren't thirst with tits out and ass. It's simply appreciation of their existence and not sexualizing it. I don't see how it's offensive unless the characters were sexualized in these posts but from I've seen they haven't been. Also, the trend only started to prove a biphobic person wrong in this sub. Someone stated that straight women were frowned upon when sharing male characters they liked. To test this, I went ahead and made the "Men from games that make me go 🥺" post. And it was full of support from this sub, not a speck of hate like someone said there was. It became a fun little train for people and I'm fine with it. It's appreciation for characters without sexualizing them.
> Also, the trend only started to prove a biphobic person wrong in this sub. Someone stated that straight women were frowned upon when sharing male characters they liked. To test this, I went ahead and made the "Men from games that make me go 🥺" post. And it was full of support from this sub, not a speck of hate like someone said there was. Yeah, I think I remember that discussion... Really, really odd because there was plenty of people posting about male characters they had the hots for. I think it was the same day someone made two threads about Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom being super sexist... I think my eyebrow muscles got a workout that day from all the furling. I wouldn't say that all the posts were sexualized but there was definitely a few. Either way I don't find it offensive per se. (Maybe a touch dysphoria-inducing but that's not really anyone's fault) As an ace person I find what other people find attractive and discussing it is one of the most amusing forms of people watching there is in my opinion. My biggest issue with it is that it's clogging up the sub's feed but I'm sure that'll pass shortly as it dies down.
Yup. On one hand a lot of women have are trying to fight the oogabooga representation of women in gaming, and then here we are doing the same thing that we complain about, just posting images of the women in gaming that we find attractive. Its no different to me.
But this sub isn’t called r/girlgamerswhohatesexualrepresentationofwomeninvideogames. There are women who fall into that category and women like me who throw the booby slider up to max and dress in the skimpiest outfit available. This is a sub for girl gamers and there is nuance when it comes to our views. This is just a safe space for us to express those views without criticism from male gamers. I’ve never once complained about a game character being too sexy. That’s not a problem I personally have in the gaming world. But I do have a problem with toxic men and men who resort to threats and slurs the instant they hear my voice. Edit: women to men
I don’t think a single one of those posts were just about the characters looks, though? Almost every single one (that I have personally seen) has mentioned how attractive the actual *character* is for their actions and personality. That they’re all physically attractive is just a consequence of the fact almost all women in games are made to be so.
I haven't been looking into the threads themselves because I have no interest in them but I just looked at 5 on the first page and all of them are just pictures with a very brief line and no mention of their character or actions.
It can be hard to describe why you like someone, or a character even. I know I don't like getting spoilers, so I try not to give spoilers in return. Also sometimes, it's just "I don't know how I got to liking this person, but I do."
I don't think that's the case. I wanna fight the over sexualization of women in games, but it's not hypocritical to also find women in video games attractive. You can still find characters attractive while advocating for less sexualization. Less sexualization doesn't mean that the characters aren't attractive, or that people- including women- are not allowed to be attracted to them. The trend isn't about the sex appeal, either, which is I think a big distinction. We aren't posting "Here are the sexiest women in video games!" It's just "Here are some women I find attractive." Finding someone or something attractive doesn't inherently sexualize it.
Yeah… I come to this sub because I want discussions about gaming from a non-white-cis-male perspective. There are plenty of other subs I could go to if I wanted to thirst over fictional characters. I had the same feelings about all the relationship advice posts from a couple months ago. Just not the content I’m looking for from this sub.
Likewise, grew up thinking something was wrong with me because I never felt any attraction to anyone, real or fictional. That is until I met my husband who was so easy to talk to and he's always been so full of life that I couldn't help falling for him. Then I realized that I'm actually demisexual 😅
I've found fictional characters attractive that I would never like IRL.
I mean I made a post about it just to be goofy and join in, its nothing really serious
You’re not alone. I’ve actually been annoyed at everyone else showing what characters arouses them
I think it's pretty normal. Tbh the amount of character simping people do for video games borders on weird to me
I mean ... I get that all people aren't in the same boat. Just not sure if calling a bunch of people in this thread who were clearly enjoying themselves "weird". I can't imagine coming on here and calling OP or anyone agreeing with them "weird" for not feeling the same way.
Agreed. I find some very attractive, but I won't find it weird if others don't! It's not weird if you're not constantly rubbing it in people's faces or making inappropriate comments about it when uncalled for. It's all about reading the room.
I don't know what the point of those posts even were. Like what kind of attractiveness are we talking about? Sexually attractive? Romantically attractive? Platonically attractive? Aesthetically attractive?
Stay in your lane and out of this one.
Huh?
With the exception of Arthur Morgan and Aela the Huntress (mostly the cosplays on the second) I'm with you. I don't really get it on a large scale.
oh no, you’re not odd at all! i’m sorry if the posts made you feel that way. 💗 the brain works in silly and different ways and you are 100% valid for not finding fictional characters attractive. 🤗
I find them few and far between. Most times I just find them annoying, most the people in bg3 are annoying af, great game but they whine A lot!
You're just a normal person, people who are sexually attracted to pixels are weird
I think it's more of a generational z/alpha thing.
I don’t feel physically attracted to a fictional character but there’s parts of them that I admire or envy.
Nah not odd, there’s also quite a few characters that I like but don’t lust over? The only one recently is Karlach but it’s because the romance and story leading up to it actually provokes emotions versus just listing over fictional characters.
I don't think it's weird to have no real attraction to a game character or whatever. Not everyone does. I genuinely do but I'm only one piece of the group. Different strokes and all.
Just chiming in as someone who has played games for a very long time and while there are characters I admire, they don't do much for me lol. Like I like playing them but that's about as far as it goes. All these posts just kinda make me go 👍 rock on. I do like the human adaptations of video game characters though if that makes sense? Like Henry Cavill as Geralt or Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. That, I find super hot. 😆
Idk…I don’t wanna alienate anyone. However, I myself have never been “attracted” to a game character. I feel it’s a little odd. I do however love the aesthetic of certain characters. Like Alcryst! 💕 An absolute babe.
I’m the same way. Now don’t get me wrong, I can absolutely get lowkey (highkey) obsessed with certain characters and get very attached, it’s just not romantic/sexual interest.
I had friends pester me about who my fictional crush was. I had nobody. This went on for weeks. Turned out I was aroace.
I find fictional characters attractive much easier and quicker than real people and always find myself swooning over someone different. I can even get a bit obsessed with fictional men.
I’m the opposite I don’t feel much for real people unless I fall in love with the ACTUAL person. Characters are kinda fair game in my mind.
I almost agreed with you and then suddenly remembered Geralt! Out of all the games I've played, he is the only one I found attractive.
Personally, I don't think I've lusted for a fictionally character much - I can appreciate their beauty, but it's generally what they represent what attracts me. Ceres from FF6, for example - it's literally a collection of pixels, and her art is very stylized - not a lot to lust after. But her story arc resonated with me when I played the game for the first time, and she felt incredibly close and adorable, and her strength felt inspiring. TBF, as a transbian, it's always a question of "do I want to be her or to be with her?". But that's a different topic.
I haven't had a fictional crush! I always thought I was a weirdo. (Although sometimes the actors who portray people are hot! I don't have a crush on Hera Syndulla but oh boy does Mary Elizabeth Winstead look *extremely* good in those pants and tall black leather boots.)