Topic

Glitch: Too estrogen driven to attract male players?

So, I'm a 35 year old guy with a wife and kids who was invited to play this game several weeks ago by someone at Tiny Speck. I immediately found the game to be fun enough to play as a casual experience, but I honestly have been losing interest as quickly as I progress due to the feeling that it has little or no appeal for males to play.

Glitch has a lot of potential for many kinds of people, but I honestly feel it is focusing in on the 10 to 30-something female, thus limiting its appear to the other gender ENTIRELY. If I hung my masculinity on the wall and just played Glitch, I could easily spend hours of having endless fun with this game, but I am all too often reminded of how this game is NOT geared for men. Whats more, even my wife laughed when she saw me playing this during the EOTW party, asking if I was going homo on her.

So, while I could cite several examples of how this game personally makes me unattracted to it, I'll just offer the following obvious examples as seen while visiting the site:

1) Pastels, everywhere!
Is this really necessary right down to character customization? I mean come on, this is fine in San Francisco and NYC, but as stated before: No appeal for the manly figure.

Perhaps a customizable skin chooser for the game's frame, a set of "REI-like" clothing choices and less effeminate choices would help. The awards are atrociously gag-worthy... pink buttons for planting beans or cooking... lovely: beta.glitch.com/achievements/

2) Subscribers are designated as pink hearts.
Most men (who prefer women) would not be comfortable with this and I doubt that they would buy a membership strictly because of it.

Almost anything at this point would be preferable, seriously. You can go to the grocery store and watch many men pass up on purchasing products that offer immediate donations to breast cancer. It has nothing with support the cause and everything to do with the fact that it's a pink ribbon.

3) Characters, while cartoony, lack any wardrobe or vanity customizations that would be considered masculine in ANY way.
From feathers to MORE pastels to kilts and pumps, I see nothing here created by a straight male.

Simply have a man make some shirts with sports, trucks or booze on them... add basic sneekers and steal toe boots... might help just a *wee-bit*.
 
Bash me if you will, but I am not trying to say the game sucks as much as I am trying to offer constructive criticism as to why this game will lack male players, especially ones whom have insecurities about maintaining their masculinity (which is a majority of men). If you note, I am also trying to offer suggestions to make it more appealing to the potential male players out there.

Posted 17 months ago by c0mad0r Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • +1 MILLION VAGUITY
    Posted 17 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • NASCAR thread?

    i'd love to argue the merits of restrictor plate racing in a glitchy context.

    ok not really, but is fun to contemplate.
    Posted 17 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oh, and frankly, as someone who grew up in Kansas City, in the heart of the Midwest, and who hunts, fishes and spits farther than the OP, I'm a little offended that he's depicting all of us who speak with what Robert Heinlein described as a "corn stalk rasp" as jackasses who have no tolerance for others and raging insecurities about "going homo".   For the record, I also now live in NC, down in the foothills where the necks are as red as they get, and I'm still not a bigot. And I guarantee I can cook a better steak than anyone in this thread over a real fire. 
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "Stri, I'm not a NASCAR fan myself, and I cannot know what it's like, but I did have an awkward time of it when my mother came out as an IndyCar fan when I was a teenager."

    at least she didn't come out as an F1 fan.

    talk about kinky circuits.
    Posted 17 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @ malo + to infinity!

    In rl it's my job to help people put the pieces back together after life has dealt them blows that have shattered their psyche.  I come to Glitch to escape the things that damage people - anger, prejudice, violence, excess sexuality, racism, sexism, ageism, bullying, brutality, cruelty, pride, ignorance, stupidity and so on.

    This game attracts people like malo not the millions of juvenile males whose goal is to kill, deal grief and torment other gamers and the minute those players start invading this world I will be out of here looking for some other refuge!

    Malo is MY idea of a genuine, 100 percent, "real man"!

    A real man (IMHO) is someone whose masculinity comes from within and is not affected by what he wears, who he has sex with, what games he plays, or what other people think about him (or the games he plays).  The same goes for real women.
    Posted 17 months ago by Reni's Mum Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Taylor Swift - You do know we all still love you? At least I'm seeing signs that people here are trying to lighten the atmosphere here. :D Thanks. There are things worth serious discussion here, but no need to be beating each other up. Not big on NASCAR myself, but I've had a friend or two involved with it in the past (one was a former head of a pit crew - I don't remember which driving team). But last check I was endowed with the usual male equipment. And recent statistics show women are that sport's biggest fans.
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Murri, if I could, I'd add you to my friends list a million times over again.

    Anyway, I'm going to bed comforted by the fact that I'm the gender and sexuality spokesperson at my agency for a reason, and that I was also selected to be an integral part of an anti-male-violence program, for a reason. I will no longer be dissuaded by ignorant individuals, especially teenagers, that honestly don't know anything of value in regards to the topic at hand, and I will walk away from this thread, for now. In fact, for good, maybe. Hopefully.

    Feel free to talk crap behind my back. That says more about your character than mine.

    Goodnight, Groddle. And stoot, if you see this, I love you, even if you are mad at me for fueling the fire. :P

    ETA: Fokian, not all of us. I can't "love" someone who also continues to insult me out of ignorance.
    Posted 17 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Heck, I live in Race City, USA. No really, I live in Mooresville, NC.
    Nascar isn't just a "testosterone" thing. You ought to see the gay race fans. They're just as fanatic, but slightly brighter.
    :)
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • You hush about my kinky circuits!

    *claps hand over mouth*
    Posted 17 months ago by Jennyanydots Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Cerulean: Well, I said "insulting to" rather than "offensive to." I wasn't assuming that all QUILTBAG people would take offense (Taylor doesn't, as you both point out) or *feel* insulted, but I would definitely say that the OP's post is insulting.

    It's not dissimilar to the way a comment can be accurately described as sexist/misogynistic, despite the existence of women who are not offended by it. Many women do laugh at sexist jokes; that doesn't change the joke's reliance on derogatory attitudes toward women for its humor. And so it goes with using the word "gay" as a pejoritive, or using the phrase "self-respecting men" as mutually exclusive with a description the speaker thinks applies to gay men.

    I do acknowledge that my wording was ambiguous. When I said the OP was insulting to QUILTBAG people," I meant that in the sense of "contains insults directed against QUILTBAG people." But I see you heard it in the sense of "considered insulting by QUILTBAG people." My apologies -- I should have been clearer.

    On another note, I'm particularly annoyed with Taylor for doing "You call yourself tolerant and accepting? Well, then, why are you so intolerant of this person's intolerance? Why aren't you accepting of their refusal to accept your personhood?" song and dance. It's another silencing tactic, and a disingenuous one at that, as it purports to misunderstand what fighting against bigotry is all about. I rather like the Slacktivist's take on it:

    "Here is where illiberal folks like to chime in with something like, 'You liberals can tolerate anything except for intolerance.' This they seem to imagine is a witty rejoinder that exposes some contradiction in our thinking, as though proponents of tolerance had just proposed the existence of the barber who cuts the hair of all those, and only those, who do not cut their own hair. 'Hah!' they cackle, triumphantly, 'Then who cuts the barber's hair?' The proper response to such people is to crush them under a rock that is so big even God couldn't lift it."
    Posted 17 months ago by Vortexae Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Murri - Guess where I currently live and was born? :)

    @Enola +1 to you too. The all too common failure to grasp that simple concept has led to a lot of abuse. Familiar with the "True Scotsman" fallacy?
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Fokian Fool: Squee! You're a local? :D

    @Vortexae: Dude, yes. I totally agree with the Slacktivist on that as well. Except I'm a multiple god kinda girl, so I want the rock large enough that can't team up and lift it. 
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I tried a couple of times to say what Vortexae just said, but I couldn't find a way to make it clear and concise so I gave up.  Thanks, Vortexae!
    Posted 17 months ago by Sir Soleil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Taylor Swift - I must have missed something you've said that's offended people. You're obviously still fine with me. Maybe someone can explain it to me later, but not now. It's 3 am here and I really need the rest after the hospital stay.
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Fokian Fool: ok, I just went and clicked your Google+ account link. Yay! KC native! *high fives*
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Fokian Fool lol yes but no true Glitchian would ever be abusive to another - right? ;)
    Posted 17 months ago by Reni's Mum Subscriber! | Permalink
  • For those who are offended by anything in this thread I must say YOU DON"T HAVE TO READ IT..  The thoughts here are not tearing down Glitch... They are  enhancing the sense of the varied individuals who love the game Glitch. The game is separate....I applaud Stoot for allowing this incredible discourse... I am learning so much.. new term QUILTBAG... thank God for Google and for such intelligent people... God bless us every one !
    Posted 17 months ago by napabeth Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Wow, this thread suddenly turned me off the game and community. If this is one of these communities where discourse is going to be dictated by the hysterical SF/NYC/Canadian PC types, I want no part of it.
    Posted 17 months ago by Sean of the Moor Subscriber! | Permalink
  • By the way, @stoot barfield is indeed awake and active here. :)
    @Murri - you read my grandiose bio? Ouch! I thought you said you were in NC?
    @Enola - I couldn't agree more! :D
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I could care less what op thinks he thinks, just one more closet phobe.. no excuses imho..

    Fokian, I applaud your equanimity..

    Striatic, I applaud your eloquence,

    Malo, You touch my heart,

    Cerulean, You are my heart..

    I am straight cause that's just the way i happened to turn out..  my sister is lesbian, she is also my hero and I would charge head first into any arena (sword or pixie wand in hand) to defend her right to exist in this world along side me.

    This is all i can say..
    Posted 17 months ago by Joni Mitchell Subscriber! | Permalink
  • *waves goodbye to Sean* Thanks for lumping everyone in a geographical location together. That's really tolerant and open-minded of you.
    Ya'll have fun now, ya hear?
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Fokian Fool: I'm in NC now, but was born and raised in Mission, on the Kansas side of the line. :) And your bio looked pretty simple and straightforward to me. Mine is WAY more grandiose, but I can't seem to get a G+ invite.
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Sean of the Moor - @Stoot made a good point about this in another thread just a few minutes ago. Oh. I'm in KC. And definitely not PC. Stick around. I suspect you may not have read the thread through. And even if you have I've noticed this kind of thing happen on other gaming boards. It's annoying, true enough, but it straightens itself out.
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Sean of the Moor - @Stoot made a good point about this in another thread just a few minutes ago. Oh. I'm in KC. And definitely not PC. Stick around. I suspect you may not have read the thread through. And even if you have I've noticed this kind of thing happen on other gaming boards. It's annoying, true enough, but it straightens itself out.
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Dang double post. Don't know what's going on with my machine tonight, and I'm running Linux. :(

    @Murri - I have some invites but I don't know how to send you one without you posting your email address publicly. No private chat channels when the game server is down.
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Fokian Fool: I'm Murri Blacksword over on Facebook. You are welcome to message me there. :) www.facebook.com/profile.ph...
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Murri, my email is in my profile if you want an invite to google+
    Posted 17 months ago by Joni Mitchell Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Check your FB account.
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • :) Back at ya, @Fokian Fool.

    @Princess Fi: Thanks for the offer. As I keep my personal gaming life and professional/personal artistic business/life a little separate, I might set up two profiles. If I can't invite my other account, I might contact you if that's ok.
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Murri - And you should have it. At some point I should post my real pic on my Google+ profile. :)
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • My fiance's pretty straight and he has a great time with glitch. Maybe you should stop focusing so heavily on playing games that make you feel HNNNNGH MANLY and just have fun with it. It's making you seem insecure. It's a game where you massage butterflies. Seriously.
    Posted 17 months ago by Pretty Boss Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It's SO cute when people come along and post without reading the thread at all. :P

    @Fokian Fool: Thanks! Got it.
    Whether you choose to show your real pic is up to you. You're cute, but it's ok to be shy. :)
    Posted 17 months ago by Murri Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It's now in my profile photos on Google+
    Posted 17 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Reading through this thread (Whew, took a while!) caused me to think about my own Glitch identity.  My Glitchen is dressed completely in conservative masculine black, not as a statement of any particular estrogen/testosterone balance (or imbalance), but simply as the choice of a shy newbie not quite comfortable with making a noticeable visual statement on the streets of Ur.  Somehow it seems the time has come to take the first tiny step out of that insecure shell, so, if you like, you are welcome to take a look at the (slightly) new Hawkwell.
    Posted 17 months ago by Hawkwell Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Huh. I googled "QUILTBAG" — never heard that acronym before.

    I have two main things to say, one about the game, its design and the choices we make and the other about All the Other Stuff Which Came Up in this Thread. Let's start with the latter topic and I'll save the stuff about the game for a following post.

    First, everyone should take a deep breath or two and consider how much better the conversation would go if we assumed the best of each other: if you're running everything through a filter looking for evidence of contempt-worthy stuff, you're pretty much guaranteed to feel some contempt.

    In c0mad0r's original post there was a point about customization parameters available to players and there was an unfortunate conflation of {stuff women like} and {being a gay man} along with {manly stuff} being {not gay} — "I see nothing here created by a straight male.", "no appeal for the manly", etc.

    Many people know that there are some gay men who are as "manly" as any straight guy (I know there are some tall, sculpted, handsome, powerful-looking gay guys out there that make me feel woeful inadequate as a man, and I'm just plain straight).

    Some gay men are "effeminate" and some are like the crazy warriors in 300. And most (that I know), in terms of personal style, behavior and inclinations (other than the obvious) seem pretty much the same as a randomly-chosen straight guy from a similar background.

    As it happens, there a similar number of men and women working directly on the Wardrobe & Vanity options in Glitch and all the men are straight. But, we're just cool. You know? It's a weird anomaly that we have good taste, despite the fact that we're not gay ;)

    Bottom line: It's just incorrect to think that a man who likes something that is also liked by a woman is gay. Ditto the idea that "gay" means "not manly" (I mean, just by definition, gay men hold "manliness' in pretty high regard).

    But, given the whole context of the remarks in the original post, I find it pretty easy to put it down to ignorance (sorry c0mad0r!) rather than malice. Yes, intent isn't magic but one can modulate the amount of upset generated by a given perceived offense by … making a deliberate effort not to assume the worst.

    c0mad0r, from anything written here, does not seem crazy unreasonable or close-minded or out to harm anyone. And I get the "perpetuating stereotypes which have caused enormous harm" angle. And I speak as an almost absurdly-privileged straight white male whose only direct experience with marginalization was pretty watered-down stuff, comparatively. Yet …

    The wrongness seems to come down to "gay men like stuff that women like" which, though untrue, is pretty harmless as a stereotype unless you think there's something wrong with stuff that women like (I myself like many things that women like — a lot of it is quite good!).

    And then —directly quoting the original post— there's this: "[male players,] especially ones whom have insecurities about maintaining their masculinity" won't play the game. And that seems like the main point: if you are insecure about "maintaining your masculinity" (which I assume means either "are worried that you might be gay" or "are worried that other people might think you are gay") the world of this game lacks sufficient signifiers or emblems of contemporary ritualized non-gay male-ness to either re-assure yourself or those around you that you are not doing something gay.

    And that's probably true: if you play Glitch, you are spending some time away from doing things which help prove that you are not gay. Yet surely even the most insecure need a break sometimes ;)
    Posted 17 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • WOW how did it get to this stage where there is a lot of animosity,
    for Gods sake lets all respect each other we are playing a game
    and everyone is different and we all have our opinions but why so
    personal,
    whatever your gender or sexual preference it should never matter,
    we are in this wonderfull game and I for one am so sad to read this
    forum and all the posts that has upset other players.
    so please lets get past this and enjoy the game.
    Posted 17 months ago by gill288 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hmmm strange thread. I'm male, pretty straight have a daughter and like Glitch. Like it because of peace, quiet, non competitive gameplay. I use female chars in every game i play - for some reason they always look better. :)

    Glitch attracts more females maybe because it is more cartoony, most stuff we do is like "female job" or smth. There is no competition and stuff.

    Males or machos maybe want violence, competition and more manly activities. And this maybe brings the less numbers in population.

    Why we just stop thinking like before 100 years. Glitch is different it have nothing with sexual orientation or sex. It is just different genre. Maybe it is more a family game where you can bring your family and can play together. If you want more "manly" stuff games there are plenty of them. There is blood, violence, swears, intrigues and all.

    If some of your friends do not like Glitch ok no big deal.

    I'm pretty happy in fact to see there are so many female gamers. Women are not so on computer games and seing Glitch is a game they like or love is great. Alot of my friends desperately search for games to play together with their girlfriends or wifes.
    Posted 17 months ago by Lilla My Subscriber! | Permalink
  • As for the options available in the game: we just make things we like (and then figure there will be enough players who will also like them that we'll be ok).

    We do this because want to work on something that we believe in and which we think is just good, crafted to the best of our abilities, and not try to anticipate what might sell well to a particular demographic.

    We do this partially because it is a more satisfying way to work and partly because we think it makes good business sense: we want to make something "strongly flavored" and not try to water it down with the hope of broadening its appeal because we'd rather have players who really like it, even if their numbers are smaller. (Plus there are already plenty of things out there designed to be have a "wide appeal to consumers" — it's kind of hopeless for a small player to "go generic" and hope to win against equally generic offerings from bigger companies with a lot more money and a lot more distribution.)

    So, the idea of adding "some shirts with sports, trucks or booze on them" in order to attract more male players doesn't sound very appealing because it is on the road to "get rid of what's distinctive about Glitch and risk losing the people who already like it/will like it, once they find out about it" in favor of people who, given their taste in shirts, probably wouldn't like the game anyway ;)

    Biff Beefbat, re "Tiny Speck is intentionally alienating a certain customer base to create a particular environment" — I don't think that's true (at least the "intentionally" part). We're trying to make something that's beautiful and perfect in its own idiosyncratic way and we accept, as a by product of that goal, that many people won't like it. As long as the people who do like it really like it, we're fine.

    We've given up any answer to "who are you making this game for?" except this one: "for people who will want to play it". It's kind of a silly answer, but it is the true answer. We like the game (though we are far from done improving it) and there are other people who really, really like it. And that leads us to believe that there are plenty more out there.

    If I had to pick one attribute of players that I'd hope Glitch would appeal to, it wouldn't be based on gender or age or geography — it'd be based on intelligence or curiosity or creativity or something along those lines (again, both because that's what I'd rather make and because I think there is a lot more opportunity to build something successful).
    Posted 17 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • We play Glitch as a family: daughter, husband and wife :-) We love it. All three a moly subscription!
    He likes the colours and some clothes even better then I do. Hilarious!
    Posted 17 months ago by ♠Tulip♠ Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hooray!  I think we've succeeded in getting this thread sufficiently off topic.

    @stoot:  +1 to everything you wrote.  You're bang-on with me, a retired straight white male who thinks Glitch is the best thing he's found on the web in ages (or maybe ever)!
    Posted 17 months ago by Hawkwell Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "If I had to pick one attribute of players that I'd hope Glitch would appeal to, it wouldn't be based on gender or age or geography — it'd be based on intelligence or curiosity or creativity or something along those lines (again, both because that's what I'd rather make and because I think there is a lot more opportunity to build something successful)." ~stoot

    Whew! I thought I was in the wrong place for a bit here.
    Posted 17 months ago by g33kgurrl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Nice to hear i play the game which will not get as 100 others, because of getting more player base. So so nice.
    Posted 17 months ago by Lilla My Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Man, do I ever hate gender/sexuality/color binaries. But I'm going to focus on stoot's responses, and the idea that the OP was truly ignorant of how inflammatory his post might be.

    C0mad0r, please try to understand that to many of us, the tone of your post and your choice of vocabulary came across as offensively as if you had said, "this game does not have enough appeal for the powerful and wealthy white male. It's clearly targetting [racial slur] and alienating the CEOs of Neo-nazi financial companies."

    I don't think you really intended to come off that way, and I'm going to suggest how you might have framed your ideas -- and the actual ideas are fine, if you strip the offensive language -- in a more sensitive way.

    1) I'd like to see more bold colors; I find the pastels unattractive.
    2) I don't like that subscribers are highlighted with pink hearts. Perhaps something more neutral, like an "S" could be used to designate subscription status.
    3) There are not a lot of clothing choices that are in line with traditional masculinity. I'd like to see more items that do, like steel toed boots or shirts advertising Flaming Humbabas.

    Same content, different attitude.

    A lot of us (and by us, I simply mean "players.") have found Glitch to be a haven from the negativity and marginalization we might face in reality -- for sexuality, gender presentation, disability, unemployment, or just being generally surrounded by insensitive people. As a whole, the Glitch community is loving and supportive and encourages all kinds of positive expression -- so coming to the forums and seeing someone use "homo" as a derogatory term is extremely jarring. 
    Posted 17 months ago by Sheepy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I haven't read this thread past the bit where c0mad0r responded to one of my posts, just wanted to add to him :

    "If that is truly the objective, which I might add is quite admirable (if not risky in the same right), then more should be done to consistently keep things asexual. "

    If you are still reading this thread anyway...I don't think stoot's use of the word 'people' was pointing to a desire to make Glitch neutral or asexual but rather inclusive of all kinds of gender definitions, people meaning 'everybody', not 'not-gender specific'.  I could be wrong, but I think Glitch's design bears that out.  

    I don't know much about game design or marketing, but I really like that about Glitch even if it's a "game killer", it appeals to me greatly.  I also think there is more "dude-centric" stuff in this game that you have just missed, and I would hope you would stick around to find it.

    **********
    I am seriously sorry for posting the quote that referenced NPR,  I really did not mean for that to throw any fuel on the fire...sorry, people!

    ********
    ETA now that I have read the rest:  Lilla My, you're a DUDE?!  ok then.  :D
    Posted 17 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Aaaahahahaha? I mean, is this serious? Pink hearts for friends will scare away masculine men from playing Glitch? Then I don't want those men playing Glitch. More pink please!

    I just noticed the poster was my friend ;p.
    Posted 17 months ago by Rascal Subscriber! | Permalink
  • ya know I am a married european/maori mix (palest maori I know) girl and yet I always had the nagging thought with all my costume choices that I was dressing rather masculine but screw it because I LOOK COOL. 

    (yes, even when wearing the scary maid outfit)

    Thats the thing about playing online. Its not real, so we can dress how we like, act how we like (within legal boundries of course)  and generally have fun doing whatever we like.

    I am a girl, but I sure aint a girly girl, happier in jeans and a hoodie than heels, skirt and fancy top (sure is cheaper thats for sure) I like cars, motorbikes and mountain bikes, baking new things that I have never baked before (this weekend red velvet cupcakes. OMG so yum) and taking photos of my cats.

    I have been playing online games for many years now, starting with MUDDs and LAN gaming and then basic webpage games like neopets, then various virtual worlds. One thing I have discovered is there is no such thing as a typical player. Everyone is different, everyone has different likes and dislikes, what they like doing in RL they may not enjoy talking about online and vice versa.  But thats what I find makes online gaming fun, lots of people to meet and often more open and easier to talk to than randoms on the street. 

    I have made alot of friends on this game just by trying for the windbag badges while waiting for my trees to hurry up and die already. Picking out random names on global and sending a quick hi. Its fun (try it sometime). 

    One thing I really enjoyed about glitch was the complete lack of forum trolls. Guess those days are over. It is one thing to post an opinion, however, to post that opinion and be a complete degrogatory arse about it. Thats just not cricket damnit.

    Sorry I havent read all the posts so sorry if I have reposted what someone already said but honestly seriously tl:dr (sorry) I did read stoots posts. Totally understand the stoot loving thats for sure.

    PS a pink knight suit would just rock my socks. :P
    Posted 17 months ago by HarleyQuin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • woooie, glad I didn't get here before stoot responded, my blood pressure went through the ceiling with some of the initial homophobia ("I want to be a real man, not gay!" "I am a real man, not gay, and the game works for me!" - like gay is a bad thing, wake up, it isn't). Thanks for the awesome response, stoot!

    As one of the few gender-queer lesbians playing this game, someone who prefers to present as either masculine or andro in both real life and online, who is not offended when someone refers to me as a man and who doesn't own anything pink (except for an inflatable squishy ball I got from flickr), I just want to note that I never have a problem finding masculine clothing to wear in Glitch.  It seems to work just fine for presenting as masculine here, since just about everyone refers to me as 'he'.

    More importantly that what gender I choose to present as here, I've always been impressed with Glitch in that I don't really get that crushing sense of 'need to conform' here. I like that the appeal is less based on what gender roles I should be shoved into and more on this wacky, crazy world where some people are dragons, some darth vader, some androgynous blobs with eyes that would do Marty Feldman proud, some extremely frilly, others rather butch and on and on and on.  I don't see the game as either hetero-normative or as gender-confining, because it's so much a psychedelic trip into bizarro world that real-world confines feel left behind to me: you can adorn such a wide range of masks here!

    Perhaps this is uncomfortable for a section of the world that needs gender roles (and needs them to match up to a person's sex or sexuality).  If so, they are the ones missing out, not Glitch,
    Posted 17 months ago by zeeberk Subscriber! | Permalink
  • you know, thinking more on this and I think people who identify as toys are seriously underrepresented on Glitch.  Let's work on that, shall we?
    Posted 17 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Nanookie: Sign me up for the Rubic's Cube avatar! Or a Sit n Spin, that's work, too.
    Posted 17 months ago by Sheepy Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I was offended at the 'homo' part, but this was hilarious:

    Simply have a man make some shirts with sports, trucks or booze on them... add basic sneekers and steal toe boots... might help just a *wee-bit*.

    Shouldn't that have been 'straight man'? Or maybe a 'butch lesbian' would do? *eyeroll*

    You could have had some pretty decent points about making the game more appealing to a wider range of people, but you lost those points amidst the bigotry. Pity.
    Posted 17 months ago by Nyx Subscriber! | Permalink