Warcraft... but in a serious way. SRSLY.

This is my newest Warcraft character, Maddix. I made her because James had a level 20-ish rogue (or "rouge," as people in the WOW chat like to write, because they are dumb) who needed a playing companion. I like her badass expression, her nose-ring, and her somewhat matchy armor. (A first for me!) She's a warlock, so she's slightly evil, which goes against my in-game ideology but which I am getting more used to. She fights with staffs, and also with wands, like Harry Potter, which is fun. She has an 'X' in her name. So you see, there's lots to like about her.

What I don't like is her dumb minion, Disraith, standing in the background in her hideous trampy demon bustier and panties.

One of the reasons I started playing Warcraft in the first place is that the game has, as James initially convinced me, "Diverse roles for women!" Female characters will have the same stats as a male character of the same class and level. Female non-player characters (who are part of the game) are rulers of kingdoms, army commanders, merchants, etc.--they do everything men do. Female and male characters wear the same armor and use the same gear. All of this pleases me.

But in other ways, the game is so exploitative, and it actually bothers me a lot. This minion, who whips herself with the leather whip she is holding and giggles, is part of that. Before she attacks, she says things like, "Don't touch what you can't afford." When you dismiss her, she says, "I hope it was good for you." In other words, she's like my own little 15-year-old-boy's leather-clad fantasy girlfriend--her world revolves around sex and her own function as a sex object, and she enjoys pain (causing it and experiencing it). But since that's not really my perfect woman, personally, I haven't been using her--I've been sticking with my Voidwalker, who's big, navy-blue, non-gendered, and actually looks a lot like The Dark.

To me, this game isn't about sex. At all. It's about myth, and obligation, and good and evil. It's a fantasy version of our own lives, in which all but the most basic concerns have been removed, leaving us free to run around, owning only the contents of our Backpacks, seeking adventure and the chance to express our own heroism. There's money, but only because a game cannot function without some method of reward and score-keeping; there is no real financial obligation, no work, no family. That's what bothers me about my succubus, and about my female characters' inevitably sexy armor: it has no place in this world. It represents something that is meaningful to us, the players, but if we accept the confines of the game-world, it shoud be meaningless. Sex and love and relationships are not a part of my characters' lives, and it doesn't seem fair to make them dress up to please human game-players--the group who control every aspect of their in-game counterparts' lives, and yet have no place of their own in the in-game world. My paladin is too busy fighting evil to stop and think about why her (plate) armor leggings don't cover her bum (and why she can't wear pants under her armor). My warlock is too busy fighting evil (plus, being a little evil) to consider her succubus, and why Disraith insists on whipping herself and squealing. But I'm thinking about it, and I'm not amused.

Earlier on this very blog: the alliance vs. the horde and good vs. evil.

Some other crazy gender-'n'-gaming news: The Chinese MMO King of the World has banned male players playing female characters. Apparently, all that gender-bending is just too confusing for people. Even the title is funny: Shanda's Aurora Bans Transsexuals! Umm, ok.

James pointed my way to a short online TV show called The Guild, which stars Felicia Day, who was once on Buffy. It's a funny show, and her blog has some links to gaming-related articles and stuff. Apparently, she's kind of a nerd, and she's actress-pretty, which makes her the dream girl of every straight guy I know. Go to! (Actually, she's kind of my dream-girl too, because she writes with intelligence and punctuation, and her entries don't just consist of "hey guys!!!!!!!!!!," which many actresses seem to think will pass for blogging.)