Gender change

fovrel

Is coming. Is it just a rumour or is it in the pipeline? If true, any information on ETA? Would love to bring some new life into some of my characters.

adamkafei

I think the last time we debated this here on the forums it was a question of whether it was actually possible given how early the choice is made.

bloodyriz

I recall a DEV did chime in on that convo, and they said it was something that was being looked into, but no estimates on if it was possible or how long it would take.

mxjennylennon

Maybe a system to change your character's gender identity?? There are people who identify as neither after all, and alien races who have no concept of gender, so why can't STO? It's a possibility.

fovrel

bloodyriz wrote: »

I recall a DEV did chime in on that convo, and they said it was something that was being looked into, but no estimates on if it was possible or how long it would take.

Indeed, I did some google research. They are thinking about it, but cannot say if and when. Well, things could be worse.

psiameese

I'm a die-hard Trekkie. I think it's a fine idea. Frankly, I don't see the need for choosing a gender at all to start. The feminine or masculine traits should simply be part of broader customization, when learning to use the Tailor the first few times. Included in what we already have available now. To adjust gender or eliminate it all together for an alien species shouldn't cost us any Energy Credits or a single Zen.

jodarkrider

psiameese wrote: »

I'm a die-hard Trekkie. I think it's a fine idea. Frankly, I don't see the need for choosing a gender at all to start. The feminine or masculine traits should simply be part of broader customization, when learning to use the Tailor the first few times. Included in what we already have available now. To adjust gender or eliminate it all together for an alien species shouldn't cost us any Energy Credits or a single Zen.

Would love that too. Ideally for Liberated Borg too... <.<

artan42

Surely you mean a change in sex? Gender is whatever you RP as.​​

jodarkrider

artan42 wrote: »

Surely you mean a change in sex? Gender is whatever you RP as.​​

Well, unfortunately, the game labels your character with 'gender' (which is, as you correctly pointed out, what you identify as, or the societal construct) - whereas, correctly, it'd be 'sex', as that's what it is called, purely biologically speaking. Would be a complicated discussion, and I honestly don't think that was intended for the intents & purposes of this topic.

Honestly, I'd love to use the male skeleton (as in, ingame engine speaking), as in many aspects, it's much better done, has less clipping issues & less issues in general, compared to female skeleton/model and if I'd set sliders at lower settings, it can depict my character very similarly to what I have and want and keep 'sex' (here labelled as 'gender', unfortunately) as female.

adamkafei

While I disagree the sex choice should be removed entirely from the game, I do think Alien and Borg based characters should have more leeway on various sliders and clothing should be more of a grey area in general although @CrypticJoeJing has stated numerous times that opening up clothing is something they have plans for.

artan42

Ah, I didn't even notice the game labelled it. I suppose it's possible they were trying to avoid the word 'sex' at some point.​​

warpangel

Pretty sure the male and female characters are entirely different models and can't be turned into some kind of slider affair without creating all new character models from scratch. Something they certainly won't be doing just because a few players want to make gender-ambiguous toons.

So the choice of gender is more or less in for keeps, but you should definitely be allowed to change your mind without deleting and rerolling the toon (and for class and species, too). Unfortunetely there's always possible the old "database is too hard to change" -response.

artan42

The old female changeling used male torsos. I don't know how that effects anything but I thought I'd mention it.​​

jodarkrider

artan42 wrote: »

The old female changeling used male torsos. I don't know how that effects anything but I thought I'd mention it.​​

Yeah, I remember that. Would be cool to have; as again, the male-skeleton model is much better done & has less issues & clipping in general.

orangeitis

I would love both sex-changing and gender-changing options, personally. Especially if they were separate altogether.

psiameese

artan42 wrote: »

Surely you mean a change in sex? Gender is whatever you RP as.​​

Yes and no. Gender is a contemporary synonym for Sex. I say contemporary as this is most common to differentiate the conversation between Humans from the act of sex itself. Though both are defined as: either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and many other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions.

For the purpose of playing a science-fiction based MMO, gender, IMO, applies for ease of context. Due to alien species and their societies being extremely broad in interpretation. For example, that old STO chestnut,

"What happened to the more immersive four gender choices for Andorians? It was so much more Star Trek. This seems to have been done away with in the past update."

I would enjoy having the options to create Star Trek species, such as the Talosians. There are both men and women portraying them in this picture. Can you tell which is which?


Something carried to fruition beyond Star Trek. Embodied by the Taelon species we see in Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict. Male and female labels are meaningless here.



Hence, my suggestion that Gender (or Sex) isn't needed as an initial choice at character creation. But further within character customization. It's a more sophisticated approach.