LADIES PLEASE READ (responses requested): Now that I think about it...

So I was responding to the post in "moar avatars" about how my mother had pointed out how lovely all the other girls looked In Character (while I, apparently, resemble a bulldyke with water retention problems. Thanks mom) mentioning how I kept my hair tied back because it was more practical in combat, when a thought hit me:

There aren't a whole lot of girls involved in melee combat here, are there?

This might just be my imagination, but it does seem that the women here tend towards healers, magic users, and other "back row" classes. The vast majority of the female images in the photo gallery show women mostly in non-combat-practical dresses, or swinging staffs (or bows).

So I'm just curious, whats the breakdown of fighters to back-row and support among the lasses here? Needn't give away your character class... a simple shout-out of "yes" for melee fighter or "no" for anything else will do nicely. Optional if you'd like to post any more details of what your weapon of choice is, or why you've chosen said style, but certainly not necessary.

(I'd ask that archers either refrain from participating or answer with a "no" [or "archer" i guess if you're ok with posting that]. I assure you your bad-assery is not at question, I'm just trying to get a close-combat melee estimate)


I'm a YES.


PS: before someone points out the obvious, I can understand the logistical concerns about why women might not want to be front-line fighters (holy crap some of you men are HUGE), playing to ones strengths, etc. I'm not questioning why or disparaging anyone's fighting/character choices: LARPs are a unique opportunity study game system mechanics and observe user-generated content in their purest form, and i'm just trying to satisfy some professional curiosity with a statistical analysis.

Hell Yes.  Master Florentine longswords, reason being its the best.   Seriously though, even my alts can use sword and/or dagger.  I learned to fight in the course of my 7 years here, and was originally (when I was 17) a straight caster.  I learned to fight for an NPC about 5 years ago. 

I also have to note that KR has a larger proportion of women fighters than I have seen at other games, but then again KR has a larger proportion of women than I have seen at other games in my experience as well. 

As to dress, you'd be surprised what you can fight in if you put your mind to it.  I've been front-line fighting in a Moresca bodice for years now.  Its only a nuisance by late Sat night after consistantly wearing it while running around and fighting.  And in terms of hair being tied back, I figure if Sam can fight with all his hair in his face, us ladies should be able to as well, don't you?

YES!

My main is a healer, cleric, Paladin with master warrior. I fight with mace & shield. Not that I'm really any good, but I'm not afraid to get hit and come home bruised after every event.
I wear chainmail & have leather & plate as well.

My alt might be able to fight...I just don't tell! 

I'm a woman that fights and I tend to enjoy it. I fight usually with two swords simply because using a dagger is useless in large combat situations, but a mace is too much for me. I agree about why some women wouldn't want to fight, I've been smashed by a few sheilds in my day but it's never intentional and the men do it to themselves more than I'm sure it's ever happened to me.
I wear a Moresca boddess and chemise most of the time as my fighter character and I have no problem fighting in it. I think for about an hour after you have it on there tends to be some discomfort but your body gets used to it after a while and you're ready to go. And I like Kristen, wear my hair down to fight. Regardless of who I'm fighting I want them to know they're getting their butt kicked by a five foot five girl, that's just me though.

Though I do have to say, there may be a shortage of female fighters but there really hasn't ever been a shortage of female villans. I will say occasionally we do have to "save them," which is the old "dansel in distress" storyline but to be fair, we're in no way behind the men in being bad, we just get saved whereas they die. Just my opinion.

Elizabeth Deldragon
Dutchess of the DelDragon Clan

Michelle

Yes, I just picked up a melee class recently am learning how to fight since I have never had any experience before (i.e. I suck but hope to improve) I use sword and shield as my character though I do better florentine while NPCing.... I started off as a caster and rotate through both during a fight because I don't need verbals so its easier to do as long as I can keep hold of the spell packets.

I can't afford real costuming so its not the greatest (Though the stuff Seamstress made me is lovely), but someimes I dress up nicely and go in for a fight. No preference on how I keep my hair though, its whatever suits me that day.

My main is a healer, cleric, Paladin with master warrior. I fight with mace & shield. Not that I'm really any good, but I'm not afraid to get hit and come home bruised after every event.

It's the rest of us who are afraid of going home bruised after an event when it comes to fighting you.    As an NPC, I find it hard to want to attack you MB... and not because I'm afraid if I hurt you, Joe will rip my arms off, but that I like you so damn much that I feel bad if I attack you.  If you were someone like Steve Oros, I would gladly crack you upside your head. 

I'd like to point out that while I am a melee class, I play defensively. I also wear a wig, which can be a large concern, and fight in a Moresca bodice. The trick is to not put yourself in situations that you feel uncomfortable in. Yes there are many men larger, taller, and much stronger than myself, but I get in there and fight when I can. It can be a rewarding experience!

As far as NPCing goes, you're there for the players enjoyment, not your own, but the bruises and dirt can be well worth it! 

NO,

but I usually NPC two shifts to get my combat on.

Amira might be a delicate flower dancer, one hit wonder, but Reona likes to hit things and did kendo for a couple of years along with tae kwon do and wrestling.

Not playing a fighter class has to do with the role play challenge i set up for myself as well as the impracticality of schlepping armor and weapons on public transit and not taking up a lot of baggage space in the cars of people who are so lovely as to offer me rides.

<<My alt might be able to fight...I just don't tell! >>

If by fighting you mean  pouring absinthe on your opponent until she drowns...

I play an Archer primarily, but have no problem with Melee combat. 

yes yes, if i couldn't polearm things at larp at least every once in a while i wouldn't have much fun

No but thats because of the character. I've only been to a few events and the alt event showed me that combat is fun! Next character I play will most likely be combat effective.

yepyep.

heck yeah im a warrior! you wanna talk full out bulldyke? you obviously haven't met my Barbarian! yes... a female barbarian! I wield two short swords and have a full leather armor bodice! Who cares about looking feminine when you can kick butt with the guys! and... women are usually more agile so we have a combat advantage! if you're really concerned about looking feminine, create an alt character for those times you really don't feel like whopping butt but want some fun RP.

My secondary character can fight if need be (again my second character fights with 2 short swords) she's more of an RP character since she's a gypsy and avoids fighting but she can hold her own in combat... only problem with her is jingly skirts are a PAIN to fight in!

heck yeah im a warrior! you wanna talk full out bulldyke? you obviously haven't met my Barbarian! yes... a female barbarian! I wield two short swords and have a full leather armor bodice! Who cares about looking feminine when you can kick butt with the guys! and... women are usually more agile so we have a combat advantage!

See thats what I'm sayin...

Pracika - Warrior Princess.  Has a nice kinda ring to it, dont cha think?

Sure, you have two swords, but all I remember about you and combat is you slapping your husband around upon being reunited.  Strange courtship ritual, I guess...

Sure, you have two swords, but all I remember about you and combat is you slapping your husband around upon being reunited.  Strange courtship ritual, I guess...

What, you don't like klingons?

If this is a thread for girls to respond to why hasn't Andy replied yet?

If this is a thread for girls to respond to why hasn't Andy replied yet?

That's what she said...

Yes!

My previous char started out knowing how to use a dagger and then progressed to the sword and florentine shortly after even though she was mainly a spellcaster at the time. It *always* a good idea IMO to learn how to use a weapon- even if youre just blocking attacks.

As for my new char, well....she doesnt need weapons- shes got her fists lol but I still learned how to use some this past event even though shes just a healer. Ive also fought in skirts, dresses, bodices, etc. The worst thing Ive ever had to fight in was a headdress (it constantly moves ><) but other then that when youre in combat you dont really think about anything but not dying. hehe....

The answer to that, my dear, is YES *and* NO!

Casmina is entirely melee, BUT... she's rogue-y and a gypsy so she tends to not find herself at the front of battle.

Oddly, the character I'd intended to be a 'back-line' character (Remi, who is a Bard,) frequently winds up at the front on low-level mods. Which is terrible, because she only has about 7 body and gets dropped all the time (as Max will tell you, he spends a lot of time saving Remi's ass.)
But Remi's staff gets more reach than Casmina's florentine, and Remi has the benefit of a sweet magic item and things like "Lyric of Protection," so she winds up being the more combat-ready character...

Ultimately, though, while the majority of us girls wear very pretty (and not exactly combat-appropriate) garb, we get in on the action as the personality of our PCs dictate. Moresca bodice or no, we kick ass and look hot doing it. Because honestly, it's not exactly like I can wear my gorgeous garb to, say, the grocery store. At least, not without getting very strange looks (though I have indeed gone fooding in garb before.) I think that plenty of us DO get in on melee action, whether or not we're dressed for it.

Also, if you think about it, I'm pretty sure that cleavage gives us a significant combat advantage...

... and now I'm thinking up the mechanics of a tag skill. "CLEAVAGE!" ... it probably functions exactly like a Stun. 

I would fight if I was better at it. I've tossed the idea around in my head a bit.

But why would I learn if I can use cheated prayers/magic lasers instead?

I just like to wear armor.

My main is a healer, cleric, Paladin with master warrior. I fight with mace & shield. Not that I'm really any good, but I'm not afraid to get hit and come home bruised after every event.

It's the rest of us who are afraid of going home bruised after an event when it comes to fighting you.    As an NPC, I find it hard to want to attack you MB... and not because I'm afraid if I hurt you, Joe will rip my arms off, but that I like you so damn much that I feel bad if I attack you.  If you were someone like Steve Oros, I would gladly crack you upside your head. 

I don't find it hard to attack MB - I laid her out in 2 feet of snow at an old event in another game ...& ran away laughing....
I'm not afraid of Joe either.......

NO. . . but I'm horribly out of shape and just wanted a character to relax with. I can fight florentine (at least my character card says I can) but I left my sword at home when I realized that meant noble-types would send me into battle.
Perhaps if things work out I'll bring in a fighty alt someday. Or not.
When I do fight I love the old sword-and-board.

<<Also, if you think about it, I'm pretty sure that cleavage gives us a significant combat advantage...

Don't say it Charlie.  No good will come of it...

My main is a healer, cleric, Paladin with master warrior. I fight with mace & shield. Not that I'm really any good, but I'm not afraid to get hit and come home bruised after every event.

It's the rest of us who are afraid of going home bruised after an event when it comes to fighting you.    As an NPC, I find it hard to want to attack you MB... and not because I'm afraid if I hurt you, Joe will rip my arms off, but that I like you so damn much that I feel bad if I attack you.  If you were someone like Steve Oros, I would gladly crack you upside your head. 

I don't find it hard to attack MB - I laid her out in 2 feet of snow at an old event in another game ...& ran away laughing....
I'm not afraid of Joe either.......

only because you can run faster than the rest of us! 

I'm not afraid of Joe either.......

Man, are you f'ing crazy?  Dude is a straight up ninja.  How a man that size manages to completely vanish soundlessly in less than 2 seconds is beyond me.  He defies physics, and even the "Law of James".

If I went to Laire circa KotS, I may have died of a heart attack...at 14.

I'm not afraid of Joe either.......

Man, are you f'ing crazy?  Dude is a straight up ninja.  How a man that size manages to completely vanish soundlessly in less than 2 seconds is beyond me.  He defies physics, and even the "Law of James".

If I went to Laire circa KotS, I may have died of a heart attack...at 14.

Who do you think taught Joe how to Ninja? (gonna get crap for that, look out for the Bondi response.)
Not crazy - just 1 of the 2 founding members of the KotS.

YES. I love fighting But read below

My character right now is basically a semi-combatant or non-combatant character, but that's how i wanted her played. She fights when she has to though (if she can even get hits in,haha).

Now for one or two of my alt characters, they're going to be a full combatant (and i'm going to enjoy it very much lol).

But as of right now, i'm not a very strong fighter, especially against some of the others. But I am getting better at it as time goes on

I have a sword but I don't know how to use it well. It works for me though because I just block attacks while I heal. I also want to cross-class into a caster so I'm so not a front line fighter though I'm always up front to heal people.
As for being girly I have to keep my hair out of my face or it drives me crazy and I fight in a skirt but I have pants under it and I don't even feel the bodice I wear after a while.