Ask the Editors
by: the View from Valehaven Editors
Volume 19
Thank you all for joining us again this week for Ask the Editors. I'm filling in for Sara this week, and my meme game is not as strong as hers, so I apologize if anyone was really looking forward to one this week.
Anyway, getting down to business: today's question is from an anonymous asker and is targeted towards the ladies in the View Editorial pool:
"If there was a 'Ladies-Only' quest going on that you're on site for, how would you feel? Curious? Annoyed? Would you go? Likewise, how would you feel about a Men-Only? Would you find an Intervention to be able to crash it? Complain? Ignore? And so forth..."
This first response comes from Sara "Zarine" Jessop:
"I think it depends on the way that the quest was presented. If there is a valid reason for a 'gender limited' quest than it wouldn't bother me, but it's hard for me to come up with very many plots where this would be anything more than a gimmick. And the excluded parties would definitely need some alternate content in place to entertain them while the other group is questing. If perhaps a 'gentlemans only' and 'ladies only' quest were to happen simultaneously or something it could be interesting. You also need to be mindful of the fact that not everyone identifies as solely 'male' or 'female' and how will you accommodate them? Overall I think it could be an interesting idea if done correctly, but it likely would cause more problems than it would be worth."
A good response and some worthwhile points, definitely something to think about and take into consideration.
Here are my thoughts on the matter:
"If I heard that there was a "ladies only" quest going on that I was on-site for, I would definitely be curious about it. Mostly I think because I'd be wondering what kind of content or encounters would be involved that would make the quest geared specifically towards women. I feel like questing in general in the Realms is pretty inclusive all around -- most of them include plenty of opportunities for fighting, combat and support casting, puzzles and thinky problems, item or information gathering, etc. Basically, a little something for everyone. So I'm not sure if I necessarily feel the need for a women-only quest.
I'm honestly not sure if I would go or not. I'd feel torn between wanting to support women in the game while also feeling that a female-only quest would be divisive. I support the female-only mini-fight-practice sessions that the Huntress Guild throws on occasion, because I do think that as a female it is easy to be intimidated sometimes by male fighters in our game, especially if they happen to be swinging fast or hard. I feel that a small practice session in a more comfortable or less stressful environment would be helpful for many people and with the number of mixed-gender practices available, I don't think that a small gathering here or there would be divisive.
As for a men-only quest, I would be curious but again, I would be wondering what the need was for such a quest."
So there you have it, question asked and question answered. How would you answer this? What are your thoughts?
And speaking of questions, we need more! We love hearing what's on your mind and sharing our thoughts with you! If you have a burning question for the View editors, or want to respond to a question we've answered in the past, drop us a line!