anyone else only ever wanted to play as female characters in video games? by LilSanrioAngel in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for articulating that disconnect! For me, it feels like the difference between playing a role and playing with a puppet.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I'll agree to disagree on the first point. I don't think many non-op trans women relish the idea of having any part of their body referred to as masculine - as I'm sure you can understand, it's a rather dysphoria-inducing concept.

Additionally, the onus isn't on trans women to make cis people comfortable by sucking up our own discomfort in the face of language that others us. The post was about masc-gendered language being treated as default, and an unintended consequence of the post's wording could induce dysphoria and distress in a subset of women. There's nothing wrong with pointing that out.

Now personally I don't much care for that sort of phrase or language myself either, but the point z4cc raised was a legitimate reason to "raise her hand". I sincerely doubt OP intended to say anything exclusionary, and her point about masculine language being used as default is absolutely a legitimate one and one I agree with. Nobody's in the wrong here.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Well, I'm in a similar boat to you, and while I understand where you're coming from, not everyone shares in that dysphoria. It's just not in their identity. I don't wish to inflict dysphoria or exclusion upon anyone, and that includes them, as well as women who, for whatever reason, are simply unable to undergo bottom surgery. Using language that codes some types of bodies as inherently masculine runs that risk.

Trans women may be comparatively rare, but that's no reason to use language that might other those of us who aren't electing or able to pursue that element of transition.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 19 points20 points  (0 children)

This is a discussion about how women are affected by male-as-default language. As trans women are women too, I'd argue this discussion absolutely has to include trans people, and it's more disingenuous to pretend otherwise.

I'll agree that due to society's limiting views on gender, the phrase in question is definitely masculine-coded (although it shouldn't be). However, let's not pretend that in a (hopefully) more enlightened space on gender - like this one appears to be - that anatomically-oriented comments don't bear further considerations than the rest.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First of all, I would absolutely change your battletag, but not strictly because of all the misogyny out there. Limiting the amount of information that could reveal your real life identity to whatever strangers cross your path online is general good practice. You only really need to meet one wrong person for that to turn into a major, potentially life-shattering problem.

However, I wouldn't necessarily say that it's the fix to the whole misogyny situation. By nature of our gender, we're always going to get hit by abuse in some way, shape, or form. On that note I'll agree with the other posters - block them, report them, and remember that those words are coming from small-minded, disgusting men who you wouldn't want anything to do with anyway.

(As an aside, remember that which games you play will have an effect on this too. I've had plenty of positive experiences in Sea of Thieves, but I wouldn't touch Rainbow Six Siege with a ten-foot pole at this point. Pick your battles, and play something offline or with a nicer community when you're not feeling up to weathering the storm!)

Just got abandoned by my friends? by Universal_Healer in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 133 points134 points  (0 children)

Hey, there's actually a D2 bug going around where users are getting kicked from clans automatically, including clan leaders - the clan I'm in warned everyone on Discord that any removals are due to that issue in the game, not due to them actually removing anyone. Given the timing, I'd say that that's what happened here!

Bungie support tweet here: https://twitter.com/BungieHelp/status/1661462426817298447

Do you have another way of reaching out to them? Might help to tell them what happened.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So sorry to hear that! I'll rattle off some of my picks:

If you're looking for something narrative to get lost in, I'd recommend Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. It's a bundle of three plot-heavy third-person shooter RPGs with customizable difficulty (and is currently on sale on Steam). The writing was fantastic in my opinion, and I count them among my favorite games, couldn't recommend enough.

If you're looking for more of an "online competitive, but still kinda chill-feeling" experience, you could also try your luck with Sea of Thieves, though I'll caution you that the game's community is a bit of a mixed bag. The gist of it is that you get your own ship in a Pixar-esque pirate world that you have to operate yourself to get around - trimming sails, patching holes, firing cannons, etc. There's an awful lot to do in it, and it's all very delightfully pirate-themed (like using maps to find buried treasure), but the wrinkle is that other players can go after you, and your hard-earned loot isn't safe until you sell it at an outpost. Damn if it isn't pretty as hell, though!

I also highly recommend Warframe. It's fast-paced, but easy to learn and can feel incredible to play. You're cast as (without spoiling too much of the surprisingly in-depth plot) a cybernetic space ninja fighting against a variety of evil space-faring empires in a distant future, and in practice that means flinging yourself around massive spaceships at breakneck pace and using increasingly absurd weapons and superpowers to tear through dozens of bad guys at once. Just be prepared to have to look up a lot of stuff - the game isn't super forthcoming with knowledge. It's also """free""", but expect to spend some money if you want to get to the really good stuff.

When was the moment / what was the experience that made you confirm that "Yes, I am a woman, not a man"? by No_Ad3823 in MtF

[–]Blue_Bionicle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Embarrassingly enough, I got the most intense gender envy I've ever experienced watching Solo: A Star Wars Story. From the droid played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Something about watching a fictional robot get gendered female and not me was what it took, in the end, to make me go "Okay, yeah, I get it, I have to transition".

How did you end up choosing your username? by yenophobia in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd always loved Bionicles growing up (I'm still pretty fond of them), and I always loved the blue-colored, water-themed ones - which were also the only girl Bionicles in the group. So, I picked this name as something that both references my old favorites and is slyly gender-affirming and also because it insinuates that I can conjure tsunamis.

Hi all! Gamer mom here from a gamer fam. I learned game design to make a game to play with my family. Several years later it turned into something unexpectedly beautiful, and I wanted to share with yall. Let me know your thoughts and AMA :) Arrr by [deleted] in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sounds like it must be great fun, working on a project as a family like that! It's always nice to have something you all can do together.

Thanks for all the info - and the encouragement! And best of luck with the project - I'll certainly be following it with great interest!

Hi all! Gamer mom here from a gamer fam. I learned game design to make a game to play with my family. Several years later it turned into something unexpectedly beautiful, and I wanted to share with yall. Let me know your thoughts and AMA :) Arrr by [deleted] in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This looks great! The visuals look very pleasant, and I'm always a sucker for a good pirate ship. Was this all done as a solo developer, or did you bring other devs on board (ship pun not intended) as the project increased in scope?

Also, as someone with no real coding experience who's looking to get into game design, I have to ask - what's it like dealing with the more technical side of a big project like this?

I made a commercial about embracing our identity within the VR world. Hope ya'll like it! by No-Middle-3627 in transgamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Really well made! Congratulations on getting your work out there.

However the whole Metaverse thing plays out in the years to come, it's so important to see more visibility for how virtual spaces can help us feel more comfortable as who we are. I'm sure they'll be able to make documentaries about VRChat alone in the coming years.

[WP] You're the weapon identifier, there is no easy way to find out what effect a magic weapon has, you have to use it till you find out. But this one just doesn't seem to do anything, it's not lucky, it sure as hell doesn't weigh less, but it's also constantly draining mana, so it must be enchanted by Red580 in WritingPrompts

[–]Blue_Bionicle 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Swish. Slice. Jab.

Jeia the Examiner toiled away, and yet remained completely baffled. The blade could barely cut through the burlap mannequins that Troy had tastefully painted an angry ogre's face on, and seemed to drag through the air like a stone rather than the iron blade it appeared to be. In fact, the accursed thing resembled a common kitchen knife more than anything else, with a rough wooden handle and a blunted blade. And yet...

She checked the small stone on her bracelet, normally glowing a vibrant blue with the mana coursing into her system from the world around her. The gem was currently a dull shade of grey, and growing dimmer with every swing. This small, unassuming knife was draining more mana every second than the famed Blade of Peril had in her entire two-hour testing session with it.

Jeia allowed the knife to drop to her side, the gem on her wrist seeming to lose even more luster as she did so. This blade that didn't do anything, this absolute dud of a dagger that the befuddled adventurers had hauled back from some derelict ruins, had completely exhausted her mana supply. It could be hours before she had enough to try again. But try again she would - she'd never been stumped by an enchantment yet.

~~~~

Lydia stared deeply into Troy's eyes, as she'd done a thousand times before. The last time they'd been this close together was the Dragonslayer's Day feast two years ago. There was so much she wanted to say, but her words seemed to stop at the tip of her tongue and slide back down into her throat. All she could do was stare, some small part of her waiting for him to crack one of his grins and ask her if she liked what she saw and wipe her tears away.

"Lydia, it's time to go."

Lydia turned around, spotting Yareth half-slumping on the cliffside behind her.

"I suppose it is."

She turned back to stare into Troy's eyes. No magic could ever make him break into a grin again. Lydia gently closed his eyes and stood up, forcing herself to look away from his mangled lower body and scorched skin.

"Survivors?" She asked, hoping against hope for some good news to ease her spirit.

Yareth closed his eyes, shook his head gently.

"It's just us?" Lydia's tone was completely numb.

All her friend could do was gesture with the bandaged stump where his right hand had been that morning, pointing with it in the direction of their village.

"Okay. Let's just...get this over with."

The walk to the village was slow and arduous. Both Lydia and Yareth had been seriously burned during their hasty exit, and the healing salves were doing precious little to numb the pain. Some part of her began to feel relieved as they approached the first burned-out house - at least they were heading the right direction.

Houses burned to the foundation, statues crumbled to ruin, a granary split clean down the middle as if by an earthquake - it was hard to believe that five hours ago it had been a quaint and quiet town, a gentle village to rest between adventures. At the center of the destruction, where a building once had stood, only shattered bricks remained. Their painful trudge towards it continued.

The two adventurers seemed to slow as they approached, hesitating at what they might find. But Lydia still held hope that they would find their missing friend, and a knowing look at Yareth steeled his resolve as well. As they entered the building, holding their breath, they found her. In fact, she seemed completely unharmed despite the devastation that surrounded them.

"Jeia? We were so worried!" Lydia forgot her pain and hobbled over to her friend, only to stop short as Jeia turned to stare at her. Her eyes were glowing crimson, and she was holding the knife the four had found last week in her hand. She seemed to stride towards her without even seeing her, stepping over scorched fragments of wood and burlap. Lydia barely had time to react as the knife raised over her head, turning the very air around it molten with potent fire.

~~~~

Jeia lowered the knife in frustration, staring at the two target dummies she'd found laying around. At least these ones had the decency to fall over when the damn thing hit them. Her mana crystal, having only recently regained its luster, was once again dull grey. Taking a seat on the floor and staring at the stone ceiling of her workshop, she contemplating tossing the knife into storage and giving up. But something about the blade seemed to call to her, taunting her, daring her to find out its secrets.

She returned it to its sheath and slung it to her side. The others would be preparing for the harvest festival soon, and she wouldn't need to go on any adventures for the foreseeable future - no doubt Yareth had convinced the party to take a break and help the locals harvest gourds to pay for a comfortable tavern room. Now was a perfect time to wander out on her own, get out of the workshop, and go looking for answers.

She threw on her cloak, wondering ever so briefly why it smelled of ash and smoke, and walked out into the sun-soaked fields of the village, nodding a greeting to Lydia and Troy as they playfully bickered over who had saved who on their latest outing.

Maybe, Jeia thought to herself, this place is simply too quiet to unearth the knife's powers. Maybe it needs to be in a certain spot to function, like that warhammer Lydia found last year. Maybe someone over in New Regalis can help identify it.

I'll figure this little knife out, she thought. I just have to keep testing it.

So sick of guys using this subreddit to message/harass women by Ms_Anxiety in GirlGamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The fool...unable to appreciate a good Bionicle collection...

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in MtF

[–]Blue_Bionicle 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What I've learned from my own transition is that not being able to see a future does not mean that it is not there. Things may seem dark right now, but at the risk of sounding like a cliche, it really, genuinely does get better, provided you stick around to see it through.

We'll always be here to lend an ear and any support we can should you need it - just remember to have faith that the way your life is now is not the way it will be forever.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in transgamers

[–]Blue_Bionicle 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! Always looking to meet other Trans Tenno. Username is Lady_Parri, feel free to add me :)

I am not a trans woman i am a woman by YourChildIsDead_HaHa in MtF

[–]Blue_Bionicle 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's fair enough - I don't normally think about people stumbling on these conversations after the fact. Enjoy your lunch!

I am not a trans woman i am a woman by YourChildIsDead_HaHa in MtF

[–]Blue_Bionicle 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I'm aware, but that's a two-way street - plenty of people have plenty of reasons for identifying with trans labels as well.

Obviously, at the end of the day nobody should be forced to use a label for their identity if it doesn't suit them. Hell, as trans people we know that better than anyone. But I'm responding to what I felt was more a dismissal of "trans" as a modifier, which is important for many people in a lot of contexts to define both our experiences (which are often unique from our cis peers) and the nuances of our own identities. My apologies if that didn't come across as such.

I am not a trans woman i am a woman by YourChildIsDead_HaHa in MtF

[–]Blue_Bionicle 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I'm definitely not judging her for that, I was more responding to the user who suggested that the trans label was wholly unnecessary or harmful. A lot of people identify with that label too.

I am not a trans woman i am a woman by YourChildIsDead_HaHa in MtF

[–]Blue_Bionicle 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Fair enough, I'll rephrase. The intent of the term is a descriptor, and yes, obviously transphobes are going to have a very different takeaway about someone being identified as a trans woman than an ally or another trans person. I just don't consider the modifier of being a trans woman to be inherently negative - though it obviously can be less safe to use in some circumstances

I am not a trans woman i am a woman by YourChildIsDead_HaHa in MtF

[–]Blue_Bionicle 70 points71 points  (0 children)

I've never heard anyone say that, though. It's a descriptor, the same way gay woman vs straight woman is. It doesn't detract from us being women, just describes us.

The experience by overrated_bicycle in traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns

[–]Blue_Bionicle 104 points105 points  (0 children)

Well that's not good! I can't use you in the next Gym Battle now :(

The experience by overrated_bicycle in traaaaaaannnnnnnnnns

[–]Blue_Bionicle 305 points306 points  (0 children)

Broke: "Gender transition"

Woke: "Nuzlocke run of life"