The best I can do is clarify that I'm discussing stereotypes and acknowledge that my interpretation of a term might be entirely removed from someone else. I don't agree with the notion that the subjectivity of a word renders it obsolete.
Completely subjective?
100%?
As in, it's as legitimate to present a sweaty, hairy, morbidly obese greaseball of a man as equally feminine to Liv Tyler?
Eh, I just can't get past the whole Traynor thing, so I prefer Sumalee's voice.
Completely subjective?
100%?
As in, it's as legitimate to present a sweaty, hairy, morbidly obese greaseball of a man as equally feminine to Liv Tyler?
No...
Puncher, those two words never occurred together, one after the other in my comment. I said "subjective," and I probably said "completely" at some point, since I say words like that a lot, but I never used the phrase "completely subjective." I don't know where you're extrapolating that from.
You know what I find to be interesting though about all this neutrality is that then female gamers (clarification: some female gamers) complain why can't their female protagonist be considered sexy and have male npcs/LIs come onto them or show interest first. The masculine aspects we associate with the protagonist are already present with the physical strength, aggression, combat prowess, etc. and the female npcs/LIs can show interest for our strength and swoon at our heroic deeds.
But let's say with someone like Miranda who uses her sex appeal to gain an advantage, whilst being equally lethal in combat, and she is undeniably feminine. Now if I want to play that sort of act for my female protagonist, and have her be physically desirable in some part of the game, it will be seen as sexist or objectifying...WTF. Really?
Like was SWtoR (teen rated) sexist in this optional scene only available to the femAgent:
Personally I would like a balance of some kind, I won't lie I really dislike the walk and run animations of Female Hawke and Female Inquisitor with great passion but I also really wouldn't mind a little more flirts tossed the Female protags way either. Usually for me depends on the game I'm playing but I like to go between, no non sense strictly professional eyes on the prize type and a screw the rules lets have fun whats a little side tracking hey baby how you doing type with my characters quite a bit. Don't think I've ever ran a FO:NV character for example that didn't pounce on every flirt or seduction attempt there was, and in most Bioware games I tend to go for more serious, in the ME series at least.
Not sure if its a justified feeling or not but I feel slightly like a hypocrite for detesting Female Inquisitor and Female Hawke's run and walk animations while loving the idea of getting more optional content like in that video tossed the female protags way.
Yes. Which is why I phrased it as a question. Rather than an accusation.
I'm glad to hear you agree there are limits. It's farther along that most people who fall back on 'subjectivity' go.
Didn't even notice it was Traynor. Don't recall Sumalee though...
Really? Her voice wasn't changed in the slightest between the two roles.
As in, it's as legitimate to present a sweaty, hairy, morbidly obese greaseball of a man as equally feminine to Liv Tyler?
So being a man means being sweaty, hairy and obese?
So being a man means being sweaty, hairy and obese?
Well, there's at least a high probability for 2 out of 3.
I think femshep looked best in ME1. I don't know why but something about how she looked in armor. I mean in ME2 and 3 she was kinda...stiff and awkward. I don't mind her behavior because she is in military so it's kinda fitting for her. Her clothes tho were really stupid. Like this dress in ME3.
It's laughable to even think that Bioware would remove their female protagonists in future games.
That's what I love about the internet - random strangers get to take random cheap shots at anyone with whom they might disagree.
I have a question, if you don't mind: does doing that make you somehow feel better about yourself?
But let's say with someone like Miranda who uses her sex appeal to gain an advantage, whilst being equally lethal in combat, and she is undeniably feminine. Now if I want to play that sort of act for my female protagonist, and have her be physically desirable in some part of the game, it will be seen as sexist or objectifying...WTF. Really?
Okay, I'll bite.
What is it about Miranda that is undeniably feminine?
She is undeniably sexualized - with her skin-tight catsuit all tucked up in her crotch, and the unavoidable butt-cam. Eww... 
did you play her loyalty mission? See her death scene in ME3? (*gags*)
The writers clearly wanted to angle an exceedingly feminine side to her
The only issue with Femshepard's motions was that they used mshep's animations exactly, without factoring any disparity of proportions. A confident stride is appropriate for any soldier, but femshep had less size and muscle mass, so it didn't look like a confident, "mascule" stride, it looked exaggerated and clownish.
Exactly I didn't really find anything wrong with Femshep either tbh. Because I found the paragon options very good indeed she sounded a caring predson when selecting them so it fit the game well I thought. Besides you've got to both look and sound like your reeady for action and indicate to others that you aer if you'er to be respected in this field. So they can only add so much and I think they did it just about right.
I've established that I'm in the minority who would happily play a more..."girly," or even sensual character, and who likes the dialogue in which the protagonist--of either gender--is sometimes characterized as desirable. Sometimes people accuse that of being self indulgent wish fulfillment, but I think if we're being honest, that tends to be the norm for an RPG in the first place. If I were treating these games as though they were only my own, I'd pick a female character who moves something like Samara.
I'm also with you in regarding the idea of the occasional charm or even seduce option (I liked that option in Mark of the Assassin), but I'd rather they occur for both genders, even if they occur in different situations, and with different target characters.
Personally, I wouldn't mind the option to play a more "feminine" character if for no other reason than I tend to clomp about like a moose IRL, and one of the reasons I play RPGs is to be someone other than myself for a few hours.
We need a fix in MEA.
They probably took the animation from
We need a fix in MEA.
Would still rather have that that what we got in ME3. Right now the female Inquisitor is too masculine in cutscenes and too swishy during gameplay. I'd rather have neutral animations for both sexes or a masculine run with more female appropriate movement during cutscenes. Didn't really like FemSheps walk on the red carpet in the Citadel DLC either, so neutral is what I'm hoping for. The main problem I had with using BroShep's animations for FemShep in ME2 was that she would hover over railings that she was leaning against.
Well, there's at least a high probability for 2 out of 3.
Found the American.
Completely subjective?
100%?
As in, it's as legitimate to present a sweaty, hairy, morbidly obese greaseball of a man as equally feminine to Liv Tyler?
Or, you know, we could put the male and female skin on the same skeleton and use the same animations and in-game mechanics for both which saves both time and money. I would be willing to bet that off all the major reasons people don't buy the mass effect games, "the male/female character's walking animation is too feminine/masculine" is not one of them. Simple cost-benefit analysis, really. Like it or not it's how all industry, video games included, works.
On a related note, both male and female shepard need to hire a sprinting coach. Both have terrible form (too high center of gravity, don't extend their legs enough, stride length relative to their height too short).
The fact that I can outrun (and outjump) a supposed N7 "first human spectre" supersoldier is kind of amusing though. Hey, maybe all that space radiation causes some kind of serious neuromuscular decay.
I bet that if they've kept the ME1 animations, we wouldn't even have this conversation. ME1 had some of the best neutral run animations I've ever seen. Even my husband commented how his male Shepard runs good, so obviously both sides were satisfied. It went downhill in ME2, and I can't understand why they changed it. In ME1 were both genders just... idk, soldier-like, male OR female, and it looked good. It's even worse in ME3 with that wrist-y dainty run that turned into a gorilla sprint, oh god the embarrassment. I had to teach myself to press W and sprint key simultaneously & at all times because gorilla run was preferable.
You do realize that your title and post completely contradict each other, right? It's pretty anti-feminist to state that FemShep was "acting like a guy" or that women can't be masculine. Not to mention you're implying that men can't be tender.
edit- OP changed the title to say "feminine" instead of "feminist" so the above is somewhat irrelevant. I still don't see a problem with how FemShep was depicted. She was a strong, brave, confident, intelligent, independent and compassionate (maybe) woman, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Not sure which of those traits are suppose to belong to men.
Indeed, there's nothing that's typically feminine -.- (it's IMHO just how someone was raised - I've known girls who grew up with single dads and they acted more like what's typically seen as male than I did (and I grew up with a single dad at first, too and a patchwork family later on))
Seeing men as brutes (who can't be tender) is bad form, too OP (yes, OP, I know you aren't directly saying that but the implication is there!)
Also, I like Shep (my first run was as a female - something which I almost always do if the game offers me that choice, despite being male in RL) and I like how she's not a damned princess (hell, I imagine her burning dresses rather than wearing them and I like it that way!)
So all in all I agree with the quoted posting 
greetings LAX
ps: Game heroes aren't princesses with make-up etc. (and they should not be, a hero is somebody exceptional, somebody who doesn't care about his/her looks that much (though not to the point of running around smelling like a trainstation restroom or a hobo/bum) and is decisive and loud (if need be) rather than meek)
I think this is waaaay too subjective to make everyone happy on...
Can't we get 90 percent of the way there tho, by simply saying the following:
Alot of the game will be ... doing "the job", meaning... you walk and run atleast "efficiently" or even as if your life depended on it. It cannot reasonably be expected to be elegant or feminine.
It can be there in the "off hours" parts of the game.
Quality animations for both situations and both gender characters.
I think femshep looked best in ME1. I don't why but something about how she looked in armor. I mean in ME2 and 3 she was kinda...stiff and awkward. I don't mind her behavior because she is in military so it's kinda fitting for her. Her clothes tho were really stupid. Like this dress in ME3.
I really don't miss the tactical wetsuit from ME1 though. As for the clothes, FemShep always got the short end of the stick, though the dress in ME2 was better than ME3's version, and at least was good for Kasumi's mission. The only time I used the ME3 dress on my Shepard was in the Citadel DLC. It's really the only time it ever made sense, especially since Liara automatically comments on what Shepard is wearing regardless. Too bad the leather jacket is an M!Shep only deal, but I'm glad for the CE hoodie.
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