All it Takes is a Hero(ine)
June 2008 Issue
Features
- From the Editors
- Craft Check: T-Shirt Patch Jacket
Interviews
- Industry Interview: Sara Girard [Marketing Lead, D&D]
- Blogger Interview: Monique [Girls Don’t Game]
Articles
- Gender & Live-Action Role Play: Into Monster Camp, Part II
Author: Samara Hayley Steele
- Heroic Villainess
Author: Melissa Velte
- Capes and Consoles at WisCon 32
Author: Robyn Fleming
- Guest Star Villainy
Author: Brendan Davis
In this ongoing series, Samara shares her experiences as a female LARPer in a male-dominated LARP organization.
Melissa breaks down dichotomy between good and evil, hero and villain, with her piece on the complex motivations of Legretta the Quick.
Robyn regales us with tales of her adventures at this year's WisCon.
Brendan talks about how a "guest star" villain can add the necessary threat to motivate players without wiping them out before they can get started.
Gamer Stories
Reviews
Odds 'n Ends
I’ve always wanted to be a hero. To fight for truth and justice. To inspire people. To make a difference. Clichéd, I know, but I’m not alone. I mean, why else would superhero stories be so popular, not to mention all those “generic hero saves the world” RPG plots, if not to satisfy a craving for heroism in the hearts of us “ordinary” folks?
When I was little, characters like Rydia from Final Fantasy IV (well, I knew it at Final Fantasy 2) inspired me. Rydia was powerful. When adversity struck, she struck back. Hard. Not only did she survive losing her family (heck, her whole village) and being swallowed by Leviathan as a girl, but she used those tragic events to forge herself into a strong, capable young woman. More often than not, she was the voice of reason when the people around her were falling apart (her favorite method was “tough love”). My first time through the game, I even named her after me (hey, I was like 10 at the time!). I don’t know how much of my early feminism Rydia shaped, but she certainly left a lasting impression.
As I got older, while I continued to identify with the female protagonists that I came across, I also found inspiration from real life women in the industry. Roberta Williams and Jane Jensen were my heroes growing up. I loved their games, and I loved that they were women who made games. If they made games, that meant that I could, too. At that point in my life, I wasn’t sure that making games was what I wanted to do, but because of them I knew in a real, tangible way (not just the “girls can do anything that boys can do” sense) that I could.
Real women continue to inspire me, even today. Not just those who are in the industry, but the bloggers, gamers, and other women who put themselves out there and refuse to accept the “boy’s club” mentality that continues to pervade both the industry and the culture. I admire those women and the work that they do.
I, too, want to be a heroine. I want to give young girls (and boys) heroines in their games that will inspire them. I want to show young women that they don’t have to stop at playing games, but can create them too. I want to make the industry a more inclusive place, where a wide variety of ideas can take root and grow.
All it takes is one person who is willing to fight for what they believe in. All it takes is one person to inspire others to become heroines themselves. Maybe I’ll never be that person, but I sure as hell am going to try.
