Quote from: S'mon;902069I didn't really believe it until this recent experience, although I know there are studies that the most attractive female fruit flies have shorter lives (they exhaust themselves trying to fend off amorous males). When I found myself considering discriminating against someone on the basis of her too-good looks I realised that it was indeed a thing.

I wonder how you can tell if a fruit fly is attractive? Wingspan? Featheriness of feelers?

But yes, it's really weird to be confronted by your own prejudice against what you had previously considered a privileged group. I catch myself treating people differently according to their looks from time to time, which is a little different, and try not to do it. I guess it's the same even if you're discriminating against someone for good looks rather than the more common treating them better ....

Quote from: Shipyard Locked;902047Irrelevant. Whoever shows up and isn't an ass can play. My main thing is group size - I want 3 to 5 players, and get quite uncomfortable if outside that range.

+1. Size matters...er, so to speak...

Having had mixed groups for several years now, I haven't noticed a great general difference in playstyle due to gender. You have the same personalities, regardless--exhibitionists, thinkers, observers and some folks who just wanna roll some dice. The common denominator is that we don't treat it very seriously. And, of course, no assholes.:-)

Quote from: markfitz;902075I wonder how you can tell if a fruit fly is attractive? Wingspan? Featheriness of feelers?

I'm curious about this too.

Also, I thought animals that reproduced quickly and in large numbers had less aggressive mating strategies and more sperm competition.

Quote from: S'mon;902040Just wondering, no value judgement (I have one all-male group I like a lot) - I just noticed I like it best when my player groups are something like 2f 2m, 2f 3m, or 3f 3m. I generally like to have at least a couple female players, but I remember I got a bit apprehensive recently when it looked like one game would be 2m 4f and I'd be outnumbered. Not sure exactly why I prefer gender-balanced groups; I think maybe male and female players both tend to bring slightly different and complimentary assets to the table. Anyone else find this?

Personally, I prefer to start with as many female players as possible. If I manage that, the male players usually just call and ask to join, for some unfathomable reason:p.
In the end, this approach tends to end up with a balanced group, IME;).

I don't really care one way or the other as long as they're fun to play with.

No preference. I have daughters so I'm assuming they age if they are interested in the hobby I'll be running a group for mostly girls. Right now, I play with guys, and I enjoy it because it's our 'guys night out' night and it's a lot of fun to get away from our wives and just sling dice.

And no romance in my games. Not "off scene" or anything. It can be part of something between adventures but I don't want to waste my active time with it.

Quote from: S'mon;902069I didn't really believe it until this recent experience, although I know there are studies that the most attractive female fruit flies have shorter lives (they exhaust themselves trying to fend off amorous males). When I found myself considering discriminating against someone on the basis of her too-good looks I realised that it was indeed a thing.

I haven't really seen this one before, mayve it's correct, but there are many studies showing how males of various animals wear themselves out fighting for females and reproducing while females wear themselves out primarily through reproducing. In general, where there is competition for females, the males tend to have shorter life spans.

As a raving misogynist I like to have a mix of players, though I never thought much about the proportional composition of the group. I enjoy the company of women in general.

I have never played in any 50/50 group split between male and female gamer except at conventions. And judging from that limited experiance I would say that I have never seen an real benefits at those convention games than the convention games with only guys, and vice versa. But used play in groups with a least one girl and 3-4 guys. In my hometown most female gamers are hardcore larpers, and tabletop rpgs are more of a secondary interest, and dont like same stuff as I do, or the stuff that the girl in our group likes. So naturally she used to play with us than with SJW-Vampire-Larpers. I  would never invite people to a game because of : "Well we need more women in this group for diversity" or some other stupid crap like that. If you are a guy or girl that have the same taste in tabletop rpg like me or the group I am playing in, I dont care about if you got dick or vagina, I happely play with anybody as long as they are not assholes. And yes, female gamers can also be disruptive assholes like males gamers. And not all girl gamers are much more socially adjusted than all male gamers. I have met some really weirdo female gamers that are the exact mirror image of that unwashed greasy-haired 'special' guy you really try to avoid starting a conversation with in local gaming store, who just wont shut up about their characters.

Quote from: S'mon;902040Just wondering, no value judgement (I have one all-male group I like a lot) - I just noticed I like it best when my player groups are something like 2f 2m, 2f 3m, or 3f 3m. I generally like to have at least a couple female players, but I remember I got a bit apprehensive recently when it looked like one game would be 2m 4f and I'd be outnumbered. Not sure exactly why I prefer gender-balanced groups; I think maybe male and female players both tend to bring slightly different and complimentary assets to the table. Anyone else find this?

I haven't paid attention to it much. As long as a player can role-play is all that matters.

In my (limited) personal experience female players fell usually into one side of the extrem: some brilliant players and a lot of irritating up to toxic players (f). And while there were also quite a few bad to toxic male players, the following disputes usually don´t rapidly go into discrimination and sexism territory when they don' t get their way.

So I am willing to give everyone a chance (it would be a shame to miss one of the brilliant ones), but am rather sceptical to find them in a given sample.

I personally don't care. I just want my players to show up want to play.

Having female players and male players in a mixed party does introduce different dynamics in my experience, which is kind of fun in its own way. But I've seen it go haywire just as badly as any other group, so it's a wash.

The first group I ever GMed with was an even mix. That remains my preference.
I'm not as comfortable with men as I am with women... and even as a Player I feel like mixed groups are somehow healthier.

Quote from: Crüesader;902045I don't particularly mind, as long as they are there to play and have fun.  In mixed groups I've never had more or less issues than all-male groups.  Sometimes it's fun to have a married couple playing a married couple.  

The only thing I'm a little wary of has nothing to do with someone's gender, but it's who's married to/dating the GM.

Otherwise, it's all about the same to me.

Ditto. Gender is mostly irrelevant to me. Interpersonal issues that impact the game are.

Never played with an even mix, and have never experienced playing with more women than men. My experience is that I get a better dynamic if there is a mix, and that this tendency correlates with the number of women.