Players have called for the ability to switch races, switch factions and even switch back to a pre-expansion classic server, but it's the first time I've heard this request. Cryogenics of the Azjol-Nerub server would like to switch the gender of his toon.Other posters supporting his request listed a few reasons for wanting this: they don't like the animations of their toon; they created the character as the opposite sex of themselves and the novelty has worn off; they want to be the opposite sex in the game for some perceived advantage.
Since this is a change that doesn't affect game mechanics, should Blizzard implement this ability? Isn't it no different than changing the outfit or hairstyle of your toon? Or does tinkering with a cornerstone of human identity make this a bad idea? Tell us what you think. And leave out any derogatory or insulting remarks. Those will get immediately deleted.

















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
8-16-2007 @ 8:53PM
roguedubb said...
Sounds like a good idea, but one that would only ever be added as something like a temporary potion/drink/trinket buff.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:13AM
Tumples said...
Yeah it's not as simple as getting a haircut really is it, they should make a potion for it.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:14AM
Piers said...
Does gender actually have any effect on your character? I've played MUDs where if you're female then you're slightly less stronger than the male counterparts for example.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:15AM
Melissa Della said...
@3
No, gender has literally no impact other than aesthetic in WoW.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:21AM
Vereor said...
Wait, there are different genders of blood elves? I thought they were all female?!
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8-17-2007 @ 8:23AM
Chaz said...
I don't think so, if a guy has a lvl 70 girl toon, purely for the advantage of having other dudes hit on him, he's a sicko and should have to suffer the consequences.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:24AM
Pex said...
I would really like to see this as well.
I mean- what the hell did I roll a gnome female for?
She was pretty cute in the beginning with her pink ponytails, but she's pretty ugly too, and I'm getting tired of being the opposite sex AND ugly.
It would feel much better to get a male warlock instead, then it wouldn't give me such an awkward 'ugly'-feeling about my toon.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:28AM
Tridus said...
On the whole, Blizzard doesn't seem that keen on letting people change their characters after creation. They relented on the hair thing finally, both because its logical (hair cuts make a lot more sense in a world like WoW then plastic surgery does), and because it lets them bring out new hairstyles.
Something like gender changes are a lot less likely to happen.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:34AM
IKT said...
want to change gender, face, class, faction or more?
re-roll!
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8-17-2007 @ 8:35AM
Pex said...
I know a guy who rerolled froma level 70 UD female priest to a UD male priest just because she cast ugly.
Would you say that that make sense?
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8-17-2007 @ 8:38AM
Bradj said...
I dont believe anyone should be able to change your gender. But, if it is done, it should come with a hefty price tag. At least 1000g. People should have to work for the right to change your gender, and it shouldn't be easy enough to do often.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:39AM
bwest0526 said...
Let's face it no matter where you go in the Real world there are always those people who want to be the opposite sex, transgenders are a part of life and so it would only be natural that these people would want that in Azeroth as well. Transgenderation is mostly people who feel mentally that they are the opposite sex anyway, not necessarily homosexuals although most are. It is a part of life and some psychologist believe it is a chemical imbalance in the brain. While others say it is genetic coding.
Whatever the reason is, I agree with #1 that it shouldn't be permanent...you picked the toon from the beging, you had the time and option to pick something else, if you didn't like the animations you should have re-rolled earlier, other than that, permanently changing your gender goes against creation!!
Merely my opinion of course.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:47AM
Hammer said...
I wouldn't mind being able to change the gender of a character, but I think it would be a bit disconcerting. You start to recognize people from their toons after all.
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8-17-2007 @ 8:51AM
Michel said...
_NO_
or only after a long session talk with a priest of Stormwind because the character is very unhappy and to help him :)
seriously, I'm against it because it's a game, and a game need HARSH choice and only , WE (the others players) need STABILITY to recognize your character.
it's only a few polygons, so if you could change everything everyday , it would be a pain to play with you.
and I really think it would be bad for the game on the long time. you need choice to force players to replay the game differently.
all choice as the same time is in fact no choice at all and a dull game.
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8-17-2007 @ 9:16AM
Levi said...
I rolled a female blood elf paladin just like everybody else, and with the huge dearth of male toons I'd rather have one of those now. Or maybe I just want something to tide me over until Dragonball Z Online.
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8-17-2007 @ 9:16AM
Sylvina said...
Michel... your point is semi-valid but not. Picking a sex isn't a harsh choice that effects gameplay. Stuff like talents, etc. are the important harsh choices, but even then they allow you to respec. The alliance/horde thing is a HUGE thing that will never be put in unless they create some neutral faction thing some day.
I used to play an MMO where you could get a sex change, but it was a one time deal (just like in the real world I'd assume.) and it cost a good deal of money. If for whatever reason someone wanted to change their characters sex/looks I'm sure this could be a viable approach if it was a SINGLE time thing so people wouldn't swap all their stuff around constantly.
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8-17-2007 @ 9:17AM
Zechs said...
And I bet the reagents required would be [Bucket of Cold Water] and [Teapot of Hot Water]. Zechs 1/2.
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8-17-2007 @ 9:23AM
Savok said...
We have transgenders in the real world, why not Azeroth as well? Just give it a nasty price tag, again just like real life. As said it has zero effect on mechanics, unlike race, class and so on, I really don't see how playing the other gender back up to what you have would add anything to the game.
And hey, it'd make for a hell of an RP session.
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8-17-2007 @ 9:24AM
forge said...
Well, i know that gender changes probably are not gonna be an option ever.
Hair cut's i can accept but not gender changes. And this coming from a dranei male shaman who re-rolled from a female one at lvl58 (3 days played, 1 day after release of tbc) because the girl thing didn't just work for enh shammies.
I had a priest as my old main and casting for females works, i like playing a female char if theyr casters (healer/dps) but, not melee dps, no no no, something utterly wrong in that.
And yes, the way she hit mobs with the maces was ugly as hell.
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8-17-2007 @ 9:47AM
Don said...
Changing a toons name is tough too. It takes three months and fifty dollars (moving your toon to a server that already has that name, waiting the 90 days, moving it back.) (Um the server does not have that name of toon, create one.)
Wish there was a faster less expensive way to change your name.
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