A Mythspent Youth on Nov 18, 2012 wrote:

I've never seen the cat ninja in the game, but if the picture of Shiruku Neko is anything to go by, she looks female.

Shiruku is in fact female. You can tell by her look and voice (provided to actually listen to the voice-overs that is).

Magistermundisum on Nov 17, 2012 wrote:

Is the Cat Ninja male or female?

Definitely female, although abilities are seriously lacking. The best thing she does is stand there and lick her hand. LOL

Dominooooo on Nov 19, 2012 wrote:

Is my Batacuda companion (not pet) a male or female?

Friendly Justin Everhart - Level 17

It's not specified for most of the animal companions and we don't get to name them. So, I guess it's up to you to decide for your own crew.

Let me tell you something.

In the world of pirates... There hasnt been much girls in pirate crews. Its mostly boys.
So, the admins cannot add too much girls. that would just ruin it.

I'm not sure why people keep bringing up the "in real life" argument about the male-female ratio of pirates. This is purely a fictional setting which can have any ratio the developers please. It doesn't have to align with any sort of history. You don't see many flying whales, talking cats and dogs, undead or sentient clockworks in real life, either. So, why not more female pirates?

Hmm, Galliard1.

Everything fantasy is based on some kind of truth or fact, or or story that was based on some kind of truth or fact. Even if it were pure fantasy, there will always be something that ties something on some kind of truth.

That is just how the human mind works. So by going back and comparing it to history simply demonstrates how frivolous this whole "lack of females" post is and therefore becomes a perfect justification. That is just how it is, and there I can comfortably use the expression which I normally hate "It is how it is."

It would be like me commenting on the lack of males if the whole situation were the other way around. In which case, I can guarrantee that there would have been at least one response that would justify that based on historical information.

Shiningfantasia on Nov 23, 2012 wrote:

Hmm, Galliard1.

Everything fantasy is based on some kind of truth or fact, or or story that was based on some kind of truth or fact. Even if it were pure fantasy, there will always be something that ties something on some kind of truth.

That is just how the human mind works. So by going back and comparing it to history simply demonstrates how frivolous this whole "lack of females" post is and therefore becomes a perfect justification. That is just how it is, and there I can comfortably use the expression which I normally hate "It is how it is."

It would be like me commenting on the lack of males if the whole situation were the other way around. In which case, I can guarrantee that there would have been at least one response that would justify that based on historical information.

I dispute that.

First, human truth and historical fact are not the same thing. Human truth is about human nature, while historical fact is about what's happened during the course our history as a species. Human nature changes as we change and history generally* reflects that.

As for your assertion that this discussion is (and, by extension, your implication those that seek gender balance are) frivolous, I say that is complete and utter nonsense. You are using spurious "history" to defend what is, in the 21st century, a completely indefensible position. But this isn't history. No one is trying to recast the Trafalgar action in their own image.

Your other assertion that it would be just as ridiculous for you to complain about a lack of males in a reversed situation, is laughable. Either you're arguing from historical fact or you're arguing from a hypothetical position. You can't have it both ways.

Not to put to fine a point on it, but fantasy or history, this game exists in the here and now. In the here and now, girls and women make up a significant percentage of this game's customer base. (I'd go so far as to say at least half.) Those two facts alone make it necessary (not to mention good business policy) to reflect said customer base in one's product.

*Historical accounts are often wildly inaccurate based on the bias of the historians of the time. It's only human nature, after all.

A Mythspent Youth on Nov 24, 2012 wrote:

I dispute that.

First, human truth and historical fact are not the same thing. Human truth is about human nature, while historical fact is about what's happened during the course our history as a species. Human nature changes as we change and history generally* reflects that.

As for your assertion that this discussion is (and, by extension, your implication those that seek gender balance are) frivolous, I say that is complete and utter nonsense. You are using spurious "history" to defend what is, in the 21st century, a completely indefensible position. But this isn't history. No one is trying to recast the Trafalgar action in their own image.

Your other assertion that it would be just as ridiculous for you to complain about a lack of males in a reversed situation, is laughable. Either you're arguing from historical fact or you're arguing from a hypothetical position. You can't have it both ways.

Not to put to fine a point on it, but fantasy or history, this game exists in the here and now. In the here and now, girls and women make up a significant percentage of this game's customer base. (I'd go so far as to say at least half.) Those two facts alone make it necessary (not to mention good business policy) to reflect said customer base in one's product.

*Historical accounts are often wildly inaccurate based on the bias of the historians of the time. It's only human nature, after all.

I say that is splitting hairs. In a more condensed nutshell, the developers made this game that way, and I highly doubt they were being genderists. If they made the game that way, then that is how the game is. That is just how it is.

As for human nature and historical fact, I am not sure the point came across that I was trying to make. It is human nature to BASE fantasy/fiction on something that has some kind of truth to it, in one way or another, because they is how the human mind tends to work.

Ok, let us say the developers did NOT make the majority of characters male because of the past historical timeline. That still does not change the fact that players generating an issue about the developer's intentional or unintentional male dominated pirate game is ... Well, frivolous.

But it is a perfectly legal opinion, and a good subject nontheless, and I simply participated in this little discussion by adding my thoughts, that is all. I am not trying to lecture, teach, educate, convert, or make players see it all my way. I simply said what I thought about it.

You know, I think I've said all that I can in this thread. Please, continue to discuss and even disagree, but for me to say anymore would just be arguing down a rabbit hole.

Pax.

It seems to me that Swashbucklers end up with more female companions. You might want to suggest that your daughter make one of those. My Swashbuckler often ends up with an all girl team in fights.

i agree we really do need more girl companions cause really boys are even with girls nobody is better than someone ( not saying i am a girl ) but yea we should have half girl companions and half boy ones

lvl twenty five

lvl six lvl elevenlvl two lvl ten

Yes yes yes -- Definitely need more female characters and companions!

amareyn on Nov 22, 2012 wrote:

I'm not sure why people keep bringing up the "in real life" argument about the male-female ratio of pirates. This is purely a fictional setting which can have any ratio the developers please. It doesn't have to align with any sort of history. You don't see many flying whales, talking cats and dogs, undead or sentient clockworks in real life, either. So, why not more female pirates?

I agree