Women have had a long history in Runescape. Many of the first players and famous people were women in real life. The first smither who got 99 smithing was Bluerose13x. She was extremely powerful and rich during her time since she was literally the only source of player-smithed items.
The first person to get 99 fishing was Tks and all the top crafters were also women. Women in Runescape are everywhere, as old school players, clan leaders, skillers, pkers and player moderators.
Yet in spite of all this, the female RS players must contend daily with the opinion that she does not exist.
"There are no girls on the intarwebs!"
"You aren't a real girl."
"I don't believe you are really a woman."
Why this persistent belief that nobody female would ever play RS? Do we need the XY genes to click a mouse? Obviously not, yet I have met many, many players who are genuinely convinced that female RS players cannot possibly exist.
The reasons are many, varied and also rather pathetic.
"All the girls I know irl don't play games, they just go out for meals."
This is an absolutely genuine reply I have gotten from a (presumably male) RS player. Yes, he really thinks women do nothing but go out for meals.
When the RS player insists that, yes, she really is a girl, the replies are entirely predicatable.
"No pic no proof."
"You're not a girl if u don't show us pics."
"Get on ventrilo."
"Webcam."
Men do not need to go on ventrilo/webcam or show their pics to everyone who asks just to prove that they exist. Why do women have to bother?
One time I joined an IRC channel for a Runescape-related community. Right away, I got kicked. Then again and again until I gave up on reading the final message (and the reason for the kicks) "fuck off, there are no girls on the internet." Another reason I have been kicked from IRC -"tits or gtfo."
Comment please, I would really like to know what RS players think about all this.
