What gender are the Kerbals we see in the game?

[EdFred]

When you look at a frog can you tell if it is male or female? A shark? A dog? A cat? A Chimpanzee? A turtle? A newt? No, not unless you get up really close.

The only reason we think of them as all dudes is because they were given all (English-like) male names. Had Squad put female names (or generic non-English) in the name generator from the beginning, there would never have been a discussion about needing female Kerbals in the game. Power of suggestion.

[billyoak]

the crew cuts and square jaws also add to the "maleness".

[LethalDose]

I can't believe how obsessed people are with the ... of kerbals... who the hell cares? Of all the things I have seen complained about on these forums this has to be the silliest.

No, this isn't silly, it's a major flaw. This game has an educational version that fails to show females in the STEM fields. This is a major problem and needs to be rectified.

Kinda shocked this hasn't been locked yet, and I'll probably get banned again for posting about again. Oh well.

[KasperVld]

No, this isn't silly, it's a major flaw. This game has an educational version that fails to show females in the STEM fields. This is a major problem and needs to be rectified.

Kinda shocked this hasn't been locked yet, and I'll probably get banned again for posting about again. Oh well.

The OP has specifically stated that this thread is not meant for the debate on whether or not, or in what form, or how soon or _________ female Kerbals should be integrated into the game. Please stay on-topic.

[HafCoJoe]

- redacted -

Sorry KasperVld! I posted this from the first page and didn't read far.

Well I personally think the Kerbals should be asexual and reproduce with spores. Squad has announced they are planning on adding girbals basically meaning the current Kerbals are intended to be all male. I still hope they reproduce with spores! That would be a funny answer for the POOF cloud whenever the die.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Avera9eJoe

[GoSlash27]

We're trying to anthropomorphize fictional alien creatures with insufficient data.

Sucking all the fun out of the discussion:

Kerbals are clones. They are generated from a computer on Earth and are completely identical other than their names and personalities. These traits are assigned at random when they are created.

Best,

-Slashy

[billyoak]

That is very true

"Sucking all the fun out of the discussion:

Kerbals are clones. They are generated from a computer on Earth and are completely identical other than their names and personalities. These traits are assigned at random when they are created."

but even i feel for Bobfred when he is traveling backwards towards Tylo with a terrified look on his face at 1km/s and even i don't know how it will all end.

On the anthropomorphize bit i guess its something that has been with humans for a long time elves, dwarfs, etc.

[Ikaneko]

GoSlash... you miss the point.

We're talking about their GENDER, not what they are. Furthermore, we're discussing this from an in-game canon perspective, not from whatever the heck you're taking it from.

[GoSlash27]

GoSlash... you miss the point.

We're talking about their GENDER, not what they are. Furthermore, we're discussing this from an in-game canon perspective, not from whatever the heck you're taking it from.

All due respect, but I believe *you* are missing the point

You are assuming that Kerbals have genders with no real basis for doing so, and the only "in-game canon" is, by definition, decided by Squad.

Without official word from them, they can be whatever you (or anybody else) wants them to be. Hence, not really worth discussing, let alone debating.

Best,

-Slashy

[billyoak]

I might just add the link for those that do not know

http://www.pcgamer.com/kerbal-space-program-ama-reveals-origin-of-kerbals-plans-for-1-0/

"We are actively working on Girlbals (studio petname, not actual name). They will take some time, it's a decent bit of work and we have to get them right. We may be just a small indie studio but we feel that gaming in general should no longer treat women as an afterthought. Even if it's extra work. "

[fairytalefox]

Well I personally think the Kerbals should be asexual and reproduce with spores.

They DO reproduce with spores.

Squad has announced they are planning on adding girbals basically meaning the current Kerbals are intended to be all male.

Who's Squad, why they dictate us their silly version of truth? I was at Kerbin many times, I know better.

[insane_fanboy_mode=off]

Actually, I just like Kerbals to be fungi. Come on, we have girls and boys all around the world, all around EVERY in-game world on the Earth. This idea has zero novelty value. Fungi, on the other side... all of us think it's something wrong with Kerbals, with their culture, mentality, civilization, with everything, am I right? It's because they're not green funny humans. They're lechers who ride cacti, trust me, guys and gals, I'm an engineer.

I'm not happy with Squad to introduce Girlbals but I'm ok with it. My imagination is stronger than their propaganda.

[GoSlash27]

^ Me in this discussion

That looks like a large cumulus cloud and Kerbals are just characters in a video game.

Best,

-Slashy

[Rainbowtrout]

I support addition of female kerbals. I would like them quite innocent, as a cute little green creature with an excess of lipstick/eyeliner will be worse than having none at all.

(Off topic, I'm suprised that this thread hasn't devolved into a classic argument yet. Well done!)

[billyoak]

@Rainbowtrout - same here man. I think a tweak of the head shape and maybe something like a military bun will probably do it. (A little off topic)

[Franklin]

We're trying to anthropomorphize fictional alien creatures with insufficient data.

Is Garfield male? How about Hobbes? It doesn't need to be explicitly said to be said.

edit: Hobbes the tiger, not Hobbes the philosopher.

[GoSlash27]

Is Garfield male? How about Hobbes? It doesn't need to be explicitly said to be said.

edit: Hobbes the tiger, not Hobbes the philosopher.

While both are cartoon characters, they are portrayals of Earth mammals. Kerbals aren't.

Best,

-Slashy

[EdFred]

Is Q-bert male or female? Inky, Pinky, Blinky?

Again, the only reason we think Kerbals are male is because of the names. If Squad gave them names of Bebu, Ralshy, and Ioeni rather than Jeb, Bob, and Bill there would be no male/female discussion.

[Superfluous J]

As a beings created to be a human analog within a video game, they have genders which loosely correspond to our own. We just have only seen the male ones so far.

They are all male to me. Stereotypical masculine features and names, and I've never used female pronouns when talking about them (nor do I see others doing so).

Two people who said it better than I could.

[Franklin]

While both are cartoon characters, they are portrayals of Earth mammals. Kerbals aren't.

Best,

-Slashy

Are you suggesting in the fictional Kerbal universe there are no genders but the beings look conspicuously like Earth males, are given Earth male names and in some cases Earth male clothing just by happenstance, and we shouldn't recognize it as a gender bias in their envisioning? You do realize their writers and modellers are Earth males, right?

Anyway, this topic always devolves into glib semantics, so imma peace out but you males keep on checkin ya privilege

[Frozen_Heart]

checkin ya privilege

Did you just pull the check your privilege card? Never seen that one in the wild before.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Frozen_Heart

[diomedea]

It would be nice if these kind of discussions could remain tied to what was in the OP, instead of bordering on other subjects prone to arguments. Discussing genders in KSP is allowed, only if and when similar arguments are not used to deliberately show lack respect to others. If the discussion keeps on a tone that can be seen as insulting, we may have to take action. Again, please stay on topic.

Edited October 17, 2014 by diomedea

[Sirrobert]

Did you just pull the check your privilege card? Never seen that one in the wild before.

Yea, I was beginning to think it was a myth

please, better explain (semi)immortal beings that dont need food.

Or just have fun with the more zany ideas.

I'm on the side with the sentient parasites mate

[Vaporo]

Don't you people see the truth? Kerbals are a a complex fungus (not a parasitic one, as fairytalefox says, but a fungus) that is being genetically engineered by a giant supercomputer (Called the S.K.W.D.) spread out between the cores of the planets in KSP. (Which is why they're so dense. They're made of quantum super-silicon). It has slowly been developing the "Kerbal" between versions of KSP. First, it was capable of generating three Kerbals from predesigned templates. Then it learned to give then variable personalities and names free from any template. It has developed some facial feature templates, used to create the staff in the KSC. It simply has yet to develop females and variable facial features.

It's so obvious.

Edited October 18, 2014 by Vaporo

[Sirrobert]

Don't you people see the truth? Kerbals are a a complex fungus (not a parasitic one, as fairytalefox says, but a fungus) that is being genetically engineered by a giant supercomputer (Called the S.K.W.D.) spread out between the cores of the planets in KSP. (Which is why they're so dense. They're made of quantum super-silicon). It has slowly been developing the "Kerbal" between versions of KSP. First, it was capable of generating three Kerbals from predesigned templates. Then it learned to give then variable personalities and names free from any template. It has developed some facial feature templates, used to create the staff in the KSC. It simply has yet to develop females and variable facial features.

It's so obvious.

You are close, but not quite there yet.

KSC buildings are the outer structures from the Fungus. You can compare them to mushrooms in our world. The main body of the mushrooms is below the ground.

Kerbin's core is indeed the mushroom's main structure, and the Kerbals are basicly spores. KSC is a giant reproduction facility, spreading sprores out into the solar system

[Axelord FTW]

They are 'who gives a damn, I build rockets!' gendered.