Neonivek, what are you defining "damsel qualities" as in this case? I'm not really sure what that would include and is positive.
The Princess traits basically. Grace and Wisdom for example.
Anita goes back and forth between Damsel the "state of being" and Damsel the "Princess".
myself included, Sheik was the best thing to happen to Zelda's character
To me the best thing to happen to Zelda's character wasn't Sheik (Sheik was just another stereotypical role) but rather Zelda going from being the "just another person to save" into being the true holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. Where she takes an active role in the events of the series either behind the scenes as a manipulator or directly. It is coincidentally the very same game that did it.
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Also you guys gotta stop harping on "weakness" as a positive or negative as it pertains to a character.
what sort of context do you think a female survival horror protagonist would be acceptable?
I'll put it to you this way. Jill and the Female protagonist from Alone in the Dark are both perfectly acceptable.
Heck Alone in the Dark's female protagonist is the very first female character in videogames made primarily with the female audience in mind AND is somewhat middle aged.
While Jill basically goes through the same path Chris does, somewhat altered, and sure she gets saved "by a man" but it is never done in a "You are clearly a woman" aspect (that and Chris does as well). There is no aspect of Jill that I can see that even approaches inappropriate except MAYBE her alternate costumes (But I don't remember her having a Bikini costume)
Probably one where it's not clearly a sort of pornography of weakness. I'm thinking Rule of Rose right now in particular, or the new Tomb Raider game with its trauma conga
That doesn't matter either. Weakness can be very engaging especially with horror, which is often about making the protagonists feel completely trapped.
My example of a weak female character being intriguing? Adrian from Phantasmagoria. The fact that she is clearly weak is used to heighten the sense of horror, yet those weaknesses only accentuates her wit, intelligence, and sheer willpower when she needs to find alternate solutions to a puzzle other then punching it down. As well her personal fault is her refusal to leave the house out of love (though that can also be seen as a virtue) even when her SO becomes increasingly abusive.
Weakness, explored weakness, is not a problem... even if it is for "typically woman" things. The issue is if it is undue.
Adrian's weakness comes from her being an unathletic writer and being in a loving relationship and unable to let go of it.
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Now the reason why horror games have more female protagonists? In Fatal Frame they say the reason they chose a female protagonist is because a male protagonist is expected to, when trapped, to start tearing things up, while a female protagonist doesn't have such expectation.
Silent Hill's use of mostly male protagonists has a lot to do with how it the series is about the character's own personal hell. While Silent Hill 3 used a female protagonist as a flip of Silent Hill 1.