So, how many steps is your optimum number when creating a character. What becomes too much?
I'm ok with -
Step 1: Choose Race/background/origin etc
Step 2: Create stats
Step 3: Choose class/vocation/occupation etc
Step 4: Equip yourself.
Largely dependent on the game system, but I might add one more step in and say:
1: Race/background/origin
2: Create stats
3: Choose class/vocation/occupation
4: Follow life path for chosen class/vocation/occupation
5: Equip yourself
Same four steps here.
Add skill points/dots repartition for games like Cthulhu or WoD (with particular origins and profession substituted to the race class combo, or concept, Clan, Covenant in WoD), but the more you pile on the character generation from these four steps, the more potentially annoying it becomes, IMO.
I'd actually use amount of space occupied as a term for how much.
If a character sheet is over 2 pages (not counting the equipment etc. etc. spaces, which may be as well just a blank page), it's far too long.
I like to have a very mechanically fleshed out character, but I also like to not have a mechnically fleshed out character at all.
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAAAHAHAHAHHAAAHHHAAAA
(i'm ridiculous here)
Without Isomage's aid, i'm at...
this (http://celtricia.pbworks.com/w/page/46791168/SIG%20Character%20Creation%20Guide)
prepared by one of my players...
probably like a full hour to an hour and a half for me, and I created the damn system.
Quote from: One Horse Town;509359So, how many steps is your optimum number when creating a character. What becomes too much?
I'm ok with -
Step 1: Choose Race/background/origin etc
Step 2: Create stats
Step 3: Choose class/vocation/occupation etc
Step 4: Equip yourself.
me too
Quote from: One Horse Town;509359Step 1: Choose Race/background/origin etc
Step 2: Create stats
Step 3: Choose class/vocation/occupation etc
Step 4: Equip yourself.
If 'create stats' includes assigning skills points, then we're in accord.
Traveller makes Steps 1-3 contiguous. I like lifepath systems for this reason.
Quote from: LordVreeg;509411HAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAAAHAHAHAHHAAAHHHAAAA
(i'm ridiculous here)
Without Isomage's aid, i'm at...
this (http://celtricia.pbworks.com/w/page/46791168/SIG%20Character%20Creation%20Guide)
prepared by one of my players...
probably like a full hour to an hour and a half for me, and I created the damn system.
Dude I ran a home produced Bladerunner based Cyberpunk game for years. Chargen came in 3 flavours Simple, moderate and advanced.
The advanced one had an expanded Traveller style lifepath system and one time it took us two 4 hour sessions to create a PC..... half that was typical.....
The simple system took 15 minutes and mechanically you couldn't tell tell the characters apart but man the Advanced chargen produced some fantastic background and character stuff. Ex-wives, hit record albums, drug addiction etc etc....
Quote from: jibbajibba;509422Dude I ran a home produced Bladerunner based Cyberpunk game for years. Chargen came in 3 flavours Simple, moderate and advanced.
The advanced one had an expanded Traveller style lifepath system and one time it took us two 4 hour sessions to create a PC..... half that was typical.....
The simple system took 15 minutes and mechanically you couldn't tell tell the characters apart but man the Advanced chargen produced some fantastic background and character stuff. Ex-wives, hit record albums, drug addiction etc etc....
I love character creation that's based on character history, even if it usually produces rather poorly mechanical characters - such as Fading Suns did. Great fluff, but characters created that way...
Seems like four simple steps to me!
Quote from: Rincewind1;509386I'd actually use amount of space occupied as a term for how much.
If a character sheet is over 2 pages (not counting the equipment etc. etc. spaces, which may be as well just a blank page), it's far too long.
If a character sheet is bigger than a 3x5 card, it's far too long. ;)
Quote from: misterguignol;509439If a character sheet is bigger than a 3x5 card, it's far too long. ;)
Heh heh heh. To be honest - I prefer if all necessary informations fit on one page. The other page can be used for contacts, equipment, experience, etc. etc. Otherwise - way toooooo long, and a signal that the system is too complex for me to GM it.
Looking at you, DnD 3e.
Here's the steps I use:
1. Player comes up with premise for character based on the campaign pitch.
2. Player writes up a 1 to 3 paragraph description of the character or fills out a questionnaire.
3. GM reads said premise, identifies keywords, and translates the character into game terms. Negotiations, if any, may take place.
Quote from: Rincewind1;509426I love character creation that's based on character history, even if it usually produces rather poorly mechanical characters - such as Fading Suns did. Great fluff, but characters created that way...
I use these as well...and for somer reason, in our games, generally the strongest mechanical characters get offed and broken ones go on and on and on....
Quote from: LordVreeg;509447I use these as well...and for somer reason, in our games, generally the strongest mechanical characters get offed and broken ones go on and on and on....
By broken you mean mechanically weak, I presume, rather then broken in terms of mechanics? ;)
Well, the answer may be that the weak characters' players are more aware of their characters' weaknesses, then the strong ones, so they are less prone to needless risks.
Quote from: TristramEvans;509445Here's the steps I use:
1. Player comes up with premise for character based on the campaign pitch.
2. Player writes up a 1 to 3 paragraph description of the character or fills out a questionnaire.
3. GM reads said premise, identifies keywords, and translates the character into game terms. Negotiations, if any, may take place.
That's cool, but good luck getting my players to do any sort of this xD.
Quote from: TristramEvans;509445Here's the steps I use:
1. Player comes up with premise for character based on the campaign pitch.
2. Player writes up a 1 to 3 paragraph description of the character or fills out a questionnaire.
3. GM reads said premise, identifies keywords, and translates the character into game terms. Negotiations, if any, may take place.
Is that in every game you play?
Quote from: One Horse Town;509451Is that in every game you play?
Just the ones I run, unless I'm "trying out" a new system. "Character modeling" has been my preferred form of chargen since I first started playing FASERIP in the late 80's.
If the players know the system well enough then I usually would simply replace step 2 with player models character as they see them and then step 3 would be me, as GM, revising it for campaign appropriateness and negotiating on stats, if necessary.
I keep random roll as an option for players who can't think of a premise, but it's pretty rare that it comes up in my groups. Usually I pitch the game well ahead of time and provide a bunch of media references to establish the themes, tone and genre I'm going for, so by the time we get to playing everyone has an idea for what kind of character they'd like to play.
I'm very much a "character personality emerges during play" type of person and there's no better place to start the "play" then in chargen, which is why I far and away prefer a lifepath system to anything else out there.
I don't really care how detailed it is, as long as it flows logically and makes sense as a real lifepath.
I do not use steps to create characters.
Of course you do, you prat.
Quote from: Ancientgamer1970;509514I do not use steps to create characters.
Right, just like you play OD&D "by the book".
Quote from: Ancientgamer1970;509514I do not use steps to create characters.
Never change, Commando Cohen.
Quote from: misterguignol;509544Never change, Commando Cohen.
I don't get it. Care to explain?
Quote from: One Horse Town;509359So, how many steps is your optimum number when creating a character. What becomes too much?
More than most.
-clash
Well let's see:
1. ROLL attributes
2. choose race and/or class and derive bonuses and abilities thereof.
3. equip.
There can be an optional step of "choose skills", or of some kind of random rolls for background details, etc.
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