We'll usually have a short discussion of the types of characters people would like to run, and there is occasionally some type of change as a result.  ("Gee.  We really should have a healer of some sort, shouldn't we?")

Otherwise, character generation is usually done away from the table.  Usually because we don't have that much time to game anyway.  Although I prefer everyone creating characters as a group, it usually doesn't work out that way.

One issue is often eagerness.  I know when I'm about to start playing in a new game, I want to work on my character *now*, and not have to wait for the game session.  Especially if I have a character concept I really like.

Not sure how I missed this one, considering my group got together Monday night to do this for the first time in many years of gaming as a group. Well, mostly - actual mechanical character creation didn't happen yet, but they know what they want to play.

It was kind of the best of both worlds, actually; it was a last minute session that nobody knew was going to happen, so it started late and had no pressure attached to it. We'd already decided on the basic premise - crash-landed Republic marines (the kind with boarding tanks ) trying to get off a hostile alien world. I started off with no idea how they'd go about trying to get mechanically different characters without making a band of hyperspecialist soldiers, and the answer surprised me: Play the other guys, those servicemen and women we rarely see (except for J, who's playing a psychic petty criminal recently drafted into the military psi program - still in orange jacket and handcuffs in the lifeboat!) who lack the military skills of battle-tested Expeditionary Force marines. I know they want no information about the cause of the crash (I'm having a lot of fun with that fact), limited supplies, and natives they'll be able to negotiate with (given time). I know they're thinking of getting off the planet and continuing to play these characters.

As I was getting into a player's car for a ride home, she exclaimed with a degree of shock "Why have we never done that before?". The need was really highlighted by our last L5R game, which began on the Crab Wall and we quickly realized that once we were (IC) allowed to leave, we had no reason to ever speak to each other again. I think a session zero has just become our SOP.

As a GM I spend a lot of time rustling up my players, and getting characters made in advance is a good technique for me. One, it allows me plenty of time for one on one discussion without crowding. Two, it gives the player incentive to show up for the first few games... enough time to get them hooked.


As an amusing anecdote, my D&D group the GM is pretty open minded, but our last characters were made at the table. We wound up with two clerics and no wizard. Go figure. One supposes the Psionist filled the spell caster niche. :raise:

Quote from: Halfjack... we've set a night's gaming aside for character creation and discussion about how the game is going to work with them.  

This is exactly how my group does it. After I tell them about my concept for a campaign they not only think about charcater concepts on their own but also possible ideas that contribute to the "atmosphere" of the campaign. We set aside one night of gaming to create charcters and talk about the campaign setting and generally just hang out whilst making sure everyone is on the same page. Campaign "confusion" is not a problem I have encountered.

Regards,
David R