[Kromm]

I think that in campaigns where the GM says, "Here are the ground rules. Go make characters!", it becomes important to set caps and limits. I'm still not sure those have much to do with power level. The GM might have good reasons for saying, "You have 500 points, but can't spend more than 120 points on basic attributes, or have any attribute above 15 . . . or spend less than 250 points on powers." Or for saying, "You have 200 points, but 150 of them must be spent on a basic-training template that sets attribute minima of ST 11 [10], DX 13 [60], IQ 13 [60], HT 11 [10], and pays for most of its advantages and skills with points from mandatory Duty, Enemy, and Secret." I could see the first suiting an "ordinary Joes suddenly get super-powers" campaign, the second being fine for an "elite black-ops" game.

However, I've never run a campaign where I said, "Go make characters." Even when I take the time to define the permitted powers and abilities, or to create a set of mandatory templates, I insist on cooperatively building the character with the player. I'm not a control freak; I just don't want the game to be less fun for that player (who may well create a PC that can't do anything, even survive, in the campaign I have planned) or the other players (who might not appreciate being upstaged at every turn by Joe Optimax, Niche Invader™). If I could change one thing in the GURPS Basic Set, it wouldn't be rules, organization, or graphics – it would be to add a prominent note that character-creation is normally done in collaboration with the rest of the gaming group, especially the GM.