New here and new to GURPS

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by RyanW

I can't speak for him, but one thing I like that I see too rarely is a good grounding of what kind of characters would be appropriate. Take a look at any prospectus Bill Stoddard has posted for an example. Many new (or even experienced) GMs will give little more than a broad genre and ask for characters, all too often leading to characters that are at best marginally compatible with each other or the campaign.

I do this always and I still sometimes get players that want to build shopping list characters. Just shopping lists with some vague nod to the campaign concept.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I do this always and I still sometimes get players that want to build shopping list characters.

It can be worth dropping hints to focus that a bit. For example, I played in a THS campaign where the GM decided to explore Talents, and requested that every PC should have at least one. It worked pretty well.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by johndallman

It can be worth dropping hints to focus that a bit. For example, I played in a THS campaign where the GM decided to explore Talents, and requested that every PC should have at least one. It worked pretty well.

Talents can go on shopping lists (in fact they often do). I think you may be thinking of something different from what I am (and I think aesir23 is).

[ClayDowling]

Originally Posted by dcarson

If you don't want to buy GURPS Character Assistant yet or don't run Windows grab GURPS Character Sheet, not quite as nice as the official one but runs on Macs and Linux as well as Windows and is free. Makes generating characters a lot faster. And you can ask your players to use it without it costing them anything.

I own both, and the more I use GURPS Character Sheet, the more I like it. Once I got use to the way it works, I actually found it easier to use. It isn't as pretty, and the UI is non-intuitive, but it allows a good deal more freedom.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Can you elaborate on what qualifies as a "starting point" for you? Do you prefer templates? A list of useful character concepts?

A list of concepts isn't a bad thing but at my level of expertise templates are literally worse than useless to me personally. If I know what the Template is supposed to do I can do it from scratch much faster and easier than the Template's formulaic "25pts from category A, 30pts from category B, 4 skills from C et al.".

Probably more useful though are a description of the _boundaries_ that the character should function in and the direction t6hat the game will progress in. Gurps as a whole is practically infinite in its' potential complexities. Reduce the number of the books I need to look through. Reduce the rules sub-sets I need to consider. Set goals "Your characters will need to have professional level Skills in area X and the ability to leave their homes for an extended period of time".

I can lay a personality on top of the bones of any sort of character but at least knowing what that skeleton should look like is a big help. Infinite possibilities can lead to infinite indecision.

As an example, one of my favorite all time characters was for a relatively recent D&D2e game. the system didn't really do much to help me but it didn't really get in my way of characterization either. However, I really did need to know "make a 1st level Fighter" to get started on a character sheet and let the game go forward.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by RyanW

I can't speak for him, but one thing I like that I see too rarely is a good grounding of what kind of characters would be appropriate. Take a look at any prospectus Bill Stoddard has posted for an example. Many new (or even experienced) GMs will give little more than a broad genre and ask for characters, all too often leading to characters that are at best marginally compatible with each other or the campaign.

Ironically, I have one or two players who say that what I offer doesn't tell them as much as they need to know to make an informed choice! I'm experimenting with an expanded format. Here's a sample entry from the prospectus I'm now circulating:

_____ Worminghall. Historical fantasy. GURPS.
In 1300 A.D., students from all over Europe come to western England to study magic. A group of such students will encounter the magical arts, town and gown conflicts, and each other. Play will emphasize student life and its rivalries, and the growth of magical knowledge, but will also include real dangers and mysteries. The setting will be authentically medieval, with medieval conflicts over nationality, faith, and social roles—but expressed through fantasy themes. We’ll probably try the experiment of an initial prologue where the characters are newly arrived students, followed by a fast forward to several years on. The default character will be young, male, and Catholic, but there will be room for exceptional people to overstep their normal social roles.
You may enjoy this campaign if you want some actual history in your historical fantasy; you love schools of magic as settings; you’re interested in your character’s personality and the social texture of their life; you’re willing to start small and build up your character.

Bill Stoddard

[Edges]

Originally Posted by whswhs

The default character will be young, male, and Catholic, but there will be room for exceptional people to overstep their normal social roles.

Nice prospectus. I'd join.

I generally find that when I include a sentence like the above, I'm almost certain that the PCs will not be young, male, and Catholic. Every player I game with these days tends to want their character to be the exceptional guy. I find myself including sentences like yours in a prospectus so that the players have a cleared idea of what the game will be like. But it rarely, if ever, has the primary intended effect of getting them to make characters close to those lines.

[shawnhcorey]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Ironically, I have one or two players who say that what I offer doesn't tell them as much as they need to know to make an informed choice! I'm experimenting with an expanded format. Here's a sample entry from the prospectus I'm now circulating:

I had the same trouble. Can anyone tell me what's so difficult about creating characters for this?

Star Rover
Star Rover - Forum
GURPS - Space
Estimated Members Requested: 6

Looking for up to 6 players for a space campaign loosely based on Firefly. Alien PCs will be accept from other sources such as Star Wars or Star Trek, provided the player supplies an online reference.

Post your applications here.

Some characters to consider: ship captain, pilots, navigator, quartermaster.

Game Description:

Star Rover is a space-opera campaign loosely based on the Firefly TV show. The PCs are free-traders engaged in grey market activities while trying to stay out of jail (because they can't stay out of trouble) and earning enough to make the mortgage payments on their ship, the Star Rover. They come from all over the galaxy, an intrepid band of outcasts, recluses, and trouble-makers. The only thing they have in common is the desire to live peacefully, far from any question-asking authorities. This is the tales of their adventures.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by shawnhcorey

I had the same trouble. Can anyone tell me what's so difficult about creating characters for this?

1) The description is contradictory. You mention Firefly as the primary source and then talk about aliens and interstellar travel. The end result doesn't really tell me anything about the setting.

2) Star-Trader games seem to appeal to a very small minority. Lots of people might want to play a space adventure game with the action bits of Firefly (which is what your description implies) and not bean-counters. I'm not really sure from your description which it actually is.

3)"You can play whatever alien you want" means that you can't have put much thought into how the setting actually works. I personally prefer settings with some decent hooks for character origins.

[Refplace]

Originally Posted by shawnhcorey

I had the same trouble. Can anyone tell me what's so difficult about creating characters for this?

Well your missing a few items.
I would say how many points it is and if its cinematic or not. I would call firefly cinematic so probably your setting is but make it clear.
Also is the setting inspired by or using the Firefly setting?
Based on could mean either but implies more strongly the latter, however your allowing aliens. though the online reference to aliens is a bit confusing to me. Unless you mean the firefly setting and they have to be aliens from there.

I like to include what books we will be using, even if its just to say all the core books, all the books for that kind of setting or all except the following.
Especially if you want to emphasize something. Also any house rules or options I would not necessarily spell out in the prospectus but would be nice if there short or a link to them.