Comments on: Introducing a New Player: Provide Limited Character Options

By: Apathy Games » Blog Archive » Introducing a New Player: Introduction

Apathy Games » Blog Archive » Introducing a New Player: Introduction — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:38:38 +0000

[...] Provide limited character options. The newcomer doesn’t know the game. Give him some choice, but keep his options limited to prevent intimidation. [...]

By: Spyder Z

Spyder Z — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:18:12 +0000

I’m not as keen on the “Limited Options” camp as I could be. Generally if I’m introducing a new player, I plan some time specifically for character creation. That way I can work directly with them (Or once I had a couple more bodies who knew what they were about, they could work with them) to create whatever kind of character they like. Typically by asking questions about what kind of characters they liked in movies/games/etc, and then working off that. That way once they had their characters created, they’d be playing someone that was already “Cool” to them.

By: Spyder Z

Spyder Z — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:18:00 +0000

By: Theron

Theron — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:57:38 +0000

Oh, thank you! I was actually inspired by a friend of mine who is a self-proclaimed sucker for charts and tables. I wasn’t developing the character for a specific game, but illustrating the fun and occasional heartbreak of totally random character generation.

I was using the rules from the 2005 Fantasy Character Generator Toolkit, written by Wiggy.

By: Theron

Theron — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:57:00 +0000

I was using the rules from the 2005 Fantasy Character Generator Toolkit, written by Wiggy.

By: Tyson J. Hayes

Tyson J. Hayes — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:42:57 +0000

I completely agree on saying yes to as much as possible. It’s especially why I love Savage Worlds for that. You can say yes to pretty much everything and easily handle the situations as they come up.

I enjoyed your running commentary on random character generation, what game were you developing it for? And what rules were you using?

By: Tyson J. Hayes

Tyson J. Hayes — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:42:00 +0000

I enjoyed your running commentary on random character generation, what game were you developing it for? And what rules were you using?

By: Theron

Theron — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:00:43 +0000

Here here.

Nothing much to add here, other than I have used the guidelines with success. Nothing is more overwhelming than thrusting a 248 page book into someone’s hands and saying, “go to.”

The only other important thing to remember is, if they get into it, say “yes” to as many options as possible.

By: Theron

Theron — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Here here.

Nothing much to add here, other than I have used the guidelines with success. Nothing is more overwhelming than thrusting a 248 page book into someone’s hands and saying, “go to.”

The only other important thing to remember is, if they get into it, say “yes” to as many options as possible.