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<blockquote data-quote="steenan" data-source="post: 6344004" data-attributes="member: 23240">For me, it strongly depends on the game in question.In games with mostly freeform character creation (points to distribute, self-defined traits, few if any mechanical interactions between various parts of the character) I start with the story side (themes or relations I want to explore, setting elements I'm interested in, my character's style and looks). I think about who my character is, in reasonable details. After I have a clear idea, I make the mechanical side to fit the concept.Games that allow me to mechanically represent relations, goals, ideals and personality traits are especially fun here.On the other hand, if character creation requires choosing many things from lists and if the various pieces interact in a nontrivial way, I start with mechanics. I get inspired by a specific mechanical piece and build a character around it, or I decide what my character should be able to do and optimize to do it efficiently. Story side comes later; it's not ignored, but it has to follow the mechanics, not the other way around.The reason for this divide is simple. With freeform character creation, I'm sure that each concept that fits the setting and genre may be well represented mechanically. On the other hand, the mechanical side is not very interesting by itself. Thus, it makes sense to focus on story first and then choose the mechanics.&nbsp;&nbsp; In games with stiffer mechanical structure some story concepts, while fitting, may be significantly suboptimal - but mechanical parts of the system are interesting and fun by themselves, so it makes sense to focus on them first.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="steenan, post: 6344004, member: 23240"] For me, it strongly depends on the game in question. In games with mostly freeform character creation (points to distribute, self-defined traits, few if any mechanical interactions between various parts of the character) I start with the story side (themes or relations I want to explore, setting elements I'm interested in, my character's style and looks). I think about who my character is, in reasonable details. After I have a clear idea, I make the mechanical side to fit the concept. Games that allow me to mechanically represent relations, goals, ideals and personality traits are especially fun here. On the other hand, if character creation requires choosing many things from lists and if the various pieces interact in a nontrivial way, I start with mechanics. I get inspired by a specific mechanical piece and build a character around it, or I decide what my character should be able to do and optimize to do it efficiently. Story side comes later; it's not ignored, but it has to follow the mechanics, not the other way around. The reason for this divide is simple. With freeform character creation, I'm sure that each concept that fits the setting and genre may be well represented mechanically. On the other hand, the mechanical side is not very interesting by itself. Thus, it makes sense to focus on story first and then choose the mechanics. In games with stiffer mechanical structure some story concepts, while fitting, may be significantly suboptimal - but mechanical parts of the system are interesting and fun by themselves, so it makes sense to focus on them first. [/QUOTE]

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