Having acquired Dark Heresy (the game, not an overall life position), I rolled up some characters for 2 players to play with. That's the size of my gaming group.

Curiously one player (the venue host) immediately went online and found a character generator for the game. He used this to create his character as we went through the process. In so doing he got ahead of himself and me (more importantly - i haven't even read all the rules yet!).

I just thought I mention this, apropos of nothing. It struck me as weird: on one hand I admire the enthusiasm. On the other it's not particularly helpful when he gets ahead of himself in terms of working at the GM's pace when I'm trying to MC a character creation process. There were also a couple of minor character creation things I was going to do differently (specifically the Emperor's Divination thing).

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;493289Having acquired Dark Heresy (the game, not an overall life position), I rolled up some characters for 2 players to play with. That's the size of my gaming group.

It kinda sounds like they just want to make their own characters.  That seems normal to me.

Quote from: misterguignol;493291It kinda sounds like they just want to make their own characters.  That seems normal to me.

They did. What I meant was that I oversaw the process as GM. They created their own characters as players.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;493311They did. What I meant was that I oversaw the process as GM. They created their own characters as players.

Oh, ok.  It sounded like you were pre-generating characters for them.  My bad.

My experience is that when the GM tries to "MC" character creation by stepping us through the process, I often want to get ahead of him. Early decisions (ability scores, race) often influence what later choices (character class, powers) are open to you. Sometimes I'd rather jump ahead, look at the powers and feats I want to take, and then jump back and make sure my early decisions support that.

Quote from: Ghost Whistler;493289...when I'm trying to MC a character creation process...

On a 96 bpm beat or rather freestyling the whole thing?
Did it become a storyteller or a battlerap track?

Quote from: DrTeeth;493361My experience is that when the GM tries to "MC" character creation by stepping us through the process, I often want to get ahead of him. Early decisions (ability scores, race) often influence what later choices (character class, powers) are open to you. Sometimes I'd rather jump ahead, look at the powers and feats I want to take, and then jump back and make sure my early decisions support that.

That's not quite what I'm referring to. I have no objection to the use of software but when a player that doesn't know the options he's looking at starts making choices from that list and refers to things that even the GM doesn't know about yet he gets ahead of himself. Plus I don't know what software he was looking at and made the point it could include options from supplements I don't own.

I hate character generating software.  I certainly wouldn't allow people to use it; and would look with quite a lot of disdain at anyone who thought that it was preferable to rolling dice on the table.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;493592I hate character generating software.  I certainly wouldn't allow people to use it; and would look with quite a lot of disdain at anyone who thought that it was preferable to rolling dice on the table.

RPGPundit

I largely agree, but I really dig the ICONS character folio. It's a great time saver for prep, and it is very helpful when making point buy characters. Personally, though, if i were making a PC for myself, I'd want to roll the dice.

A GM should never, ever put down player enthusiasm. The question shouldn't be "how do I get that player to stop being so enthusiastic?" but rather "how do I channel that enthusiasm to get a better game for everyone out of it?"

Quote from: Benoist;493617A GM should never, ever put down player enthusiasm. The question shouldn't be "how do I get that player to stop being so enthusiastic?" but rather "how do I channel that enthusiasm to get a better game for everyone out of it?"

Indeed, plus noone wants to get into an argument with their friends.

Well, at least on one hand it seems like you jumped into having them make characters before you, yourself, were familiar with the material. I'm sure we've all done it at some point, excepting those super-anal assholes who memorize every book before it comes to the table, but whatever.

My 'new' policy, as far as GMing goes (meaning I've followed it for only the last half dozen years...), is to try and make not just one character in advance, but essentially an entire 'party' of characters so I can see how the various subsystems actually get used in creation.  Its time consuming, but less hassle than trying to wrangle a group of players through the process blind.

The second problem, one you can address with your player, is that even the best intentioned online creator programs can include house interpretations of the rules and 'extras' that you wouldn't want at your table.  
The best online character generator I've seen for dark Heresy has a bunch of stuff listed that isn't familiar to me (who practically memorized the damn books), and options I want, I can't easily find. Maybe that's a linquistic problem (they're out of... denmark?... or something), maybe not.

Quote from: Spike;493684Well, at least on one hand it seems like you jumped into having them make characters before you, yourself, were familiar with the material.

No, you've misunderstood what I said.
The character creation programme included material from all sorts of sources, not just the main rules. It'd be a bit rich to expect me to have EVERY sourcebook surely?
Ironically it was the same situation when he ran D&D: he got us to roll up using the software he had which also included material from every other sourcebook/setting even though he only had the basic DM/PHB.
I have no problem with these programmes at all because they can be very useful, but the player has to be mindful of the GM and what parameters, if any, he sets. If I don't have the book that has choice A in it and the player, ignorant of what choice A is or where it comes from, dives in and chooses it because it's been incprorated into the programme, then there's a problem.
This is the programme used. It seems straightforward. I don't think there are going to be any mechanical issues from bizarre choices and I've assumed it was correct. I'm not offended or overly annoyed, I just thought it a...curious thing. Hopefully they will enjoy the game, but if the 40k setting isn't for them, then I can accept that.

Quote from: RPGPundit;493592I hate character generating software.  I certainly wouldn't allow people to use it; and would look with quite a lot of disdain at anyone who thought that it was preferable to rolling dice on the table.

RPGPundit

Yes, but in fairness you do look down with quite a lot of disdain on quite a lot of people.

That said, using a program which references supplements the GM doesn't have is plainly a no-no. The GM sets the parameters of the campaign. If you want something in that hasn't been included by all means ask for it, but don't assume it.

The GM has the right to run what they want, and the player has the right not to play it. Between those two rights something everyone's happy with can usually be worked out.