I agree with Zanzi and I also agree with Ralley that if you're going to spend that much time, put it on paper.
I understand the concept and reasoning behind the current character gen process, but I'm not sure it really works out as I think it is intended. It is also too easy to exploit once you understand how it works.
When I first made my character, I assumed the process would create a character with stats I'd have to live with (as most pen and paper rpg's). I created a character I thought would produce a great archer (little did I know) based on the available responses. Needless to say, I did succeed in producing a character with great stats for an archer and thankfully it was easy to correct those choices. But, that is the "problem" with the system.
Once in game, the choices you originally made are no longer of any importance other than as background for your character. There aren't any real drawbacks other than one character starting with a lower stat than another. You soon have Dermorians that are just as strong as Krans and Krans that are just as agile as Dermorians. In fact, choosing a Kran is advantagous, because the beginning strength is so much higher (as it should be) that they can earn money faster and balance out their initial drawbacks.
After six months, your character is the same as all the other characters.
To Zanzi's point, we're not given the opportunity to choose in RL and I think the current Char Gen system is generous in giving the player the opportunity to "shape" her character into someone that would be of interest to play. But I think the stat advancement system is too generous. It is my opinion that raising stats should get exponentially harder from the initial stat value. I'm not talking about skills, just stats. And I think stats should affect the ability/rate at which skills can progress. Someone with and INT of 13 shouldn't be able to learn skills very readily for example. And it should be nary impossible to increase that INT of 13 value. Not to be insensitive, you can take someone that has severe learning disabilities and turn them into Einstein.
Also in "my" system, the initial stat values must be in a range from zero to max without the ability to exceed max without some rare "magic".
One the other side. If the stat and skill advancement system is to remain as it is, then the char gen needs to go. Just let people choose name/race/sex and start them at stat = 10. Stop hindering those unlucky few that can't kill a rat bare-handed because they made the wrong choice of daddy.
Araye
