Character/City Creation a group activity?

[fantazero]

Would you say per the rules that Character and City Creation should be a group activity?

[Sanctaphrax]

Yes.

It's not always practical to do it as a group, though, and the sky won't fall if it's done alone.

So it's a soft should, not a hard one.

[UmbraLux]

Yes - both have exceptions written in to the rules also, though I think it does recommend against avoiding group city creation.  Interestingly, it doesn't recommend against going solo on character creation, instead it gives rules for creating the character on the fly.

Have to agree with Sanctaphrax also, solo character creation is not going to hurt much.  Aspects are the only piece that's really group oriented and you can change one aspect a session during play.  So three or four sessions in you may not have any of the group created aspects left even if created as a group.  Group city creation is more important to me - it's the setting and everyone needs to be engaged.  But, as long as players choose to follow along, solo city creation won't hurt play.

[HumAnnoyd]

In my experience the group city creation was invaluable.  When it was my turn to run my story I found the game pretty much wrote itself and flowed directly from what we had created as a group. 

[benign]

Definitely yes. Some of the most fun I've had has been in character making and city-making sessions, and the benefits echoed and multiplied as the campaign continued. It's well worth your time!

[Chrono]

Definitely. Even if you are running a one-shot, a quick city creation is invaluable!

[Richard_Chilton]

The more everyone contributes, the more everyone has invested in the game.  It's the difference between helping Jim's PC and helping the PC who stepped into your background to help you.

Richard

[Keryth]

Well, its been my experience that it is just the opposite. City Creation can be handled by the GM alone, but having the group do character creation is invaluable. My players really could not get into the idea of City creation - perhaps our having gamed together since the 90's every Saturday has us a bit set in our ways that the game world is the province of the GM. However, we all had a BALL during character creation, seeing how everyone meshed together, and listening to each person's tidbit, as well as trying to put together a group of interesting and complimentary characters.

[fantazero]

Well, its been my experience that it is just the opposite. City Creation can be handled by the GM alone, but having the group do character creation is invaluable. My players really could not get into the idea of City creation - perhaps our having gamed together since the 90's every Saturday has us a bit set in our ways that the game world is the province of the GM. However, we all had a BALL during character creation, seeing how everyone meshed together, and listening to each person's tidbit, as well as trying to put together a group of interesting and complimentary characters.

We just finished our Miami game that was running for over a year, but in that case we all did Character creation separate and we let the GM do City creation by themselves.
Overall we had a GREAT time, but where I felt things really fell apart where the Number of NPCs that seemed "Out of the Blue" or it was hard to wrangle their reason for being. That and making our characters Work together. And after a year of events and NPCs and stuff we had a chart that looked more complicated than this


So we are going to do another Dresden Game, and this time we want to do character/city creation together. There was a line in the book that basically implied (if read out of context) that you can do some parts by yourself (like your first 2 Aspects, Trouble and High Concept) As I understand it you should do all of this together and then do stuff like Stunts and Skills last.

I was just curious on how valuable you guys felt it to be or if you knew a better way, or if we were just going to  follow the book.

[Keryth]

We just finished our Miami game that was running for over a year, but in that case we all did Character creation separate and we let the GM do City creation by themselves.
Overall we had a GREAT time, but where I felt things really fell apart where the Number of NPCs that seemed "Out of the Blue" or it was hard to wrangle their reason for being. That and making our characters Work together. And after a year of events and NPCs and stuff we had a chart that looked more complicated than this

So we are going to do another Dresden Game, and this time we want to do character/city creation together. There was a line in the book that basically implied (if read out of context) that you can do some parts by yourself (like your first 2 Aspects, Trouble and High Concept) As I understand it you should do all of this together and then do stuff like Stunts and Skills last.

I was just curious on how valuable you guys felt it to be or if you knew a better way, or if we were just going to  follow the book.

Well, as my post above states, our NYC Campaign, the city was done all by me (It's over on Obsidian Portal if you're curious. http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/shadows-over-new-york)

However, after several Convention games of FATE, and a brief DFRPG campaign it is my opinion, and that of my players, that Character Creation as a group is integral to the success of a DFRPG campaign.

As for the City, not everything in it has to be integral or even related to the campaign. And, I've already told my players that after character creation, I'd like them to make a location ro two relevant to their PC. We shall see how it works out

[HumAnnoyd]

I was just curious on how valuable you guys felt it to be or if you knew a better way, or if we were just going to  follow the book.

I can't say it enough.  City Creation as a group was a god send for me.  Both as a GM and a player.  It gets the players more invested in the game, allows them to demonstrate to the GM what kind of stories they are looking for and makes writing up adventures so much easier.  It was a godsend for my Emerald City Campaign. 

[Keryth]

I can't say it enough.  City Creation as a group was a god send for me.  Both as a GM and a player.  It gets the players more invested in the game, allows them to demonstrate to the GM what kind of stories they are looking for and makes writing up adventures so much easier.  It was a godsend for my Emerald City Campaign.

Well, like I said, my group will be making some locations as well, just not as a group. Chracter creation though, will most definitely be a group activity.