[Nal0n]

Character Backgrounds are always a funny thing for me ... for no reason I could explain.

I always do the actual creation together with a Mind Map, so that both evolve at the same time (this can be anywhere from 2 hours to several days of time).

Then, after I am happy with the character I put it away for at least a week to let it all settle.

After that I reserve an evening for the story, and then it happens. I created anything from barely answering the 21 questions to an 177 page story. Sometime I get into the flow, sometimes not.

Unfortunately the only thing the 177 page beast got me was an angry GM hitting me with it ... repeatedly

[All4BigGuns]

The main problem with the "20 questions" is that the answers to most of them have no relevance. There might be five or six that do have any.

[Crunch]

The main problem with the "20 questions" is that the answers to most of them have no relevance. There might be five or six that do have any.

Depends on the game, the table, and the character. There are tables where any of those could be very relevant. Typically I prefer to have the players tell me what is important to their characters, but if they're having trouble a prompt like 20 questions can be useful.

[GiraffeShaman]

The main problem with the "20 questions" is that the answers to most of them have no relevance. There might be five or six that do have any.

I only use the 20 questions technique if the player has given me absolutely nothing. I don't consider it necessary if the player has given me a few lines of background. I'm well aware that some characters take time to develop,  because some of my own characters are like that. Sometimes I just have a very vague concept to start. And if I only get useful information out of 6 questions out of 20, that puts me ahead of where I was before, with zero information.

Also, it's less about the actual content of the questions than it is about putting a player on the spot. The questions are a guide for people not familiar with the technique. I just ask what I'm interested in at the time, and some answers lead to new questions to ask. One of the reasons this technique works is that it can actually help a player make things more concrete or answer things they haven't even thought of. It helps create a foundation for a character, even if the character isn't all there until later. If all I have is that this person is former corper and his parents are living in  Chicago, that's better than just knowing the person is a Human street sam and nothing else.

Writing anything over 2 to 3 pages is probaly a waste of time and can actually obscure things. Many GMs won't even read more than a couple paragraphs. I'm at the extreme end, I believe, because I'm a heavy reader, and I really can't see myself reading more than five pages, unless it was really drek hot good. Or I might start scanning it for key details if it got too long, or just ignore it and turn to the questions technique. I will try to read backgrounds because I'm a people pleaser and I like backgrounds, but this isn't the norm. GMs are busy people.

It can be effective to be boil things down because then the key points actually reach the GM's brain, and then he might use those background points in the actual game. If you are making hugely long backgrounds, you might consider making a set of bullet points  type outline for the GM.

[All4BigGuns]

I only use the 20 questions technique if the player has given me absolutely nothing. I don't consider it necessary if the player has given me a few lines of background. I'm well aware that some characters take time to develop,  because some of my own characters are like that. Sometimes I just have a very vague concept to start. And if I only get useful information out of 6 questions out of 20, that puts me ahead of where I was before, with zero information.

Also, it's less about the actual content of the questions than it is about putting a player on the spot. The questions are a guide for people not familiar with the technique. I just ask what I'm interested in at the time, and some answers lead to new questions to ask. One of the reasons this technique works is that it can actually help a player make things more concrete or answer things they haven't even thought of. It helps create a foundation for a character, even if the character isn't all there until later. If all I have is that this person is former corper and his parents are living in  Chicago, that's better than just knowing the person is a Human street sam and nothing else.

If they give you nothing, then just assume they don't want anything in the game specifically tailored to them aside from their skill-set being useful.

[GiraffeShaman]

If they give you nothing, then just assume they don't want anything in the game specifically tailored to them aside from their skill-set being useful.

I don't consider that acceptable in my games, to just play a set of numbers. I mean, why force players to even have names, if this is just a wargame? To each his own, I guess though. It literally takes 3 seconds to create a vague background. "I'm a former ganger and my parents are both dead." Bam, done. The point isn't to use the background in the game, but to inform character thoughts and actions. If you want to run Shadowrun as just a tactical wargame then I guess it doesn't matter though.

[All4BigGuns]

If they give you nothing, then just assume they don't want anything in the game specifically tailored to them aside from their skill-set being useful.

I don't consider that acceptable in my games, to just play a set of numbers. I mean, why force players to even have names, if this is just a wargame? To each his own, I guess though. It literally takes 3 seconds to create a vague background. "I'm a former ganger and my parents are both dead." Bam, done. The point isn't to use the background in the game, but to inform character thoughts and actions. If you want to run Shadowrun as just a tactical wargame then I guess it doesn't matter though.

The way I look at it is if they don't give me anything, then they don't want to give anything, and I'd rather move along without information on that character than make that player possibly feel like he/she has been given a homework assignment. That's all.

[GiraffeShaman]

The way I look at it is if they don't give me anything, then they don't want to give anything, and I'd rather move along without information on that character than make that player possibly feel like he/she has been given a homework assignment. That's all.

Fair enough. Just something that bugs me when it happens.

[Shamie]

In my particular case as a player i normally make a character with an extensive background but no goals or at least none that the character knows about.

with this i mean that for example i made a Shaman for a campaign and told the DM "look when i get 1.000.000 nuyen you can destroy the body of my character so he gonna born again as a burnout Samie". Or in a changeling game i was i told the DM "My doppelganger is still alive and is probably an antagonist but i want to go highlander on him so dont make him a unlikeable asshole".

But what i never make is a goal for my character like "he is looking for his lost sister" because i prefer just going with the flow and minimizing conflicting goals and never to get into the argument of "why would my character work with this guys?" i just like to get the party together and do the missions/quest let the conflict comes during that time.

However as a DM i always ask of the players a bare skeleton of the character and that they are party friendly with the rest. However on shadowrun i add the rule that they also have to have a reason for being there. I have had to many "My PC is a arms dealer" who when the run sound at the very least off they bolt and dont take the job.

One thing i never allow anymore as character background (i dont think it has pop out on shadowrun though) is characters having a master (i dm a lot of mage/changeling/werewolf) as a contact as i find that they rely way to much on him instead of doing legwork.

[Shade]

But what i never make is a goal for my character like "he is looking for his lost sister"

Those are my favorite goals as a GM. I think I usually end up running much more enjoyable games for my players when we collaborate to come up with interesting reasons why a bunch of individuals with individual goals would be working together.

[Eremitic Fool]

With my current group, we never have problems with creating backgrounds. In character creation, if you spend the points to buy it then you have to explain how it corresponds to who you are. At some point, everyone's background comes into play. When it is incidental, its an extra karma. When it is a heavy plot occurrence, its five.

As a GM, I thread everyone's backgrounds into whatever grander plot I plan on running, keeping the details of such a plot as fluid as possible until we start the actual runs. Character's hometowns, favorite sports teams or sim stars come into play, on top of all the corp conspiracies. My current group is way into it. My previous group, didn't give two dreks.

Their backgrounds were like pulling teeth, even the twenty questions couldn't save them. As a whole, they were into a different style of play then I like to run, so my narrative and their style didn't mesh.

[SweRacoon]

I personally leave that up to the players, if they give me something to work with, all the better. If they don't, well, I can't make something out of nothing, can I? The current group runs the gamut from "This is Papa Legba, he's a dwarf from Jamaica" to shorter novels answering those 20 questions and then some.

If the players came up with a cool concept and just went with it I'm not gonna shot it down by demanding to know what a Jamaican dwarf  is doing in Seattle. I as a player wouldn't dream of not having a background story, but that's my style and not everybody goes that route.

So yeah, they give me something I might be able to use, or they don't. The former is preferable, but not required.

[Shade]

I don't consider that acceptable in my games, to just play a set of numbers.

Yeah, I'm definitely more of a deep character story person. Random violence is what vidya is for. On that note, however, I think pretty much everyone has to play the character for a session or two to really start flushing out the personality. A few main points of background to start with are good but ya just gotta get behind the wheel to see how it handles(and whether you are going to enjoy the concept)

[All4BigGuns]

Background is not important at all. The important parts of the story are what happens in game. If you want to write a novel of a background for your character, have at it, but don't expect anyone else to do very much or any at all, including members of your own group.

[Crunch]

History gives context and depth to what happens in the game. It should never be homework, but having a character history makes the game more fun for everyone involved.