How do you create your character

[MisterD]

What order do you usually take when crating a character.

I usually go Background, Character sheet, Image unless I spot an inspiering image of have a character concept I want to try.

[zornwil]

Usually character sheet first though I have some background ideas in my head, then background (which may not get written down but I certainly get to a point mentally where I know it by heart, the salient stuff anyway). Whether I do an image at all is questionable.

[sbarron]

I do it about like zornwil. Start with character sheet with some vague ideas about background, then solidify background (maybe moving a few points around to get background on character sheet). Then Image would be last, if ever. Most of my charcters only have images in my head.

[TheImperialKhan]

I usually start with a general concept of the charcter, the kind that can be summed up in one sentence. Followed by a general idea of powers, skills, talents and base level atats that I want the character to have. After that it really depends, sometimes I'll do image next sometimes background. The character sheet is almost always last. Or rather second to last as there is always some tweaking that takes place after everything else.

[McCoy]

PC's or NPC's?

Usually create NPC's. First step is what function are they going to have in the campagine, then powers, name, background, and finally colaborate with my boy (he's the artist) on the image.

Player characters usually start with some power or special effect that I think will be interesting.

[Pteryx]

It varies depending on what occurs to me first (though I'm not much of an artist, so images usually don't become part of the equation unless someone contributes them). Sometimes I want to play a certain type of character ("Is a half-esper, half-imp Mirage Knight/Alterer weird enough for you?") and make up a personality, background, and stats to match. Other times I'm just writing up stats for fun and a personality that fits them happens to occur to me. Then there are the times it's all about personality and/or history with only a vague idea of powers and little to no idea of Characteristics until the end. -- Pteryx

[Spectrum]

I usually come up with a concept or background first, then I work on the image. Sometimes though I get this picture in my head of a character and go from there. In either case the character sheet tends to be the last thing I work on. On a few occasions I'm still working on the image even when or after I do the character sheet, it's tough to come up with a look that I'm satisfied with sometimes.

[Tech]

How I build a character depends on a lot of factors. One character might be inspired by a picture and stats and powers are then created. A description of a character in a book or magazine might spark interest so a picture is sought to match it. A movie, likewise, may inspire both an idea for a character and provide a ripped-off picture to use. It's variable how the character creation process starts for me.

[Hugh Neilson]

Like others, it depends on the character. I generally have a concept and partial background in mind. Then I design (and redesign) the character sheet, and prepare my background.

Often, the background gives me ideas for things that should be on the character sheet, or vice versa, so it becomes a commingled process.

As for image, I write a verbal dscription in the background. I'm not an artist by any stretch.

[Stray Cat]

Usually I'll have a character concept in mind, and as I flesh that out in my mind the character's background takes shape. I have not always been that way as Agent X can attest. I used to have the vague character concept, then build the character sheet, then fill in the background only as needed.

Now that I have gone to writing background for my characters first, I feel a greater ownership for them. The fun factor for me has increased by several orders of magnitude. And filling out the character sheet has become so much easier!

I never worried much about images either. But now Heromachine is just awesome! I have zero artistic ability, but I can get pretty close to almost all of my characters with that little tool!

Cat

[SkyKnight]

1) Define special effect in general terms
2) Define major powers and most important characteristics
3) Develop background
4) Finish off character sheet

[Kaeto]

I usually go Image, background, character sheet.

[Ndreare]

Each character I make is typicly inspired by a differnt source so if I see a cool image I may make a character based on that. If I think of a cool character I will start with his story, if I think of some cool powers I will make the character around those.

[Farkling]

NPC's :: Power/Concept for game...Character Sheet....figure an Image...I can describe, but never draw...

PC's :: Concept. Partial Background ideas. Character Sheet. Complete Background. ReEdit Character Sheet. Image.

[Lord Mhoram]

I very rarely have an "image" for the characer until I've been playing for a few weeks so that doesn't even enter into character creation.

I work one of two ways-
1) I come up with a really cool idea for powers, or a neat construction and think "I want to have a character that can do this" and start working on the numbers, and as the feel for the character falls out mechanically I get a personality and work out a background, then after that is done, go back and re-write the character with the background in mind.
Most of my characters are built this way (example at end of post). Think of a supersaturated solution with the power idea being the foreign object dropped in.

2) I come up with personality, background and "Handbook of the DCU" style power description, and then work on the character sheet.

Example of number one. GM was a somewhat strict GM. I was a novice, and thougth defence was the only way to go. I asked him once if I could buy 3/4 damage reduction for my character. He said "only if you are an amoeba".
I went home and Meeb was born. Powers first- shapeshift, minibrick, 3/4 reduction, and clinging. As I was building him I realized he was an alien. Did disads, adjusted background, adjusted powers, and gave skills. Finished background, finished charcter sheet, and brought him to the next game session. The GM groaned but let him play. One of the characters with the most personality of the game too.

An example of number two. I hadn't played a supersuit in a long time and thought "most supersuits are scientists, I don't want him to be" so I had come up with a background (cop tossed off force for excessive violence, who ended up head of security for a major industrial firm- the head of which works on building the suit with him). This gave me his skills and general stats, and then I just build a supersuit to taste.

[Tempuswolf]

Well I am not sure how you differentiate Image from Background. If you mean Image > general concept and Background > specifics, then

Image, Background, Character Sheet, Background, Image

Basically ideas to details and if there are devils in the details modify the idea to go with the specifics of the simulation.

[pinecone]

I use all of the above ...sometimes I have a costume that needs a hero/villian,sometimes I crunch stats,like what I see and build a background and outfit to match....sometimes I come up with a cool idea for a back story and build to suit....I used to mostly build starting with "the look" but as I've aged and soured I have come to crunch stats first most often....

[Narthon]

I usually come up with the character concept first. I have about 50 superhero concepts bouncing around in my head at any one time, so I look at the campaign I'm going to play in and find on apropriate, whatever my I feel like doing at the time usually. This concept is a basis of what powers will be, and has a little background in it. Then I write up stats, and once I'm fairly satisfied with them, I flesh out background over several weeks.

[zornwil]

One thing is confusing the issue to me here - I use the character sheet first because that's where I start the physical work. By then though I have a character concept in mind with or without background. If it's a PC or an NPC that will have an ongoing roll, I have a background or I'm thinking about it the same time as I'm developing the concept.

It sounds to me like some are interpreting the question to mean whether the background is mentally done, and maybe it is. If so I would modify my answer as above. I took it to mean in writing rather than in mind however.

[JmOz]

I usualy start with the overall concept (Something short and to the point: Powered Armored Mountie) then I start stating out the character, then I work up the background (While I do the sheet I am concently thinking about th ebackground. After I do the first draft I start over

[OddHat]

I tend to start with an idea for a power set first ("Luck Powers"), then work up the basic background, then the sheet. Then I go back and re-write until everything makes some kind of sense.

[Zed-F]

Character concept often comes about because I want a given power set, central power limitation, or character disadvantage. Background and character design occur simultaneously, with lots of notes about background being written as the character sheet is filled out, and a polished version of the background being put together at the end. I am not an artist of any stripe, so no images for me.

[lemming]

I often have some sort of background in mind before writing the character sheet and during this time work on what I think the character should look like.
Though I find I like to have a fairly loose background and then work out the details later.
Images are sometimes the starting point and sometimes a point later in the process.
It also depends on what role the character is to take. Villians are sometimes just a pile of numbers with a thin layer of character. I've got a lot of images to use, so they'll have that as well. The ones that either become memorable or get more screen time wind up having more background generated as needed.
PCs need a bit more work before being ready to go. Often I'll be working on all three at once.

[Vondy]

PCs:

I will start with a written "concept sketch" (most of the time) or an image that inspires me (less frequently), and go from there. I usually have a brief written background, appearance description, and capabilities summary (bullet point) before I do anthything. Then I start churning points. I've been doing champs long enough that munching points and "going gamist" is second nature to me.

NPCs:

I do a concept sketch and build-away.

[Pteryx]

Originally posted by Lord Mhoram
Example of number one. GM was a somewhat strict GM. I was a novice, and thougth defence was the only way to go. I asked him once if I could buy 3/4 damage reduction for my character. He said "only if you are an amoeba".
I went home and Meeb was born.

AKA "why sarcasm is bad for GMs". :D (Incidentally, I wouldn't let PCs have unlimited 75% Damage Reduction without a darned good reason either...) -- Pteryx

[Dust Raven]

For PCs, I generally go Image, Background then Character Sheet, though sometimes I'll switch Background and Image around. Usually I'll decide on something that looks cool, figure out how it got to look that way, then figure out what the cool looking character can do.

For Villains, it's almost always Character Sheet, Image, Background. As a GM, I'll figure out what the villain can do and balance him against the heroes first.

For other characters, the answer is more like "What Character Sheet?"