JediDresden

So here is my introduction:
 
How did you come up with your 'handle' (forum name)? I have been a Star Wars fan since 1977, and I love the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher.  SO... it is just a combonation of my 3 favorite things. What was the first tabletop RPG you played? Oh WOW.  I remember the old d6 Star Wars by West End Games, Palladium's Robotech, and my friends FASA Star Trek game trough high school in the 80's.  After that it was 2nd AD&D in the early 90's. What was the first tabletop RPG you GMed?  West End Games Star Wars What are you currently playing/GMing?  Trying to figure out Monster Hunter International by Hero System right now.

So here is my introduction:
 
How did you come up with your 'handle' (forum name)? I have been a Star Wars fan since 1977, and I love the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher.  SO... it is just a combonation of my 3 favorite things. What was the first tabletop RPG you played? Oh WOW.  I remember the old d6 Star Wars by West End Games, Palladium's Robotech, and my friends FASA Star Trek game trough high school in the 80's.  After that it was 2nd AD&D in the early 90's. What was the first tabletop RPG you GMed?  West End Games Star Wars What are you currently playing/GMing?  Trying to figure out Monster Hunter International by Hero System right now.

So in my years of RPG and specifically playing Hero, I have taught three different groups to play Hero.  The first time was after college when I formed a gaming group.  The people who wanted to play either knew AD&D, participated in the SCA, or were just your everyday nerds ...  I taught all of them how to play Hero.  After a while a few players were able to create their own characters without much help from me.  Other people in the group started running games and they used Hero because they liked it.
 
The second time was when we moved and we formed a new group.  A few of us knew how to play Hero and the rest were all AD&D players.  That was a short lived group because we moved again.
 
The third time is with my current group.  First I taught my teenagers how to play the game.  My son has taken to the system and has turned into a rule-lawyer (which can be very frustrating at times ).  He has also started running his own game and is doing a really good job.  Then we had two other people start playing with us - D&D/variants.  And our newest member had never played a single RPG but wanted to do a group thing with us.  My son and I do most of the 'heavy lifting' when it comes to character creation.  Everyone has gotten very good at character concepts & back stories - which makes the actual character creation pretty easy.
 
So here is the approach I take with new people:
Think about who the character is.  What makes the character 'tick'?  What do they do when they aren't being a "hero"?  How did they become a "hero"?  Do they have goals?  If we are playing a superhero game I will ask them about what kind of powers they want (which may have come out of how they became a "hero")?  This is absolutely a critical step for people who play Pathfinder/D&D variants, because in Hero the character concept comes first and then the game mechanics starts.  In Pathfinder/D&D variants you roll dice and try to figure out kind of viable character you have based on the random rolls ... Then I sit down and explain exactly what each characteristic is.  When we get to Stun and Body I use some examples like "Body damage is like having a bruise, cut, broken bone.  Stun is more the 'shock' of the injury."  Explaining normal vs. killing goes something like "Bruce Lee punches you that is a normal attack.  If he hits you hard enough he will break bones.  Dirty Harry shoots with his gun it will put a physical hole in you."  And then with Stunned I just tell them to think "Punch drunk boxer - still standing but definitely not thinking straight". We talk about how to build the powers/talents/perks/skills they need to make the character work in the beginning.  Along the way we might map out how to use future XP to meet the original idea. Complications grow out of the first step. Combat:
I got off the forum or download a one page explanation of how combat works.  Everyone gets that sheet.  Then I have a few mock combats with new players so we can step generic combat and combat for their character.  We will talk about what will most likely be effective for them in combat.  When we play I will have the following dialog: GM:  Ok you are going to hit the bandit in front of you
Player:  Yep
GM:  Do you know what to roll?
Player:  No
GM:  Ok.  You start with an 11 and then add your OCV to that.  Then add any skill levels you want to use in the attack to the previous number.  Then add any pluses/minuses for the maneuver you are using.  What is that number?
Player:  11 + 5 + 2 = 18.
GM:  Now roll 3d6 and subtract it from the number you just calculated.  And tell me that number.
Player: Rolls a 10.  So 10 from 18 is 8.
GM:  Excellent that means you hit a DCV of 8.  Next time do the math ahead of time and roll the dice.  You can then just tell me "I hit a DCV of 7."
Usually people learn how to do combat within a session or two.  I have one person who has not learned how in 8+ months.  So we all help her out. I also sit new people next to experienced folks so they can get some help.  
What do the rest of you do?