Point-Buy Character Creation Approach

[Dahmin_Toran]

Just as-is, the Point-Buy system in ATOW can be a bit daunting for new players, especially with players not too familiar with the Battletech universe. My idea is to go the Life Modules, then purchase all Skills at Level 0 and jot down the Traits as suggestions later in character creation. After that purchase new skills and increase previously bought skills (up to Level 4) and any Traits listed beforehand. Granted they can purchase any Positive/Negative Traits available, but the ones listed from Life Modules can make a little more sense.

What do you guys do or suggest?

[Carbon Elasmobranch]

Life Modules have the issue of both having a lot of instances of XP adds that go nowhere (+15 for Fit? Really?), and an accounting step that shaves off said pointlessly added and uneven XP totals. Better to just cut out that step and use a chargen method that doesn't usually use a spreadsheet to keep things straight.

So, in summary, point buy. Point buy all the way, every day.

[Dahmin_Toran]

That is my idea, use the Point-Buy method, but use the Skills in each Life Module as a template for which initial Skills to take. The Traits would only be a suggestion, and you don't have to buy initially. Using the Skills in the Life Modules helps new players decide which Skills to buy at first.

[pokefan548]

I usually let my players round their final XP gains up or down to the nearest level/TP threshold as their XP allows if they Life Path it. That said, my usual advice is to have players generate their first character, or else a test character, with Life Path to understand the value of having skills other than "shoot good", then Point Buy all their future characters.

I'll also often Life Path a character just to see if there are any interesting skills or traits that I want to add to a Point Buy character for the fluff.

[Daryk]

I view the "partial" buys in the Life Modules as suggestions.  With spreadsheet automation, the accounting step is pretty easy, and I don't mind doing that for my players.

[Atlas3060]

I view the "partial" buys in the Life Modules as suggestions. 

Same, I get why people scoff at things like +15 for Fit but it can be helpful nudges for a player.
Player looks over a skill or trait before confirming they want to remove them, only to click in their head how it totally would work. Then they start using it. I've seen that kind of process for some players.
Not every skill or trait will be a winner, but it at least gives players a reason to look at descriptions and consider options.

[Daryk]

Exactly!  Thanks for making that clearer! :)

[Horsemen]

Using the Life Modules as at least a list of the basic skills one should have is something I always point out.

I once was a player in a campaign where half the players of Mechwarriors came to the table with no skill ranks in Sensor Ops for their characters.

[Daryk]

That was normal back in the day, and something I think AToW did a good job of trying to fix.

[Armitage72]

In at least one of the past editions, the Computer skill was used to avoid heat shutdown when integrating Battletech and Mechwarrior, but that's been dropped these days. Every Mechwarrior needed to be a hacker. In the novels it generally involves hitting a single button.