For some context, I am a DM of about a year and a half, have played / DMd for about 15ish people total, and have played in / DMd for 3 different ttrpgs.

Something i have noticed throughout this time, but only recently found a way to describe it, is how there are two very general approaches to character creation, in terms of decision making for mechanics and for character ideas. Both of these approaches are equally valid, and have different strengths and weaknesses when it comes to making characters in different systems. (Side note here: I am a type 1 person, so if it feels like that side is getting more attention/positive light, that's why and I but i will try to remain impartial).

Another important assumption is that people playing these systems are running the game RAW or close to RAW. DMs often incorporate homebrew / house rules that can change the feeling of a game for these two people kinds of people, but that is so varied and hard to track down, and ultimately meaningless to the point that I'm not considering it in the final conclusion.

Type 1 people "mechanics first":
Type 1 people tend to focus on the mechanical aspects of their character, deciding on that, and then building the character around that. This is, however, different from "min-maxxers, powergamers, and optimizers" and other words in that general idea. To these kind of people, the character creation process is first looking at mechanics and character options, until they find a character option that perks their interest.

Then, they look for other character options / online builds that center around that mechanic / character option until they have a mostly complete / totally complete build. After all of that is finished, they then ask themselves what kind of person would choose these options, often bringing in the lore of the setting being played in to inform those decisions. The character, personality, beliefs, history, are all tied to the mechanics that they set out to do. These characters are often very tied to the setting and tied to the mechanics and the flavor of the mechanics.

Type 2 people "character idea first"

Type two people, on the other hand, first ask themselves what character they would like to play, what would perk their interest, what is something different then they played in the past. Usually in this involves a cursory look at the general character options (like a quick glance at classes or ancestries) and then imaging what kind of character they would like to play. They then start looking at character options, and hone in on those that fit their predetermined idea for their character. Again, these are different than people who are described as "role-playing focus" or people who make "flavorful builds".

To the type 2 person character creation starts with the character idea. They make a personality and history, and make character option choices that they believe match this idea to those options. They care less for mechanical synergy between class options and search for flavor synergy between class options.

Before I continue, I recognize that nobody is probably 100% one way or the other, but i believe most people base their though in one of these two directions. Now, the question is why should you, either a player or a DM care about how people think about their character creation process, as long as they bring you a fully functioning character sheet or you get your character sheet done in time. The answer to that is the type of person you are can directly impact your enjoyment of different systems.

Type 1 strengths and weaknesses

Type 1 people tend to be quite successful in rules heavy systems (think any edition of DND, PF, GURPS). They are able to build mechanically interesting and synergistic builds that fit very well into the flavor of the mechanics and the setting itself. They often enjoy the challenge of creating a strong build in rules heavy systems, and enjoy seeing that build be tested in difficult challenges. Lastly, they have a general mastery of the system because of the diligence in reading character options during character creation.

Where type 1 people tend to struggle in is rules light systems (think PBtA, Kids on Bikes, or any system that place the "narrative" above strict rules). Type 1 people often feel like their character might be directionless, both mechanically and the characterization itself, and often have the feeling of being weak and /or unable to meaningfully affect the situation they are in. They also tend to have weaker character concepts here, as they don't have solid mechanics to fall back on to make this characterization, or they feel like their character is cookie-cutter and not original.

Type 2 strengths and weaknesses

Type 2 people can often struggle in rules heavy systems. Often times what happens is the character idea they had in their head before is unable to fit into the rules/expectations of the system. They feel like the rules are a burden, that limits creativity and self - expression, and if the rule was changed/removed that they would be free. They also feel that rules meant to balance certain character options feel unfun and unreasonable. They also tend to create character ideas that intentionally don't fit 100% into the setting, which can create PCs that often don't feel like they fit.

However, Type 2 people can have a lot of success in rules - light systems. Because of the lack of hard rules, and far less restriction on flavor for character options, type 2 people can very easily make the kind of character they want to play, easier in both the time it makes to actually create that character and easier in that they have less restrictions that they have to worry about. And because rules - light systems are less "wargamey" (for a severe lack of a better word), they don't need to worry about character balance, character roles, and option synergy, allowing them to focus on the part of ttrpgs they find most interesting, which amongst other things is attempting to do unconventional things without the burden of rules.

So, what does this mean for you, the viewer, reading this long rant? If you are a player, make sure to understand the expectations and the needs of the group. Try to understand your strengths and weaknesses, and make sure you don't negatively impact the group by trying to force your style of play on the system. For my DMs out there, try to get a gauge of the kinds of players in your group and play a system that caters to them, or if you have already have chosen the system, give extra attention to players who may be having difficulties conceptually understanding what they are supposed to do in this system.

So, long rant over. Questions? Thoughts? Ideas?