How do you build your characters?

[Jefffar]

I try to keep my primary weapon skill and the most useful skills from my MOS as high as possible and rarely invest in high cost - low return attribute development.

Which skills I select depends on the game, but I generally try to have all my MoS specific skills, language basic and some of the more general purpose non-combat skills.

For weapon skills, I try to focus on my character's primary weapon, his back up weapon and then any other weapon he might carry or have to use (ie Grenades, a LAW, the M60 or M79). Unless I am a specialist I tend to avoid Flamethrowers and Mortars as heavy weapon choices and Bolt Action Rifles as asmall arms choices.

As for the most important attribute, 9 out of 10 times it's Alertness - why? Because faling victim to ambushes, snipers and boobytraps will kill you really fast no matter if you have a great Strength or Agility. Of course when I GM my players have learned this lesson well and will each roll up 3 or 4 characters (I allow this due to high mortality rate of the game) and will try to get someone with a phenomenal AL for point duty. This makes it hard for me to ambush them and put them at a disadvantage.

After that I go with ST because it does so much for you in terms of movement and endurance - I've rarely had a guy die because he had a low AG, but a low ST will do it almost as fast as a low AL.

Finally - unless I am playing a character who I expect to get into a lot of melee combat, I rank AG at the bottom of the list. I personally don't like doing this, because I am a big skill over strength proponent - but AL just doens't do that much for you in game.