Advice to people posting 'What class should I pick?'/'Help me build this character'

[Drglenn]

1)Tell us what the rest of your party consists of
D&D 4e is very much a team game, to help us advise you on your character we need to know the strengths and weaknesses of the rest of the party so your character can fit with them properly.

2) No one class is better than all others. Each class fulfils its role in different ways. Also no one class can do everthing (that's what the rest of the party is for).

3) (This is more an extension to rule 1 than a separate rule) If there is a role lacking from your party it'd be a good idea to play something of that role.

4) Do not try and compare classes across roles: Controllers will be squishy but mess up enemies, Defenders will have excellent survivability but low-middling damage output, Leaders can heal and buff but low-middling damage output and survivability, strikers will have high damage output but low-middling survivability.

Any other advice that other people want to chip in? or Questions you've seen frequently?

[DragonBaneDM]

Letting us know what resources they have available to them would be a good idea as well.

Also, and most people already do this, tell us how much experience you have. I'm not going to suggest an Orb Wizard to someone who's never played before, but I'm sure as heck gonna point out the Psion if their party needs a controller.

Oh, and knowing what you've played in the past also helps us draw comparisons. If you've done a TWF Ranger, you'll probably take to Avenger with ease, but you'll need a bit of advice as a Tactical Warlord.

[evirus]

You forgot starting level.

I would also add if the GM has any restrictions (on sources), anything particular to the setting (no magic items, races, etc)

[Reluctance]

I'd actually say that the first thing they should do is abandon previous edition preconceptions. They should also say what they want their character to do. I've seen too many times when people untangled an overly complicated bit of hybrid nonsense only to explain how the concept could be more easily expressed through a single class.