My favorite level for character creation is somewhere around 6-8. I like playing older characters, so I enjoy being able to make a seasoned character with plenty of backstory and power, but lots of room for further development. The leap from 6-8 to say 15 also seems more believable if the campaign doesn't include several years of timeskipping. Like you could already be a Master wizard so going from there to understanding magic of the highest level feels better to me RP wise than going from an absolute novice to a high master in a matter of months. 😄

Also as an experienced player and DM, at that level classes are also mechanically satisfying and there is room for customizing. 

Depends on the character, but I enjoy right at level 1 where they really have no idea what they are doing yet. A clueless adventurer who has never tried doing any of this sort of thing, which winds up being a really fun contrast to them at much higher level when they are basically a superhero confidently saving the world.

Most of my group, however, prefers level 3. There's a bit of background, but definitely not fully settled into who they are or what they will become. It allows some space for some escapades for the backstory that can come back to haunt them, but they are still very malleable and unmolded so that the player can really explore the PC figuring themselves out and what they want to be. Unsurprisingly, there's quite often a bit of multiclassing in our campaigns as PCs start on one path early but soon find themselves pulled in a different direction.

6. 

Just because I play a lot of Sorcs and Wizards and they don't get anything juicy until then. Spell versatility and fun really opens at 3rd level spells (5th level char), and sorcs and wiz get their decent subclass features at 6th. 

Also because too many adventure modules are 1st to 5th so every time one is finished, it's reset back to 1st. Those early levels can drag when you have to go through them so often. By 6th, you're finally starting to really explore the subclass, or been able to properly play with multiclass, and you don't feel so weak and squishy. 

The higher level the better. More features and spells you get to play with. And the more you can do in a day before you need rests to get stuff back. At low level you burn out so quickly and then it's just "I cast <cantrip>" over and over. When higher level you can be a lot more liberal with spell and feature usage. 

As a DM ( and a player) I like to start at level 1, the higher the level you start at the more involved the backstories and very quickly everyone is the hero of their own novella rather than building  a part of a team whose story is being told. By starting at level 1 you build the team from the get go without competing for who is the lead hero.

I like starting right at Level 1 because that's when the characters get to know each other and form the bonds that will turn a gaggle of strangers into a party that would fight and die for one another. Sure, you've got only the most basic class abilities, and there's always the looming danger of getting one-shotted or TPK'd. But that simply forces everyone to work together and to strategize more carefully. the low levels are when the most intense inter-character RP happens, and that's something I really enjoy.

Quote from AnzioFaro >>

I like starting right at Level 1 because that's when the characters get to know each other and form the bonds that will turn a gaggle of strangers into a party that would fight and die for one another. 

That can happen at any level.

Even starting at 20th, you can introduce each other, get to know each other, and try to work together. 

If they're experienced but starting a new class, level 5 3. Before session 0, everyone answers a 5-question 3-question survey to get the basics of their character's story, known to them and the DM. It's up to the players to decide what they'll reveal about the 5-sentence 3-sentence backstory.

If they're experienced and not starting a new adventuring class, whatever level's appropriate for the adventure that'll let them advance with satisfaction.

If they're new, level 0. The first quest is to build a character with the DM's help, which brings them to level 1.

I enjoy level 5 as a start point because it's enough to make a decent character, but not quite enough to get everything you want, so you have things to work towards. It also leaves more levels free for the story to dictate where you go, whereas locking more levels up already means your character is halfway through a story already!

As a DM I have started characters at level 8, following a level 6 oneshot (with a "and then 2 years passed" in between), and have taken them through to level 11 so far. Their backstories were rich enough to weave in thoroughly, and without their potential enemies being weak because I have to balance it for lower levels, so that worked well.

 Hmm, I'd say I like starting at a level that fits the story.

Is my chara new to adventuring? Lvl 1

Does my chara have already a bit experience adventuring? Lvl 3

20!! Because no one ever freakin' starts things there DANG IT!!!! -_-

Lol

You're right. :D Also, that would be a terrible place to start IMO. The amount of mechanics and features to remember in the heat of battle would require some sort of DnD Savant in the first 20 sessions. :P

We have played these so called Life Arch games where we go through the life of an epic character in one weekend, creating historic events and characters and worldbuilding. Lots of time skipping and loose rules. These characters often go to 20 in one weekend and the end game battles are quite often like "oh yeah, I forgot to use my paladin's smite the entire fight." ;) 

I don't have to remember NOTHIN' DnDBeyond does it for me!!

I don't like starting as Level 1, because I don't need the training wheels.  Every class practically feels like you are missing something important until Level 3 when most classes choose a path.  Establishing a concept or identity is worked out ahead of time with the DM, and how it mixes with the rest is a still a surprise.  So three as a player is my minimum preferred.

Now as a DM, there is a point to starting at 5 (or 6) because by then, you a lot of spell slots, usually ones at 3rd level, enough Ki, and extra attacks.  Less of a sudden spike in power and you can do longer play between long rests because of resources.

There are cases for level 1s and it can work; just not a preference.

This is probably just a personal quirk of mine, but I find it quite annoying to make a level 1 character background for most classes. Sorcerer is easy, but a skill based class it a bit meh. 

Unless I'm making a 13 yo prodigy, I find it really off-putting that the character has gotten to adulthood but has never improved, until the campaign starts and all of a sudden, after crawling through a couple of dungeons, they are level 3-4. 

I do find my ways around this to make nice characters for myself to play, but it is quite a bit of extra effort. I find it more fullfilling to make a BG for 5+. They may have been a seasoned Captain in the army etc. so they know what they are doing and are very skilled at what they do. But they haven't faced anything like the campaign before, so they are still in uncharted waters. 

7+ characters are probably familiar with all kinds of fantastic things and horrors too. You don't get to level 7 by killing goblins while patrolling in a small town. But even these heroic characters will have to rely on their friends in order to survive against bigger threats.

So when I go from level 5-8 to 13, I can reasonably explain it. The previous 30 years of their life, they have been training hard and working hard, maybe adventured too. They've had sideprojects and other distractions too. Slowly and steadily they got to where they are, but they haven't needed to really push themselves to their limits. Now they do, so their previous training and experience combined with having to really try their hardest to win and survive, they start clearing those roadblocks and learning what they have been struggling with for a long time. But this isn't quite so believable at level 1 IMO. 😁

These are my thoughts. 🙂

Our group (while not new players) is fairly new to playing together and we switch up who is DMing and who is PCing pretty regularly. 

So when I DM I like to start out at 1, have an encounter, and then bump them to 2. From there we switch to XP leveling. It allows everyone to really get familiar with the mechanics of their class and speeds up combat encounters. A lot less hemming and hawing over choices when you've been building up the mechanics instead of just suddenly having a huge list of things you can do. 

I think only once have I started a character at other than level one. I prefer the latter

Most games I am in start at level three. It seems like a good place to start, you are just beginning, but you are not so weak that one hit can take you out. 

However, the highest I have ever gotten was level 6, so I don't have much experience in high level games. I really would like to try a game that gets up past six some time.

Level 3. You get a subclass, some basic customization options like fighting styles, spells, and Metamagic. 

Quote from The_Summoning_Dark >>

Most games I am in start at level three. It seems like a good place to start, you are just beginning, but you are not so weak that one hit can take you out. 

However, the highest I have ever gotten was level 6, so I don't have much experience in high level games. I really would like to try a game that gets up past six some time.

 As a player of a level 11 wizard, fun at higher levels depends on the story and the DM. I’m still playing because the DM is good (we’re running ToD and he made it actually interesting!). So if you want a tier 2 or 3 game, find a DM you like and stick with them.

Quote from ImagineDragons289 >>

Quote from The_Summoning_Dark >>

Most games I am in start at level three. It seems like a good place to start, you are just beginning, but you are not so weak that one hit can take you out. 

However, the highest I have ever gotten was level 6, so I don't have much experience in high level games. I really would like to try a game that gets up past six some time.

 As a player of a level 11 wizard, fun at higher levels depends on the story and the DM. I’m still playing because the DM is good (we’re running ToD and he made it actually interesting!). So if you want a tier 2 or 3 game, find a DM you like and stick with them.

My experience is that life often finds a way to end games before they get that far if you start at low levels. Even a great DM can't do much when a force majeure hits too many players or themselves. 

That's another reason why I like starting higher. I've started in so many games that never got past level 8, that I'm beginning to find it frustrating and boring to grind past the same mechanically unsatisfying early levels. 

Many systems have interesting and/or detailed combat mechanics where it doesn't really matter what level you're at - it will still be interesting. Low level dnd is IMO very boring. And before anyone says it's not boring if the game is interesting and flavorful. Yes, but you can have both. You can have a game that is both interesting story/rp-wise and mechanically satisfying at early levels. For an RP/narrative/exploration/social game there are far better systems. DnD is at its best in combat because of the wide array of existing materials, so being bad for combat at early levels kind of makes DnD bad overall at early levels. 

But this is just my opinion based on experience with many systems. I do still enjoy dnd a lot and I like the system for many reasons. It's just the early levels.