Game Character workflow, when to texture and bake normals?

Support Modeling
1

So far my workflow has been:
1 - Concept drawings
2 - Base Mesh
3 - Add in details

I’m nearing completion of the details, and I know I need to retopo for the character to be usable in a game, but I am a little confused on where to go from here. Do I bake a normal map and add textures now or after I retopo to get a lower poly count?

2

In general, you should wait until you are done modeling before you do the texturing, mainly because altering the mesh will alter the UVs, which alters the textures.

3

First finish your high poly mesh because your low poly retopology will depend on the shape of the high poly mesh. Then give high poly some textures (optional, you can always paint your textures on the low poly mesh) Then when you’re satisfied with the high poly mesh, retopologize to get the low res version and give it uvs. Then bake your normals, AO etc