Characters that Interact

A good character is someone who has a reason to interact with other players. Even better, they should have a small but positive urge to reach out or join in any ongoing activity. If your character sends out a "leave me alone" vibe, people will do just that.

Some thoughts from a successful new player elsewhere (Emily Redaldo)

"So. I hear a lot of players complaining about not getting plot. I get... a lot of plot. And some whining about favoritism and unfairness that a newish player gets more attention than "veterans". Here are my tips on how to catch plot's eye:

  1. Be an info conduit/team player. If cast knows that sending a plot hook to you will result in the info getting to other players and not have a plot stagnate because someone either forgot to mention it or hoarded the info so they could be the hero, it's more likely you'll get info thrown your way.
  2. Explore the world. Plot is out there. Don't just sit in the tavern waiting for plot to come to you. Go out and find it.
  3. Ask people if you can help. Some may complain you're trying to get involved in everything. But you never know who will say "yes! Oh god, thank you. Do this!"
  4. RTFM. Knowing the world helps you keep your ears perked for things that are important.
  5. Effort in = Effort out. I can't tell you how many people whine that my character always gets mail. What they don't see is my courier bill and the 20 letters that went unanswered. But the one that did is almost always worth the effort.
  6. Write your PEL (Post Event Letter). With effort. How can cast know what your character wants to do if you don't tell them? 7) work on your RP game. Cast wants to have fun too. So don't take the "I'm a paying customer. Entertain me" approach. Make it fun for everyone.
  7. Form a team to work on problems. Entertaining 10 players is a better use of resources than entertaining 1.
  8. Be courteous. Gonna skip an event? Leave early? Let cast know. And be flexible. Shit happens.
  9. Most important: Make your own fun. If you go out and do what your character enjoys doing you’ll be too busy having fun to notice if plot is giving you stuff. But they will notice you. Some of my longest PELs were from events where I talked to 2 NPCs (in a group. Briefly) the entire weekend. The fun came from interacting with the world. Learning things. And forming character relationships that... got me pulled into plots later. "

Brendan Doherty add two more

  1. This might be a last resort for some players, but if you truly can't seem to find plot, get yourself in trouble! The bigger the better. A good plot writing team will figure out a way to let you have serious fun with being a troublemaker.
  2. If something isn't working for you, don't just state it isn't working, explain why. Staff can get frustrated and lean towards giving up on you if you give them no direction or you're unrealistic on what can be done for you.

And here is an article on the topic

Tricks to get involved in story