Not that it matters now (because you've already had your introductory encounter)... but when I ran KotS for a group of new players, I started the game immediately into the first kobold attack. However, after the first round of combat finished, I then did a flashback to two of the characters when they were back in Fallcrest, and set up via a short five minute roleplay exchange, why exactly they were on the road (and now in this battle).
Once the flashback was over, we then went through the second round of combat, and then we flashed back to two other characters back in Fallcrest and we saw their reasons for being on the road. Then third round of combat, third round of flashbacks, then finishing the battle.
What I found worked for me by doing this is that it didn't inundate everyone with either a huge combat that they might've gotten lost in, or a huge roleplay session to set up who these characters all are and why they are on the road. Instead, it gave each player quick breaks to wrap their minds around the both then actions they each did in the previous round, as well as highlight who they were and why they were here. And by by intersplicing combat and flashbacks, those whose character weren't being flashed back to could either watch and listen to the others, and/or spend a bit of time reading their character sheets and character cards to become more familiar with what they had in front of them.
By doing this, I think all my players were much more comfortable with both the concepts of combat, as well as the concepts of "roleplaying" in that first session. Many short, digestable bursts of each, rather than two huge meals.
Once the flashback was over, we then went through the second round of combat, and then we flashed back to two other characters back in Fallcrest and we saw their reasons for being on the road. Then third round of combat, third round of flashbacks, then finishing the battle.
What I found worked for me by doing this is that it didn't inundate everyone with either a huge combat that they might've gotten lost in, or a huge roleplay session to set up who these characters all are and why they are on the road. Instead, it gave each player quick breaks to wrap their minds around the both then actions they each did in the previous round, as well as highlight who they were and why they were here. And by by intersplicing combat and flashbacks, those whose character weren't being flashed back to could either watch and listen to the others, and/or spend a bit of time reading their character sheets and character cards to become more familiar with what they had in front of them.
By doing this, I think all my players were much more comfortable with both the concepts of combat, as well as the concepts of "roleplaying" in that first session. Many short, digestable bursts of each, rather than two huge meals.
