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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6921378" data-attributes="member: 42582">I haven't had this problem since 1990, when I started a new campaign with mostly people I had only just met, and one of the players started off with a character who turned out to be a serial killer with serious pscho-sexual pathologies. After maybe half-a-dozen sessions it became clear that the character didn't fit the game, and she was written out and a new character who did fit the game was introduced.I don't mandate that all PCs be connected - I leave this to the players, and sometimes it emerges organically and sometimes integrating the PCs is a challenge that I have to deal with as GM.But I generally do require the players to give their PCs backstories and motivations that link them into the gameworld - and then, in play, I make these things matter (both as colour - eg NPCs will recognise a PC, or know something about his/her uncle, or notice that the PC is an out-of-towner and make a fuss about it - but also as elements in the situation that is driving the action). And in my experience that's enough.The situation that I as GM set up doesn't have to be that interesting or engaging to be more engaging than wanting to pick pocket your fellow party members, or wanting to have your imaginary avatar have off-screen sex with imaginary people. In my experience it's been enough that it (i) speak to whatever concerns the players have built into their PCs, and (ii) not be a railroad.</blockquote>

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