[quote=@NuttsnBolts]
How do you engage, or become engaged with other player characters at the beginning of an RP? Occasionally we might see people who create loner characters, make the decision to start away from the group/other players, or on the other side of the coin we have players who try to include everyone into their opening post with the aim of drawing them into the collective. 

Do want to hear the opinions from both a player perspective and a GM perspective, as well as what you may do when you see another player starting to drift away to perhaps create their own solo storylines.

(The idea of the topic was bought up after remembering an old RP where everyone started in one central hub, but one character by one player was positioned in another town.)
[/quote]

I'm fairly seasoned in large group roleplays now, and I think there's a trend sometimes where cliques tend to form with certain characters - so as a GM I do like to fuck with that a little and create scenarios where characters have to interact outside of the clique - perhaps for a mission etc. All of a sudden two characters who've not really been around each other, have to go into a dangerous mission together and find a way to bond. It makes for variation of story, and it's also good storytelling. 

I'm a very 'other player' conscious player, and to be honest sometimes that's to my own detriment. I don't like seeing people excluded from the narrative. I've been in situations where I see OOC isolation going on, and then that slips into the IC. That's a shitty time for all involved. 

When you join a roleplay, you have to have to be conscious of the fact it's a group effort, a group story. I'm that person who will pitch collab ideas to every player each round, and if someone bites we'll write it. I generally want everyone to be happy and highlighted in roleplays I'm in, GM or not.