I saw a really good page a while back about similar things - it was focusing upon Vampire larp, but easily converts to almost any roleplaying. And the gist in large part was - have vulnerabilities. Have great secrets get shared to the wrong people at the wrong moment. Conflict is what generates the fun.
It can be interesting to play Mr. Invincible, with nobody in his life, and nothing that can destroy him, for a short while. But eventually, kicking down the door and killing the goblins just to buy a new sword gets old. It's far more interesting when the goblins are guarding a potion that you need to rescue the princess of the neighboring kingdom, and they'll smash it if you take too long slaying them.
And it's even better when the princess is your sister, or wife, or polymorphed ex-family kitten, and you'll be failing yourself too if you don't get the potion.
Now, of course, I suddenly find myself wondering if Smokey Joe had anybody in his life...
Oh, absolutely
It can be interesting to play Mr. Invincible, with nobody in his life, and nothing that can destroy him, for a short while. But eventually, kicking down the door and killing the goblins just to buy a new sword gets old. It's far more interesting when the goblins are guarding a potion that you need to rescue the princess of the neighboring kingdom, and they'll smash it if you take too long slaying them.
And it's even better when the princess is your sister, or wife, or polymorphed ex-family kitten, and you'll be failing yourself too if you don't get the potion.
Now, of course, I suddenly find myself wondering if Smokey Joe had anybody in his life...