I definitely agree - there is a lot of "down time" when parties are split. I shouldn't say down time because that is often when the greatest role-playing occurs, but essentially, we all undertsnad that, like you pointed out, the conniving Borcan aristocrat just doesn't hang out with the same types of people as the pious cleric of the Morninglord. So it is definitely important to accomodate the varying tastes.alhoon wrote:To BBarbarosa: I know my players well too, but they play a variety of roles. The lawful neutral cleric will hang with different people than the chaotic neutral barbarian or the chaotic evil ranger or the neutral good scholary wizard... That's good IMO, since when my players experience different "personalities" they get to see the differences in social life that come along.
To BAlex: A good reward for me is that sometimes the PCs return to a city or village just to check on the NPCs friends.
Second point: that's a great thing, too: when PCs take a detour just to visit certain NPCs. (Although, in our game, it has tended to happen quite a bit to one particular retired adventurer who now concentrates on helping other heors and running his vineyard, about an hour';s ride outside karina... )