QUOTE (pbangarth @ Dec 5 2010, 02:07 PM)

I firmly believe in the 'show the way' suggestions above.
On top of that, there is the mercenary consideration of Karma awards for role playing. If you keep geting one or two more Karma each run, some might get the same incentive one might find in a glass of beer.
I don't. Not that you shouldn't lead the way, but don't think that it's "enough". You might as easily just annoy the other players. They're there to have fun, and what that means varies from group to group, but even in the RP heavy groups it doesn't include hearing you drone on about your character's backstory.
QUOTE (jaellot @ Dec 4 2010, 08:35 AM)

Havign a GM on board is crucial, in my opinion, for this. If they ain't feeling it either, that's setting the tone and pace for the rest of them.
This. Sit down and talk with them about wanting more RP.
The question they'll probalby ask is "how".
I've found, as a GM, the answer is downtime. At the beginning of the gaming sessions when you're often waiting on someone or settling in, or at the end once the run is done but they're up for some more gaming I have some things happen when the players are at whatever they call a home.
Here are some examples from my game of stuff I threw at the players, though of course they might not fit in yours. Note that my players decided to live in a relatively nice part of town.
-A local bike gang of fairly well off punk kids shows up. No violence, but they're loud, keep the player's characters up, occasionally leave tire tracks and junk on the lawn, and talk trash if any of the PCs look at them funny or get too close. Since its near their home and they don't want lone star involved, opening up with a minigun isn't a good option, so the players get...creative
- a gift shows up from a "secret admirer" for one of the PCs.
-PCs hear their neighbor giving his wife a beatdown as they walk past one day (expect a variety of responses to something like this).
-a girl selling girl scout cookies shows up at their door (some things fall flat, but sometimes even a little thing like this can lead to all sorts of stuff. This nearly turned into a plot arc.)
-NPC gets a bright idea to pull a practical joke on one of the PCs (again, this one just spiraled and spiraled)
-a high rating spirit that was summoned in an earlier adventure but went free during the summon shows up when it decides to crash at their place for a while as it learns about the modern world
-Someone says they go to a club, we establish which one and roll with it for a bit (they get some more contacts)
Now it's important not to just let one player have the spotlight for too long. Switch between people rapidly, or have them together on things. I find that it quickly pulls players in.
For example I might spend three minutes with the two PCs at the club, spend two minutes with the group launching a revenge practical joke, and than turn to the last player and ask what they're doing.
"Uh, staying in my nice safe bunker".
I say OK and turn back to the clubbers. A couple rotations of that and bunker boy eventually gets out of their hole.
Note that none of that stuff required reading a pile of sourcebooks.
I find it's hard to work a lot of RP into missions. Our modern mode of roleplaying comes directly from wargaming, and when you're breaking into a facility *cough*dungeon*cough* it's only natural to slide into wargaming mode as you make dice roll after dice roll.