How important are character backstories?

Is it always best to give players the chance to define the backstory for their characters? Inspired by Cyberpunk 2077's 'lifepaths', John Robertson and Stace Harman dissect and discuss the design implications of giving players choices as to their characters' backgrounds. Is this attempt at providing player agency always a good thing and does it always work as intended? Visit our website https://www.indiebydesign.net to check out our books! If you're looking for 20 Double Fine Years, our big book of all things Double Fine, then head straight to DOUBLEFINEBOOK.com to get your copy. Find us on Twitter @IndieByDesign A video version of this podcast is available at https://www.youtube.com/c/indiebydesign https://www.indiebydesign.net/podcast