In my opinion the biggest thing you can do is get comfortable with your own character. Get comfortable roleplaying that character. Roleplay that character when no direct interaction is happening.
You don't have to be a Heavy roleplayer to be in character sometimes. Stopping at a hall to turn in a quest? Walk in, look around, throw out an emote, and turn in your quest and leave.
What this does is create opportunities for natural interaction. The reason why walking up and talking to someone is awkward is because it is!
When people are interacting you should know a reason why you would be running into that encounter. This doesn't have to be complex, it doesn't have to be character driven. Think of interactions that people have every day. From saying Hello, to asking for directions, asking someone if they dropped something, confuse them with someone else.
The reason should tie into the location, and the number of people involved. Don't try to steal the stage from them, but if it's a casual encounter it's less likely to break the flow.
If you throw out general interaction enough, even alone, you'll get more comfortable with the character. If it helps, make a cheat sheet. Watch a movie or a show, read a book and note interactions that characters make. Set that sheet next to you when you play. Make up your characters own motivations and keep it on a list. Have some ammo ready to make you more comfortable.
And most of all, don't worry about depth of that interaction. A simple Hello with a wave and move on goes a long way. Don't worry about having an epic tale to tell, worry about where a good place to get a drink is, because you're thirsty...
A small interaction today can turn into a greater interaction tomorrow.
You don't have to be a Heavy roleplayer to be in character sometimes. Stopping at a hall to turn in a quest? Walk in, look around, throw out an emote, and turn in your quest and leave.
What this does is create opportunities for natural interaction. The reason why walking up and talking to someone is awkward is because it is!
When people are interacting you should know a reason why you would be running into that encounter. This doesn't have to be complex, it doesn't have to be character driven. Think of interactions that people have every day. From saying Hello, to asking for directions, asking someone if they dropped something, confuse them with someone else.
The reason should tie into the location, and the number of people involved. Don't try to steal the stage from them, but if it's a casual encounter it's less likely to break the flow.
If you throw out general interaction enough, even alone, you'll get more comfortable with the character. If it helps, make a cheat sheet. Watch a movie or a show, read a book and note interactions that characters make. Set that sheet next to you when you play. Make up your characters own motivations and keep it on a list. Have some ammo ready to make you more comfortable.
And most of all, don't worry about depth of that interaction. A simple Hello with a wave and move on goes a long way. Don't worry about having an epic tale to tell, worry about where a good place to get a drink is, because you're thirsty...
A small interaction today can turn into a greater interaction tomorrow.
