Quote from WallineDungeonMaster>>

1: Your first step should be going full Xanathar with their backstories. Have your PC's use the maximum number of possible events when rolling, and also develop NPC's that they have connections with. Who are these PCs? What made them go adventuring? Etc. Write up the baracks that the fighter used to train in. Develop the tyrant who hates your rogue.

I used the Heroic Chronicle for my player's characters - they still don't RP or read stats.  They just don't care.  So I can understand this.

2: Next, revisit Alignment, Personality traits, bonds, and flaws. One of the problems with how these traits are displayed in dnd is that Players usually only pick one from the background they chose. Have each player chose 5 personality traits, 4 ideals, 4 bonds, and 2 flaws from any background, with additional ones of their own choosing. Teach them what allignment is, and the difference between chaotic and lawful.

That's basically the same as above.

3: Now, you should look at the traits the players chose, and have them write that down. Ask them, why did YOUR PC choose to become this class/subclass. You may think it is cool, but what personal connection does the character contain. Flavor their spells, class features, etc. If your players enjoy any pop culture, maybe consider that to catch their attention.

I personally ended up writing everyone's character sheets and levelling them up too... So, I can understand the article writer's concern.

4: Ask what they want from the game. Do they see themselves as the main characters? Or are they simply there along for the ride. Dnd isn't as fun if you aren't invested. Tell them that there is no shame in enjoying Dnd. No one is "too cool" for it. Maybe they are lackluster because they think that they aren't powerful. Discover everything outside the game that is creating reluctance, and try to get rid of it.

This could come off as rude quite easily, so tread with care.

5: Finally, provide plenty of opportunities for the players to thrive. Grant inspiration. Let them describe their actions. Give them downtime to do what they want to do, and encourage them to make plans, team up, etc. Sometimes an amazing crit is all it takes to awaken someones passion for dnd. Other times, it is an emotional roleplay. Build team synchronicity. Build the foundations, then give them materials. The players will build their own road.

I have tried this approach, and it doesn't work.

Note:  Get yourself players who are 100% invested.  As a DM, start of with veterans.  They may look imposing, but they know what they are doing and they'll contain themselves rather than spilling their baggage onto you.

If using the tables in the books helps use them, personally though I prefer to sit down and sculpt my players back stories based on the campaign ideas, the world I have created and what they want to do/think is cool. 

But I then ensure I give them moments to develop and grow those backstories in game, not to a resolution, that is a long way off in my game. But just to progress slightly. For instance in my current campaign my players have all just leveld up to level 3 (Milestone levelling), my current plan is not to have them remotely visit there true backstories until the current BBEG is dealt with, probably by about level 5/6. But I gave each a moment, largely triggered by the level up, but also the story beat of that moment. 

Warforged Artificer who has no memory of his past - I took him aside (a separate channel on discord) and spent 10-15 with him walking through a large room he suddenly found himself transported to, I described locked doors and strange voices. He attacked one of the doors to try and break in and suffered psychic damage to himself, he finally found a way to open one door and with that suddenly gained a rush of knowledge and, a tiny glimpse of information he (both player and character) didn't previously know, not enough to go running off, but enough to just keep the player interested and invested in their story. The idea that this moment they where inside their own head, that the skills they where developing, they had already learnt long ago, and maybe maybe they where not alone in their own mind. 

Wild Magic Minotaur Barbarian was taught to meditate by a wood elf NPC the party saved, during that he discovered a power deep within, later on we roleplayed out a training montage with a druid gnome who spent half a day "encouraging" him to trigger his abilities learning more about himself in the meantime, later on he got the sense that maybe the reasons he was given for running away from home, protecting his family from himself, where possibly not the whole truth. 

Sorceror Satyr, left at the door of a house of il repute as a baby had a moment with the women that found her, now the owner of the establishment. She learnt that she might not have been simply abandoned, but escaping an oppressive regime or have been hidden away from some force attempting to seek her out details where slim, but, enough to make her interested and want to find out more. 

Rogue, chose the arcane trickster subclass, the inn keeper of the place they have been staying in town seemed to have abilities she might like to learn, this led to a short session where she found out that he was more then just a standard inn keeper, he taught her the spells she had learnt at level 1 in return for a favour that he will be cashing in soon. 

Warlock, a dream sequence, pulled into a forest, meeting his fey patron face to face for the first time, questions where asked and very enigmatic, non answers given, but, a tiny hint of a reason behind the reason to choose him (the gift was forced on him not asked for, but he doesn't yet know why or how). When he awoke, his book of shadows was on his chest, a picture story book identical to the one his grandmother read him as a child, only, instead of being filled with tales of the mystical heroes of the fey. It was full of images from his time with the party. caricature's of events poking fun at the other characters. The minotaur as a baby, sleeping, dreaming of the warlock striking down a large angry bugbear (barbarian was unconscious at the time). 

Each moment was just 10-15 minutes of game time over about 5 sessions, a focus, away from the actual adventure, a moment in time that drew the player in and made them feel a little more invested in the character, made them excited about the story that might be told moving forward. 

But this only works if your players want to tell that kind of story, if they just want to turn up, roll dice, hit stuff and have a laugh then as mentioned you might struggle to tell this kind of engaging story. 

Note:  Get yourself players who are 100% invested.  As a DM, start of with veterans.  They may look imposing, but they know what they are doing and they'll contain themselves rather than spilling their baggage onto you.

Na, you can totally start with newbies. But they need to be invested, that is right. If you have new players, that are willing to put effort into the game and their characters, you will grow together.

Veterans can also be problematic for a completely fresh DM.

I personally ended up writing everyone's character sheets and levelling them up too... So, I can understand the article writer's concern.

I'd stop GMing if I had to do this. At that point you're almost soloing the game.

I also disagree with the advice of needing veterans. You just need people who are excited to play and want to play the game "right." By which I mean, trying to learn the rules as best they can, and play the way the game was designed to be played (knowing their character sheet, etc.).

It is sounding more & more like these players aren't actually interested in playing. If they aren't interested in tracking their stuff or remembering their abilities, then you're just dragging them through it.

Play other, less intensive games with these friends. Find a group who's interested in d&d and play d&d with them!

Quote from Yamana_Eajii >>

Quote from WallineDungeonMaster>>

1: Your first step should be going full Xanathar with their backstories. Have your PC's use the maximum number of possible events when rolling, and also develop NPC's that they have connections with. Who are these PCs? What made them go adventuring? Etc. Write up the baracks that the fighter used to train in. Develop the tyrant who hates your rogue.

I used the Heroic Chronicle for my player's characters - they still don't RP or read stats.  They just don't care.  So I can understand this.

2: Next, revisit Alignment, Personality traits, bonds, and flaws. One of the problems with how these traits are displayed in dnd is that Players usually only pick one from the background they chose. Have each player chose 5 personality traits, 4 ideals, 4 bonds, and 2 flaws from any background, with additional ones of their own choosing. Teach them what allignment is, and the difference between chaotic and lawful.

That's basically the same as above.

3: Now, you should look at the traits the players chose, and have them write that down. Ask them, why did YOUR PC choose to become this class/subclass. You may think it is cool, but what personal connection does the character contain. Flavor their spells, class features, etc. If your players enjoy any pop culture, maybe consider that to catch their attention.

I personally ended up writing everyone's character sheets and levelling them up too... So, I can understand the article writer's concern.

4: Ask what they want from the game. Do they see themselves as the main characters? Or are they simply there along for the ride. Dnd isn't as fun if you aren't invested. Tell them that there is no shame in enjoying Dnd. No one is "too cool" for it. Maybe they are lackluster because they think that they aren't powerful. Discover everything outside the game that is creating reluctance, and try to get rid of it.

This could come off as rude quite easily, so tread with care.

5: Finally, provide plenty of opportunities for the players to thrive. Grant inspiration. Let them describe their actions. Give them downtime to do what they want to do, and encourage them to make plans, team up, etc. Sometimes an amazing crit is all it takes to awaken someones passion for dnd. Other times, it is an emotional roleplay. Build team synchronicity. Build the foundations, then give them materials. The players will build their own road.

I have tried this approach, and it doesn't work.

Note:  Get yourself players who are 100% invested.  As a DM, start of with veterans.  They may look imposing, but they know what they are doing and they'll contain themselves rather than spilling their baggage onto you.

 Keep in mind that players who aren't veterans can be equally invested. I was lucky and the group that I asked is very into the story and roleplaying aspects. I'd recommend just asking them to send you a quick backstory- nothing fancy. If it seems like they're invested in your world and trying to create an interesting character, then accept them into your campaign. If they don't (assuming it's high RP and not Hack n' Slash), then politely tell them that you'll be choosing someone else.