1) There is absolutely nothing wrong with the "Meet in a tavern" starting point.

2) " Yes, the problem is we're all actually really good friends, but everyone is very empathetic to the social horror they would feel in real life, just walking up to a stranger at a tavern. :D We're an awkward bunch--it's why we're friends."

The players are not their characters. Did your friends intentionally create socially awkward characters with traits that would make it difficult to chat to strangers? Keep in mind that the characters aren't picking each other up, there is no social interaction needed when meeting in a tavern other than meeting a stranger. Have your friends never gone to a hobby group, been involved with Me to We, showed up to some other organizational meeting where they don't know each other? I have the feeling that folks in your group are reading far to much into the "Meeting in a tavern" meme.

Usually, in this sort of situation, there might be an employer looking for a group to perform a task. They put up an advertisement and specify a time and place to meet to discuss the job. Usually this is a public place like a tavern. The characters show up, talk to the employer, talk to their fellow adventurers and start to form some sort of bond (unless you players have specifically chosen characters with anti-social or loner traits ... which might not fit well in any specific party unless the player (possibly with the assistance of the DM) comes up with some good reasons for them to stay in the party). However, the players need to be flexible enough to develop their characters in such a way that they will adventure together ... if the players choose characters that have no reason to adventure or to work with others, that isn't the DMs fault :) ... the player is responsible for creating a character that at least has the potential to work with others.

3) It sounds like the players are having a bit of difficulty separating themselves from the characters they are playing and that may be a part of the issue.

Quote from David42 >>

1) There is absolutely nothing wrong with the "Meet in a tavern" starting point.

2) " Yes, the problem is we're all actually really good friends, but everyone is very empathetic to the social horror they would feel in real life, just walking up to a stranger at a tavern. :D We're an awkward bunch--it's why we're friends."

The players are not their characters. Did your friends intentionally create socially awkward characters with traits that would make it difficult to chat to strangers? Keep in mind that the characters aren't picking each other up, there is no social interaction needed when meeting in a tavern other than meeting a stranger. Have your friends never gone to a hobby group, been involved with Me to We, showed up to some other organizational meeting where they don't know each other? I have the feeling that folks in your group are reading far to much into the "Meeting in a tavern" meme.

Usually, in this sort of situation, there might be an employer looking for a group to perform a task. They put up an advertisement and specify a time and place to meet to discuss the job. Usually this is a public place like a tavern. The characters show up, talk to the employer, talk to their fellow adventurers and start to form some sort of bond (unless you players have specifically chosen characters with anti-social or loner traits ... which might not fit well in any specific party unless the player (possibly with the assistance of the DM) comes up with some good reasons for them to stay in the party). However, the players need to be flexible enough to develop their characters in such a way that they will adventure together ... if the players choose characters that have no reason to adventure or to work with others, that isn't the DMs fault :) ... the player is responsible for creating a character that at least has the potential to work with others.

3) It sounds like the players are having a bit of difficulty separating themselves from the characters they are playing and that may be a part of the issue.

 Objectively, they know they are not their characters. But everyone is super new, so they're still working on that. We're the kind of group, myself included, that gets embarrassed *for* characters on a TV show when they do something weird. (Watching The Office is absolute torture for me lol). So some of them have a lot of trouble separating from their characters. I suspect the fix for that particular issue is time and experience.

I think that part will improve, I just want to give them a stronger bond and a reason to be together. Currently they are still together, and not planning to split, but their reasons for remaining together are a little thin. But we did have some developments last session that may have changed things for the better, so I might be in a less crappy place than I thought.

Try introducing a charming, extroverted NPC that makes friends with them all individually. It’s easier for people IRL to get to know each other when introduced by/or who also spends time with a mutual friend. Why not for PCs.

Quote from IamSposta >>

Try introducing a charming, extroverted NPC that makes friends with them all individually. It’s easier for people IRL to get to know each other when introduced by/or who also spends time with a mutual friend. Why not for PCs.

 Then kill that character off dramatically so they'll bond over bringing their murderer to justice :P

Quote from TransmorpherDDS >>

Quote from IamSposta >>

Try introducing a charming, extroverted NPC that makes friends with them all individually. It’s easier for people IRL to get to know each other when introduced by/or who also spends time with a mutual friend. Why not for PCs.

 Then kill that character off dramatically so they'll bond over bringing their murderer to justice :P

 Sure, why the eff not? It doesn’t matter what causes them to bond as a party, only that they do. The whole point is to get them to identify as a group instead of as a collection of individuals.