Cool Backstory Syndrome

[martinl]

Originally Posted by RevBob

I remember hearing several years back that in a good novel, the author knows much more about the story and the setting than what actually makes it into the book. That extra is by no means wasted; it at least informs continuity and motivations.

This.

In an RPG, it also helps for there to be depth below the surface when the players start to dig.

Additionally, making it often amuses the GM.

Finally, it can be a lot of fun, as a player, to figure out something about a setting and see the clues/foreshadowing in previous events going all the way to the beginning of the campaign, rather than only having episodic events.

The real problem with most "cool backstories" is they ae used to bludgeon the players with either "listen to my cool story, regardless of if you are interested in it," or "I've got a secret nananananana."