Seconding drethelin’s advice in general. I feel very empathetic towards your situation, and I did not like most of the people I met when I first went to college, and yet I made some serious long-term friends there.
Also, for fear of not having a “social role”, just make sure there’s something memorable about you. Like a cartoon character, have some element of style that is unique and not obviously negative—so that people can see you and think “There’s that kid with the X again”, and you blend into the background less. If X can also signal desirability to a relevant social group, all the better. Something that already seems cool to you, so it doesn’t set off your “inauthenticity” alarm. Bow tie?
You’re the hero in your own story. Don’t worry that most of the people you run into are NPCs—that’s normal. Keep looking and you’ll find the 3-5 other PCs to join your party.
Seconding drethelin’s advice in general. I feel very empathetic towards your situation, and I did not like most of the people I met when I first went to college, and yet I made some serious long-term friends there.
Also, for fear of not having a “social role”, just make sure there’s something memorable about you. Like a cartoon character, have some element of style that is unique and not obviously negative—so that people can see you and think “There’s that kid with the X again”, and you blend into the background less. If X can also signal desirability to a relevant social group, all the better. Something that already seems cool to you, so it doesn’t set off your “inauthenticity” alarm. Bow tie?
You’re the hero in your own story. Don’t worry that most of the people you run into are NPCs—that’s normal. Keep looking and you’ll find the 3-5 other PCs to join your party.