Players should be advised that Freehold is not an "easy glory" game. While it's very possible (and probable) that you'll win respect and admiration from your peers and from NPCs—perhaps even quite quickly—it's not going to be handed out the way it sometimes is in generic, quick-and-dirty prefab adventure scenarios. There will be no parades simply because your neophyte character happened to come into town—you'll have to contribute to the IC community and roleplay impressing people!

Because the citizens of Freehold have realistic perspectives and expectations, you'll need to build realistic relationships with them (modified, of course, by time adjustments and other game elements), and those don't just spring up overnight, even following a good first impression. Keep this in mind, and don't play a "one strike" sort of character—that is, give characters more than one chance rather than deciding immediately that, since they don't instantly take a liking to you or aren't intimidated/awed/etc. right off the bat, the character isn't worth bothering with or the relationship is doomed to fail/not worth pursuing. Blacklisting another character by saying "That didn't turn out the way I wanted!" or "I'm insulted by something they did!" therefore "I'll avoid that character from now on/never play with them again!" only reduces your own opportunities to have fun and meaningful interactions.

Real people in real life don't typically act that way, so your character shouldn't, in Freehold. If you want a friendship/rivalry/romance/whatever with any other character, whether PC or NPC, you'll need to work at it the same as you would offline! Approach fellow players behind the scenes and say, "I'd be interested in pursuing X with your character—would you?" At the very least, use negative interactions as character-building tools, too, rather than just viewing them as dark blots that can't be overcome. Cut other characters some slack if they don't fawn over your PC after one handshake or a single smile—surely you don't do that, or expect it from others, do you?