Quote Originally Posted by squiggit View Post
I sorta disagree. It depends on the situation.

Some games practically require it because certain players don't build their characters with hooks in mind and don't have a lot of initiative for one reason or another. Some games are built around it (Rogue Trader practically demands this for instance).

It's favoritism if you're ignoring PCs ideas out of spite or somesuch. It hardly is though if only one character has anything to build on. I've had plenty of tabletops that have a Wizard who wants to defeat an evil lich or a Fighter that wants to slay an unjust king or... whatever. And then there's a rogue who just wants to come along so he can get rich.
I put in "because the DM says so" for a reason. If there's no other choice, or if the players agree "yeah, we're all following Roy", it's not so problematic. But if it's the DM that chooses one character's plot hooks over the others, consistently, that's the problem.