I don't like this, as I see it, artificial get-together so we can all RP together right from the start, especially not since it feels artificial. Sure, I have nothing against planned 'chance' meetings, but I'd prefer to just meet and slowly get to know people. At random, unless there's a very good, very fitting reason for something else.
Saying that we've all played Seed, and thus know each other. Well, that pre-supposes two things, as Norah pointed out:
1. that we do infact all know each other, more so than by our old Seed screen names, and have some reason to hang out together.
2. that we all have the same background story as a Seed player (meaning probably our own background story)
That's a little too assuming for my suspense of disbelief at least, and a little too much forcing players into certain roles imo.
In my view, we should make up individual chars, backgrounds and reasons for being where we are. We will meet up in time, probably also very early on. Then we can let it be up to our chars to interact and make bonds/a neighbourhood. And if they discover they hate each other? That's fine, then we don't force them to interact. We meet other RP'ers instead, forming bonds with them. Let's make it natural, not artificial. We won't miss out on RP since there are a lot of RP'ers hopefully, and we're still one big community, without having to force us together in game?
It's like forcing Faeron, Perun and Ract to be friendly and together for a common purpose. But what common purpose? It needs to be natural. Some of us will band together, sharing common views, others will band together with others. The only thing we need, is to get to meet and know each other at some point, and then go from there. That can be arranged without too much trouble, without shared backgrounds. Say, we have all heard about some special arrangement somewhere, or we all pop up at the same place, due to something. That's meta-RP in arranging a 'chance' meeting, but that's fine. It's also fine for me just to go around and meet other RP'ers randomly, slowly making bonds and playing my char.
Of course, like in SoR, I'd think it interesting if some players made up connections to others via their backgrounds, to add flavour and a stronger reason to be together. That could be arranged between individuals, but need not be arranged for the whole group.
Overall though, I say. Let players make their backgrounds and RP. Let us meet up in game via real or arranged chance encounters. We don't need to get together no matter what. Or at least that's my take on it.