I am thinking of participating in Adventurers League, and if I do it will be my first time to play in it, but I actually am very hesitant on doing so. I am only considering it because my group is about to disband and my DM is trying to port the rest of the adventure over to AL, where he DMs and plays.
My specific concern is:
Restriction on the narrative. AL only allows published modules to be played, which means the narrative can only go in the direction the module says. I am concerned about losing my player agency and my ability to affect the world in ways I want without derailing the adventure. Meanwhile, I have been warned that my character's histories (if I make one) will probably not come into play due to the restrictions in AL.
What I enjoy: exploring backstories, focus on the storytelling elements, player agency
However, my DM is very enthusiastic about this, so I'm very much thinking that I must be missing something (and I'm pretty sure I have misconceptions about AL floating in my head). So I want to give it a shot. I recognize the benefits of AL: meeting new people, playing more regularly, and most of the group I'm playing with will likely make the jump over.
Is there a way for me to participate in the game while engaging in a way that lets me satisfy my need for storytelling?
There is another question about encouraging RP in AL. This is not the same question because RP is not the same as storytelling. I'd like to find adventures where my characters have motivations, are tightly woven into the story, and has the agency to explore the world and solve its problems according to his motivations. This can be done even through narrating character actions from a 3rd person perspective, without the use of RP.