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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 6196301" data-attributes="member: 16586">I think I've come up with a solid bang to kick start the action, but it will require slightly changing the scenario. Rather than have the PCs start out as a group, they will all simply be squatters at the abandoned bar. Some PCs will have connections to one another, but not necessarily all - unless they want to.At the start of play, a team dispatched by one of the private security companies will arrive. They've been sent by someone who has acquired ownership rights to clear the bar of vagrants. The mercenaries are not eager to engage in combat - they simply want to fulfill their contract. If approached with the right tact they will be willing to let the squatters stay for a month, most likely with a weekly payment.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">While the mercenaries are legitimate citizens, their station is not much above The Lost. They barely get by on their salaries.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Discovery: The leader of the unit owes money to a local street gang. This is where any bribery money would go.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">There is dissent in the ranks. Some members of the unit want to clear out the bar right away. Others seem reluctant to put the children out on the street.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The mercenaries don't know what the new owner plans to do with the bar. If pressed the leader will express doubt that the owner plans to actually use the bar. Probably part of some bilateral trade. It might be possible to work out an arrangement with the owner, through intermediaries. That will take time though.</li> </ul>After some additional thought, I'm going to extend some additional back story authority to my players. They simply need to be among the Lost and owe a debt or have contractual obligations, either legitimate or not so legitimate.It will probably be another month before I can get the game off the ground due to school obligations. I'm starting to talk to players, and they seem pretty into the concept. I'm looking at doing another iteration of the setup and progress to character creation fairly soon. I don't want to develop too much setting material without giving the players a chance to leverage some back story authority during character creation.LostSoul, thanks a lot for sharing that article. It's got me thinking. I'm not sure I've fully comprehended the advice, but it's definitely food for thought. I'm so used to running games based on character exploration that it's kind of difficult to adjust my thought processes.Anyone have any advice for managing time in setting? I've always treated it pretty fluidly, but if my players end up agreeing to weekly "rent" payments a more strict accounting might add some nice organic pressure.</blockquote>

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