I posted a little while back about Fronts and I think I have the gyst but one kind of Front still throws me - the Landscape Front.

As I understand it, a Front contains Threats and the Threats each have Countdown Clocks leading relentlessly towards a Dark Future. I can revolve this in my mind regarding a monster advancing towards the city or even a disease that is slowly spreading and infecting the population but how does this work for a Landscape?

Let me give you a specific example. In my current game, I added an old abandoned subway tunnel underneath the city. As a Front, I saw it as a Landscape: Maze but as a Maze, it is only a Threat if the player characters go down into it. The Dark Future, as I have made the subway currently, is that the player characters are hopelessly lost in it and run out of food and water. Again, this only works if they choose to enter it. Unlike other Fronts, the characters can avoid this Dark Future by simply not doing anything and staying at home.

I am not sure but maybe I made this Front incorrectly. Was I supposed to build this Front with a Dark Future that affects player characters if they *don't* explore the subway? So, for example, there might be a bomb or gas leak or something that will affect the surface world if the subway is not conquered.

Feedback is appreciated.

Brilliant Scheme

So, I am just starting with Apocalypse World as an MC. We have done our first session and built an interesting setting with the players. I like the idea of Fronts but I think I may have misinterpreted them and made something out of them that was not intended. I'll try to explain.

Here is how I am currently looking at Fronts:

MC moves are designed to advance the Fronts. Basically, if I (the MC) am talking, the Fronts are advancing. Players can do whatever they want. They can hide or sit and drink in the cantina or whatever else but the Fronts are slowly closing in and left alone, a dark future will occur. This is intended to reflect a world continuously in decay and spiraling out of control, if not for the actions of the brave player characters. There will be no patron who offers our heroes 100 gold to go rescue the princess (or any other RPG trope). There will just be the steady decay and advancing threats of Apocalypse World which you can handle or suffer the consequences.

As an example, I made this Godzilla Front just for fun. (Godzilla is not really going to be in my game.)

Godzilla's Dark Future is that he destroys the city. If the countdown clock reaches Midnight, that is what happens. On the way to destroying the city is this countdown clock.

Countdown:
12:01-3:00: Distant roars are heard but we do not yet see Godzilla.
3:00-6:00: Godzilla is seen on the horizon.
6:00-9:00: Godzilla is just outside of the city.
9:00-10:00: Godzilla destroys buildings.
10:00-11:00: Godzilla kills key NPCs.
11:00-Midnight: Godzilla destroys the city.

So... this is how I currently think of Fronts. I like this but I know I am wrong.

Godzilla as I have designed him is a Threat, not a Front. I am honestly not sure what a Front would be in this example. The city? Is a Front a place?

Further, the way I am thinking of Fronts is that the players need to be pro-active and deal with these things or the dark future just "happens." There is no battle with Godzilla if his clock reaches midnight. He just destroys the city. The players, however, can intercept him at any point before midnight.

Have I got this all wrong? Someone please give me some insight. I appreciate it.

Brilliant Scheme