How have you handled in your games the time period when a character needs to spend many days out of action to recover his wounds?
The best solution, I think, is to have that time period advance faster "A week later...", but...
-do you have the threats or fronts act and advance while the character rests?
-if there are other PCs not hurt or willing to rest, what do you do?

What I´d do is to have the threats act, tell the players what they do, and ask if their characters still want to rest. If there are PCs active while others rest, I´d ask them what they do during that week, and then have them roll one custom move, common move, or a series of them if needed.

I´d love to read any examples of actual play to know how have you dealt with the situation.

This thread is to gather the experiences of most of us, to see which playbooks are picked the most/least by rookies (to the game), which ones by veterans (of this game only, again), or see another useful pattern. In particular, I recognise some playbooks nobody tends to pick, and would like to see if that tendence is common, to think about some new ways to "sell" those playbooks and make them interesting.

My experience:
Battlebabes & Brainers are the ones mostly picked.
Other playbooks that rely on their own are favoured: gunlugger, skinner, driver, etc.
Playbooks like the angel or operator aren´t picked by newcomers, they´re often seen as boring or uninteresting (in my experience, obviously).
Playbooks that rely on other people (this depends on the player´s profile, I think) in general aren´t picked a lot.
In general, players pick a playbook that at least has a special orientation or good tools to apply in combat situations.

Your experiences? Do you see any tendence among the groups you MC to? Do you think the profile of a RPer, the games he´s played or run, his overall experience with the hobby have sth to do with the playbooks he chooses (maybe even his life experiences or his knowledge of the postapoc. genre)?
Is there any playbook you think people don´t often come to appreciate? Which, and why do you think that? How would you make it more crowd-pleaser (just talking about the way you offer it to people, not about tweaking the playbook)?
In my case, I´d like to adequately show the awesomeness of the operator, and I often don´t know how. Since my players don´t speak english in general, I have to explain playbooks to them, so selling a playbook is my responsibility. They often don´t see the advantages of a mainly social character that tends to have a lot of money (I´d say he´s the richest character).
Other curious cases. It takes time for a player to see why having an Angel would be useful or awesome, compared to a brainer. Only after they´ve played AW they recognise healing means an awful lot of power over people, as much as a skill greatly demanded.
Maybe players that come from traditional RPGs think that a character whose power relies on people is less powerful than one whose power comes from his own. Not always: I have a case of a player coming from a 3.5/vampire experience, picking a chopper without hesitating much.
Also, in an environment as violent as AW, some players think that a skinner might be too bland.
Battlebabes enjoy so much popularity due to their versatility, and also to how easily their concept is understood (sexy assasin!). They are cool, dangerous if not in a real fight, and also are quite manipulative and hot. Winwinwin.

Ok, this time I´m asking for some examples of how you MCs or players have started a 1st session in any AW game. I understand the chapter on the book, but at the time of playing, I unconciously go back to my old GMing style: "Where are you this morning, Brain?" when the player doubts and doesn´t know what to say (which happened many times), I then start to suggest: "Is it ok if you´re in the infirmary, helping Doc this morning?". And when that happens, and the player says it´s ok, I start putting threats in front of them, not waiting to see what they do.
Maybe the players aren´t as much proactive as I´d like. When I was a player, I was all like "ok, and there´s a party tonight run by Moriarty´s gang, so I´m trying to be invited there" and that stuff, but the MC did pretty much the same I did (he started putting threats in front of us, not so much waiting to see us acting).
I think I should be pushing harder the players for ideas, asking all time "what do you do, where you´re, etc.", and waiting until the players take the initiative to start making moves on my own.

Anyway, to make it less abstract, I´d like to see some examples of the first minutes of a 1st session, when the characters, Hx, and the overall setting and holding have been depicted. The first questions during the actual play, when does trouble arise, that sort of stuff.

Thanks in advance!

"Just give me a motive: name somebody who might conceivably eat, drink, or otherwise ingest something you´ve touched. If it´s an NPC, roll+hard; a PC, roll+Hx. On a 10+, they do, and suffer 4-harm (ap) sometime during the next 24 hours. On a 7-9, it´s 2-harm (ap). On a miss, some several people of the MC´s choice, maybe including your guy maybe not, get it, and all suffer 3-harm (ap)."

Ok, I just don´t get the move, I mean, I understand how it works, but I can´t just explain that in the fiction... Why something you´ve touched? Why do and suffer harm? Does it represent the Maestro D´ inciting a traditional bar fight? Is it something more esoteric or weird?

Would it be too weird to, in addition to highlighting stats, do the same with Hx?

I don´t know... The whole group or the MC could name 2 characters, so if one of them rolls +Hx to help or interfere with the other one, he marks experience.
Or maybe a sort of inversion: if you interfere with Jammy, Jammy´s player marks experience.

It could be done in addition to or in spite of a highlighted stat. Maybe this way: "Okay, I won´t highlight weird this session, but rather your Hx with Scarlet...". The max would be 1 Hx and 1 stat, not 2 Hxs.

And now that I think about it, what about highlighting barter sometimes? Mark experience every time you spend barter (if you spend barter to roll, mark experience once no matter how much barter you spent).

Any comments?

In the golden age, children grew up loved and well fed and inside a fucking home, with a family and all that shit. Now, you´re lucky if your parents don´t sell you for cattle, and a mentor, a home, or respect, is something you´ve got to fight for, ´cause nothing comes free. You, child, what are you willing to risk for it?

Choose one set:
Cool +1, Hard -2, Hot +2, Sharp +0, Weird +1
Cool +2, Hard -1, Hot +2, Sharp -1, Weird +0
Cool +1, Hard +0, Hot +2, Sharp -2, Weird +1
Cool +0, Hard -1, Hot +2, Sharp -1, Weird +2

Child moves: choose 3
PERSONAL ANGEL: when you take a killing shot (up to 12 in the harm-clock or more), roll+WEIRD. On a hit, you´ve been saved from death, and wake up in a circumstance chosen by the MC. On a 10+, that circumstance is favorable: saved by an expected or unexpected ally, to whom you owe now a big one. On a 7-9, you wake up caught and at the mercy of a totally unexpected savior, who wants something in return now. On a miss, you´re still dead or, if you take a debility, you wake up in the 7-9 hit circumstance.

LINKED: when you first meet someone importante (player´s call), you may roll+WEIRD to see how are you gonna be linked.
On a 10+, choose one from the list:
-Friend: +1 to manipulate.
-Lover: +1 to seduce.
-Protector: Automatic hold 2 over him/her, as in I´M JUST A CHILD move, and a +1 to use that move over him/her.
-Mentor: +Insight on you.
The bonus is permanent, unless the relationship changes completely or you end it.
On a 7-9, the MC may add an adjective to any of the above:
-Abused friend (abused by you?), envious friend, manipulative friend, desperate friend, etc.
-Obsessed lover, agressive lover, desperate lover, etc.
-Overzealous protector, jealouse protector, etc.
-Sadist mentor, misguiding mentor, etc.
+the bonus is not permanent: +1forward to manipulate, +insight only for one time, only 2 hold, not the +1 for I´M JUST A CHILD.
On a miss, the MC chooses one from the list:
-Bully: -1 to go aggro or seize by force.
-Master (either with or without sex): when he tells you to do sth, it´s like a PC hitting 7-9 to manipulate you (act under fire, or mark experience).
-Deceiver or Traitor: -1 to read him.
-Distrust: -1 to manipulate
-Indifference: -1 to seduce

SHOW SOME MERCY!: when you´re at someone´s mercy and want to avoid reprisal, humiliation or bullets, roll+HOT, for an NPC, or +Hx, for a PC. On a hit, they can´t shoot, punish or humiliate you. On a 10+, you have to pay or do something in return, and you have -1ongoing against them until you redeem yourself. On a 7-9, the same as above, plus you have a permanent -1ongoing against them, if NPCs, or they get Hx+2 w/you on their sheet, if PCs. On a miss, it´s MC´s or player´s call if they forgive you or not. If they choose to anyway, they get the 7-9 result.

I´M JUST A CHILD: when someone sees you suffering cruelty, pain or poverty, roll+HOT (if many ones see you, choose one to roll against him): on a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1 over him. Spend your hold to make them:
-Give you lodge, or a gift worth 1-barter
-Help you when in danger
-Forgive a debt, theft or betrayal
-Believe a blatant lie you tell them (if feasible).
-Pull down their guard on you on a critical moment.
On a miss, they see your true face: the MC will ask you 2 questions, answer them truthfully, plus you won´t ever be able to use this move over them.

FUCKING REBEL: When you act against good and honest advice given by other characters, mark experience.

DIRTY LITTLE HANDS: when you try to get something someone else already has, roll+COOL. On a 10+, you got it, you fled safely, no one noticed. On a 7-9, you got it and you fled, but someone noticed you, and word will be quickly spread about your action in that turf. Beware.
On a miss, treat it like an act under fire miss.

CANNY SCUM: roll+COOL to read someone when planning something tricky. On a 10+, hold 2; on a 7-9, hold 1. Spend your hold to ask questions from this list:
-What useful stuff does this one have I could steal?
-How might I deceive him best?
-What is he planning against me?
-How is his mind or attention vulnerable?
When you act on any of the answers given, you get a +1.
On a miss, he fully realizes your intentions, and acts accordingly.

EYE ON THE DOOR: the same escape-move the operator has...

------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHOOSE 1 MATURING CONDITION (always +2 max.)
-When someone you value dies, you get +1HARD.
-When you´re unexpectedly betrayed, you get +1SHARP.
-When you face unstoppable opposition and choose to back off, you get +1SHARP.
-When you lose suddenly what little you had owned, you get +1HARD.
-When you fail utterly in a personal goal, task or job, due to incompetence you get +1COOL
-When you see a favorable situation turned suddenly into disaster, you get +1WEIRD.
-When you´re deceived or convinced to do something terrible, you get +1SHARP.
-When someone you value loses his trust on you due to something you did to him, you get +1WEIRD.
------------------------------------------------
CHOOSE WHAT YOU´RE AFTER:
-A stable and new home
-A family
-Respect and consideration from everyone else
When you meet your first maturing condition, you´ll be able to buy with an advance what you´re after. In the case of a family, it´ll be a ally: mentor, and some friends and contacts; in the case of respect and consideration, it´ll be either a gang or followers, whatever suits best the moment, plus a clean reputation; in the case of a new home, it´ll be a house, 2-barter and 2 gigs.
When you get what you were after, you may change the playbook.
----------------------------------------------
SPECIAL MOVE: When you have sex for the first time, Mark experience and roll for the LINKED move, even if you don´t have it. Only the lover-like links are eligible. If the other character had the initiative (pushed you to have sex), roll with a -1.

When you have sex after the first time, roll+HARD.
On a 10+, you had a good time and didn´t remain entangled. +1forward.
On a 7-9, you had a good time but somehow remained entangled. He/she is now a master as the one in the miss list of the LINKED move.
On a miss, you had a bad time and remained entangled. He/she is a master, plus you have a -1forward
---------------------------------------------
ADVANCEMENT:
-Choose another growing condition
-Choose another growing condition
-Choose another growing condition
-Get a new Child move
-Get a new Child move
-Get a new Child move
-Get what you were after (ally, gang, followers or gigs)
-Get a second thing you´re after...
-Get a move from another playbook
-Get a move from another playbook

It´s been written in a hurry, I haven´t revised it yet properly, and it still needs to be tested. Any comments on it?

Well, I´ve read here recently that at least other MC has trouble creating PC-NPC-PC triangles, interesting and compelling relationships, antagonism and drama sources between the PCs in the fiction, etc.
Well, I sort of have trouble with that too, but I´ll explain why because it is a particular issue:
In my campaign, the group´s got a mission related to travel to other holdings to gather a debt, look for a missing cargo, etc. I had struggled to build an interesting relationship map within the first holding: Awkward, but then they started to travel to other ones and I found it difficult to extend the relationship map outside the first holding.
I tried, anyway, to resolve it, by creating NPCs connected to the PCs on the fly, as I needed them. And the way I did it was by creating past relationships with the PCs, like this: "White was hired by the gang you´re about to fight against; he´s a colleague of yours, and you´ve worked alongside with him sometimes" or "To find Hugo, you shall get Shazza´s permission first. She was Melody´s (PC) best friend while they were child, but then they grew apart, as Melody didn´t want Shazza to start working as a prostitute. On another subject, Doom (PC) also knows her, he spent some nights with her while he was travelling or being hired."
Is it right to do this a lot, create background or past information for the PCs? Or the relationships should always involve things that are happening right now? Should I have already a list of Melody´s friends and partners, Doom´s colleagues and employers, etc., handle it to the players and start using them as the campaign moves on?
Another possibility is to handle that by asking the players themselves: "You already know her, how did you get to know her and what were you doing then?", but I fear that sometimes the players might not involve their PCs in the situation too deep "Just worked once with her, nothing important".

I´d like to get help with this, because I´m acting here out of "instinct", but I´d like to have some principles to guide me, and I can´t relate the ones AW has to what´s happening.