Difficulties with the Operator and Moonlighting

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Difficulties with the Operator and Moonlighting
« on: August 14, 2014, 02:18:21 PM »
Hey all, so I've started a game and run a couple of sessions now, but I'm having trouble getting a handle on the Moonlighting move. What I'm having difficulties with is dealing with the consequences of the Operator's multiple gigs at the same time, especially now that the Operator activated his Special and has 3-Juggling.

How do you narratively handle the Operator working 2-3 gigs at once? Since it's rolled at the beginning of the session, I feel like I need to address it based on the outcome of his roll, but I'm finding it difficult to resolve up to 3 situations simultaneously. I'm also having a bit of trouble figuring out how best to address his failures; out of 3 sessions, he's 3 for 3 on catastrophe all around (can't roll above a 3 on the dice when rolling for Moonlighting). Obviously things should be falling down around his head, but the nature of the gigs' (implied?) simultaneity leaves me feeling like I have to keep some of it off-screen, and like I just don't have the economy of game attention to Announce All That Off-Screen Badness.

Has anyone else dealt with this, or have any advice? This is my first time MCing AW, and I'm definitely used to less fiction-driven games as both the host and a player. I really like the potential here, but this particular playbook is proving a bit hard for me to grasp and deal with.

Re: Difficulties with the Operator and Moonlighting
« Reply #1 on: August 14, 2014, 05:23:08 PM »
One thing to always keep in mind is when in doubt ask the player. "How the hell did you manage to botch all three jobs?"

Second look at the gig descriptions for what happens when it fails. In some case it might make narrative sense for him to lose his gig (i.e. take away his stuff). "Well you blew it with Preen when missed her date cause Foster bushwhacked you on that delivery job. You lost the package, spent the night lost on the cinder plains hiding from gear nomads, and are not getting paid. Deg might hire you again but your thing with Preen? Its over."

Also remember take breaks often to think things through.

Re: Difficulties with the Operator and Moonlighting
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2014, 08:28:11 AM »
I also have an Operator in the group I'm MCing, and I find this tricky sometimes too. One thing to keep in mind is that either of you can say that his crew is the one doing some of the jobs, and a fail on the Moonlighting roll might mean that he gave the crew faulty directions, intel, etc., so that's why the gig failed.

You can also combine the gigs in the narrative. Maybe he's doing his compound defense gig as well as his maintaining honor obligation, and he has to protect the hardhold because some of the normal defenders are gone, so it's the honorable thing to do. It's usually pretty easy to tie in the obligation with one of the gigs.

Hope that helps you think of how to handle it!