Countdown Clocks & Prep for play

On page 143 Vincent sez:

"Prep circumstances, pressures, developing NPC actions, not (and again, I’m not fucking around here) NOT future scenes you intend to lead the PCs to."

Now, I'm on board with this. Nonetheless I find myself referring to the countdown clocks as background information, to help move things forward, etc. I'm vaguely worried that I'm walking a very fine line with the way I'm MCing, partially because I have become quite aware of unintentionally falling back into old GMing style behaviours and habits - something I'm keen to avoid.

So, where is the line, here? Presenting situations and information in passing, allowing PCs the opportunity to get involved, giving them situations that you know will hook them? And where do Love Letters come into play, in that it's quite easy to put a character right into a situation they may not have consented to? I'm really very curious what you all think about this! Where is the line for you?

Well, are you planning future scenes, like "...so then Hooch will confront Wibbleham in the abandoned car yard and beat the crap out of him. Got to get to that before mid-session, so that it happens before Vega finds out what Dog Head is up to..."?

If you are, then knock it off.

If you aren't, you're fine.

Love letters are fine. Put PCs into situations they haven't consented to all you want. Don't plan a storyline out in advance, is all.

And where do Love Letters come into play, in that it's quite easy to put a character right into a situation they may not have consented to? I'm really very curious what you all think about this! Where is the line for you?

That line... might not even exist!  *laugh*

I've got an upcoming love letter for a PC boils down to two options for them: swear alliegance or die.

The PC in question has been doped up, restrained and handed over to an enemy, essentially, trussed up with a bow... all by another PC; the captive PC certainly didn't consent to any of this, but when you put your life in the hands of a pissed off Angel, you're never sure where you'll wake up.

The love letter will allow for an option between two moves: 1) submit, but cut a deal or 2) don't submit and be executed on the spot... but at least you stood by your principles.  It was a shocking turn of events, but the story simply progressed this way; the icing on the cake being the Angel reminiding everyone that they had designated the captured PC as "someone doomed to destruction" and everyone oohed and ahhed and how it had turned out.

The thing is, you *always* have to allow a player options, even in *almost* untenable situations... I'm really looking forward to see what the player does.

Yeah, I'm not sure there is a line, so long as you're not pre-planning a scene. I'm about to drop-kick my players into all kinds of things with love letters, and I'm excited for it because I get to see them in new situations where they will have full agency to respond.

The thing is, you *always* have to allow a player options, even in *almost* untenable situations... I'm really looking forward to see what the player does.

True, and players should always have the option of re-framing things to the spirit of the untenable situation as viewed through the lens of their characters.  Players should be looking at your framed scenes with the mindset of "What would Dremmer do RIGHT NOW?" rather than "What are the options the MC is forcing me to choose between?"  Life is not a dichotomy, and neither are role-playing games.

I'm about to drop-kick my players into all kinds of things with love letters, and I'm excited for it because I get to see them in new situations where they will have full agency to respond.

Oh dear, here we go.

 Announcing Future Badness is your friend. If you think of a scene because you have your NPC motivations and fronts nailed, then heck, throw it out there with some badass burley and see if they bite. If they don't, don't sweat it. Definitely don't force it, just keep asking provocative questions and propelling the agenda of your NPCs into gear. It'll all work out.