[Sliver]

I need to have a run in about two days, and I'm trying to really step it up. An increase in dynamic NPC's, interesting missions, and a better story. And here is where I'm stuck, how exactly should I prepare for it?

Before, I'd simply let the thoughts in my head brew over the week, and then kind of ad-lib something. But I'd like to have something prepared, something concrete and fantastic. My players always find a way to destroy whatever I have planned, but I wonder if there's a way to plan something that's flexible and just make a general sense of what I'd like to reveal about the story and what I'd like to happen.

So for you more experienced GM's (I've been doing it for about a year now), how do you prepare and how do you handle players ruining your plans?

[Charybdis]

I need to have a run in about two days, and I'm trying to really step it up. An increase in dynamic NPC's, interesting missions, and a better story. And here is where I'm stuck, how exactly should I prepare for it?

Before, I'd simply let the thoughts in my head brew over the week, and then kind of ad-lib something. But I'd like to have something prepared, something concrete and fantastic. My players always find a way to destroy whatever I have planned, but I wonder if there's a way to plan something that's flexible and just make a general sense of what I'd like to reveal about the story and what I'd like to happen.

So for you more experienced GM's (I've been doing it for about a year now), how do you prepare and how do you handle players ruining your plans?

Every group is different (some want more combat, more social roleplaying, more hacking, more details etc). Here's what works for me and my group:

A)  Understand What the PC's need to accomplish, but give them a lot of leeway as to How it has to happen.
B) Keep attention focused on the players. I've had some sessions where all the PC's did was argue about a mission plan. I was bored sometimes as GM, but they had an absolute blast with plans, possibilities, hitting contacts for information and legwork.
C) Make stuff up. If the PC's want to try something crazy (up to and including HALO insertions into a corp facility), you should be encouraged to do things equally crazy (make them dodge a hovering surveillance drone with some random threshold to avoid a crash)
D) Have a pre-prepared list of NPC's names and descriptions (I call it the Random Roladex). It adds a lot of credibility to your game and story if the PC's ask: Who's else is in the bar? and you look at your list and say: The guy with dreadlocks in the corner? The bartender whispers 'That's Mad Freddie. Houngan with ties to the Ghoul community in the Carribean."  Whether it's related to your current mission or not, this can lead to a fun session and/or contacts that the PC's think are interesting.

As for players ruining plans? I let them.
If they get too far off-mission, they:
- Don't get paid
- Lose reputation
- Make potential enemies
- etc etc

Shadowrun can be a self-enforcing system that weeds out idiocy after a few failed runs. Once a PC or two is kicked to a Street lifestyle, they start being a lot nicer to Johnsons offering them work, and bit more professional about getting the job done.

[Sliver]

As for my group, we like a mixture of combat and non-combat. I like to have at least one combat sequence each game, sometimes two. The rest is all non-combat social situations, hacking, searching, preparing, and the like.

My problem is when I simply come up with what they are to accomplish, I end up making half the run up and it ends up being not so great. I like to have some sequences planned out, some scenes that I can execute and drag the story along.

[Charybdis]

As for my group, we like a mixture of combat and non-combat. I like to have at least one combat sequence each game, sometimes two. The rest is all non-combat social situations, hacking, searching, preparing, and the like.

My problem is when I simply come up with what they are to accomplish, I end up making half the run up and it ends up being not so great. I like to have some sequences planned out, some scenes that I can execute and drag the story along.

no problem with that scenario. Just have a very loose definition of the steps required to get to each scene.

If you want to include:
A) Combat
B) Social Encounter
C) Combat
D) Escape

You can use any method you want to get between points ab,c and d, which can be whatever the PC's come up with (Crazy hacking, contacts legwork, failed combat, lucky knowledge skill) and this actually works really well.

It's a good balance between player-driven storyline and prepared, dramatic scenes.

[Sliver]

You know, that's a good idea. I've made a sheet that I can simply fill out and have ready for a run.

Objective: Overall goal of the run, including opening sequence where it is given
Various Ideas: Here I write down important information about the run (backstory, secrets revealed, etc)
Scenes: Four or five scenes like you suggested, mark vague and important points in the story and how the run will progress. I will only limit players to these points, and only if it makes sense and is beneficial to the run.
Opposition: List of the things standing in their way. Enemy NPC's, walls, security systems, etc.
NPC's: A list of combat NPC's and all of their stats (Attributes, Skills, Weapons, Armor, and Spells).

I figure this is a good way to form a great and complete run. Any feedback?

[Charybdis]

You know, that's a good idea. I've made a sheet that I can simply fill out and have ready for a run.

Objective: Overall goal of the run, including opening sequence where it is given
Various Ideas: Here I write down important information about the run (backstory, secrets revealed, etc)
Scenes: Four or five scenes like you suggested, mark vague and important points in the story and how the run will progress. I will only limit players to these points, and only if it makes sense and is beneficial to the run.
Opposition: List of the things standing in their way. Enemy NPC's, walls, security systems, etc.
NPC's: A list of combat NPC's and all of their stats (Attributes, Skills, Weapons, Armor, and Spells).

I figure this is a good way to form a great and complete run. Any feedback?

I think you have it all sorted

Only concern is on the Scenes section. If the PC's go completely off-track (especially if deliberate) I don't offer more than a few solid hints (NPC phonecalls, legwork research, Knowledge tests etc) to bring them back to mission.

You're right on in only limiting players to those scenes if it makes sense
Determinedly dragging PC's from scene-to-scene regardless of their actions, well, kinda' smacks of railroading (which in my experience annoys a group more than an unprepared session).

To that end I recommend keeping a few random scenes handy (completely non-mission-related) for when the PC's are waaaaaay off the mission mark, so you can still have a great RP session, but the PC's don't complete the mission (which has it's own consequences according to your GM style and campaign).

[James McMurray]

With very little time, I highly recommend the 5-scene adventure, a modified version of the 5-room dungeon.

Here's the template I use when I need a run fast, though I tend to mix-and-match the scene types to its not always "legwork->roleplay->puzzle->combat->payday." The template has some vague ideas as well, which I use to get the juices flowing if I can't think of what to put in that scene. Modifying the number and type of scenes can make sure that every player gets a chance to shine and do what they want. Making sure the scenes are linked by automatic events instead of clues that can be missed on a bad roll will help keep it running foreward, though you can never predict that rascally players.

When I've got more time I tend to go with something node based. It's more work and it means you're making up a few things that are almost guaranteed not to be used, but I prefer it because it's not a straightforward set of preplanned events. Even when those runs are fun they end up sometimes feeling more like storytelling than roleplaying. Here's an adventure I ran that worked out pretty well and used a node approach.

[James McMurray]

I've found the three clue rule useful for making sure a run stays on track. When you've made sure there were enough clues and they weren't impossible to find, it's more likely the players will stay on target. And if they don't, it's usually because they had something they'd rather do so you're probably better off just winging it and running with their idea(s) that session anyway.

[James McMurray]

D) Have a pre-prepared list of NPC's names and descriptions (I call it the Random Roladex). It adds a lot of credibility to your game and story if the PC's ask: Who's else is in the bar? and you look at your list and say: The guy with dreadlocks in the corner? The bartender whispers 'That's Mad Freddie. Houngan with ties to the Ghoul community in the Carribean."  Whether it's related to your current mission or not, this can lead to a fun session and/or contacts that the PC's think are interesting.

If, like me, you're not too great at making up a bunch of people or places, you can use my generators.

NPCs (no stats, just names, nationalities, and personalities)

Lifestyles, useful for making up places on the spot

[Sliver]

Well, I've seem to hit a snag in my planning. This is the run I have so far:

Their employer, the CEO of a corp, gives them the task of making nice with the local Italian Mafia as they have information on a rival company Which is really the same company that hired them). They meet up with a contact, and then he tells them that they need the mob to think that they owe them something. They need to cause a problem unknowingly, and then fix it for the mob.

I think it's a great premise, but I don't really see how I can plan nodes or even steps at all. There are so many ways to do this: plant a bomb, get the Yakuza or Lone Star on their asses, frame someone within and then expose them. There's probably plenty of ways I can't even perceive. Any advice here?

[Critias]

Have their Mr. Johnson suggest how to go about doing it, as part of his dossier/mission briefing.  Don't just say "get on the mob's good side by making them owe you," offer them three suggestions about how to do so, or four, or five, or whatever.  Then quickly prepare all the scenarios, use whatever one they choose, offer them the option of going "above and beyond" by tackling a second, and hold onto all your notes for the others (to use for another job, some other time).

[Sliver]

So you're saying that the best way to do it is to give them a few options on how to go about the run, rather than just letting them follow their own instincts? Wouldn't it be better for the group to come up with their own solutions?

[Critias]

So you're saying that the best way to do it is to give them a few options on how to go about the run, rather than just letting them follow their own instincts? Wouldn't it be better for the group to come up with their own solutions?

Yeah, but it's also good for the group to have a GM that's not sitting in the corner, crying, and pulling out handfuls of his own hair.

You've got to find your happy medium between "totally open sandbox" and "choo, choo, all aboard the railroad!"  For most people, that's having several options and trusting in the player-GM social contract to see to it the PCs play along and pick one.  Others are perfectly happy trying to think up every possible PC action (and invariably failing), others are perfectly happy just saying "Fuck it, wing this mother" and cheerfully ad-libbing it for the bulk of a game.

Find out what works for you, and for your group.  Given the session you proposed and the specific question you asked, it seems to me like the easiest out (especially for a new GM running a new campaign) is the "offer several options" thing.

[James McMurray]

Another way you can go is to have one generic break in, one generic firefight, and one generic RP scenario figured out in advance. Then, no matter which route the PCs decide to take there's a good chance that the only winging it you do is when you figure out which preplanned bit to use and why their plan comes up against that type of opposition.

[Sliver]

Okay, so this is the run that I've formed. Keep in mind, the Objectives list is written to be as open as possible. I am expecting them to find a way around the oppositions I put in place as well. So, any feedback? Not specific enough, doomed to fail, etc.

Overview:
 The CEO of Atlus Industries, Adam Norton, calls in the players to ask them to make nice with the Italian Mafia, as they know something about Synergist Technologies that we have not been able to find out. It is said that Tony Russo, one of the Don’s main men has recently discovered something important. You will use Lone Star by getting them on the Mafia’s case and then stopping Lone Star’s attack. Good luck.

Various Ideas:
Continue to have the dream sequences and hallucinations based on my plans for the overall story. Reveal the scratching, and have one word through one players head, “
Objectives:

1) Observe the Mafia stronghold (address given) for a way to stop Lone Star when they show up to attack the compound.
2) Find a way to frame the mafia and get Lone Star on their trail
3) Launch the counter-measure against Lone Star
4) Tell the Mafia and explain to them why you put a stop to Lone Star’s attack.
5) Find a way to locate Tony Russo and retrieve the information without ruining your new friendship.

Opposition:
- Stock Mobster listed below, use as needed.
- Stock Lone Star listed below, use as needed.
- Mafia Compound map below
- All enemy perception tests are 5