What do you think is critical?

[ArmySGT.]

What do you think is critical for a Morrow Project adventure?

What is the right setting?
What is the mix of NPCs?
How much do you tailor the setting to the story?
Is it necessary to introduce new equipment or encounter groups?
Is it necessary for the scenario to be on the grand scale?
Do you let the PCs make the alliances or groups or steer them toward one planned?

How do you steer the PCs where you want them to go?

[bobcat]

honestly a solid setting, a loose plan, and creative PC's have always led me through the best adventures.

[mmartin798]

I have to agree with Bobcat. I set up the area the team wakes up in and make some vague assumptions about the geopolitical map and the peoples in those areas. Flesh out the area around the bolt hole with quite a bit of detail and let the team go. Works well for me and can make things quite interesting.

For instance in my current campaign based in the greater Seattle with first time players, they have been very cautious and approaching the residents carefully. But they have also been sending out constant CW broadcasts advertising for other MP teams. After a few days of this, I let the KFS Secret Police hear this signal and they replied trying to pass themselves off as "Morrow Eastern Command". During the radio exchange, they did not reveal their location, but now in addition to slavers entering the area, the KFS Secret Police know there is an MP team out there that just woke up and might be able to raise them on the radio again in the future.

So while I planned to keep them isolated by geography for a little while, the team themselves gave me a way to bring other challenges to them. It takes a bit of work and fast thinking, but if the environment has enough detail that you can assemble a plausible encounter, you get new idea that can work with your planned ideas. I don't know if this group will go into Seattle to see what up, even with the legend and lore they have learned. If not, I can still use that area as they go into the one they served up on a plate for me.

[rob]

I too agree with Bobcat. The plot I'm using has the Team (4 PCs and 2 NPCs) at a small some what backward village. They have not done much shooting YET but the bad guys are coming very soon (next session). The team has been joined with the remnant of 2 Recon teams, a science team survivor and a Snake Eater. One PC has found the groups Primary Objective but not told any one about it. But they will expand soon, the Wanderers will becoming up!

[stormlion1]

I love background, a fully fleshed out world is what I always look for. One I can put a team in and just go to town, literally but with enough room for my team to move about without overall effecting the world. They are just one team after all.

[ArmySGT.]

Personally,

I like some pre-genned NPCs to use on the fly.

Some are Goon #1, Goon #2 and have stats, skills, and some basic equipment. The names change with location. In case I need so unsavory bastards for the bar in the trading posts.

Others are fully completed, I have a name, picture, and backstory. This way I can launch and adventure from a random encounter or just because the game is lagging with PCs undecided about where to go.

Next, I like to pre-gen some locations, a farm, a trading post, a saw mill, gas station. That way I have a map, what is there, who is in it, and floor plans. Again, just in case my player strike off cross country.

Another, is I like to rough out the region the PCs are operating in. Rough out some villages, trade routes, brush up on the in game encounter groups, and settle on the tech levels.

Then, I plan some big bad bosses and their motivations. Why is this guy the villain, is he/she really a villain. What does he hold or intend to take? Why does he need this.

Villains need a story, after all, if you ask the villain, he is the hero!

[.45cultist]

It could be entertaining to let these thugs tangle with a "Napolean's Own" Jim Bowie. I've been experimenting with higher tech communities to throw the teams off.

[Ieqo]

As always the "best mix" is going to depend on your mix of players. My table always consisted of mostly fellow-vets, so they tended to be more "mission focused" and less impressed by the armament (and therefore less-inclined to abuse such armament).

Given that general attitude, the situations that worked best were the ones where I had specific idea of The Problem and The Opposition, and only a vague conception of One Possible Solution. In these cases I knew what to describe and how to describe it, knew what the goals and resources of the opposing group (if there was one) were, and then just turned the Team loose in the sandbox. My One Possible Solution rarely, if ever, came into play because they came up with other ways to deal with the issue.

Just keep things internally consistent and be prepared to improvise, and you're good to go.