[Walks Through Walls]

Eventually they got it, and often the plot became that much better since it took them so long to find it.

I just got complaints sometimes of how were we to know?

Then I'd go through the clues and get a collective OOOHHHHH 

[Walks Through Walls]

This eventually had the side benefit that the players who had played in my game wouldn't leave anything unexplored. The would say nothing in his adventures just happens it means something.

So red herrings became very easy to pull off

[Mystic]

LOL mystic I've been there. Yeah I've been there a lot.

That and here is the clue to lead you on to the next phase.
Ok you missed that here is a bigger clue........ come on guys pay attention here is another clue
still not getting it I guess it's time to get out the 2X4 and hit them over the head with it maybe then they'll see it

And by 2X4 you mean Ares Roadmaster at about 60kph? 

[Walks Through Walls]

If it came to that. More often it was another ambush or the news trids are running a story about ...... 

soon followed by "Oh that's right I remember something about that."

[The_Gun_Nut]

For Shadowrun, I typically just give them an event to react to (such as getting a job) and then stand back and figure out how everyone else in the world reacts to them.  Often, I hope that the players will dig up information that will let them plan their own runs and be their own bosses, but that usually happens after they have built up their reps (around the 40 to 50 total karma mark).

[Chaotic Insane]

My dad usually just gives us a good whap upside the head with the module whenever we either miss a plot-trigger/puzzle/go sidetracking... XD It works pretty well.

Or the good ol' "ROCKS FALL EVERYBODY DIES." We've gotten that bad before. XD

[Malex]

Worst part that I've found about GMing Shadowrun is that I am trying to switch gears from 2nd/3rd Edition D&D and gauging NPCS by eye is radically different. So coming up with NPCs takes the most time for me. Storywise, I've worked out a formula that works out to objective+primary threat+secondary threat=game 1, Since PCs are notorious for coming up with the craziest things you could ever imagine I cannot even begin to try to cover all possible contingencies; so it's mostly adapting on the fly.

[James McMurray]

Eventually they got it, and often the plot became that much better since it took them so long to find it.

I just got complaints sometimes of how were we to know?

Then I'd go through the clues and get a collective OOOHHHHH 

Sometimes what's obvious to the GM seems completely irrelevant to the players because they don't have the whole picture as reference. That's why I try to follow the three clue rule any time something isn't going to be blatantly obvious. For any conclusion you want the PCs to make, include at least three clues. The link goes into more detail about the whys and wherefores, but that's the gist of it.

[Fnord]

I only start with an idea, and possibly a few NPCs, and then I let my players actions decide what happens next. Lets say that the idea is that the players are going to rob a grocery store, then I might have penned out the person who hires them & possibly an important person in the store, but the actual store layout is not set in stone. I'll freeform the building as I go along, add people, features and whatever else might fit. Then, depending on my players actions, events will unfold. Lets say that they break in through the back door, but don't check for an alarm, well that might mean that the police will be there in 10min. Or they might be extra careful, and then I might add a guard dog (and a guard) that they will have to find a clever way of dealing with.

[The Seven]

I used to be such a extensive GM writer, preparing for long hours of gaming, thinking through the most obvious paths and how to counter them, and with extensive sheets for NPCs and contacts and random thug encounters. Pages and pages and pages of material.

Then my Russian pyromaniac combat mage decides to burn an Edge point on a Force 6 Chaotic World area spell on 20 Mitsuhama Red Samurai with a 12-dice pool.

I just closed my notebook and improvised the whole thing after that. And for now, I just write the basics; Johnson's name, briefing location, target location, brief description of the job and one-or-two sheets for the most challenging encounters.

I hate my players, sometimes.

[Walks Through Walls]

Eventually they got it, and often the plot became that much better since it took them so long to find it.

I just got complaints sometimes of how were we to know?

Then I'd go through the clues and get a collective OOOHHHHH 

Sometimes what's obvious to the GM seems completely irrelevant to the players because they don't have the whole picture as reference. That's why I try to follow the three clue rule any time something isn't going to be blatantly obvious. For any conclusion you want the PCs to make, include at least three clues. The link goes into more detail about the whys and wherefores, but that's the gist of it.

The times I was referring to I was on clue five or six usually, and when I talk about clues I don't mean things like if they examine the ashes of the cigar it will lead them to the right store. It was I told them that this was here. All they had to do was a bit of legwork to follow up on it.

[Angelone]

I basically wing it. I have a general goal in mind, but not much on the way of details. I try to avoid clues to drive the story forward because I have a friend who does that and I get upset with him because I don't get it and he gets upset with me because I can't see what's so obvious to him.

[Malex]

I hate my players, sometimes.

OH I know that feeling all too well. Worst thing is when no one is paying attention to the game and is instead reading, on a laptop, or using a GameBoy. I end up wanting to pass out meds to quell their ADHD tendencies.

[The Seven]

I hate my players, sometimes.

OH I know that feeling all too well. Worst thing is when no one is paying attention to the game and is instead reading, on a laptop, or using a GameBoy. I end up wanting to pass out meds to quell their ADHD tendencies.

The worst part of the ADHD behaviour is not necessarily reading/playing, is doing absolutely nothing other than make jokes when it's not their turns. Oh, I'd love when they'd complain about Karma penalties.

[CanRay]

Hey, I do that all the time.  Of course, I also do other things.