I’ve got a question about Corporate Clocks, specifically filling them out. I understand the general idea of them becoming much more serious at certain breakpoints, but I’m just at a loss at what sorts of things should go there. This is definitely a weak point for me in PbtA games where without something definite it’s hard for me to just jump in.
The Kurosawa Extraction legwork and mission clocks were great for cementing those mechanics for me, just doesn’t seem to be anything similar for corporate clocks. This is especially important to me because in the game I’m about to run the players decided to have a clock start at 00:00 so it ought to be interesting.
Long and short, anyone have example Corporate Clocks they’ve written up?
So I’m very new to the game too. Only got a few sessions under my belt. The clock mechanic IMO is simply a reminder for your table (but especially the GM/MC) that the corporate (or other such elite entities) are up to some shit.
I personally would avoid starting a clock at 00:00 because you miss out on a lot of story building. Unless you use some type of flash-back sequences (which could actually be very cool, but maybe complicated).
A clock advancing means that the PC’s have done something substantial to gain the attention of someone/something or impact the fiction in some way.
Your game is your game. If you guys wanna start a clock at 00:00, fucking do it! Just know that 00:00 means that they will immediately start out in the shit!
http://www.cardgamedb.com/forums/uploads/an/ffg_scorched-earth-core.png
They don’t have a lot of ground to go to. The corp is killing their family/friends. The corp is launching RPG’s into their apartment windows. The corp has open contracts on the PC’s. The PC’s are basically screwed in every way.
So maybe that’s how it starts. The PC’s trying to claw their way out of the cross-airs of some major players. That seems cool to me. Maybe their first mission is to erase some data that the corp gunning for them has on them or even the playing field a bit by striking back.
You could do flash-backs about why the corp is gunning for them. What they specifically did earlier in their lives to “advance the clock”. But be open with your PC’s. Let them know exactly what starting the game off at 00:00 will mean and look like and if everyone is game, go for it it!
To clarify I’d say the big blank spot for me is the steps in the middle of the clock. That’s where seeing someone’s example would help (hint hint someone please).
Last session I had a corporate clock with no segments filled in. One of my PC’s got mad at the corporation and wanted to disrupt their activities to piss them off. They conducted an operation to destroy assets. The damages to the corp, and a personal phone call to gloat about it to an executive within was (in my mind) worth advancing the clock for that corporation three segments.
Any time their activities might attract notice from the relevant corporation that’s an invitation to advance a clock.
PC’s spend a few hours at an old city hall building, searching old blue prints and zoning contracts near corporate buildings? I bet the corp has some crawler program that pings those types of searches. Advance the clock.
In the Sprawl, the corporations are expecting to be attacked in various ways. Their whole network of big brother technology is on the watch for where the next blow will be coming from.
Also, there lots of spots in the book where it directly invites you to advance the clock if it’s appropriate within the fiction.
Clocks are abstract. Just start advancing them. You’ll get the hang of it. If you go to fast… well that just sounds like you’re getting to the fun faster.
So I understand how to advance them and what they mean, I just don’t have a good idea for what the increments should be. There are examples of a legwork and mission clock, but not any corporate clocks.