How can a player harvest a Surplus? Or, when should a GM award a Surplus?

How can a player harvest a Surplus? Or, when should a GM award a Surplus?

Obvious answer 1.01-a: Follow the Fiction!

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Well that didn’t clarify things for lots of people. Specially if you consider imaterial resources.

So, I will share with you instances where my Cutthroats proactively generated their Surpluses.

1) An Afflicted player was surrounded by a large and hostile Faction. Also, he needed Surplus: Motivation for a Wonder. He then spent 1 Data in Uncover Secrets to add a stronghold where the Faction was rallying to. The intent was clear: to Claim the bastion By Force on a decisive victory that would change the course of the war. Risky? For sure! But after a Claim by Force and a Zoomed In scene, they took the bastion, broke their enemies Morale, and gained the Morale they needed.

2) An Uplifted player wanted to finish off all the smaller conflicts popping up on the Homeland through a Total War Wonder. The one Surplus he didnt have was Leadersihip. For that he spent 1 Treaty in every single other Family so they would back him up, and narrated the first spend of the Wonder, Surplus: Transport. In fiction, the Uplifted started orchestrating a major alliance and its first offensive – they wanted to lead the war, more than simply to receive recruits or resources. A bit of haggling later all families reach a compromise and form the Alliance, with the Uplifted ahead of it and the GM awards them the Surplus: Leadership they needed.

In short, of course we can have fast and hard rules, but more often than not the Fiction will show you the way… the hardest part is to listen to it and respect its demands.

Do you have other examples like these?