New GM - help needed

[CableRouter]

great! that helps SO much, and it took a bit of stress off my mind since this is the introduction to this game for most of the players in the group and i didn't want to make it too impossible on them.

There are two ways to find out how much oil is in your car, one is to drain it all out and measure it, the rest of us use the dip stick.

Test your players early on without trying to kill them, arrange for them to find/steal/inherit/be given the plot hook item and low to mid threat level bad guys (whatever you think is low to mid level) attack them to get it from them.  They aren't looking to kill anyone and it would be perfect acceptable for them to just knock half the party senseless, take the item and leave.  Just don't have it matter to the story, if they get the item, fine, the PCs are drawn into the story by wanting to get it back and hopefully getting some payback.  If they don't get the item, the PCs should be curious as to why it's wanted and the bad guys at this point know all about it and just wanted to get it from the PCs before they could study it or what have you.  Either way, you'll have a baseline for the PCs capabilities without needing to hurt them too much and your story stays on track.  Go up or down from there as needed to get the challenge you want.

[finnmckool]

First: Reward good behavior. Punish bad. No seriously. Are they playing their aspects? Even if they're doing it to amass fate points, reward that. Dole it out like candy (unless it becomes a problem, then, you know...ease off). Are they overconfident? Then allow them to do something stupid. When you smack them down, they'll learn, as long as the smacking was a totally predictable consequence of their actions...

Second: Come up with a plan. But get ready to throw it out. Only write the story that has happened so far "off camera." The off camera story can be, and should be as detailed as possible. That way, when they ask you about clues or rumors, you know EXACTLY what happened and you, therefore, can more readily infer what clues were left behind or who would be in the know to talk about it. The flip side of that coin is the players are going to take your ball and ruuuuuuuuun with it down so many WEEEEIRD alleyways that you may as well not even plan for what happens "on camera." So plan out the things they didn't do, and let it unfold before them.

Thirdly: Going back to punishing the wicked...don't forget what your players did. Some of the most fun, or the best lessons can come from when they either must explain their actions to an authority figure, or that authority figure tells them how it looks from the sidelines. Sometimes that point of viewing can be jarring when it turns out you look like a right monster. It's also reeeally funny.

Fourth: HAVE FUN!
Good luck!