How to get players to take control?

[Ophidimancer]

I've run my game for a few sessions now and I think the players like it.  The only thing I wish would happen is that my players to take some more narrative control.  They use their Fate Points mostly to enhance rolls, but haven't been making any declarations or anything.  I think it's from years of playing other games (we do White Wolf games, mostly) and I'm not sure how to encourage them to take the reins more.

Suggestions?

[bibliophile20]

Been having some of the same problems here, actually. 

[deathwombat]

Beatings!!!!!
Go over those sections of the rules again maybe recruit a player as a shill to show them how to do it

[cgodfrey7]

Another possibility is to find a couple of play by post games that show what you are looking for, and ask your players to read them over, then ask what you can do Together to achieve more fun and creativity.  Alternatively, give them a challenge to provide you with plot twists that you didn't think about.

[Ophidimancer]

Hmm ... now I'm coming up with a crazy plot:  Boredom demon is making every day happen the same way and the PC's have to break out of their routines in order to break the curse.

Just a crazy little thought to file away.

[bibliophile20]

Hmm ... now I'm coming up with a crazy plot:  Boredom demon is making every day happen the same way and the PC's have to break out of their routines in order to break the curse.

Just a crazy little thought to file away.

And then after they break loose, they have a looooong talk with the men in gray cloaks about how they didn't break the 6th Law.  That'd be interesting RP right there...

[Ophidimancer]

Oh, I wasn't thinking a Groundhog Day scenario, but just an enforced routine.  It's not the same day happening over and over, just that the days all would be happening the same way.

[sinker]

You could always remind them of the tactical advantage. Declarations are a free (no action required, and no fate point required if done appropriately) maneuver.

The best solution though would be to sit down and talk to them. Ask them what you can do to get them more invested in the game, remind them that the world is supposed to be part theirs and that there are many things they can do to take ownership of it.

[Tallyrand]

I would recommend making a point of having your NPCs do so.  I know it sounds odd, but if the PCs see the NPCs spending fate chips for compels and making declarations then they may follow suit.

[devonapple]

I would recommend making a point of having your NPCs do so.  I know it sounds odd, but if the PCs see the NPCs spending fate chips for compels and making declarations then they may follow suit.

It is a very effective method - one which I, sadly, have not been using to the fullest in my own game.

[luminos]

Bribe one of the players to GM, and show them how taking control is done  .  Although, just talking about it is going to be the most reliable path to good results. 

How difficult are the fights in your game?

[Ophidimancer]

How difficult are the fights in your game?

I thought they were pretty easy, but the group was having trouble.  Another thing they don't seem to get is how teamwork works in FATE.  I illustrated how you can Maneuver to give someone else a free tag, but it didn't take.

I started my game at 6 Refresh and made it a high school game, kinda going for Buffy meets Call of Cthulu.  My players are Spawn of the Black Lagoon (fishboy shapeshifter), I was a Teenage Demon Vessel (focused practitioner with a Denarian shade sealed in his head), and Demon Obsessed Wizard in Training (Summoner/Binder from an old Wizard family with a demon tainted boyfriend).

So far they've had to face an old lady who was possessed by Outsider spawn who didn't have much going for her except that she shrugged off magic and was kinda spry for an old lady, oh and she had a kitchen knife.  When they drove it out of her, they chased it down to a cave and one of the spellcasters magically grappled it while the resident Summoner/Binder bound the thing to obey her.  I wasn't expecting that exactly, but I used it later when I made it a brush with 7th Law violation.

The next thing I threw against them was a teenage necromancer.  He was a bit beefier than any of them individually, but they were able to drive him and his reanimated saber tooth tiger off pretty easily.

Then I had a fairly major Red Court incursion, but they weren't meant to fend that off, I had two powerful White Council Wizards and Warden Ramirez taking point in that.  They were just meant to disrupt the magic of the aforementioned teenage necromancer and the cloaking spell he had on the vampires.

[ironpoet]

I've run my game for a few sessions now and I think the players like it.  The only thing I wish would happen is that my players to take some more narrative control.  They use their Fate Points mostly to enhance rolls, but haven't been making any declarations or anything.  I think it's from years of playing other games (we do White Wolf games, mostly) and I'm not sure how to encourage them to take the reins more.

Suggestions?

Do you mean "narrative control" specifically in regards to conflicts, or do you mean in regards to the overall plot?  Do you want the players to suggest villains, NPCs, plot points, etc, or are you mainly looking for them to add more flavor to each scene?

Why not try asking them questions up front at the start of a conflict?
- "Okay, the vampires attack you.  You're in the middle of a library, so give me some scene aspects.  If you think of more during the conflict, go ahead and declare them."
- "The noise from your fight is drawing attention.  A big ogre lumbers up the stairs, sees a battle in progress, and smiles.  What's her name and what are some of her aspects?"

Once they know you expect creativity from them all the time, they might loosen up and start adding declarations on their own (especially if you give out Fate points for particularly cool ideas).

[luminos]

I thought they were pretty easy, but the group was having trouble.

Reverse it.  Make a lot of the fights too difficult to win without either taking a lot of consequences or making a lot of lucky rolls.  Make sure that they know concessions are always there as a safety valve, but otherwise, don't offer much outside safety (no Wardens to save the day!).  This way, they'll always go into fights thinking about what battles are worth risking death over, and they'll start looking for ways to outmaneuver the bad guys instead of going straight at them.

At least give this a try to see what happens.