If the GM offers four fate points...

[UmbraLux]

Sorry but I disagree.
IMHO if the GM needs to bribe the players to make them do what he wants, there's a problem in narration.

Interesting opinion considering the entire Compel mechanic is essentially a bribe.

Four fate does seem a bit much.  Not because of rules, how they're applied will change with different groups.  But it is very unsubtle.  I'd tend more towards a series of smaller compels with a fate point for each.  May lead to the same thing, but it's not as big a stick.   

[Steppenwolf]

Interesting opinion considering the entire Compel mechanic is essentially a bribe.

Four fate does seem a bit much.  Not because of rules, how they're applied will change with different groups.  But it is very unsubtle.  I'd tend more towards a series of smaller compels with a fate point for each.  May lead to the same thing, but it's not as big a stick.  

Sorry, my fault...
I was unclear just cause I didnt understood if it was a Compel or a just  a bribe.
Open poster talked about an offering so I'm here asking if it's really a compel or just "if you go there I'll give you these 4 candies"

And however, if it was a compel , what aspects are the GM compelling?

[wyvern]

Amusingly enough, I have, as a GM, a situation planned that's pretty similar to what you've described.  The difference being that I would offer a *lot* more information to the player; four compels worth of fate points is something where you should out-of-game know what you're signing up for.  (And, in my case, I'd be running it as three distinct compels - one of them auto-escalated to being worth two fate points - and with each compel controlling a different aspect of the situation, so the player can pick and choose to accept some, none, or all of them...)

[Balseraph]

As far as the question of the OP is concerned: Take 'em and dive in headfirst if you can justify it even tenuously! (Or not, I'd take the chance even if nothing in my aspects remotely seemed plausible. "I, uh, don't know what happened. I just had this crazy urge..."

I'm very firmly in the camp of "know the rules (inside and out) but never let them get in the way of a good time"

That said, I'd probably connect this at least somewhat to the rules, since it can be so easily done.
Personally, I think I'd probably phrase it as a compel of several aspects at once, but I wouldn't be limited by the escalation rules if it really was intended to be a major, earthshaking decision.
In case offering four fate points didn't spell that out clearly enough, I'd be sure to warn the player that this must be a monumental decision and that even with just a dark alley before them they should be aware that there is a world of hurt -or at least a world of weird- waiting for their PC down it!

[Seb Wiers]

Seems odd to have to bribe a character to go down a random dark alley.  Now, if they'd just seen some sort of tentacle pulling the neighbor's cat around the corner and down into that alley.... well, I think most, you wouldn't even have to offer a fate point.  Most character would be set up to self compel in such situations, amirite?

[Tedronai]

For 4?  No.
Maybe for 5, though...

After all, if he's offering FOUR, it's obviously going to be unpleasant...

[Drachasor]

For 4?  No.
Maybe for 5, though...

After all, if he's offering FOUR, it's obviously going to be unpleasant...

That's excellent, turn it around on the GM.  Say you'll do it for 8 and do some good old fashioned bartering.

[Katarn]

That's excellent, turn it around on the GM.  Say you'll do it for 8 and do some good old fashioned bartering.

This would work, but ideally your GM could get you to feel compelled via good compels, not FP dumps.  Subtlety is the way to go.

(In this case, you could try for 5- but bear in mind this is REALLY important to your GM, so be nice)

[Drachasor]

This would work, but ideally your GM could get you to feel compelled via good compels, not FP dumps.  Subtlety is the way to go.

(In this case, you could try for 5- but bear in mind this is REALLY important to your GM, so be nice)

What kind of player are you?  You need to get everything out of your GM that you possible can!  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I think sometimes not being subtle can be good too, though I'd say the OP example isn't one of those times.  Though, honestly, the whole compel thing in general is not a very subtle system, imho.

[LokiTM]

For me, it's more of an issue of whether or not the character would do it.

It seems to me that the fate points are a completely meta game issue (maybe this is what you are saying here).

Is there any story reason the characters would or would not want to / happen to walk down this dark alley?

To the player 4 points means something really scary but to the character it is just another dark alley with no special significance (I am assuming).

[Tedronai]

If it's just another dark alley with no special significance, then the character has no reason to walk down it.  And that's where the fp come in.  They're an incentive for the player to find whatever thinly veiled excuse might be available to serve the needs of plot.