I need some more interesting and narrative ways to use threat and despair for mundane things like perception checks, and interaction (besides X dude attacks you or X dude gets mad).

You’ve seen GM Hooly’s sheets, right?

Nope

One thing to think about when designing encounters is to think about the environment. What could go horribly wrong in that environment.

Look at these for an example.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xnlemhom1g5v736/EotE%20-%20Environmental%20Set%20Pieces%20v1.9.pdf

Use the Search function of this forum to find his posts with the latest version of his “Advantages and Threat” sheets, as well as his various other sheets that he has done — Player Action Sheet, Starship Player Action Sheet, etc….

There’s another sheet I found somewhere recently entitled “Combat Quick Reference (EotE)”.

Learning how to use the Search function for this Forum will be very useful to you.

I need some more interesting and narrative ways to use threat and despair for mundane things like perception checks, and interaction (besides X dude attacks you or X dude gets mad).

While I'm still new here, may I suggest NOT rolling checks in mundane situations? Roll checks in situations where failure is interesting/adds a complication.

Never make a character make a roll for anything unless failure is going to add something interesting to the story and move the story forward in an interesting direction. . IE a character climbing a tree to look around. Having them fall out of the tree or some such might be mildly interesting. It does not really move the story anywhere. So don't make them roll. If there is nothing to see and having them fail to notice something is not going to move the story in interesting directions don't have them roll perception. And so on.

I am going to re-iterate what DFN and Daeglan have said; only roll if it is important.

When thing are significant, when success or failure matter, consequences become clearer. The benefit of exceptional success is easier to see. The pitfalls of failure stand out. If you are having a hard time seeing where threat or despair is in a dice check, perhaps there wasn't a need for a check in the first place.

When the situation has importance, you can quickly discover a whole range of effects, from bad to good, that can be combined when the Mixed Result shows up (such as fail with 3 advantages or succeed with a despair).

I can dig it

Threat and despair in perception in my game are often used to describe the players pointing at it, and otherwise being obvious. Particularly if they're spotting an ambush or the like. or seeing the trap, but not in time to stop someone else from walking into it, etc. Failure+Disapir can also mean they see it, but mistake it for something else.

In interactions is can often mean they slip and expose something they wouldn't want to, or maybe overpay a bribe. Or maybe you agreed to help him with his side-quest during the course of conversation. etc.

I remember one time my Players were looking for a weapons shop and rolled a despair (on a successful roll) on the search. The despair ended up with them walking into a weird looking place that had all sorts of weapons on display behind glass. It was actually a museum that they failed to see the sign for (due to the despair).

They ended up going to what they thought was a shop keep. When one Player asked for to purchase a restricted weapon (they rolled 5 threat on the failed negotiation for the item), they were promptly met with alarms sounding off and guards surrounding them. The person they talked to ran away as the guards approached.

They were escorted outside where they were shown the bright neon style sign that stated they were in a museum showcasing "Weapons of Scum and Villainy" and didn't take kindly to pranks like the Players were pulling.

I like that thanks