As a GM I'm a somewhat confused by Obligation. The GM section says I can't force obligation on the players (p. 308). That's cool, but what happens when the players do something that would earn them something that pretty much obligation?

For example the players cross a local Moff by stealing from his art collection and he put a bounty on their head as a natural progression of the story. The players don't want more obligation, therefore none take any obligation to the Moff.

Still a bounty is in the obligation list.

At the same time the bounty is important to the plot (from time to time bounty hunters will show up with the intention of reminding the players that the Moff has not forgotten them).

I can't impose obligation on the players but sometimes the story will go to places that are covered by it.

How I deal with situations that should be obligation but players don't want to take it?

I don't like that such a mechanic may limit the scope of my stories just because players don't want to (even when character actions merit them)

Actually, I think that the intention is that they know that they'll get obligation if they go through. In your example, they should know that if they steal the Moff's art pieces, they'll gain X obligations each. They make their choice, and if they steal it, then it's their own fault, they've earned the obligation.

I agree with the second guy. As you said, you can't "force" obligation upon the players, but before they go through and steal the Moff's Art, you should say to the players. "If you decide to steal the Moffs art, you will be taking on extra obligation by committing this criminal act that will have consequences."

Or something similar to that. Just let them know that by doing something, they will be choosing to take on obligation. Then it's really their choice. They don't have to steal the art.

I believe the book means that you as the GM can't enforce extra obligation on the players just because YOU want them to have more, however if through game play they do something that is going to increase their obligation and they willing do the act, then that's what happens.

Obligation is a hook device, and potentially a group dynamic meter. Using it to push an agenda (ie railroading) or punish players is what the rules seem to reject, which I agree with. I've used Obligation increases in a similar fashion to the above responses where the players know when they are taking out some more karmic lines of plot credit as it were. I have had the most fun by offering a non obligation and an obligation option. Using the above example:

"If you guys are just looking to unload the Moff's artwork, you can do so. Let's start talking about some skill checks that might come in handy. . . Best case you're looking at a payout in the X credit range and we'll do enough rolling that you guys might get unlucky and end up in the poor house and on the run or worse if Tony's penchant for rolling Despairs tonight is any indication (other players grumble and blame Tony's cheeto covered fingers for poluting their dice)."

OR

"You guys can step into my Obligation office and we can get you all back in space and on your way with a healthy pay out and NO rolling ."

It puts the choice in the group's pocket, and it can create some really lively discussions that allow a GM to sit back and watch the players bicker about whether or not to chance it. Hopefully in a jovial manner.

I suppose you could try to implement it covertly ... keeping your own record of their obligation and putting it into your story as you normally would, bringing in bounty hunters and such. You'd have to play the part well, maybe trying to get them to pay off the bounty hunter or something similar, such as picking up another job for them from the bounty hunter and so forth.

Basically giving you opportunities to add in story arcs and adventures to have them paying off obligation without them knowing it. They may not get the initial strain to start the session, but you could think of a way to give it to them ... "catching sight of Jax the Bounty Hunter's ship coming down at a nearby landing pad, and all your hearts sink ... so you each get 1 strain ......"

That is obviously a bit simplistic, but I'm just saying you might be able to use obligation in a way your group doesn't really know, and it might also help you put together side adventures as well as you weave it into your narrative.

Thanks for the answers all. I'm in the proces of converting the pre-gens to the full rules (including all the xp they gained an used from February to now) and I basically hit a roadblock with obligation since many events we played are worthy of obligation. My plan is to keep the adventure as is and just adjudicate the starting obligation to each character and from now on do mostly this (still taking hints from other posts, all very helpful):

I agree with the second guy. As you said, you can't "force" obligation upon the players, but before they go through and steal the Moff's Art, you should say to the players. "If you decide to steal the Moffs art, you will be taking on extra obligation by committing this criminal act that will have consequences."

Or something similar to that. Just let them know that by doing something, they will be choosing to take on obligation. Then it's really their choice. They don't have to steal the art.

I believe the book means that you as the GM can't enforce extra obligation on the players just because YOU want them to have more, however if through game play they do something that is going to increase their obligation and they willing do the act, then that's what happens.

For now I'll keep those bounties as part of the storyline but down the road allow them to take obligation to limit the BH following them only when I get a double on obligations rolls (if they take it, even if they don't the Moff storyline will continue since he is still enraged about his art being stolen by some double crossing hooligans).

This morning I realised that I had been a bit stingy with the xp, this is a common theme of my games so my players didn't grumble too much, so to compensate I am going to offer the players the option of receiving up to 10 points of extra xp but this will be directly tied to a new obligation - Hutt killers - the level of this obligation will be set by how much xp the players take, this should provoke an interesting discussion at the game table as we all know players love getting xp.

Yeah, remember that everything doesn't need to be an obligation on the chart. Having an angry Moff hunting them down because they stole their paintings is entirely legit, and doesn't need to wait to trigger an obligation roll in my opinion.