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[GobbieMarauder]

Obviously it assumes that your players are not actively malicious and derailing your plot for derailment's own sake, because if that's a case you have problems aside from your ability to run the game.

More to the point, it works on all levels, from "your players have decided they want to be bandits instead of saving the kingdom" to "your players, upon hearing about Ganon's evil reign, have begun organizing a rebel army instead of chasing down magic swords." If you just tell them what to do, then it's no fun for them because they just feel like characters in your novel, but if you don't tell them what to do they're bound to make a wrong turn at some point. That's why, rather than let them organize their army and storm Ganon's tower and oops normal swords can't slay him I guess it's 10,000 years of darkness good job not reading my mind, you quietly re-arrange events in the background. You still make them go get the magic sword, but instead it's under the guise of "The Gorons will only help if you complete this sacred trial" and "the Zoros will lend their support if you help them get this magic thing" and "if you get this magic sword from ancient legend it's sure to rally more people to your cause." You still have the big final battle, but instead there's a war raging around them. Nothing has actually changed, but your players don't know that.

[Neonivek]

It took me so long to unlearn what I needed to unlearn to be a proper GM.

Yes knowing you can drop your story and set up anytime, and change it between sessions is something you need to know.

Being a slave to your players? no.

[GobbieMarauder]

It took me so long to unlearn what I needed to unlearn to be a proper GM.

Yes knowing you can drop your story and set up anytime, and change it between sessions is something you need to know.

Being a slave to your players? no.

No one's saying that. It's also why I said to be sure to explain to your players what kind of game you're running. Those sorts of issues arise from you and your players having different expectations of what the game is going to be. If you tell your players the game is going to be x and they stamp their feet and demand y, you tell them that they can run it themselves, then. Or, a favorite of mine, if you have a player who's response to the call to adventure is to run away, tell them "Fine, you run away. Now make me a character that won't."

[Neonivek]

Tips For players:

When making a character for a campaign there are several REQUIREMENTS:
1) Your character must be someone who would be interested in the plot EVEN if their own personal goals are resolved.
2) Your character must have some sense of being able to get along with the rest of the party
3) Your character must possess some method of interacting with people and places.
4) Depending on the game... your character might be required to have some level of competence. This isn't universal mind you... but if your playing Battletech and your gimmick is that you build consistently terrible mechs... The joke is going to wear thin.
5) Depending on the game your character might need some level of survivability. If you make a character that cannot reasonably survive in that setting and only the direct intervention of the plot and PCs kept them alive... consider making a new character.

Here are some things that help
1) Offer the GM some story hooks in their back ground.
2) Talk to your GM how you wish for your character to be handled as well as your likes and dislikes in adventuring.
3) If you don't want to really take part in roleplay too much you should inform your GM before you start. A GM cannot tell the difference between a casual player, Wallflower, or negative player in game if you outright refuse to roleplay.
4) If the game has a setting, it might be in your best interest to research the setting. In my experience the GM generally doesn't do a very good job acclimating you to a setting.
5) If your not a outright power gamer, put some thought into how you would like your character to be. It is one thing to always chose the most powerful options, it is another to chose the one that feels right for you.
6) Bring up interesting choices to your GM, not all GM are going to carefully scour your sheet and notice you are the climb master of the gods. If they are aware you are focusing a lot on one ability, they might include it in their design.
7) Write up some character points for your character as well as their thoughts and ideas of certain things. It can help guide your roleplay.

[Scoops Novel]

It's my first proper campaign (Dark Heresy), and I've ended up giving my players OP amounts of phat loot mostly because they've been operating on not that much for a good while now. I wish to stop this from breaking the game (and punish them for not checking their sources), but i would like to do it in as unpredictable and fun a way as possible. I'm considering cursing all the loot, but if you have a better idea do tell.

[Fniff]

Go the Paranoia route and have their equipment be extremely unreliable.

[timferius]

Tyranids. Just, so many tyranids. Have something spit acid all over their loot. I'm not very creative.

[Neonivek]

Ok, what if the equipment is... for a specific purpose.

For example maybe it is high end training gear... or a demonstration model... Yet make sure these qualities come out before hitting them with it.

Maybe this gear is meant to break down after a while or under certain conditions and that is specifically built into it (Like modern day Rental or Loan Cars where they can be remotely shut off). Giving long and fair warning before it does, perhaps with a specific time or condition.

I need to check what Dark Heresy is... hmmm

[Scoops Novel]

Too boring if i say "it blows up! roll tech use to salvage". Maybe there's a curse generator somewhere.

[Neonivek]

Too boring if i say "it blows up! roll tech use to salvage". Maybe there's a curse generator somewhere.

Really? "The devices seem to have a time bomb planted deep inside fused to the machinery. Roll Tech to see how long until it EXPLODS!"

[Mephisto]

The equipment at some point in the past was recovered from orks (there are still flecks of red paint on everything) who modified whatever equipment the players received. If a gun, its firing mechanism (whatever that happens to be) sticks causing the gun to empty itself of whatever it uses as ammunition.

[Fniff]

Again. Do it Paranoia style. Have the equipment be creatively terrible. Besides, curses are just spells with negative effects: it's practically a DnD tradition to spin cursed items into boons. It's much more fun (And, if you're playing Imperium, immersive) to have everything just suck in various ways while being effective in others.
"Citizen! The machine spirit of the flamethrower you are using thinks you aren't praising the Emperor enough! Begin singing various hymns!"
"But we're on a stealth mission."
"SING HYMNS FOR THE EMPEROR!"

[timferius]

Again. Do it Paranoia style. Have the equipment be creatively terrible. Besides, curses are just spells with negative effects: it's practically a DnD tradition to spin cursed items into boons. It's much more fun (And, if you're playing Imperium, immersive) to have everything just suck in various ways while being effective in others.
"Citizen! The machine spirit of the flamethrower you are using thinks you aren't praising the Emperor enough! Begin singing various hymns!"
"But we're on a stealth mission."
"SING HYMNS FOR THE EMPEROR!"

How does one usually use a flamethrower stealthily?

[Sergius]

Again. Do it Paranoia style. Have the equipment be creatively terrible. Besides, curses are just spells with negative effects: it's practically a DnD tradition to spin cursed items into boons. It's much more fun (And, if you're playing Imperium, immersive) to have everything just suck in various ways while being effective in others.
"Citizen! The machine spirit of the flamethrower you are using thinks you aren't praising the Emperor enough! Begin singing various hymns!"
"But we're on a stealth mission."
"SING HYMNS FOR THE EMPEROR!"

How does one usually use a flamethrower stealthily?

Even if you had a silent flamethrower, I doubt it will help at all with the screams.

Maybe you could add an anesthetic?

[Yoink]

Easy. You just sneak around, stealthily layering the walls of the room your enemies are in with soundproofing foam before killing them.