What control methods and limiters do you use?, what methods to temporarily devalue player resources without removing? Options

[Rubic]

As a new GM for SR4, I've just started a home-made module (ongoing development). It's a relatively small group, and I do expect a bit of stumbling from some of the characters before they find their legs, so to speak. I want to be able to challenge my players in certain situations to find creative solutions to problems instead of mana ball, automatic, explosives, and even sexing their way to success. I will admit that some of it is to make sure they stay on track in an adventure. I do know that, as GM, I have final say on anything, though I tend to think of Hand of God as a last-resort, a cop out, and an admission of failure to myself and players. I was curious, what methods some other GMs have to temporarily devalue player resources without removing them (or punishing players for daring to play their characters in a way the GM didn't intend)?

For some background on my campaign, I'm setting it in 2068, and the first mission (over and done now) involved a low-level mission for the players to support a high-level run, which was entirely cracked down on by Lone Star. The mission then shifted to getting away from Lone Star and getting to a rendezvous point. The metaplot intent was to set the game world to newbie mode (high level runs and runners are currently gone, most corps a bit tense, power vacuum for enterprising runners and fixers to fill, et cetera).

I'll share some of my own:

--Magic:
Background Count,
Mana Static,
Wards and Barriers (can disable foci, mages, adepts, and anchored spells or alert guards if knocked out)
Aspected Domains,

--Social
Personal prejudice
disinterest in certain metatypes (you may be attractive, but that Troll really DOESN'T want to sleep with you, EVER).
STDs (including the possibility of HMHVV and, subsequently, a reroll; I already had a possibility of this at the end of the first session).
assigning notoriety when fitting, even if the run went as GM intended (it CAN be used to augment intimidation rolls...)
Openly alerted PCs that I reserve the right to turn them on each other. I prefer for them to trust each other AFTER they have reason to (it makes the betrayal so much sweeter (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif) )

--NPCs/tag-alongs
Not going to have solutions to most problems. In fact, certain tag-alongs may have the ability but no knowledge to apply it properly.


Ultimately, this is a game for my players to play, after all, and I'd rather not play it for them. I also look foreward to creative solutions to the impediments I throw in their way, rather than penalizing them for not playing my way. I simply want ways to challenge them when they're doing good, and to limit them when they're going overboard on something totally off the wall.