The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Conspiracies abound in the world. Everywhere I turn, dark powers lurk in the shadows. Men in Black seem to hide behind every door, and the Illuminati have replaced my family with exact duplicates. Do I sound paranoid? Well, I should. I've been playing Control.

Control is a cool little RPG from Reality Cheque Games. I say little because the book itself numbers only 56 half-legal pages. But don't let the size fool you, there's a lot hidden in this package.

Control is based on a now familiar premise. Secret organizations manipulate other secret organizations ultimately trying to bring their secret plans to fruition. What exactly are these plans? Who are the organizations? Well, that's a secret. A secret sometimes seemingly shared by everyone except the Player Characters.

The book itself is concise and well written. Aside from the cover art, there isn't a single illustration in the book. Space is at a premium, so the writers filled it only with premium material. There are four main sections: Character Creation, Mechanics and two sections for the Controller.

In Chapter One, you compile your character's dossier. Character creation employs an interesting and unique method. From a list of 18 Qualities, you choose four that your character possesses. Examples of Qualities include Agilitiy, Faith, Threshold and Wit. These Qualities are attributes that everyone possesses. By choosing one for your character, you are saying he possesses it in abundance. You can also choose one or more Qualities as a Flaw. This is an attribute your character truly lacks. Taking Flaws adds points for purchasing Abilities later.

Next comes Motivators. What makes your character tick? Why does he do the things he does? Motivators are one-word descriptors based on the seven deadly sins: Anger, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride and Sloth. Characters choose one or (usually) two of these.

Next players choose Abilities for their characters. Abilities are things characters can do. Not necessarily skills, as Abilities like Luck and Wealth are also listed. Purchasing Abilities is done with points. A certain number is given as a based, with extra points being awarded for taking Flaws. While some have a fixed cost, most Abilities' costs are variable, based on how many Qualities you have in common with a given skill. For example, Acrobatics has the following Qualities: Agility, Endurance, Speed and Strength. A character who has taken all four of these, pays fewer points for levels of Acrobatics than a person with only two Qualities would pay. The person who has two pays fewer points than the person who has none of the listed Qualities. A person who is Flawed in one of the listed Qualities pays even more points.

Finally, you outfit your character. No space is wasted on equipment lists. Just check out your local department store, and ask the GM if it's okay.

Mechanics in Control are pretty simple. At least they SEEM simple. Herein lies the one flaw of the game. Never in the rulebook is it expressly stated exactly how the dice are used. Inferring from examples gives a simple, easy-to-use system.

Twenty sided dice are used exclusively. For actions you roll a number of dice indicated by your skill level. The highest number rolled is your Point. If the highest number is rolled more than once, add these together. Compare this total with the target number (set by the GM, of course). If your roll is higher, you succeed. If not, you fail. Combat is only slightly more complex. Opponents make opposed rolls, attack vs. defense. If the attacker rolls the highest Point, he scores a hit; if not, he misses or is blocked/parried/etc. Damage is based on hit location and the difference between the attacker and defender's respective rolls. There are no hard and fast rules for damage based on weapons type, though there is a listing of penalties and bonuses to the die roll, based on weapon reach and range to target.

The next two sections are for the Controller. These chapters discuss the creation and implementation of the game world and the nature of the conspiracies that inhabit the world. There is no predesigned game world filled with pre-fab conspiracies. The Controller sets all the parameters of his world as he sees fit. Is the world a place of innocence being invaded by aliens from another dimension? Is it a dark place threatened by its own evil? Is it a sinister place, with unseen hands manipulating the truth for purposes of their own? The Controller has complete -- ahem -- control.

Guidelines are presented for controlling various aspects of the world, which in turn effect the actual mechanics of play. The very nature of the world can affect the actions of those who dwell in it, making certain actions more or less difficult, depending on how inimical they are to the status quo.

These Chapters also discuss a unique form of character advancement, possibly the most interesting aspect of the game. In addition to gaining and improving abilities, experienced characters can do something no other game offers. PCs can attempt to wrest control from the Controller. By assuming control over the Conspiracy, the Player becomes the Controller, and the Controller is 'demoted' to player. This is a wholly worthwhile goal, and an interesting character motivation in itself.

In play, Control was easy to follow. While the machinations of the Controller should be obscure, the rules of play should be easy to understand. In Control, they are exactly that. They are also fast, taking little away from role-playing even during combat. The players and I enjoyed our game, and all look forward to playing again. While I will be looking over my shoulder for some time, it's worth a little paranoia.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Control
Author: Lee Garvin Category: game Company/Publisher: Reality Cheque Games Page count: 56 Playtest Review by John Poole on 02/24/98. Genre tags: none	Conspiracies abound in the world. Everywhere I turn, dark powers lurk in the shadows. Men in Black seem to hide behind every door, and the Illuminati have replaced my family with exact duplicates. Do I sound paranoid? Well, I should. I've been playing Control. Control is a cool little RPG from Reality Cheque Games. I say little because the book itself numbers only 56 half-legal pages. But don't let the size fool you, there's a lot hidden in this package. Control is based on a now familiar premise. Secret organizations manipulate other secret organizations ultimately trying to bring their secret plans to fruition. What exactly are these plans? Who are the organizations? Well, that's a secret. A secret sometimes seemingly shared by everyone except the Player Characters. The book itself is concise and well written. Aside from the cover art, there isn't a single illustration in the book. Space is at a premium, so the writers filled it only with premium material. There are four main sections: Character Creation, Mechanics and two sections for the Controller. In Chapter One, you compile your character's dossier. Character creation employs an interesting and unique method. From a list of 18 Qualities, you choose four that your character possesses. Examples of Qualities include Agilitiy, Faith, Threshold and Wit. These Qualities are attributes that everyone possesses. By choosing one for your character, you are saying he possesses it in abundance. You can also choose one or more Qualities as a Flaw. This is an attribute your character truly lacks. Taking Flaws adds points for purchasing Abilities later. Next comes Motivators. What makes your character tick? Why does he do the things he does? Motivators are one-word descriptors based on the seven deadly sins: Anger, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Pride and Sloth. Characters choose one or (usually) two of these. Next players choose Abilities for their characters. Abilities are things characters can do. Not necessarily skills, as Abilities like Luck and Wealth are also listed. Purchasing Abilities is done with points. A certain number is given as a based, with extra points being awarded for taking Flaws. While some have a fixed cost, most Abilities' costs are variable, based on how many Qualities you have in common with a given skill. For example, Acrobatics has the following Qualities: Agility, Endurance, Speed and Strength. A character who has taken all four of these, pays fewer points for levels of Acrobatics than a person with only two Qualities would pay. The person who has two pays fewer points than the person who has none of the listed Qualities. A person who is Flawed in one of the listed Qualities pays even more points. Finally, you outfit your character. No space is wasted on equipment lists. Just check out your local department store, and ask the GM if it's okay. Mechanics in Control are pretty simple. At least they SEEM simple. Herein lies the one flaw of the game. Never in the rulebook is it expressly stated exactly how the dice are used. Inferring from examples gives a simple, easy-to-use system. Twenty sided dice are used exclusively. For actions you roll a number of dice indicated by your skill level. The highest number rolled is your Point. If the highest number is rolled more than once, add these together. Compare this total with the target number (set by the GM, of course). If your roll is higher, you succeed. If not, you fail. Combat is only slightly more complex. Opponents make opposed rolls, attack vs. defense. If the attacker rolls the highest Point, he scores a hit; if not, he misses or is blocked/parried/etc. Damage is based on hit location and the difference between the attacker and defender's respective rolls. There are no hard and fast rules for damage based on weapons type, though there is a listing of penalties and bonuses to the die roll, based on weapon reach and range to target. The next two sections are for the Controller. These chapters discuss the creation and implementation of the game world and the nature of the conspiracies that inhabit the world. There is no predesigned game world filled with pre-fab conspiracies. The Controller sets all the parameters of his world as he sees fit. Is the world a place of innocence being invaded by aliens from another dimension? Is it a dark place threatened by its own evil? Is it a sinister place, with unseen hands manipulating the truth for purposes of their own? The Controller has complete -- ahem -- control. Guidelines are presented for controlling various aspects of the world, which in turn effect the actual mechanics of play. The very nature of the world can affect the actions of those who dwell in it, making certain actions more or less difficult, depending on how inimical they are to the status quo. These Chapters also discuss a unique form of character advancement, possibly the most interesting aspect of the game. In addition to gaining and improving abilities, experienced characters can do something no other game offers. PCs can attempt to wrest control from the Controller. By assuming control over the Conspiracy, the Player becomes the Controller, and the Controller is 'demoted' to player. This is a wholly worthwhile goal, and an interesting character motivation in itself. In play, Control was easy to follow. While the machinations of the Controller should be obscure, the rules of play should be easy to understand. In Control, they are exactly that. They are also fast, taking little away from role-playing even during combat. The players and I enjoyed our game, and all look forward to playing again. While I will be looking over my shoulder for some time, it's worth a little paranoia. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)