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Each character begins with defining their character concept. The next step is to choose four traits. One is their central trait, which defines what the character is and their identity. This may include a variety of skills and abilities (e.g., "I'm a model" or "I'm a former secret agent"). The central trait is usually a profession. Two are side traits, which define additional skills and abilities whose focus does not define the character (e.g., "Tells Good Jokes", "Strong"). Of these three, one is defined as "superior"; note that this does not mean have to be the character's central trait. The last is their flaw. This is simple, but a little more detail and differentiation (between major and minor characters, for example) would have been a world of difference. After all, prior to having a profession people also have a culture from which they come from.
A number of dice are assigned to traits, which vary depending on the narrowness of the trait and whether or not it is superior or normal. Flaws introduce penalty dice according to the situation. Every trait includes a sign. which others can notice (e.g., a character who "dabbles in magic" may wear a strange medallion). Seeming a little bit out of place are that time-honoured device "hit points" whose total is determined by the existence (or not) of a relevant trait (e.g., toughness). Starting characters have one die in their experience pool which they can use once per session with a colourful description justifying the bonus. Characters must also decide their motivation, a secret, an important person they know, and their equipment. Finally characters must, apparently, draw a sketch of their character as poor as the player's artistic skills may be. Tweet's justification is witty: "This step ... establishes hyper-neural connections among your brain that are not directly connected".
Excluding automatic and impossible actions, task resolution is based on rolling the dice according to the appropriate trait (usually 2, 3 or 4) against a target number, which is either a fixed number or a variable number when in conflict with another character. Bonus dice and penalty dice (which includes poor narration) add as modifiers to the pool of dice rolled, but not to the number used (e.g., 4d6, take highest 3 and total). Botches occur if all dice in the pool come up with '1s' and all '6s' allow (optionally) a further bonus die to be added to the result. Further, an all-sixes roll also means that even if the character loses the contest they still have some positive result. Tangential traits (e.g., using model to aid disguise) can also provide a bonus die (if the trait is 3 dice or less) or an extra die (if it is 4 or more). Regrettably the only detail on various modifiers is to the combat mechanics which hangs uncomfortably off the whole system.
Group efforts in conflict resolution can either mean die totals are added together where the characters can effectively work together, or with all dice pooled where they cannot (effectively meaning dice rolled by the lesser character act as bonus die for the stronger). If efforts cannot be combined, then actions are carried out individually. If they *should* be carried out individually (e.g., fast-talking) when others butt in then the *worst* result is applied. The combination of the dice pool, target number and distinction between group efforts really is an excellent resolution system and one which I have discovered is very easily adaptable to different and more detailed game systems without any trouble at all.
The basic rules of the first chapter take up a sparse thirty five pages of the two hundred and forty page book. Most of it is dedicated to the surreal experience of Al Amarja. The second chapter deals with geography and climate, and, overall, a brief guide to life and the institutions of the isle, along with a map (which indicates that Al Amarja is near the Linosa, Pelagic and Lampedusa isles - look them up). In a bemused way it does read like the sort of Mediterranean isle that rich Americans wished existed; the US$ is currency and American English is the default language, with just as dash of multiculturalism for the exotic effect. In this sense, Porco Rosso is preferable.
In the third chapter the GM learns "what is really going on". Jonathan Tweet has requested that reviewers don't give too much away here, and I respect those wishes. The following might be true, it might be false, it might be just plucked directly from the index. Be paranoid at your own risk. Glugs. Evil Scientists. The Pharaohs. Psychic Powers. Astral Traveling. Weird drugs. Weird neurotechnologies. Satanists. Human subspecies. Did the CIA kill JFK for LSD?
The fourth, fifth and sixth chapters are dedicated to the major city, The Edge. It starts with the main sociodemographic groups and their major traits, each of which include potential story ideas - a very nice touch, and some of them are quite suitably crazy - and then describes geographical regions and chance encounters. The next chapter is even finer detail, describing specific locations and institutions and individuals, again with potential story ideas. Some of the very well described locations include the airport and the somewhat misnamed gun metal, which comes across with a salesman's pitch for each item offered for sale. The sixth chapter deal with the serious movers and shakers. The powerful institutions, agencies and individuals that the PCs shouldn't mess with, yet inevitably will.
The seventh and eight chapters discuss running OTE and some sample story episodes. The former includes sensible advice on how to deal with power-gamers, fringe powers and GM style, and an excellent essay by Robin D. Laws on managing narrative play, especially player buy-in to plot development and devices. There is also conversion notes for some pretty obscure game systems including Bureau 13, CORPS, DUEL, Fringeworthy and To Challenge Tomorrow. The three one-shot adventures are quite good, with the exception of the first which has two fight scenes which are incidental to the plot. The recommended three simultaneous plots are largely enjoyable with the third having an amusing degree of self-referentiality.
OTE is, along with Jonathan Tweet's other renowned game from the period, Everway, a breath of fresh, light air, in an era which had become bogged down in the finer and more perfectionist details of simulation mechanics, which is both a strength and a weakness (a little more detail would have made a world of difference). Character creation and resolution mechanics are simple, sensible, generate plausible results and, perhaps most importantly, are colourful. The setting is almost sufficiently exotic, but lavishly detailed with enough material (especially with the recommended storylines) to keep a GM busy for years. Despite being well organised the overall presentation is, disappointingly, below average. Nevertheless, this is a a solid and recommended product that will not disappoint.
