CONTROL
Tonight I put together the first eight pages of CONTROL, a game I hope to release in PDF form in just two weeks, time permitting.
CONTROL is an espionage game set at the start of the second Cold War, a period of intense emotions which I remember well. The game itself uses the model of Tiered Play, similar to Troupe Play. Players will play more than one character during the game.
At least one player must play a member of CONTROL, the committee which oversees espionage operations. Other players take the roles of AGENTS and ASSETS where the former are experienced and trained spies and the latter tend to be individuals who find themselves involved in espionage due to money, ideology, coercion or ego.
CONTROL makes decisions on agents and resources and keeps records on assets while trying to maintain and enhance their own career by working with the government. The enemy is a minor concern.
AGENTS try to build relationships with assets, negotiate with Control for resources and have to contend with the enemy.
ASSETS commonly just try to stay alive.
The game will, to a point, hinge on the interactions between the tiers.
August 27th, 2007 - 14:10
Second Cold War? You talking early 80s?
August 27th, 2007 - 16:27
Yeah, period being from 78 – 88 I reckon. There’s more interesting things happening in the 80s but there’s some 1970s cool to be exploited
August 28th, 2007 - 11:30
I’ve written a lot about this in terms of finished text now. The basic setup is British secret services (specifically MI6) but I was wondering if I should separate the info out of it so that it was more of a framework to emulate other agencies like the CIA, SDECE?
August 28th, 2007 - 12:20
SDECE?? (showing my ignorance)
Yeah probably wouldn’t be a bad idea at all (as it would facilitate people who might be ‘turned off’ by MI6 for some reason), though I like the idea of a game with an MI6 ‘focus’ rather than just a generic spy game. Look forward to maybe playtesting it…
August 28th, 2007 - 14:42
Service de Documentation Exterieur et Contre Espionage. Also known as “la Piscine”. They were the French Secret Service up to mid 1982.
I want to write a “6″ game where there’s time spent on politics and economics. Where the gentlemans club might be the place to get someone assassinated and the steppes of Russia is where an agent might find the perfect gift for his father in law. Something with the sensibilities of Le Carre, The Sandbaggers, the Ipcress File and, to a degree, Spooks.
Any ideas on a good name or is CONTROL evocative.
I’d thought about just calling it “SIX” before I considered widening the scope.
August 28th, 2007 - 16:40
I think “6″ would be a great name for a spy-spooks like RPG.
August 28th, 2007 - 18:43
(Though Spooks would be ’5′)
I’ll see if I can score up some co-writers!
For system I was considering my cards-in-play system but a more ‘traditional’ system might be better. I do have half a dozen scenarios in my head
August 28th, 2007 - 23:47
‘Six’ is good although I do like CONTROL (the sinisterness of the word, the capital letters – like in codewords etc – and – possibly – the resonances of the forthcoming Joy Division movie…).