Complications and Control

[JohnUghrin]

Okay, I'm trying to prevent my second game of Universalis from exploding and a question has come up that I don't know how to answer.

I have looked through the forum a bit, but didn't see the answer.

How does Control of Components work with Complications?

As I understand it, trying to affect a component you don't control starts a complication, but do you gain control of the component when you start the complication?

Do you need to pay for that control? If so, do you need to pay before the complication narration, or can that be the first thing you do with the coins you get after the dice pools? Are all of these options and its just up to the player to pay for the one he wants?

[Christopher Weeks]

In order to affect a Component you don't control, you can either buy control or initiate a Complication.  During a Complication, as per Committed Components and Take Overs on page 64 of the rules, Components that are engaged in the Complication can't change Control.

My answer is: because you can bank Coins from the Complication awards, you could use one of them to take the Component over, but I'd call it the first thing happening after the Complication was ended -- not a part of the Complication.  Further, I think for your purposes, it isn't needed.  When narrating the outcome of the Complication you can simply alter Components that are not under your control.  But the rules say (on page 70) that "the Coins can be used in any and all ways already described..." which implies that you can Take Over as part of the narration if it makes sense to the Complication at hand.

And remember, if your game has a frequent specific kind of Complication that should be handled a bit differently, you can just gimmick the handling of it.

[Valamir]

Hey John,

Back from vacation and just wanted to pop in and say Christopher is 100% correct in all particulars (dang, it still gives me chills when people know the game as well (or better) than me).

If you have any further questions let me know.

BTW:  Yes, you conceivably could use bonus Coins from a Complication to Take Over another Component.  I don't recall ever seeing it happen, but given that after the Complication is over play continues with the last player to go before the dice were rolled you may want to assert Control over something before that player continues with their turn.  Other than that, there is no benefit to doing so since there is nothing you can do with Control to a Component during the resolution phase of a Complication that you couldn't do to it anyway.

BTW #2:  

Okay, I'm trying to prevent my second game of Universalis from exploding

Exploding?

[JohnUghrin]

BTW #2:  

Okay, I'm trying to prevent my second game of Universalis from exploding

Exploding?

Well. I've been having a tough time convincing people to try it. Which, as a long-time Fudge GM is no new thing to me. However, I did get convince former Fudge group to try it once. (Almost 2 years ago now....)

The problem (I think) was that the players wanted very different things from the game and didn't Challenge tenets and stuff early on. Instead, they just sabotaged them later.  Additionally, some of the players abused the TakeOver and Interrupt mechanics to mangle scenes. The game just sort of spiraled away from any sort of sensible  progression until we gave up trying to make sense of it.

In any case, much to my sorrow. The players were unsatisfied and remain unwilling to try the game again.  I suspect that some of them weren't mentally "ready" to play this kind of game.

Thanks for the feedback from both of you.

[Tony Irwin]

Okay, I'm trying to prevent my second game of Universalis from exploding

Hey John, I've found with Univesalis it's really effective to introduce it to people one at a time. Just teach one person you know who will really dig it and play a game with it. Then both agree on an other person you both know who would like it and invite them for a game. I was lucky because the first time I played it was with a giant group and everyone loved it, but after that I found it more effective to just reach out to people one at a time and build a small group of people who I knew were always up for a game, and who I knew would always make it fun. Once it gets in "circulation" this way, you may find that groups you have contact with are asking you to teach it to them.

Universalis works great with this approach because you can play an entire game in one evening, so adding a new person to a group doesn't bring any kind of story-line disruption or anything. Also if just one person is new to it then the other players who have already played it (and have already proven their commitment to it by showing up tonight) can hold the game together even if the new player decides this isn't their thing at all.

Anyway good luck with Universalis, it's a great game and I hope you'll be able to play more soon.

Tony