Console

Various (fantasy)
Self Published
2003
Complexity: 4

Console is a game about console RPGs.. I mean, it’s a game intended to be similar to console RPGs, it’s not about the development and/or playing of console RPGs--although that does sound like something I’d be interested in. More or less it’s a Final Fantasy fan game with some extras, and is actually the first in the Console series, followed by Super Console and Console: Handheld--which I have previously reviewed. So let’s set our expectations on fan game and dive in.

Setting: 2/3 [•]
Console is designed to emulate console RPGs--generally Final Fantasy--except when it doesn’t--I’ll get to that in a bit. To that end, no real specific setting is provided. Rather there are descriptions of the general ideas of different “Game Eras” ranging from a pre-paleolithic “Timeless Time” through historic and modern eras up to the post-apocalyptic era. Essentially each is consistent in its worlds basics and adheres to the sort of ‘magitech’ settings found in later Final Fantasy games--by which I mean from like Final Fantasy V onward, I guess that’s not really “later” anymore.

Also, since I can’t think of anywhere else to mention this, the game is intended to be played in one of four different styles, ‘Silly,’ ‘Console,’ ‘Mixed,’ and ‘Brutal’. Each play style is defined by its seriousness and degree to which it adheres to the conventions of console RPGs, but also sometimes include additional and variant rules. I bring this up because it will come up later, but also to comment on the fact that Console, a role-playing game specifically designed to emulate console RPGs, for some reason includes additional rules for playing in a style that specifically does not emulate console RPGs. Which is what we like to call “lack of focus.”

Character Creation: 2/5
Console features two character creation systems--remember what I said about “lack of focus”--one for ‘Classed” characters and one for “Tasked” characters. Classed characters are fairly straightforward, chose a class--bard, fighter, white mage etc--and done. A character’s class provides all their base stats, starting abilities, as well as bonuses gained when gaining levels--although the player does get some points each level to assign to attributes as they please.
[seriously though, you can skip to the next section now without missing anything of value]

Tasked characters on the other hand, are a total mess--okay I’m getting a little ahead of myself there. Tasked characters start with 4 in each attribute and are given 20 points to assign as they please, then calculate their hit points and mana, and done. Tasked characters start with no abilities other than “hit stuff” and “try not to be hit by stuff”--except when they don’t. Tasked characters gain abilities from ‘tasks’ which are basically the abilities from the classes. Tasks are either ‘Skill Tree’ or ‘Empowered,’ I’ll explain Skill Tree first because it kinda makes sense. A Skill Tree is a list of abilities that can be taken at even levels, things like spells, archery skills, etc. Of course each ability on the tree can only be taken 10 levels after the previous one, and sometimes have prerequisites and are overall poorly balanced. For example, the Magic skill trees can grant one level-5 spell to a character at level 32, 33 levels before a mage can learn it. They'll only be able to cast it twice a day--yes, I did the maths--but can more or less be on par with a mage, with restricted, but early access to high-level spells.

Now onto ‘Empowered’ tasked characters. The empowered tasks, are a mess, I could leave it at that and that’s all you’d need to know. But no, I will attempt to explain it for you, the reader, because I care. Empowered tasks are abilities that are just kinda given to the character, the GM can just say here have some abilities, or give you a wand that lets you use fire magic, it’s “just kinda whatever.” There are numerous options provided that try to emulate things like Final Fantasy VII’s materia system, or Breath of Fire’s transformations, and things that are probably references to other games I’m not familiar with. And of course let’s not forget the all-important “these things are vague and unfinished, the GM can probably just figure it out.” Essentially the whole concept boils down to “I want to make this game every game, so here’s some things that can maybe do that.” Yeah, a static class system isn’t great, but if that’s what your game was designed for then use that.

Mechanics: 2/5
Console uses a d100 roll-over system. That wasn’t a typo, I mean d100, and I mean roll over. It’s probably worth mentioning that the game’s glossary defines 9999 as the “largest number in the game,” and maximum value for damage and hit/mana points, and 99 max for attributes--although with some quick maths I could only get hit points a bit over 7000, and the most powerful summon only does 1300 damage, presumable items can get those a little higher though. So yeah, it looks like we’re in for some big numbers.

A check is made by rolling a d100 and adding the character’s ‘Base Skill’ bonus--2×attribute+2×level for class abilities and 10+attribute+level for ‘Universal’ abilities--plus various bonuses for equipment and whatnot. The target is equal to the opposing creature’s level+attribute+100, and if you’re kinda okay at math you’ve probably realized that means the minimum target value under normal circumstances is 102. Now of course not all abilities require an uncomfortably-large roll, some are automatic. “Like what” you ask? Well, here’s where things get weird. Attacks--including magic--are automatic and rolls are made to resist them. Mechanically that’s not really different from the other way around, it just seems like it would result in a much more passive experience. Next let’s talk about initiative--and just to be clear, we’re still in the weird part. Combat takes place in a series of ‘sequences’ divided into rounds. In the first round all participants--players and monsters--act in order of their Speed score, then in the next round the same, except only those with Speed of 10 or higher can act, in the next round seed 20 or higher, and so on until nobody’s speed is high enough and the sequence ends and the next begins at the first round. I’ll say this, it’s an interesting way to give faster characters more actions, not good, but interesting. There’s also some special rule if Speed is at least twice that of another creature, but honestly I couldn’t decipher what they meant. Now there are of course the ‘simple’ combat rules, that assume a console RPG type situation where enemies appear out of nowhere and everyone stands in neat rows. The are of course more advanced combat rules for ‘Mixed’ and ‘Brutal’ games… and I’m not going to discuss them, because they essentially break down to “how to make this game more like D&D” and are really just another symptom of the game’s lack of focus.

Basically the mechanics are fundamentally sound, but bogged down by huge numbers--attack damage alone can get into the hundreds. Ironically, the experience system--the thing most prone to bigger numbers are better syndrome--is not part of this. You only need 3 xp for you first level up and 294 for the last. A max-level character one has 14,553 total xp--which incidentally is larger than 9999, just sayin’, don’t call something the “largest number” if it aint.

Writing: 1/3 [−]
Overall things are conveyed well, there was only one point where I fully could not figure out what they were trying to say. Things are a bit over-explained and repeated at times, which isn’t that bad, and certainly better than the opposite. Unfortunately, some things are under-explained, or not explained when they need to be. For example, stating that a Tasked character determines their resistance, damage, etc. like a Classed character, even though it hadn’t been explained how Classed characters do that, and wouldn’t for almost forty pages. Additionally, the attributes are never explained, it’s stated when they’re used for something, but at no point is it just explain what each attribute is for. And I have no idea what a ‘reducing attribute’ is, they’re listed in the abilities, so I know what they are, just not what they do--although I suspect it may be the opposed attribute added to the target, but that was never called a ‘reducing attribute’ so I cannot be sure. There’s also some inconsistency in terminology, “evade” and “dodge” are used interchangeably throughout, to the point of “Also known as “Dodge”” being the first thing in the ability description--pro tip: a single concept in your game should never have more than one name, if you need to tell the reader that you’re arbitrarily using different terminology, maybe you need to Ctrl+F and fix it. Also there seem to be multiple points that suggest--although not outright state--that a character’s max level is 75, despite 99 being stated to be the actual maximum.

Despite my issues, the information is almost all there, it’s just a matter of having to hunt through the book to find it. Although one final issue, the game states itself to be a parody with “a very tongue-in-cheek style” and absolutely does not present itself that way. There’s the occasional jokey line, but mostly of the “lol idk, you figure it out” variety.

Presentation: 2/5
Layout is more or less unimpressive, but attention definitely was paid to navigability. Sections are identifiable and it is fairly clear when you’re looking at different types of content. For the most part breaks seem intentional, but there is some issue with widows, poor leading on justified text, and large empty spaces at the end of sections. Basically all the standard “WTF is typography?” stuff. My only real issue is the eye-bleedingly bright yellow tables, used mainly for items, but also weird little sidebars that don’t really need to be separated from the main text.

The only art featured within is strips from the comic Adventurers!, which i’d never heard of but apparently has over 1000 installments--I could make a mean joke here, but I’ll just say “good job Mark” instead. However, they mostly feel like they’re just there to take up space, which as previously stated, there is still a lot of left.

Content: 2/3 [•]
Equipment in the game is mostly abstracted, in that information is provided for creating whatever weapons and armor you may need based n their bonuses and abilities. There’s a small selection of example monsters, but more importantly general monster creation guidelines and a number of templates that can be applied to them. The bulk of the GM section is dedicated to advice on things like setting and story, as well as applying console game tropes to a tabletop game.

Final Remarks
Console is a game with a strong concept, unfortunately the author seemed to be unable to actually focus and that concept and just kept trying to add stuff that doesn’t really fit. At one point they actually state that the game wasn’t designed for Tasked characters--pro tip: if your game wasn't designed for something, don’t include it in the game. It ends up feeling like they were trying to make two different games at once to the detriment of both. I definitely feel that if they had just focused on the core ruleset instead of just throwing in every variant they could think of, it would have been a much better game. I’ll probably look at Super Console eventually, if for no other reason then to see if the were able to identify and fix the obvious shortcomings in Console.

Base Points: 6
Character Creation: 2/5, Mechanics: 2/5, Presentation: 2/5
Adjustments: −1
Setting: +0, Writing: −1, Content: +0

Overall Score: 33% (5/16 Points)
A tabletop RPG about console RPGs, except when it’s not.