387 

   388     <section id="DRIFortune">

   389 

   390       <para>The control on the game events can be seen accross two

   391         dimensions: who have it and for which part they have it.  The

   392         current RPG theory currently have two models for it: The

   393         Fortune model, describe through the <acronym>FatE</acronym>,

   394         <acronym>FatS</acronym> and <acronym>FitM</acronym> acronyms,

   395         which is related to when the players control the game, and the

   396         Balance of Power (<acronym>BoP</acronym>), which is more

   397         concern about balance between the players, the GM, and the

   398         rules.</para>

   399 

   400       <para>DRI provide a model based on the Fortune one, and so is

   401         more concern about the when then the whom.  Although I

   402         consider this issue very important, is just that the current

   403         model doesn't add anything very useful to it.  We can all see

   404         who are in control at which moment, but it's less clear how

   405         the exact balance is affected.  I let's this to the BoP

   406         model.</para>

   407 

   408       <para>The original Fortune model include three different models:

   409         FatE, FatS and FitM.  FatE, which stand for

   410         Fortune-at-the-End, is the most popular one: players describe

   411         what they try to achieve and roll the dice (or enable any

   412         resolution mechanics asked by the rules) and see if they

   413         succeed.  This model is the one where the players have the

   414         less control on their character's destiny, since although they

   415         can decide what they do, they can't do anything to oriented the

   416         game after a bad roll, leading to PC die, etc.</para>

   417 

   418       <para>Fortune-at-the-Start try to give more power on the players

   419         about the issue of an action.  The player roll the dice first,

   420         and seeing the result, decide what to do.  This is most often

   421         used for initiative rolls, although some games try to use it

   422         for their resolution system, for example by letting the

   423         players draw cards and choosing their actions based on the

   424         cards in hand.  FatS let you more control on the issues, and

   425         so on the story.  FatS allow you to avoid most bad situation

   426         without need to fudging the dice, although it gives players

   427         less freedom on what their characters can do.</para>

   428 

   429       <para>Fortune-in-the-Middle, you guess, is a mix between both

   430         the precedent.  The players choose their actions, call the

   431         resolution mechanics and, based on the results, describe their

   432         actions.  This is the model which give the more narrative

   433         control on the events by the players.</para>

   434 

   435       <para>In DRI terminology, the three model can be describe using

   436         camel-cased variations of DRI.  The use of uppercase signal

   437         players' control for this part of the events resolution, where

   438         a lower case letter signal rules control.  So, FatE will be

   439         Dri, FatS drI, and FitM will be DrI.  One will remark that the

   440         three models don't contain an uppercase R.  It's may be seen

   441         obvious, giving this, that the reason for this it's, as long

   442         you are using fortune, calling to the resolution mechanics is

   443         always giving the control to the rule.  Elsewhere, the game is

   444         no more contain Fortune element and so, can be better describe

   445         using either the Drama or Kharma mechanics. Well, I choose to

   446         say no to this hypothesis.  Player cans have the control here

   447         too.  Usually, players or GM let the rules describe which

   448         resolution mechanics used for a specific action: used this

   449         dice roll under this statistic for combat, or roll this

   450         statistic that number of time until you succeed thrice or

   451         more.  A R system will offer you to choose the mechanic based

   452         on what you want the action to look like, not what's more

   453         appropriate.  Used open roll for cinematic action, used

   454         extended roll to put more thrill, used simple roll on

   455         unimportant issues.  Briefly, based your mechanic on narrative

   456         factors, instead of descriptive ones, since what you really

   457         want it's a good story and good atmosphere, nor an objective

   458         description of events.  Although this look like a very

   459         narrative statements, credible simulations can still be

   460         achieve by such system.  Currently, RPG used only one or two

   461         universal mechanics for most of their events resolutions.

   462         Simulation is often reach more through fine-tuned parameters,

   463         detailed tables or statistics or other related parameter, not

   464         through the specific resolution mechanics.  Also, most

   465         resolution mechanics can be easily modified to give the same

   466         probabilities but with a different overall feeling.  Since

   467         only the probabilities are essential for good simulation, this

   468         part is untouched and so can mood-based simulation system is a

   469         possible dream.</para>

   470 

   471     </section>