RPGs that time forgot... Deluxe INWO

Deluxe Illuminati New World Order
Tag line: The struggle for world domination...
Makers: Steve Jackson Games

What is it?
Based on the Illuminati card game and collecting every card from the CCG's basic set, this boxed set includes all that and more: Assassins booster packs, dice, wooden pyramid markers, glass tokens and a full-color strategy guide.

Neat stuff
-There's a rules variant for using the whole collection that's pretty cool. I've thought about using it to set up shifting conspiracies for my illuminated rpgs.
-The art is, for the most part, as cheeky and funny as the concepts and occasional flavor text.
-The game itself is pretty original when compared to other CCGs, though the whole use of tokens and dice is initially off-putting.
-Any game that can establish a conspiracy that includes the Boy Scouts, Barney, Flat-Earthers, Congressional Wives and Vampires (some names changed to protect the wealthy) is fine in my book. Steve Jackson Games also inserts a couple of their other projects like an American Autoduel Association.

Bad stuff
-The black borders of the 450 basic cards don't fit well with the more colorful collectible cards, though it's still better than the differently cut corners other games have employed.
-The guide features the game text and pics of every card in the set, but since we have the cards already, it's pretty much redundant (though easier to flip through certainly). I'd have liked more strategy instead!
-Now, I have absolutely no problem with this, but some people might not get how much of a parody of the real world this game presents and won't like the fact that the KKK or Shroud of Turin get cards, or the pics of the World Trade Center exploding (pre 9/11, but still) or Princess Di surrounded by paparazzi (again, before anything bad happened). You might also object to the gore (not just Al Gore).

Quote
"For every reaction, there's an equal and opposite governmental program." - from Democrats group card.

How I've used it
I've played now and again, but not a lot, and not since I have this big set. My idea was to set up a conspiracy game with the players initially playing big conspiracies and creating the baseline hierarchy, then have those same players operate as foot soldiers or victims of the resultant conspiracy. Or maybe totally different players. Or something. It's on a need-to-know basis entirely. Fnord.

In conclusion
Hey, I really like this game and always have. For armchair collectors, a set with everything in it is always great, plus they included a way to use it all without too much trouble.

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