One of my favourite Werewolf movies is Dog Soldiers - it also happpens to have one of my favourite parts of dialogue ever.

A bunch of squaddies are beset by said hairsuite baddies and the leader of the squad recovers rather quickly from a mauling, suggesting that he's gonna turn pretty quickly. He's trying to persuade the remaining soldiers to leave him behind and they discuss what it's like turning into a werewolf...

Sarge, "I dunno, maybe it's like needing a piss, you know, when you gotta go, you gotta go."

Squaddie, "Or maybe it's like needing a shit - just 'cos you want one, you don't just drop your kecks and pinch one off."

So, how much control do werewolves have over the change in your games? Is it like wanting a piss or wanting a shit?

It depends on the effect I'm looking for?

Like, in a White Wolf style werewolf game, it makes sense to have werewolves that can change fairly close to at-will.  In those games, werewolves are more of a kindred species to humanity, with their own priorities and viewpoints, which might be horrible or beneficent, but in the end their werewolfery is part of who they are, so they have to develop some kind of understanding of it.

In a survival horror game, the important thing about the werewolf is that it could be anyone.  Maybe the person doesn't even know they're a werewolf (their clothes magically disappear/reappear, maybe?) or they do know but they can't let anyone else know because they'll be killed.  So the important thing about the transformation is that it has to be fast (in both directions) and it has to have a logic to it.  Like, if it's the night of the full moon, is the change at sundown, or midnight, or when the moon is out from behind clouds, or what?  A lot of horror scenarios leave out the logic, which leaves out the feeling of dread.

In a higher-powered occult game, like being werewolf hunters or fantasy werewolves or whatever, I think a degree of cunning on the part of the werewolf (in both human and werewolf forms) is a good idea, so retaining some control is a good thing, but you don't want to give up the idea that it's a curse. So the bad guy, however evil and smart they are, will have to face uncontrolled changes at various points and must cover it up/kill all witnesses/avoid notice/etc.

It depends on if they are fairy creatures or infected humans. I love werewolves, and usually put both in my games.

Yeah, if it's the result of a curse... or a bite on an unwilling victim... not much control at all. But if it's more like a cult or ancient magic... it's pleasurable and controllable to some extent.
With one becoming the other depending on outlook and the situation.

In Blood Games, lycanthropes are intelligent animals who turn partly humman. It's like a piss. Werewolves, on the other hand, are humans who have torn out their heart for undying power, and can change into great wolves, so like pinching off a loaf.

-clash

Agree with you on Dog Soldiers One Horse. Awesome movie.

I think I make the same kind of distinction people here make. But it does depend on the game and setting. Typically I draw a line between natural werewolves and infected ones. But other times I treat all werewolves as infected, and allow them to slowly gain more and more control over their transformations as time goes by.

Always thought WW shafted the Werewolves. First fuzzy eco terrorists then fuzzy spirit cops!