Paranoia XP is coming. Everyone look busy!

[FunGuyfromYuggoth]

http://www.allenvarney.com/

News 2/19/2004: I'm pleased to take part in the relaunch of the classic tabletop roleplaying game Paranoia, a satiric science fiction setting designed by Greg Costikyan, Eric Goldberg, and Dan Gelber, and originally published by West End Games in 1984. After many years, Eric and Greg have secured the Paranoia rights and have licensed Mongoose Publishing (Swindon, UK) to publish a new edition, tentatively titled Paranoia XP. I will write much of the main rulebook under Greg's direction, with substantial contributions from my good friend, bestselling novelist and game designer Aaron Allston. We plan to make Alpha Complex even more pertinent and darkly humorous.

I'm excited to return to Paranoia, one of my favorite games. I wrote an early adventure, Send in the Clones (collaborating with my old boss at Steve Jackson Games, Warren Spector), as well as smaller contributions to several other supplements. You can track the new edition's development on Greg Costikyan's new Paranoia XP blog. For more background, check the fine Paranoia-Live fan site.

http://www.costik.com/paranoia/

[Nyarlathotep42]

Wow. Just. Wow.

I've never heard of this game before, being a youngin' and all, but I think I'm already hooked on the whole idea! I won't even waste your time with my dreamings of how much fun my group would have with something this INSANE and TREACHEROUS...

Where can I locate a copy of this game immediately?
I don't care what edition it is!

[Gallowglass]

Wow, I'm impressed.

</PERSONAL BIAS ON>
Or I would be if I had more faith in the Mongoose d20 juggernaut ("Any system, as long as it's sufficiently close to D&D" "Of course our books are worth buying, look it's got the licenses logo on it, so it MUST be worth buying..."). But Allen Varney, Aaron Allston and Greg Costikyan are respected names, so we'll see. Maybe if MGP direct involvement is through one of their staff writers who knows what he's about (like Ian Sturrock). Mumble, grrr, snarl...
</PERSONAL BIAS OFF>

Not that I ever managed to run Paranoia, or played more than a couple of scenarios. But the material was, at its best, achingly funny and inspired some of the better bits in White Dwarfs later days (Daleks' with Mexican accents...). I just hope the chap from my Wednesday group doesn't resurrect the "punishment" circuits he used when running Paranois in London...

Cheers,

Nick Middleton

[Wood]

I just hope the chap from my Wednesday group doesn't resurrect the "punishment" circuits he used when running Paranois in London...

Why do you say that?

Do you mean that?

If you said "yes", why? Is it because you don't think that punishment circuits are a useful resource for punishing recalcitrants? Do you think that resources would best be used elsewhere? Are you accusing the Computer of wastefulness? Why are you scared of punishment? What do you have to hide? Report to Re-education for a further interview.

If you said "no", why? Do you consider that there is a need for electrically applied punishment? Do you consider that there are many recalcitrants and/or commie mutant traitors in need of punishment? Do you think that this is indicative of societal problems whic are not being addressed? Are you accusing the Computer of failing to address our society's problems? Report to Re-education for a further interview.







I love Paranoia. Trust the Computer. The Computer is your Friend.

[Spearman23]

Hoody Hoo!!!
<dusts off his old box of paranoia props (especially the scrub-bot squirt bottles) and waits patiently.>

[cynick]

Fear not Gallowglass, it isn't d20!

A much larger announcement appeared on the Mongoose forums:
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/ph...pic.php?t=1299

...
Player: Is this new PARANOIA XP anything like the game's earlier editions?

The Computer: PARANOIA XP combines the scary-funny, sardonic tone of PARANOIA's first edition (1984) with the fast-playing, rules-light approach of the second edition (1987).

Player: Are you using the d20 rules system?

The Computer: No. PARANOIA is fun. D20 games are not fun. The Computer says so.
PARANOIA's second edition rules were, of course, perfect. The new PARANOIA XP expunges certain imperfections introduced by subversive elements, and will be even more perfect.
...

Paranoia is one of the few games that is just as much fun to watch as it is to play. I have fond memories of watching the ritual humiliation of players at some of the early Games Days back in the mid 80s.

[Cosmoline]

"send in the clones... there's got to be clones.."

[Mithras]

+++UV EYES ONLY+++

Open Source Ultra Reality Modelling Languages:

Alpha Complex XP Colour Coding-

http://members.tripod.com/~Richard_Roberts/para1.htm

Modifying the clone "Bill-G-ATES-7"?

[OddJack]

This is great news. I never played it myself, but firneds I rpg'ed with used to tell storoes of this games maddness. I hope anyone who hears when t will be released will be sure to post, I for one will want to grab a copy of this game.

[Thorulfr]

Ooooh, that game is such warped fun... I still remember the game where we hapless troubleshooters were trying to talk down a malfunctioning robot by verbally abusing it into a phychotic break... problem was, for some strange reason, I kept having this Freudian slip/mental block, and every time I tried to say "robot", I kept saying "computer"...<every friggin' time!!>... Needless to say, by the end of the adventure, I had racked up enough treason points to have to report directly to the execution chamber...me AND the next couple of clones. The looks of horror on the other player's faces and the delighted gleam in the GM's eye every time I opened my mouth was worth it. Talk about your *terminal* foot-in-mouth disease.

[Nightshade]

I loved that game! It was the only game where the GM was overtly out to kill you and player stupidity was a virtue. This is the polar opposite of CoC where it is just the Universe, Alien Gods, and the game system gunning for you rather than the GM.


And DAMN do I feel *OLD* I played that back in 80's!!!
ARGHH!!!!

-Nightshade

"Sector 5 has been overrun by Communists, therefore it is logical that only undercover Communist agents could have survived an exploration of this Sector. As all Communits are enemies of the Computer, and all enemies of the Computer must be destroyed, you are hereby ordered to report to the execution chamber. Have a Nice Day.---Calling Clone Number 4. Calling Clone Number 4"

[Wood]

Classic no-win situation number 3:

You see an Alpha Complex Decorating Bot painting hammer and sickle symbols every ten feet along one of the corridors. What do you do?

[Nightshade]

Classic no-win situation number 3:

You see an Alpha Complex Decorating Bot painting hammer and sickle symbols every ten feet along one of the corridors. What do you do?

Simple! Kill yourself to prove your loyalty to the computer!

"Calling Clone Number 5! Calling Clone Number 5"



LOL

[trevlix]

Wasn't Call of Computer a Paranoia game?

[cynick]

Wasn't Call of Computer a Paranoia game?

It's out on the web somewhere. Or at least it was. All the links I have found for it are very dead.

The only official (published) crossovers for Paranoia appear to have been Stormshooters & Troubleknights, a fiction collection of TORG related stories; and Twilightcycle: 2000, a Twilight 2000 'origin' for Alpha Complex.