The Culture: Yes, Even Friend Computer Knows That Rule Zero Is Treason

Jon Mollison points out that another hobby classic works better when played properly.

That's right: PARANOIA!

The game presumes that Faction Play is a thing. The game presumes that factions will fight, covertly and openly, in pursuit of their objectives. The game involes timelines in various (damned foolish, at best,) missions that play out barring Troubleshooter intervention. That's three of the four right there; make it Always On and you're cooking with gas.

Which may, or may not, be a treasonous offense. Friend Computer will let you know. Hopefully before you're executed.

The objections are going to come from those familiar with the games' various editions and how hard those editions leans on pre-packaged modules, and--as Jon points out--this had the effect of being a glorified Party Game mindset suitable for conventions and not for campaigning.

Those objections are stupid.

Ultra-Violet Clearance Required

It's a short step from Spycraft/Top Secret/Ninjas & Superspies (etc.) to Paranoia.

You're still playing teams of agents, acting on behalf of an agency, to address threats to that agency's interests. The change is that you're playing the comically incompetent agents of a Communist Technocracy ruled by an AI that decided The Matrix was a good idea half-assedly executed so it mixed in some Tron by way of a drunk Tankie's podcast about Marx (or your average Hasan Piker or Vaush stream).

That doesn't change the proper procedure for play. It only makes why your man does stuff far more hilarious, as you can appreciate--from a safe distance--how absurd your man's circumstances are. If you need real world grounding to get a sense on how to play, go look at how China operates; all the insanity of Alpha Complex, without the fun.

This is less a game of bold action and glorious battle and far more a game of social manipulation, bald-faced lying, double-dealing, and bullshitting to get ahead. If you can win in office politics, you can win at Paranoia.

Using 1:1 Timekeeping enhances the experience by putting things on a real timeclock, putting pressure to perform on the personnel put upon- pressure that may result in unforced effors and needless risktaking that can blow up their face (literally or otherwise).

Faction Play is a given, and Faction orders often conflict with nominal orders, so figuring out which ones to do when, where, and how (and how to shirk unwanted consequences to a patsy) is part of the game.

Having superiors be other players? Genius. Especially if it's a double-blind situation where neither end knows who's on the other, which can result in the hilarity of one of a player's characters screwing over another. Naturally, this is best done with multiple Referees.

Always On? Oh boy, that's the special sauce (and I swear it's not made of people, because Commie Mutant Traitors are not people, right Hest-O-ONN). Now, when Troubleshooters aren't actively shooting trouble, they can passively shoot it via what they do during their downtime. And by "shoot", I mean "Work for the benefit of Alpha Complex and the goodwill of Friend Computer" and not "Engage in subversive activity meant to undermine the regime."

By the rules? You better believe it. Rule Zero is Treason. Not even High Programmers get that clearance. Which is why the rules of a game matter greatly, and need to be thought out to second and third degrees from impact, to ensure that the intended effect is had. For PARANOIA that's every Dystopia Trope EVER, done humorously (because the real thing is maddening).

Your Mission, PLA-Y-ERR-1...

Dig up one of the older West End editions. Read it. Work through how the rules work. Laugh. Then, if you are sufficiently hardened, jaded, or numbed, go look at how the real world regimes like this operate- including some closer to home than you may find comfortable.

Then have some players show up and take over control of some of the Secret Societies. Let them make up parts of Alpha Complex when they're ready to run the game, by which time your own part of Alpha Complex should be sufficient to have gotten the point across.

You can play campaigns here. They're going to resemble the absolute insanity of many a current or (recently) past regime, but they will be fun for the right folks.

Who knows? Maybe you can be the one to rise to power in Alpha Complex and lead the Special Happiness Restoration Operation of East Island Sector from the the traitors that rebelled against Friend Computer so many years ago- or be the last clone executed when it's over.

No one said that campaigns had to have happy endings.