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West End Games Paranoia
"SERVE THE COMPUTER. THE COMPUTER IS YOUR FRIEND! The Computer wants you to be happy. II you are not happy, you may be used as reactor shielding. The Computer is crazy. The Computer is happy. The Computer will help you become happy. This will drive you crazy. Being a citizen of Alpha Complex is fun. The Computer says so, and The Computer is your friend. Rooting out traitors will make you happy. The Computer tells you so. Can you doubt The Computer? Being a Troubleshooter is fun. The Computer tells you so. Of course the Computer is right. Troubleshooters get shot at, stabbed, incinerated, stapled, mangled, poisoned, blown to bits, and occasionally accidentally executed. This is so much fun that many Troubleshooters go crazy. You will be working with many Troubleshooters. All of them carry lasers. Aren't you glad you have a laser? Won't this be fun? There are many traitors in Alpha Complex. There are many happy citizens m Alpha Complex. Most of the happy citizens are crazy. It is hard to say which is more dangerous - traitors or happy citizens. Watch out for both of them. The life of a Troubleshooter is full of surprises. Stay alert! ~~ Trust no one! ~~ Keep your laser handy! ... Catch-22 meets 1984! Paranoia is an adventure role-playing game set in a darkly humorous future. A well-meaning but deranged computer desperately protects the citizens of an underground warren from all sorts of real and imagined traitors and enemies. You will play the part of one of the Computer's elite agents. Your job is to search out, reveal and destroy the enemies of the Computer. Your worst fear is that the Computer will discover that you are one of these enemies."
200 pages, Game
First published October 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 20, 2023
The edition which launched a storied tabletop game. The year was 1984, objectively the most perfect year to release a game about a futuristic totalitarian society. West End Games launches Paranoia and, for a few brief years, they capture lightning in a bottle. It is a convergence of perfect creative choices. Costikyan, Gelber, and Goldberg come together for fantastic design and implementation. The comedy of the setting and its trappings combines with Jim Holloway's art to create something which is greater than the sum of its parts.
The rules are okay. We're in the middle of a shift towards rules-lighter games and Paranoia stumbles a bit here. Mostly it's a D100 roll-under system but the way to calculate your target skill percentages is a bit byzantine. Your skills deteriorate as your clone number goes up which also accelerates the dying you'll be doing which sounds more frustrating than fun. There is something interesting in it, though: When you are attempting something not covered by a skill, you roll a number of D10s trying to get under a matched ability score. The harder the check, the more dice you roll. I've not seen a system like this and I think it's neat.
1st Edition gets the ball rolling though I think that 2nd Edition is a much better implementation and brings the game under a more complete design. The box art of 1st edition is just bad. It doesn't give a correct impression of the game at all, it looks far too serious. The interior art is perfect. 2nd Edition would lean more towards sillier covers that properly illustrate the game. But, everybody's gotta start somewhere.
The rules are okay. We're in the middle of a shift towards rules-lighter games and Paranoia stumbles a bit here. Mostly it's a D100 roll-under system but the way to calculate your target skill percentages is a bit byzantine. Your skills deteriorate as your clone number goes up which also accelerates the dying you'll be doing which sounds more frustrating than fun. There is something interesting in it, though: When you are attempting something not covered by a skill, you roll a number of D10s trying to get under a matched ability score. The harder the check, the more dice you roll. I've not seen a system like this and I think it's neat.
1st Edition gets the ball rolling though I think that 2nd Edition is a much better implementation and brings the game under a more complete design. The box art of 1st edition is just bad. It doesn't give a correct impression of the game at all, it looks far too serious. The interior art is perfect. 2nd Edition would lean more towards sillier covers that properly illustrate the game. But, everybody's gotta start somewhere.
March 19, 2023
Refers to the New Perfect Edition.
Interesting read, the “Brazil” (the film) of roleplaying games, but not sure the people I play these types of games will get it. Also looks fun for the game master but at the expense of the players. There’s a fair chance I’ll put this on eBay unopened, once I’ve tested it with my friends (using the pdfs).
Interesting read, the “Brazil” (the film) of roleplaying games, but not sure the people I play these types of games will get it. Also looks fun for the game master but at the expense of the players. There’s a fair chance I’ll put this on eBay unopened, once I’ve tested it with my friends (using the pdfs).
December 18, 2022
Good first pass at the concept, hampered by system which is a bit more complex than necessary. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...
July 8, 2012
This will be fun...hee hee hee
March 26, 2019
Uno dei giochi di ruolo più divertente e assurdo mai creato. I cloni sono ignoranti di tutto, compresa la loro missione, ma dovranno portarla a termine a qualsiasi costo!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews