Am I being Unreasonable for not liking the idea of Paranoia (the rpg)?

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by trooper6

What consequences did the killer PC received for killing the fallen PC? Murder is illegal in the Alpha Complex. Presumably the murder was recorded and available for the Computer to review.

"If he survived that fall, he MUST be a mutant, friend computer!" Zap!

[alexondria]

So reading this thread it seems like the key is everyone has to be a good sport. By that I mean you have to be able to laugh at your character's misfortune and you have to know when not to backstab/block a player. An example from another game, my family really likes a game called Killer Bunnies. It's a card game about collecting carrots and killing your opponents bunnies. Now there have been times where my hand and draws would have let me screw over all or one particular oponent every turn. I could have made it so they couldn't do anything all game. I didn't because that wouldn't have been a fun game for them. I still screwed them over enough to win and at points it would be funny. I thing you need a similar attitude in Paranoia, but replace win with tell a good story.

[Hans Rancke-Madsen]

There's also the need to balance the need for cooperation in order to survive the mission with the benefits of backstabbing another PC. Don't forget, failing to achieve a mission is treason!


Hans

[Stormcrow]

Much also depends on your play-style. The original designers didn't invent the slapstick style of the second edition; they expected less PC-killing-PC and more collection of evidence to let the Computer or a briefing officer do it.

Paranoia XP introduced the play-style options: Straight (for the original style); Classic (for the second edition slapstick that most people are familiar with); and Zap (for the cartoonish deathtrap that was the so-called Fifth Edition). If Classic play isn't your cup of tea, try the less silly and more satirical Straight style. Straight even lends itself to campaign-play.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by alexondria

So reading this thread it seems like the key is everyone has to be a good sport. By that I mean you have to be able to laugh at your character's misfortune and you have to know when not to backstab/block a player.

Sounds like it could work in a one-shot, or a board/card game, but not (for me) in any kind of ongoing RPG campaign. Put me down in the "do not want" category.

[Stormcrow]

It's also helpful NOT to betray someone in hopes that he will assume you're betraying him anyway. If you can prove you were loyal, you can accuse him of a false accusation of treason. Heh heh...

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by RyanW

Sounds like it could work in a one-shot, or a board/card game, but not (for me) in any kind of ongoing RPG campaign. Put me down in the "do not want" category.

The premIse really does have a board/card game feel to it. Or even a war game feel. You're not wrong to not like the idea from an rpg perspective. It's almost a different genre of game from everything else.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by ericthered

The premIse really does have a board/card game feel to it. Or even a war game feel. You're not wrong to not like the idea from an rpg perspective. It's almost a different genre of game from everything else.

I'm weirdly non-competitive. I vastly prefer cooperative games to competitive ones. Once I start trying to "win" a game, I take it too seriously and quit having fun. It's why I no longer play MtG, and avoid looking at completion % on video games. Team based competition can be okay, though, and "completing the story" is a different animal to "beating the game".

[seaweedbrain]

Originally Posted by Hans Rancke-Madsen

Don't forget, failing to achieve a mission is treason!


Hans

Unless THAT IS your goal *evil smirk*

[tshiggins]

Some friends and I tried Paranoia, many years ago.

We tend to be focused and goal-oriented, and at least one guy comes from a family of all boys, who were incredibly competitive with one another.

The game didn't work for us, at all. Too frustrating.

Some of the scenarios are funny to read, but for us, the game wasn't playable.