| Current Games | | No games registered. |
| Poll |
You and The Computer on Facebook and Twitter
|
| Quote of the Daycycle | Citizen! Would you like to volunteer for reactor shielding?
- Takyn-U-RUN |
|
| Allen Varney webchat |
 |
|
|
|
Allen Varney webchat
|
|
Venerable Gamma Varney talks about PARANOIA XP, open source gaming and laughing penguins.
|
Jazzer Wednesday 01 September 2004
|
[html]
Jazzer: First off, thanks a
lot for coming along this evening, er, Allen. (Sorry about the temporary demotion.)
Allen-V-RNY-1: No problem, the appropriate folks
will be punished later.
Mike-U-LEM-1: You're screwed, Jazzer.
Beth Fischi: He has no idea.
Jazzer: I know.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'm glad to be here among all these loyal citizens.
Mike-U-LEM-1: And once I kill Farg, P-Live will be MINE!
Jazzer: Loyal? Oh, er, yeah.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It does my little High Programmer heart good to see such devotion.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: No one more loyal than me sir!
Mike-U-LEM-1: Oh, err... yes. Loyal.
Territan: Mike-U: You forgot the MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
* Mike-U-LEM-1 puts away his knife *
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Right. Loyalty. It's on my To-Do list.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Who here has already seen, as in physically touched, PARANOIA XP?
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 raises hand... hehehe *
Finn-MAC: I have sir!
Standback: *droops*
Costin-U: Me
The Computer shouts, "LET
THE GAMMA SPEAK OR YOU'LL HAVE A LONG TRIP TO THE FOOD VATS!"
Farg-U-MAN-1: I have 40 copies in my living room right now...
Territan: Touched? I've lovingly strok.... ummm, yeah.
Beth Fischi: *sigh*
Allen-V-RNY-1: I envy you all. I have yet to see a physical copy.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: I regret to inform you that I have
yet to recieve my copy yet.
Mike-U-LEM-1: AHAHAHAHAHA!
Standback: ::blink::
Allen-V-RNY-1: So far the reception
for PARANOIA XP seems to be pretty good, especially from those familiar with
previous editions. This was a key priority in the development process. We didn't
want to annoy the Old Fans and True who kept the memory alive all those years
when the game was out of print.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Everyone helped on PARANOIA XP for
the same reason I took the design assignment: as a labor of love.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'm very happy with the way PARANOIA XP turned out, especially because of all the help I got here on Paranoia-Live.net. The game wouldn't ever have made GenCon without help from the dozens of fans here, especially Jazzer and Costin-U-MOR.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The Toothpaste
Disaster High Programmers (http://paranoia.allenvarney.com) helped a lot too,
especially Dan Curtis Johnson, who wrote the "Mister Bubbles" mission and helped
with the skill list (as did Costin-U).
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Well, you haven't annoyed me for CERTAIN. I've even hooked some friends on the new edition who weren't so fond of the old...
Standback: ::APPLAUSE::
Allen-V-RNY-1: And it wouldn't have turned out so
well without vociferous opposition from Paranoia-Live.netter Laughing Penguin,
either. He persuaded me to mute many of my cranky idiosyncratic ideas, or at
least to offer credible rules alternatives for those who didn't share my take
on the game. Plus, he designed the character sheet.
Allen-V-RNY-1: And our own Takyn-U (hi, Takyn-U!) coded a great combat simulator program that ran through hundreds of epic battles in mere moments. This let me tweak the combat values for greater balance -- not that this has ever been a particular priority in PARANOIA.
Observers are currently NOT announced.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Howdy. Thankee.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But the crowning glory should be Jazzer's, for fostering this terrific community in the first place.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Huzzah Jazzer!
Finn-MAC: Hail Jazzer!
Mike-U-LEM-1: Does that mean you want that assassination attempt against Penguin cancelled?
* Mike-U-LEM-1 frowns *
Beth Fischi: Yay, Jazzer (you're still screwed)
Beth Fischi: :)
Standback: He didn't go *that* far, Mike.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Let's clap for the execution!
Farg-U-MAN-1: 300 cheers for the soon to be screwed Jazzer!
Standback: Yay Jazzer!
Mike-U-LEM-1: So? I just like offing people.
* El-R-KIN-1 claps. *
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'll start by talking a bit about what led me to the PARANOIA assignment, and then I'll take questions.
Jazzer: Hmm. Thank you. OK. I think we're all agreed PXP is the greatest thing since sliced Toast-A-LOT. But lets hear a little about yourself.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I've been a professional game designer, writer, and editor since 1984, first for Steve Jackson Games (1984-86) and then freelance.
Standback: No, I meant Allen didn't go that light on him.
Allen-V-RNY-1: You can see my home page at www.allenvarney.com
Allen-V-RNY-1: I've published three boardgames, over two dozen supplements for various RPGs (including PARANOIA), over 250 articles, columns, and reviews, contributions to several computer games, and seven books.
Allen-V-RNY-1: After all that time, PARANOIA XP turns out to be my first actual RPG design.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Eric Goldberg and Greg Costikyan, PARANOIA's original co-designers and now holders of the rights, were the first to trust me with a full game design. I tried hard to validate their trust.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Eric and Greg permitted me to revamp their baby because I had written one of the first-edition adventures, SEND IN THE CLONES (in collaboration with Warren Spector, who later went on to become a legendary producer of computer games).
Allen-V-RNY-1: It was a lot of work, but it was tremendously exciting.
Jazzer: How did you land that job?
Allen-V-RNY-1: The energy of the Paranoia-Live community and the XP development blog (www.costik.com/paranoia) really fed my inspiration.
Jazzer . o O ( Meaning, Send in the Clones )
Allen-V-RNY-1: I was editing a magazine at Steve Jackson Games, SPACE GAMER, in 1985...
Allen-V-RNY-1: I wrote the first review of PARANOIA, and Eric liked it.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Eric was director of West End Games, the publisher of PARANOIA
Allen-V-RNY-1: And he contracted with me and Warren to do the mission.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That was the third published mission, after VAPORS DON'T SHOOT BACK and YELLOW CLEARANCE BLACK BOX BLUES
Allen-V-RNY-1: (And the Red GM Screen missions, of course)
Allen-V-RNY-1: All these will be coming back into print
Mike-U-LEM-1: Do you still have that first review listed somewhere?
Jazzer: Of course. And you went on to write for other PARANOIA products...
Allen-V-RNY-1: ...in the new PARANOIA FLASHBACKS (working title)
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's a 256-page hardcover compilation of the best of the old West End line, updated to the new rules.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I also contributed a couple of Code 7 mini-adventures to ACUTE PARANOIA
Mike-U-LEM-1 . o O ( An ARD Day's Night & Reboot
Camp. The best Code 7s IMO, second only to Costikyan's own Whitewash. )
Allen-V-RNY-1: And, in a cash flow crisis in the early '90s, I wrote a post-Crash adventure for West End that they called DEATH, LIES AND VIDTAPE
Allen-V-RNY-1: However, that is now unhistory.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Exactly.
Finn-MAC: /fingers in ears
Fieari-U-PNX-1: There is no such
thing as "Crash" and "Reboot"
Mike-U-LEM-1: It's still decent. Perhaps one could salvage the scrubot chase.
Jazzer: Indeed. What did you make of the later PARANOIA material at the time?
Fieari-U-PNX-1: It never happened.
Finn-MAC: Lalalala...
Allen-V-RNY-1: It was produced by people entirely devoid of any sense of humor.
Jazzer: Don't pull any punches.
Allen-V-RNY-1: One of the goals in the XP edition was to make it funny again.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'm very pleased now with the deep bench of talent we have.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The Toothpaste Disaster Lexicon game, and Paranoia-Live, have flushed out any number of talented writers who really get the game.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The upcoming supplement CRASH PRIORITY proves that.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It has contributions from eight writers, including our own Jazzer and Mike-U!
Standback: Awright!
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Is that right? A new crash?
Jazzer . o O ( God help us all )
Allen-V-RNY-1: They all understand the game right down to their cellular DNA.
Costin-U: Sounds painful
Mike-U-LEM-1: All crashes are merely temporary.
Allen-V-RNY-1: No, there's no new Crash in CRASH PRIORITY. Just a term.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Ah, got it.
Mike-U-LEM-1: There could've been one.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It refers to the tight schedule on which everyone workedcx.
Allen-V-RNY-1: worked.
Jazzer: Would you say you took the job of writing PXP because you were a fan as much as anything else?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Absolutely. It
certainly wasn't for the money, which was less than I'd make working at Barnes & Noble
or another retail bookseller.
Finn-MAC: Praise Mongoose!
Allen-V-RNY-1: But it was very satisfying, and apparently pretty good exposure -- as witness.
Jazzer: What first led you to take the 'open source' approach on the blog and the forums?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Everyone now involved with PARANOIA, including Mongoose Publishing, is a big big fan of the game.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That was Greg Costikyan's idea.
Allen-V-RNY-1: He started the blog and alerted me to Paranoia-Live.net.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think he didn't quite expect how integral it would all become to the design process.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's really quite new territory, and it excites me.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think it's the first time that Forge-style mentality has been adapted toa big commercial design.
Jazzer: Do you think other games - other NON FUN games - could benefit from such an approach?
Allen-V-RNY-1: The Forge (indie-rpgs.com) is the origin of the approach, though.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yes, absolutely, every one of them.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Except possibly
D&D, where the audience is rather too large to integrate.
Allen-V-RNY-1: There are a little over 300 Paranoia-Live.netters, but 3 million D^Ders.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It would be a headache trying to keep track of them all.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But any smaller game could benefit instantly from this.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It takes a devoted community, a good forum, and absolute honesty of communication.
Jazzer: Indeed. Ok. Let's take questions from one of our UV panel. Hands up.
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 raises hand *
Jazzer: Tak.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Firstly, did you happen to read my Gen Con reports? It will affect which questions I ask.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I did, religiously.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Congratulations and thanks for your yeoman services.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Even if you did allow punning character names.
Jazzer . o O ( I win my bet! )
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Thank you kindly. Well then, what do you think of the Mongoose folk? I know we haven't agreed with them on every matter (ahem, logo), but overall, how ahs the relationship been? Any other sticking points that they could be doing better at?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Did Mongoose give you an ULTRAVIOLET T-shirt?
Takyn-U-RUN-1: They did, two.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: And a free copy of the book and GM screen.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: And a RED shirt.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: And some random Conan stuff.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I haven't had much contact with Mongoose. I just kind of send them the stuff and then, presumably, it gets printed.
Mike-U-LEM-1: So they're mysterious benefactors?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mongoose does set the upcoming schedule, although it looks like Greg and Eric may have some kibbitizing to do on that soon.
Finn-MAC: \?
Allen-V-RNY-1: So far it's been frictionless contact.
Territan: So they're mysterious malefactors?
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Good deal.
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 prepares next question... someone else's turn now *
Farg-U-MAN-1: mysterious *pulishers* - no other kind...
* El-R-KIN-1 raises his hand. *
* Fieari-U-PNX-1 raises hand *
Jazzer: Ok. El-R-KIN.
Costin-U: Oooo... kibbitzing.
Finn-MAC: |?
El-R-KIN-1: Are there any planned translations to Paranoia? From what I gather, the French and German translation of the older versions weren't too good. While you're not a translator, do you have any tips for aspiring translators, even unofficial, amateurish ones?
Allen-V-RNY-1: I don't know anything about Mongoose's plans for the game. It sounds like a hard job to translate PARANOIA.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Hmmm... illegal activity vs laziness.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I remember a French translation of my SEND IN THE CLONES...
Allen-V-RNY-1: There was a secret society raid by the Sierra Club at one point...
Allen-V-RNY-1: They had the battle
cry "Remember Euell Gibbons" (which was funny in the 1980s, trust me...)
Mike-U-LEM-1: Who?
Allen-V-RNY-1: The French translators
turned that into "Remember the gibbons!"
Finn-MAC: \but that's funnier...
Allen-V-RNY-1: (Euell Gibbons was a wild-foods expert popular in TV commercials at the time.)
El-R-KIN-1: Figures. RPG translators probably earn even less than RPG writers.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: I'll bet.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Someone on Paranoia-Live
mentioned they translated Troubleshooters as "Clarifiers"
Allen-V-RNY-1: Don't know what I think about that....
Beth Fischi: Sounds ironic.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I almost think
it's better to coin the term "troubleshooter" in French, even if it hadn't
existed before.
El-R-KIN-1: Generally speaking, though, how far do you think a translator should go in sacrificing cannonical content in favor of thematic content, and sacrificing thematic content in favor of adapting it better to the langauge?
Allen-V-RNY-1: "Le shooter de
trouble."
Costin-U: Sounds like a problem with a thesaurus
Fieari-U-PNX-1: You miss the
whole "You're troubleshooters, which mostly entails shooting at trouble" gag
that way...
Allen-V-RNY-1: So much of PARANOIA is about the tone, I think the translator should take whatever liberties are required to induce the proper frame of mind in the reader.
Allen-V-RNY-1: There is no "canonical content" in
PARANOIA.
Standback: Yeah. Elkin's done impressively well carrying Paranoia over to Hebrew.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's a game where the truth ISN'T out there.
El-R-KIN-1 . o O ( In my unofficial Hebrew translation, I've named them S.U.C.K.E.R.S. It was the best I could find. )
Allen-V-RNY-1: Anything required to create the proper state of mind is valid.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That includes messing with the details of setting.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But please don't Crash The Computer. That would be stupid.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That WAS stupid.
El-R-KIN-1: Yeah. The Computer can only crush in a game of MLWM with Paranoia settings.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Let me assure you all that while I'm involved with the line, The Computer won't Crash again.
Standback: Well, the big one. The Code 7 one was OK.
Mike-U-LEM-1: At least not permanently...
Jazzer: Good to hear.
Jazzer: Next question, please.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yeah, but that was just a one-shot joke.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Oh yes. Reboot Camp was twisted.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: I feel relieved to hear that.
* Mike-U-LEM-1 raises foot *
Jazzer: Mike.
Mike-U-LEM-1: As a GM, the hardest problem I have is coming up with conflicts that involve the Knowledge skills instead of the usual running and gunning.
Mike-U-LEM-1: What are your tips for making those skills useful?
Allen-V-RNY-1: You could have coded messages or other signals be a bigger part of the missions.
Allen-V-RNY-1: "You can decipher
this if you know your way around Habitat Engineering"
Allen-V-RNY-1: The knowledge skills are also good for making your way through the bureaucracy.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Or through the ventilation ducts, as the case may be.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's also a way for a PC to get in good with a higher-cl;earance citizen, at the expense of his fellows.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The Knowedge skills also serve as means of trap-setting.
Allen-V-RNY-1: If you know your way around the power plant, you can blow it up that much easier.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: I've actually used that one.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Everyone has.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Powerplants are MEANT to be destroyed by players.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Not my power plant! 
Allen-V-RNY-1: Knowledge specialties were primarily a way to keep all the skill content from earlier editions.
Mike-U-LEM-1: I prefer mini-reactors myself.
Beth Fischi: Powerplants are overrated.
Jazzer: And overpowered. Next question?!
Allen-V-RNY-1: I know folks would have objected if they were no longer able to use, say, Bot Programming.
* Fieari-U-PNX-1 raises hand *
Jazzer: Fieari?
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Now that the game is published, what are the chances you or fellow Gamma clearance creators will be able to actually play the game a time or two? I'm now specifically thinking about online games, because I'd love both to see how the Gammas GM, and how well they can play...
Mike-U-LEM-1: Quiet. I'm already trying to lure Allen into the game after this interview.
Jazzer . o O ( Has been trying.. oh, how I've tried. )
Allen-V-RNY-1: Well, Mongoose has a very aggressive support schedule....
Allen-V-RNY-1: So I'm busy for some while yet.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But after Crash Priority is taken care of, my schedule may open up.
Mike-U-LEM-1: We have very aggressive player collectors.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I've finally got JParanoia installed (!), and it's all looking very attractive.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: It is rather shiney, isn't it...
Jazzer: We like it...
Allen-V-RNY-1: Commendations to NoryB for his fine coding.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'll connect with Jazzer about running something or other someday.
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 raises appendage *
Mike-U-LEM-1: Too bad he made it freeware. He could've made mucho money.
Allen-V-RNY-1: There's plenty of good stuff in Crash Priority that would suit an online game.
Jazzer . o O ( rubs hands together in glee )
Allen-V-RNY-1: How many times has JParanoia been downloaded to date, Jazzer?
Jazzer: Erm, about 1500, I think.
Allen-V-RNY-1: A fortune! Lost!
Mike-U-LEM-1: Maybe Mongoose
can "modify" it and sell it for him.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Heaven knows our contributions aren't worth jack.
Loke: NoryB a Commie?
Jazzer: You'll all be charge later, don't worry.
Mike-U-LEM-1: I'm afraid so.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Commendations to all the High Programmers who helped NoryB, too.
* Farg-U-MAN-1 raises hand after Takyn *
Jazzer: Farg.
Allen-V-RNY-1: What a well-mannered bunch.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Must be the machine-gun emplacements....
Farg-U-MAN-1: Well Takyn was first... *eyed guns*
Takyn-U-RUN-1: I'm not complaining.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Take it away, Takyn-U!
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Okay... Having seen the not-so-warm reception you got on Usenet, I know that the online creative experience hasn't been 100% warm and happy and fuzzy. Any other problems you've had with the online experience, even now after the book is out? (Free griping at P-Livers  )
Mike-U-LEM-1: Usenet? What happened on Usenet?
Allen-V-RNY-1: I ventured into a flame war back in March on Usenet.
Jazzer: I doubt you were the first.
Allen-V-RNY-1: There was a jerky guy named Maliachias Invictus...
Allen-V-RNY-1: Who I swear to you will show up in a PARANOIA mission someday...
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Hehehe....
Jazzer: HEhe
Allen-V-RNY-1: And I quickly had to leave with my tail between my legs.
Finn-MAC: \laserbait
Allen-V-RNY-1: Apart from him, everyone has been exceedingly kind and generous.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Even Laughing Penguin was clearly motivated by love of the game as he ripped apart my character generation system.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Hehe
Allen-V-RNY-1: As long as we all share the affection for the game itself, and we're roughly on the same wavelength about what's good and bad about it, all should go well.
Jazzer: And I wasn't past having the odd moan, I admit.
Territan: Must've been the *abusive* kind of love.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think Penguin played the game in a different style than I ever had, which led to the disagreement.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Good to hear. I'd hate to hear that anyone anywhere on our friendly interweb was as rude as those folks.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But you know what? I'm thinking there may be an opportunity, someday, to satisfy him.
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 gets out of Farg's way *
Allen-V-RNY-1: A friend of mine
said, "It bugs me that you [meaning me, the designer] don't know what the High
Programmers are really doing."
Allen-V-RNY-1: He wanted to believe in a defined, consistent setting.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That has, so far, been far outside my idea of how the game should work.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But I think there are players who would enjoy the game more with that kind of approach.
Jazzer: PARANOIA is shifting sands, at the best of times, in my opinion.
Allen-V-RNY-1: We're busy supporting the Classic and Straight styles for at least a couple of years, but...
El-R-KIN-1 says, "And thank god for that. God
knows we have enough games with an over-detailed settings out there, with endless
lists of nations and clans."
Allen-V-RNY-1: After that, when the main bulk of the Classic-style game is done, we might try a more Defined style.
Costin-U: Why would one High Programmer ever care for the needs or desires of any other but himself?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Because one High Programmer wants to see the game sell well.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Who knows? High Programmers may be scheming bastards, but they're still human.
Costin-U: HAHA!
* Farg-U-MAN-1 raises "ooh ooh me me" hand *
Jazzer: Farg.
Farg-U-MAN-1: With a compilation
of "crash priority" missions and a compilation re-release of old missions on
the way, are there any plans for full blown single non-compilation mission
modules, or campaign modules coming out? And if so, are there any specific
authors in mind?
Mike-U-LEM-1: Besides, little touches of humanity make Straight games all the more foreboding.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yes to both questions.
Allen-V-RNY-1: As I said earlier, the Mongoose support schedule is aggressive...
Allen-V-RNY-1: There are five products this year, counting the rulebook, and six scheduled for next year.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mongoose commissioned me, a freelancer, to package them.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That might change -- it looks like they didn't clear the schedule with Eric and Greg first....
Costin-U: naughty...
Allen-V-RNY-1: But in general there are some strong support projects due next year.
Jazzer: Silly...
Allen-V-RNY-1: One of them is
a big 48-page Straight mission, "WMD"
Allen-V-RNY-1: Which Beth Fischi (my wife) is writing from my outline.
Allen-V-RNY-1: This, of course, assuming Eric and Greg don't veto that idea.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's quite a change of pace for PARANOIA
DaggleC: Are the products only available to purchase online?
Allen-V-RNY-1: It takes the Philip-K.-Dick unreality aspects that have always been part of the game...
Jazzer . o O ( Audience questions later, please citizen )
Allen-V-RNY-1: And really runs with it.
Territan: Weapons of Mass Delusion?
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's based on the MemGo technology described in the XP ruleboook.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: It'll be great to see a full fledged EXAMPLE of a straight mission. I've tried running them a time or two before and it always degenerated into classic.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Weapon of Memory Destruction.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Exactly, Fieari-U.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Until people see what a Straight mission is supposed to be, they can hardly be expected to sign on to the idea.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It'll be a lengthy process getting it all into print...
Allen-V-RNY-1: WMD, plus some other stuff inthe works, I mean...
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Right.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But when it's all out there, by about this time next year, people will see there's an awful lot of ways to play PARANOIA.
Allen-V-RNY-1: And all of them are right.
Jazzer: Are you going to follow the thread of Classic and use that as a starting point to launch into Straight or is the game going to move it's base more firmly into Straight for good?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Broadening the range of play experiences people associate with the game was a key design goal for the XP edition.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Classic will always be the nucleus, the core.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It would be folly to move away from that, as West End did in its later declining years.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Classic is the way the majority of players love to play the game.
Allen-V-RNY-1: To most players, Classic is PARANOIA.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I would never want to compromise that affection.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But Straight is an interesting way to play, too, for a minority of players.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think once players see there are different ways to play, they'll diversify.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Always keeping Classic as their core style, but changing pace as their mood strikes.
Jazzer: Cool. Next question?
* El-R-KIN-1 raises hand. *
Jazzer: El-R
Fieari-U-PNX-1: I think that with P-Live, we'll have to get a bunch of our veterens together, decide who'll buy the module first, and run through it together...
* Fieari-U-PNX-1 shushes *
Jazzer . o O ( Good idea, Fieari )
El-R-KIN-1: Are there any planned supplements in the spirit of HIL Sector Blues, detailing non-troubleshooting mission, while still keeping a general feel of Fear and Ignorance?
Allen-V-RNY-1: There's a big rules supplement planned for next Gen Con, currently called Extreme PARANOIA
Allen-V-RNY-1: Barring vetos from Greg and Eric, it's currently planned to offer rules for playing at all security clearances up through VIOLET.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The GREEN section will adapt the old HIL Sector Blues material to let you play IntSec GREEN Goons.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The rest of the clearances should also allow for non-Troubleshooter missions. These haven't been worked out yet.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: I think having players at UV level would be fascinating too. The Toothpaste Disaster FASCINATED me.
El-R-KIN-1: Personally, I perceive playing at VIOLET clearance something like The House of Cards threelogy, if you're familiar with it. You've certainly got my mouth watering over this.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That's part of the whole approach of broadening the range of experiences available in the game.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Send me a note about that El-R.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I don't recognize the allusion, but I'm interested.
Jazzer: What about Vultures/Armed Forces? It would be nice to fix the awful PARAMILITARY for PXP.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The trouble with letting players play ULTRAVIOLETS is, how do you keep them together?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mongoose wants a Vulture Warrior supplement in late 2006.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I don't know that this the best idea, because Vultures aren't afraid of anything.
Allen-V-RNY-1: They're on top of the world, they exercise power. That's antithetical to the spirit of the game.
Territan: "Only a fool is
afraid of nothing."
Allen-V-RNY-1: Instead, I'll propose to them a revision of that concept....
Allen-V-RNY-1: A book of character backgrounds for PCs BEFORE they became Troubleshooters.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Oooo! Oooo! You could steal something from CoC!
Finn-MAC: \Vulture Warriors of Dimensi... OW! Who threw that?
Allen-V-RNY-1: That would include a description of Vultures, and other institutions in Alpha Complex.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Steal what, Mike-U?
Mike-U-LEM-1: Sanity points.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Ah, Sanity. Good stuff.
Allen-V-RNY-1: (I should mention that Call of Cthulhu has been an inspiration for the broadening of the design approach in the XP edition.)
Mike-U-LEM-1: Make it something like Courage Points, and have them drain off as the Vultures' courage (and drugs) shrivel and wither.
Allen-V-RNY-1: (CoC manages to publish both scary and funny supplements, and everybody accepts that.)
Allen-V-RNY-1: (It's possible the PARANOIA audience may come to accept scary supplements as well as funny ones.)
Allen-V-RNY-1: Courage points... might work.
Territan: *writing a hopefully scary scenario right now*
Jazzer: I think if you up the fear, you up the laughs.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Provisional Commendation Point to Mike-U!
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Well, get WMD done right and I'm -sure- you'll get buyers.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That's probably true.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Jazzer's comment, I mean.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Anyway, the schedule is still up for discussion.
Jazzer: Next question...
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 raises hand... but he's on his third question, so anyone else is up first *
Allen-V-RNY-1: There's going to be a lot of PARANOIA products coming out -- it's just a matter of deciding what.
Finn-MAC: \raises hand
Jazzer: Tak.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Did you expect PXP to be sold out by Friday at Gen Con? What were your thoughts when you found out? Do you expect a similar, or even greater response for future products, like the Extreme PARANOIA you mentioned?
Jazzer . o O ( Observers will get their chance, don't worry )
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think Mongoose could have sold four times as many as they brought. I expect PARANOIA will sell pretty strongly from now on. Extreme PARANOIA will be the biggest-selling supplement
Allen-V-RNY-1: -- as ACUTE PARANOIA was for the original game.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Next?
Jazzer: I know a lot of people are desperate to get their hands on the old novels and comics. Any plans in this area?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Where's Squash-U-AHH? Is he here?
Allen-V-RNY-1: He's been loyally, if illegally, scanning the old comic.
Jazzer: And publishing every last detail of the process on the forum...
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's possible it may find its way onto traitorous filesharing networks.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Every. Last. Detail.
Jazzer: Indeed.
Allen-V-RNY-1: As for the old novels, I haven't heard any plans for those.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I assume Greymist must have them scanned. He has it all.
* Fieari-U-PNX-1 raises hand *
Allen-V-RNY-1: In the trunk of his car, I think.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yes!
Jazzer: Fieari.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: On the forum, it seems that you still need either the 1st Ed GM Handbook or 1st Ed Players Handbook. I have both, anyway. However, I'm worried Kinko's would ask me for written proof of some sort that I can copy it...
Allen-V-RNY-1: I personally got the 1st edition stuff from a kind fan named Allen Crouch, in trade for a copy of XP...
Allen-V-RNY-1: But I think Eric and Greg are still looking for copies.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I don't know if they want photocopies or the originals.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Ah, I see...
Allen-V-RNY-1: I don't know where that project stands right now.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Well, whenever you get a chance to update it's status...
Allen-V-RNY-1: Perhaps Eric will update us when he reads this log.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Gotit.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Hi Eric!
Farg-U-MAN-1: Kinko's doesn't care - I've copied whole novels... er for school...
Allen-V-RNY-1: Of course.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Hehe.
Allen-V-RNY-1: ULTRAVIOLETs need not worry abou puny copyright laws!
Elle: Are we being heard at the moment?
Takyn-U-RUN-1: No, but poor college students do.
Jazzer: Ok, any more questions before we open this up to the INFRARED vat slime?
Takyn-U-RUN-1: None here.
El-R-KIN-1: None here, either.
Jazzer: Ok, observers, hands up!
Territan: *hand up*
Elle: handup
Jazzer: Territan.
Jazzer . o O ( Elle next )
Costin-U: INFRARED vat slime? (pouts)
Jazzer . o O ( Sorry, sorry. )
Allen-V-RNY-1: Hey, I just got demoted too. I feel for you.
Costin-U: I never got promoted!
Territan: What kind of feedback did you get from Mongoose Publishing about the design of your book? Did they offer suggestions, or say things *had* to be a certain way?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Nope. Nothing.
Territan: Woo. Lucky!
Allen-V-RNY-1: It was quite pleasant.
Allen-V-RNY-1: They did change the text from ragged-right to full-justified.
Icemant90: *hund goes up*
Jazzer: !
Jazzer: Ok, Elle.
Farg-U-MAN-1 . o O ( That's an outrage! )
Territan: Iceman, put that dog down this instance!
Elle: A few questions.
Icemant90: Ok sorry
Icemant90: *Hand goes up instead*
Elle: Did you ever find out who published the comics? I seem to remember that being an issue
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think it was Malibu. or one of its many incarnations. Later bought by Marvel.
Allen-V-RNY-1: So I imagine Marvel owns the rights now.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I never read the comics myself. I always heard strongly, strongly mixed comments.
Elle: *holds up her copy of The Bot Abuser's Manual with an ad for the comic and an address of the publisher to order it*
Allen-V-RNY-1: Some people loved them, some hated them.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That publisher is loooong out of business, Elle.
Elle: The name I have is "Adventure
Com8ics"
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yeah, that was the imprint of Malibu.
Elle: "Ahkay.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Next?
Costin-U: *hand up*
Elle: Second: "Mike-U Lives!".
Coincidence or hommage?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Homage, of course!
Elle: Knew it.
Elle: I'll think of more later. Next!
Jazzer: Who was next? Iceman?
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Mmhmm.
Farg-U-MAN-1: yep
Jazzer: Iceman. Your question, please.
Icemant90: I'm not sure if you'll know this, but is XP being released in Ireland?
Icemant90: Where I live?
Allen-V-RNY-1: No idea.
Icemant90: Ah ok.
Finn-MAC: \raises hand high
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mongoose is a British company (Swindon, Wiltshire), so I would assume at least Northern Ireland.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Come on, you're within throwing distance of the UK.
Mike-U-LEM-1: I'm sure you could get someone to catapult a copy over.
Jazzer: Finn.
Costin-U: Try an online store!
Finn-MAC: With regard to
Classic and Straight, will these be separate "brands" of adventures and supplements
or will products be dual-striped with details for both styles?
Allen-V-RNY-1: What online store would that be, Farg?
Allen-V-RNY-1: No, I'm hoping every mission will be playable in a variety of styles.
Gamefreak: Hello!
Allen-V-RNY-1: Some will be better suited for a certain style than for others.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But ideally everything will work for every taste.
Finn-MAC: Really? I'd have thought Striaght almost ruled out other styles
Allen-V-RNY-1: We'll see. We're feeling our way here.
Finn-MAC: Thankyou
Allen-V-RNY-1: It'll depend on the feedback from playtesters and the public.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Burning new trails, that sort of thing.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Burning new bridges?
Costin-U: *hand up*
Mike-U-LEM-1: Falling off uncharted cliffs?
Dorward: Icemant90: Mongoose sell direct via their website, so check that out if your local store doesn't stock it. (Or ask your local store to get it in for you - supporting your local gaming store promotes happiness!)
Elle: *puts her hand up again*
Jazzer: Costin.
Jazzer . o O ( Then Elle )
Costin-U: Could no one find better pictures of the secret society symbols anywhere? I know you haven't seen the final book Allen... but they look a bit... um... bad.
Finn-MAC: they're classics!
Allen-V-RNY-1: I used poor scans of the original secret society symbols as placeholders in my files.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I forgot to ask Mongoose to replace them with better scans.
Costin-U: And Mongoose didn't, for sure
Allen-V-RNY-1: Sorry about that. I hope they'll be fixed in a later printing.
Territan: D'oh! Well, at least it gives them a certain *illicit* feel.
Costin-U: Grey and faded - in boxes
Territan: Distressed graphics
are "in" these days.
Costin-U: HAHA!
Finn-MAC: Especially for Mongoose
Jazzer: Still, adds to that feeling of a guerilla press. Or something.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Ook?
Mike-U-LEM-1: Sounds like a PURGE combat maneuver.
Jazzer: Never mind. Elle!
Farg-U-MAN-1: Sure. We can rationalize anything, given enough time...
Allen-V-RNY-1: There's a lot more about the secret societies in the upcoming Traitor's Manual.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Due next month!
Allen-V-RNY-1: Beth Fischi did a tremendous amount of work laying it out...
Elle: Mutant powers. I've been pondering since Eric posted the initial list for the Mutaht Experience
Allen-V-RNY-1: Lots of weird charts and all kinds of cool stuff.
Farg-U-MAN-1: Order your copy today!!
Jazzer: Or else!
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yes, The Mutant Experience is shaping up quite well.
Gamefreak: In Soviet Russia, Paranoia orders you!
Allen-V-RNY-1: It should be out by the end of the year.
Gamefreak: Not that I would know anything about Soviets or Russia.
Territan: *checks Mongoose for pre-order pages.  *
Allen-V-RNY-1: What's your question, Elle?
The Computer says, "ORDER!
ELLE..."
Elle: Was there ever any
attempt or intention to make mutant powers, at least, for Straight, vaguely
realiscly conceivable, in some twisted universe? Like, having mutanions be
actual "stuff that could concebvably happen with one's body."
Elle: Things comming out of glands, etc
Allen-V-RNY-1: That was my original intent. It didn't carry through quite as strongly as I'd like.
Costin-U: I tried...
Costin-U: sorta...
Allen-V-RNY-1: The main exception was Machine Empathy. You really need Machine Empathy in all styles.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's the uber-treason, the one everybody can always be hung out to dry for.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But it's completely ridiculous in a Straight style.
Elle: What can I say, I have an odd thing for pseudo-scientific explinations. ^.^;
Mike-U-LEM-1: Why not? We all know people that just... well... make electronics go bonkers.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The rest of the powers, as good Costin-U will attest (he wrote them up), are largely suited to their styles.
Mike-U-LEM-1: I know people that disassemble everything they touch.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The original edition of PARANOIA had pseudo-science explanations for a lot of the powers.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That was Greg Costikyan's innate self-respect showing.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Later the developers realized no one seemed to care about plausibility.
Allen-V-RNY-1: However, I did try to make nods in that direction for Straight style.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Likewise the R&D
gadgets in Straight.
Allen-V-RNY-1: You could actually imagine someone really trying to make them.
Costin-U: I even failed to respect normal hygience protocols to see if I could simulate Slippery Skin...
Allen-V-RNY-1: There is at least a passing nod to plausibility there.
Elle: Oh yeah: are the R&D
gadgets in Straight as prone to failure is in Classic?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Well, that's part of the setting.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I could imagine a kind GM deciding they're less prone to backfire.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Assuming I could imagine a kind PARANOIA GM.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Which I can't.
Elle: Bwahaha
Allen-V-RNY-1: So never mind.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Next!
Jazzer: I think it's time for a question from Beth...
Jazzer:
Allen-V-RNY-1: She can ask me anything she wants any time...
Beth Fischi: Jazzer, you're really screwed now.
Allen-V-RNY-1: She has, shall we say, privileged access.
Finn-MAC: But we can't hear the answers
Jazzer . o O ( Hehe. )
Allen-V-RNY-1: What, you haven't bugged my house?
Territan: Not that any of us would admit, no.
Finn-MAC: Only the bathroom (Tension 20)
Allen-V-RNY-1: I've pressed all PARANOIA-related information into her frontal lobes. She has no questions left.
Beth Fischi: Alas
Jazzer: No one got any more questions?
Allen-V-RNY-1: So when does this end?
Finn-MAC: raises hand
Mike-U-LEM-1: In 40 minutes.
Elle: *handraises*
Allen-V-RNY-1: Egad.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Yeah, putting Bathroom as tension 20 was really creepy.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Let's do a sing-along!
Allen-V-RNY-1: That's direct from Orwell's 1984
Jazzer: Or when you've had enough - whatever happens soon.
Allen-V-RNY-1: "There was no
place you could be more certain of being observed."
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Made me look around the corners next time I went.
Finn-MAC: Even under the rim?
Territan: "We could monitor their every movement!" --Benny
Hill
Allen-V-RNY-1: That's more than I wanted to know, Takyn-U.
Jazzer: Elle, you had another question.
Elle: Not really a question.
Allen-V-RNY-1: You don't like Finn-MAC, huh?
Farg-U-MAN-1: An accusation?
Finn-MAC: NO one does...
Allen-V-RNY-1: That must be a richly deserved reputation, then, citizen. Treason point!
Mike-U-LEM-1: Mac Chaos, is that you?
Elle: I just think Mike's
name idea for the old Paranoia collection better than Extreme Paranoia: "Paranoia.zip"
Finn-MAC: Nope
Mike-U-LEM-1: Thanks, but your Bootlicking roll fails nonetheless.
Territan: *Raised Hand: The Sequel*
Allen-V-RNY-1: I originally pitched
the supplement under the name suggested here on Paranoia-Live, "RE:Paranoia."
El-R-KIN-1: Well, I've got a question.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mongoose likes "Extreme PARANOIA" because of the parallels with "Acute
PARANOIA."
Costin-U: *hand up*
Finn-MAC: What proportion (to two DP) of products will be background and what adventures?
Jazzer: El-R-KIN, then Costin.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think the next
rules supplement after that, if there is one, should be "Mandatory PARANOIA."
Jazzer . o O ( Er, after Finn. )>
Allen-V-RNY-1: Half and half, I hope.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Ideally I'd like to alternate missions with supplement-y stuff.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Too many missions was a failing of the old West End line, in my view.
Allen-V-RNY-1: In some cases we'll have to run a lot of campaign material in a row...
Finn-MAC: 48pp missions and 256pp supplements?
El-R-KIN-1: Do you think a complete newbie to roleplaying could just pick up the XP rulebook and start playing/GMing right away? I'm saying it because, from my own experience, non-roleplayers tend to be mildly to extremely interested in Paranoia, once I present the settings to them.
Allen-V-RNY-1: But in such cases I'll hope to include missions with them.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yes, I do think that. PARANOIA is actually a pretty easy game to run, if you have a good sense of humor and you're creative.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The players aren't allowed to argue the rules, and the setting doesn't have to be consistent.
Gamefreak: *hand up*
Allen-V-RNY-1: I missed Finn-MAC's question.
Territan: *hand up*
Allen-V-RNY-1: I hope the line will be mostly 128 pp supplements
Allen-V-RNY-1: Or somewhere in that length.
Jazzer . o O ( Costin, then Gamefreak, then Territan )
Finn-MAC: Thankyou
Costin-U: Allen - did you see all the revised Hollway illustrations and, if so, what did you think of them? Me... I think the baby clone pressing his ass-cheeks up to the side of the clone tank is hilarious!
Allen-V-RNY-1: However, an individual PARANOIA mission should seldom exceed 32 pages.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It gets wearisome after that length, as I found out in writing SEND IN THE CLONES.
Finn-MAC: \Heh
Allen-V-RNY-1: I haven't seen the Holloway illos yet, except for those on the Mongoose site.
Allen-V-RNY-1: He is the One True PARANOIA Artist, the best, the jewel.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Anything he's done has been magic.
Costin-U: Absolutely...
Finn-MAC: Hail Jim!
Costin-U: He seems to have reworked everything to be 120% funnier...
Allen-V-RNY-1: Good news, not that I doubted that.
Jazzer: The morale officer is a beaut!
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think his PARANOIA work is his best work.
Territan: Which page, Jazzer?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Even though he's done quite a lot
for many RPGs, PARANOIA really inspired him.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: The art in 1st ed REALLY drew me
into the game.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: The apple on the guy's head with
the HUGE gun aimed at it cracked me up, for example.
Finn-MAC: p183?
Mike-U-LEM-1: I like the "Can we have a tankbot, Sir?" picture
best.
Allen-V-RNY-1: That's redrawn for the new edition, Fieari-U, and it looks even better.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Or at least different.
Elle: Nono, it's "Excuse
me, sir, is a Tankbot on our requisition form?"
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Ooooo...
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's interesting, seeing these same subjects redrawn.
Territan: *flips to that page* Eeek!
Costin-U: Some people on RPG.net don't seem to see it as a good thing.
Allen-V-RNY-1: There have been objections to the layout on RPG.net, which disquiets me inasmuch as I did the layout.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I was trying to recapture the feel of the old West End edition.
Territan: One of my concerns at first was that the new graphics are a little more ...over the top.
Costin-U: It looks like a PARANOIA rulebook to me. Just like it should.
Allen-V-RNY-1: This makes it hard to match the luxurious standards of today's RPG layouts.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Layout?
Finn-MAC: At least the text is legible
Allen-V-RNY-1: I also had a tremendous amount of material to include, which necessitated a lot of gray.
Jazzer: Costin has it - it looks like a PARANOIA book. What more do they want?
Fieari-U-PNX-1: You mean, they're complaining about how the words are arranged on the page?
Territan: They want it to match *their ideals* of an RPG book.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The folks who don't remember PARANOIA might legitimately expect it to look more like today's games.
Mike-U-LEM-1: They're 2 points too big.
* Fieari-U-PNX-1 blinks *
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Huh. Didn't know people were picky like that.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: I'm really not sure what the layout-folks are complaining about. Seems odd to me.
Elle: Give them a copy of Paranoia and a copy of That Other Game (tm) and then see who's complaining.
Territan: Awwww. Readability. Deal with it!
Finn-MAC: Not enough colour? No stupid watermarks?
Gamefreak: I've got a question!
Finn-MAC: (Apart from the subliminal ones)
Allen-V-RNY-1: There's a lot of recent developments in graphic layout I gave a miss, mostly due to time and space constraints.
Jazzer: Gamefreak has a question.
Gamefreak: That I do.
Gamefreak: A long one at that.
Gamefreak: How hard was it to rewrite Paranoia? I mean writing an RPG in itself is a tough thing I could imagine but then you have to contend with people who show you how a thing (*cough*5e*cough*) can fail if the writers don't meet the needs of their fanbase. Was this in any way intimidating? How much easier do you think it was working with the community instead of doing it alone?
Allen-V-RNY-1: I also did the layout for Pelgrane Press's THE DYING EARTH game, which was better received.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It was only possible because of the community.
Allen-V-RNY-1: You guys saved me soooo many times.
Gamefreak: :)
Costin-U: Ahhhhh!
Finn-MAC: Hail guys!
Allen-V-RNY-1: It was a tremendously tight deadline, to the point that I didn't get to proof it before submitting it....
Allen-V-RNY-1: But you guys did!
The Computer shouts, "MANDATORY
GROUP HUG!"
Takyn-U-RUN-1: Go team!
Fieari-U-PNX-1: ^_^
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Yay!
Mike-U-LEM-1: Well, most of it...
Beth Fischi: Yay! 
Elle: *glomps!*
Mike-U-LEM-1: We still need to talk about that Equipment Errata...
Allen-V-RNY-1: A few errors still crept in, but by and large it was much cleaner because of everyone's help here.
Territan: *snuggles, albeit with himself.*
Mike-U-LEM-1: >:D
Allen-V-RNY-1: As for revising the original material, I knew pretty much where I wanted to go with it.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Greg Costikyan wanted more modern high-tech Web-based stuff, and there's a certain measure of that...
Allen-V-RNY-1: But it was mainly the stuff about capitalism that I wanted in there.
Allen-V-RNY-1: The idea of the Alpha Complex economy still sits uneasily with some old-time fans...
Mike-U-LEM-1: But we can always change that, right?
Allen-V-RNY-1: But they'll have to see that it creates many new opportunities for fear and loathing between PCs.
Territan: I like the idea of the economy. The previous system was too ironically Communist.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I also wanted to revise the relationship between the GM and players.
Dorward: Too much irony? Is that possible?
Allen-V-RNY-1: I think the "openly malevolent GM" idea
led to a lot of abuses, which soured some otherwise reasonable people on the
game.
Costin-U: Perversity Points make it very clear that it isn't the GM alone who is against you!
Elle: I think it came out
ok, even as what I think of as "pseudo capatalist"
Allen-V-RNY-1: By changing the relationship to a more interesting kind of Skinnerian conditioning, I hope to sidestep a lot of newbie GM abuse.
Elle: It's still a controlled economy and all.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yes, exactly. It's not a real economy at all.
Territan: There is no set of rules so bulletproof that a sufficiently bad GM can't abuse them. Especially if the players aren't allowed to argue those rules. That's just the nature of the petbot.
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's strictly a way for High Programmers to become still more filthy rich -- which is not all that different from our current capitalism, right?
Finn-MAC: Do credits kind of replace Commendation Points?
Allen-V-RNY-1: That's true, Territan, but I didn't want to go out of my way to encourage it, as the previous editions did.
Allen-V-RNY-1: No, they're different.
Territan: And that's probably a good thing, yah
Allen-V-RNY-1: They're one more way the GM can mess with players.
Elle: Allen: I could debate the politics of this for hours but I know this ain't the time.
Icemant90: BYE BYE ALLEN-V-RNY!
Allen-V-RNY-1: Commendations, Treason accusations, credits, Perversity, slaps and bennies of all kinds....
Allen-V-RNY-1: Uh -- Bye, Iceman...
Allen-V-RNY-1: That man knows how to make an exit.
Elle: I'll just say that
I don't agree "completely" with your views...but it worked for tha game.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Great, Elle.
Allen-V-RNY-1: As I was saying, all these tools
are there for the GM to condition the players to proper behavior.
Allen-V-RNY-1: "Proper" means no
rules arguments, entertaining play, and all that good stuff.
Allen-V-RNY-1: This gets at the
same dynamic as the old "open malevolence," without making the players feel
defensive against the GM.
Allen-V-RNY-1: They're no longer defense, just terrified.
Allen-V-RNY-1: defensive, I mean.
El-R-KIN-1: I'll now disconnect to reboot my modem and PC in perperations for the big finale of the PARANOIATHON - a 8-10 players game on two servers. End plug. I'll be back within a few minutes.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Which is what we want.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Good luck, El-R!
Allen-V-RNY-1: Too late.
Elle: (Hell, I still feel
somewhat defensive playing in Mike-U's weekly *D&D game*...)
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mike-U is old school.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Oldest of the old. He liked second edition fine.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Which is great.
Allen-V-RNY-1: If you've found an edition you like,
stick with it. Nobody can argue with you in PARANOIA.
Allen-V-RNY-1: You, the GM, are ALWAYS RIGHT.
Allen-V-RNY-1: No other RPG can make that guarantee!
Elle: Evil cackles ensue.
Jazzer: We stand alone!
Jazzer: Ok, any more questions, citizens?
Territan: *hand up*
Mike-U-LEM-1: Quiet. It was you that decided to irritate the dwarf.
Costin-U: *hand up*
Jazzer: Territan, then Costin
Territan: You've already had a thread describing the style guide for Paranoia XP, should anyone want to take a crack at writing for it. From this discussion, it sounds like you've got other ideas for a writer's guideline sheet too. Would you please gather them together in a standard location, like the Paranoia-Live Downloads area? And do you plan to open Paranoia up to accept manuscripts for possible future supplements?
Territan: (I [heart] cut & paste)
Allen-V-RNY-1: Yes to all that.
Elle: (Mike, I'm on my toes even when said dwarf isn't around. ^^;)
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'm working on a final style guide update that I'll submit to Mongoose.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Presumably they'll add it, or whatever parts they approve of, to their official style guide.
Allen-V-RNY-1: As for new products...
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'm happy with the bench we've got and the schedule (absent whatever changes Eric and Greg may make)...
Allen-V-RNY-1: But Ian Barstow
is always looking for PARANOIA submissions at Signs & Portents magazine.
Allen-V-RNY-1: His address is ibarstow (at) mongoosepublishing (dot) com.
Elle: *will make it into that magazine one day. Really*
Jazzer . o O ( hears much copying and pasting )
Allen-V-RNY-1: You can inquire with him about your ideas for PARANOIA articles, and I expect he'll be very receptive.
Mike-U-LEM-1: However, the pay sucks.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Varney is so much more generous...
Allen-V-RNY-1: At some point Mongoose will take the PARANOIA line in-house, and then they'll look to the magazine writers for likely submissions.
Elle: I got my first offical rejection letter from signs and portents. But I have a better idea of stuff they're looking for now.
Allen-V-RNY-1: You can call me Allen, Mike-U. Really!
Mike-U-LEM-1: Sorry. Subconscious again.
Jazzer: Uh oh, here we go... Costin?
Costin-U: Is there any one aspect of the game you really really wish you could have squeezed in to the main rules, but couldn't - or something that everyone boo-hissed at in the open design process which you wished you could still have squeezed in?
Elle: Allen: I always call
him "Lemmer", so it's semi-equitable.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mandates!
Farg-U-MAN-1: No springs in the boots, guys. I read the rules.
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Mandates?
Allen-V-RNY-1: I talked about Mandates on the XP blog in May or so.
Allen-V-RNY-1: They're like Tweaks in THE DYING EARTH -- ways to specialize your character a bit more.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Little extra duties assigned by The Computer based on your service group.
Allen-V-RNY-1: They give you ways to do certain things more easily than other PCs, but also they impose certain obligations.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mandates will make it into Extreme Paranoia.
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'll have more to say about Extreme Paranoia in a few months.
Jazzer: RIght, last couple of questions...
Finn-MAC: Chronic Paranoia?
Allen-V-RNY-1: That could work too.
Allen-V-RNY-1: "Clinical PARANOIA."
Costin-U: *hand up*
Finn-MAC: ...the guide to the Straight Style
Mike-U-LEM-1: Maybe we should move away from the bad twists on describing mental disorders...
Jazzer: Costin. Then one more.
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 quick question... *
Costin-U: Is there anything in particular that Eric and Greg aren't keen on in the upcoming Mongoose like that you can divulge? Or, at least a theme of thing?
Xai: Hi there
Xai: Have i missed it?
Finn-MAC: Big Time
Allen-V-RNY-1: Nothing that I've heard about.
Jazzer . o O ( If you're real quick, Xai, you can have the last question. )
Takyn-U-RUN-1: What's your favorite "Alpha-Complexism",
or in-character phrase?
Xai: nice, thanks
Allen-V-RNY-1: Mongoose has been extraordinarily cooperative, above and beyond the call, as a publisher.
Costin-U: You mentioned Kibitizing? or something?
Allen-V-RNY-1: They've been very hands-off and happy with everything we've done.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Takyn-U: "Happiness
is mandatory."
Jazzer: As it indeed is. Last question!?
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 grins! *
Allen-V-RNY-1: I'm also pleased with the way Bouncy
Bubble Beverage (which I myself created) has become an institution.
Xai: ah! i've got one! when will it be out over here in the Uk?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Well, maybe not pleased, but bemused.
Finn-MAC: Hail BBB!
Xai: hail BBB
Allen-V-RNY-1: I assume it's out now, isnt' it?
Allen-V-RNY-1: Costin-U would know.
Xai: not down here in the south yet. no
Finn-MAC: It is out in GBR
Xai: yeah?
Finn-MAC: Got a copy
Costin-U: Indeed... the rules, that is...
Costin-U: I think Xai may have misunderstood something...
Xai: ?
Costin-U: Eh?
Finn-MAC: BBB or PXP?
Territan: Xai came in late. REAL late.
Xai: hehe
Allen-V-RNY-1: And as confusion rules, it's time to exit...
Jazzer: Good. Ended in confusion, just like any good mission.
Xai: i just came in, sorry
Fieari-U-PNX-1: Indeed.
Finn-MAC: /shoots Xai for Treason
Jazzer: Many thanks for coming along, Allen.
Xai: i was talking about Paranoia XP
* Takyn-U-RUN-1 appluads *
Fieari-U-PNX-1: MANY thanks, yes!
Dorward: My local game store (Spot On, Swindon, UK) had a preview copy in on Wednesday. They get their stock on Thursdays so I expect they got the main the next day.
Xai: hehe, thanks anyway!
Costin-U: Lovely to have this chance to interrogate you, Allen.
Territan: Indeed. Thanks for the quality time, Allen!
Allen-V-RNY-1: My thanks to everyone for their help in creating the rulebook
El-R-KIN-1: Thanks, Allen. For the interview and for a great game.
Elle: Allen? Read the Tech Services part of the -live forum addressed to the gammas
Allen-V-RNY-1: It's the best edition of PARANOIA ever, and it's due in large part to you folks!
Finn-MAC: Thankyou mr Varney!
Jazzer: And I shall submit myself and the other for summary execution as regards your wrongful demotion.
Mike-U-LEM-1: Before everyone
leaves, be sure to stick around for me & Elkin's two games.
Allen-V-RNY-1: Indeed, Jazzer!
Mike-U-LEM-1: We'll need 8 players total, so plenty of seats for everyone!
Elle: Because I wasn't sure who to send tech-support things to the blog owners.
Finn-MAC: Slots free?
Costin-U: Sleep... must sleeeeep...
El-R-KIN-1: Yup. I'm starting my server now.
Takyn-U-RUN-1: For all interested parties, the Jeopardy! XP! log is up.
Xai: nice to meet you briefly
Mr Varney!
Mike-U-LEM-1: All of them. First come, first serve.
Xai: I'll read the log in your
honour!
Allen-V-RNY-1: Nice to briefly say hi to you, too,
Xai. Hi!
Xai: hi!
Xai: and...er...bye!
Xai: great game, great game...
Mike-U-LEM-1: Elkin, you got it up yet?
El-R-KIN-1: Server's up. Go grab a character.
Xai: is lost in thought
Allen-V-RNY-1: Farewell, citizens! Be loyal!
Xai: you should join in a game
of JParanoia sometime!
Xai: bye!
Allen-V-RNY-1: Loyalty is mandatory!
Beth Fischi: Thanks, Jazzer,
for making this possible.
Finn-MAC: Farewell sirs!
Jazzer: My pleasure, as always.
El-R-KIN-1: Bye!
Xai: Bye
Beth Fischi: Bye everyone!
Allen-V-RNY-1: Now I must respond to my new mission alert...
[/html]
|
|
|
>> List articles in this category
<< Back to articles front page
|
|
| Rating |
|
|
|
|
|
| Comments ... |
|
|
|
|
Guest
Registered: 31 Dec : 16:00
|
CHANGE THE ****ING CSS FILE OR COLOR CLASSES! NO BLACK ON BLACK! BAD JAZZER, BAD!
|
|
Guest
Registered: 31 Dec : 16:00
|
Sorry to have missed it; I can't believe I was actually asked about. hehe.
Well, here's hoping I survive the Hurricane this weekend.
|
|
Guest
Registered: 31 Dec : 16:00
|
Actually, from a paranoia aspect, it's perfect.
|
|
You must be logged in to post comments on this site - please either log in or if you are not registered click here to signup |
