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| Squash-U-AHH |
 Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 5:04 pm Post subject: Mandatory Paranoia #2 |
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ORANGE
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 405
Service Group: CPU
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| This one is probably not of any use to anyone, but I am a completist. Hopefuly these articles will help stir up discussion. I think some of this stuff could help with the new book - ike bibliographical information. What movies/tv/books/media do YOU think would help give another ideas for Paranoia? |
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| Squash-U-AHH |
| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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ORANGE
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 405
Service Group: CPU
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| Code: |
| Note: most of the links won't work. Try some of them though. |
What follows are descriptions of Holo-Vids (Movies), Mind-Control Devices (Television), Informative Texts (Books and Comics) and Alpha-Net Sites (Internet Websites), all related to the world of Paranoia that we live in. Due to the massive amount of research below, that is about all this monthcycle's column has to offer. Next monthcycle's column will explain quite a bit more about the physical anatomy of clones, naming conventions, memomax transfers, and the Troubleshooter in general. Until next time Citizen, don't order the soylent green.
Holo-Vids (Movies)
The Romantics have discovered a cache of documentary films all about Alpha Complex life. Here is a list of these "recommended viewing" holo-vids complete with title, producer, brief description, and a related link to more information.
A Boy and his Dog (L.Q. J-O-NES-2)
IMDB Entry
Description: Two mutants from OUTDOORS sector invade Alpha Complex and one of them, portrayed by Don John-I-SON-3, really needs some hormone supressants. Samples of OUTDOORS and Complex life are inherient.
Brazil (Terry Gill-I-YAM-2)
IMDB Entry
Description: A worker from PLC with traitorous thoughts of freedom from Friend Computer and Alpha Complex society is set up as a Death Leopard Terrorist. Robert Den-I-ROW-2 has a supporting role as a rogue Technician. Contains excellent examples of the efficiency of Service Groups.
A Clockwork Orange (High Programmer Stanley K-U-brK-4)
IMDB Entry
Description: A young Death Leopard performs some traitorous acts and gets sent to Housing Preservation and Development and Mind Control for violence aversion therapy. And it actually works... too well. They probably got it from Research and Development. Another wondrous Service Group sampler.
Logan's Run (Michael And-R-SON-5)
MANDATORY VIEWING
IMDB Entry
Description: The definitive Paranoia movie. A thinly-disguised Alpha Complex complete with it's color-coded citizens is patrolled by the Interal Security officers, known as Sandmen. Sandman officer Logan-5 (played by Michael-Y-ORK-1) turns traitor and attempts a journey to OUTDOORS sector. He and his female commie companion end up assaulting Friend Computer's property and have various encounters with Medbots and even a big, hairy, old mutant. Scenic example Alpha Complex life.
Max Headroom (Anna-B-ELJ-5)
IMDB Entry
Description: We discover that at least one aspect of Friend Computer is actually the mind of a clone downloaded into the database. And we get to watch Friend Computer use Mind Control devices from Research and Development to explode lazy clones! Mandatory fun!
Nineteen Eighty Four (Michael Radf-R-RED-3)
MANDATORY VIEWING
IMDB Entry
Description: OUTDOORS sector is ruled by Friend Computer (Big Brother). Friend Computer is everywhere, trust no one! Friend Computer is All-Knowing and All-Seeing. Citizen George-R-WLL-1, report immediately for reactor shielding duty. This is a classic; Commies abound!
The Running Man (Paul Michael-Y-SER-1)
IMDB Entry
Description: Traitor Arnold Schwarz-R-NGR is placed in DUNGEON sector where his escapades of battling mutants pre-empt the Teela-O-MLY show on every holo-vid. A great film of a darkly-humorous future.
Soylent Green (Rich-R-FSH-4)
IMDB Entry
Description: An excellent informational video describing the extremes to which PLC will go to keep the food vats full and the clone population happy. Soylent Green, it's made from the most intricate of Friend Computer's creations.
THX 1138 (George-U-CAS-4)
IMDB Entry
Description: A documentary by George-U-CAS-4 on an underground warren not unlike Alpha Complex, where strange people have strange names. Starring Robe-R-DVL-4 as THX-1138. NOTE: I have still not seen this movie.
Mind-Control Devices (Television)
Straight from the vaults of Housing Preservation and Development and Mind Control come the following recordings of Alpha Complex-based materials.
Logan's Run (Michael And-R-SON-5)
MANDATORY VIEWING
IMDB Entry
Description: The definitive Mind Control device. A great series that expands upon the history of the Holo-Vid of the same name.
Max Headroom (Anna-B-ELJ-5)
IMDB Entry
Description: Another great series that expands upon the history of the Holo-Vid of the same name.
Informative Texts (Books and Comics)
A variety of groups (including both Secret Societies and Friend Computer) have generated text in order to easily aid a clone who isn't sure where to turn for help. Here are a few different books and magazines that some of the Sierra Clubbers have found in OUTDOORS Sector. Paranoia rulesbooks and supplements are not listed. These are simply books on Paranoia and supporting books that Paranoia is based on.
1984 by George Orwell
Description: The story of a man who dreams of freedom and gets a faceful of rats instead. If you read only one book to get you into the mood of Paranoia, this is the one. If nothing else, read it as a substitute for one of your High School English class books.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Extreme Paranoia: Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Shot by Ken Rolston
ISBN: 0-87431-162-4
Description: A wonderful tale about Team Leader Homer-R-ICK-1 through 6 and his Troubleshooting team. Homer has a terrible time because of continually receiving bad memo-max transfers, but it makes for great reading. A true Paranoia book.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Doc-R-SUS-3
ISBN: 0-394-80013-3
Description: A treasonous primer on numbers and colors and OUTDOORS sector beasts, mandatory reading for any Troubleshooter.
DELETED FOR SECURITY REASONS by Ed Bolme
Description: A great story about IntSec agent James-B-OND, which begins with him waking up. (This is as much as I can remember, because someone borrowed this one from me and never gave it back to me. And yes, that's really the title). A true Paranoia book. Of course, this guy wrote Paranoia 5th Edition, so your mileage may vary.
The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson
ISBN: 0-440-53981-1 (This really needs a 23 or something)
Description: Want to know about secret societies? This trilogy collection has the information you want. I don't recommend the sequel, Masks of the Illuminati. Want more information on the Illuminati in gaming, go visit Steve Jackson Games. Fnord.
Paranoia, Issues 1-6 by Paul O'Connor
Date: 1992
Publisher: Adventure Comics (A division of Malibu Graphics Publishing Group)
Description: Back when role-playing games had their own comics (Car Wars had Car Warriors, etc...) a sporadically published comic known as Paranoia, was published. It described the lives of the Commie Mutant Traitor clone known as King-R-THR. Each issue focuses on one of his six lives. The series is beautifully painted by Hector. I highly recommend you get yourself a copy. Too bad there isn't a trade paperback compilation of this series.
Stormshooters And Troubleknights edited by Paul Arden Lidberg
ISBN: 0-87431-168-3
Description: A collection of short stories depicting the invasion of Friend Computer and Alpha Complex into the TORG universe through one of the many Possiblities. The stories are all very humorous. This is a true Paranoia book.
Alpha-Net Sites (Internet Websites)
Though Friend Computer is out there, it can't stop every server from hosting sites on the Alpha-Net, especially those owned by the dedicated Computer Phreaks out there. The only problem is that many Alpha Complex-based sites are frequently taken down. This is probably due to the machinations of Friend Computer or Commie Mutant traitors (or otherwise known as losing net-access, or just plain poor quality pages and lack of updates). The following is a list of all of the Paranoia-related pages that could easily be found on Alpha-Net on 5-24-98, pre-Big Oops. I hold no responsibility for these pages; if the link doesn't work, the link doesn't work.
Sites are listed in "Alpha"betical order.
The Alpha Complex (by comrade General Eric Fiala)
CLEARANCE NEEDED: INFRARED
http://www.netuser.com/~fialaeri/alpha.html
Description: A nifty support page for Paranoia which has descriptions of R&D devices and a huge list of mutations to throw into a game!
Alpha Complex: Knights of Dimentia (by Rith)
Clearance Required: OFF YELLOW
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/6333/home.htm
Description: An incredible support page with lots of original material. A lot of it is still under construction, but there is a description of the game, tips, missions, R&D items, the works! A great page for Paranoia information. Also includes the Knights of Dimentia, an upcoming page on how to run Paranoia in a medieval setting.
Alpha Complex: The Computer is your Friend (by Schwa Zero)
Clearance Required: FLOURESCENT GREEN
http://members.tripod.com/~alpha_complex/index.html
Description: Schwa Zero describes the adventures from his Paranoia campaigns on these overly-flourescent pages. In addition, it has a few pages about being a Troubleshooter from the point of view of a clone.
The Ben Matasar Paranoia Page (by Ben Matasar, obviously)
Clearance Required: TRUE BLUE
http://www.teleport.com:80/~matasar/paranoia/
Description: The Ben Matasar Paranoia Page has support for quite a lot of traditional Paranoia ideas. This includes new R&D items, mutant powers, secret societies, and loyalty tests. In addition, it explains how to play Blood Bowl with Alpha Complex clones, rules for playing Paranoia as a PBEM, 2nd Ed to 5th Ed conversion rules, and two adventures for Paranoia by Kevin Sigmund. It's a great support page. He also has links to other Paranoia pages. This page is traditionally and historically a Paranoia 'hub', and you can get to any other Paranoia pages on the internet from here. One of the first Paranoia pages online.
The Call of Computer (by JD):
Clearance Required: SLIMY GREEN
http://w3.one.net/~joshdm/paracoc/index.html
Description: The Call of Computer is a Paranoia adventure with a Call of Cthulhu theme, which was published in Steve Jackson's Pyramid magazine. All online subscribers to Pyramid have access to an online copy. This page is devoted to supporting the adventure with typo fixes and supplements to expand the adventure from 4 hours to 8 hours. Warning: this page is graphics intensive, but has original graphical material and animations.
CRD Sector (by Steve Criddle)
MANDATORY VIEWING BY ALL CITIZENS
Clearance Required: RED or ULTRAVIOLET, depending.
http://www.criddle.demon.co.uk/paranoia/
Description: This is the definitive page for learning how to play Paranoia the right way. It has tips for players, tips for gamemasters, and tips for everyone in-between. It also has the Paranoia Pick 'n' Mix Counter, which is great for taking separate ideas and using them in a campaign. Tons of original material. Home of the Paranoia Webring.
Geoff's Paranoia Page (by Geoff, obviously)
Clearance Required:BLOODY ORANGE (Mutant! Mutant!)
http://wabakimi.carleton.ca/~mqualizz/paranoia/
Description: Geoff has collected a variety of some of the niftiest (and original) Paranoia materials here. He even has his own Adventure, "Are you a Clone or Are Your Reactor Shielding" here. Make sure to go to the Lounge as that's where everything is.
Good Daycycle Citizen (by Arttu i. Hayha)
Clearance Required: COMMIE RED
http://www.cs.uku.fi/~hayha/paranoia.html
Description: Good Daycycle Citizen has a huge listing of Secret Societies and even has detailed descriptions of some of them. This page also has a copy of "Tips for Traitors." Hopefully, High Programmer Law-U-YUR-5 won't find out about this.
PARANOIA (by Daemonic)
Clearance Required: OFF-WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN
http://www.lucid.co.uk/tannis/paranoia.htm
Description: This page has original material explaining what Paranoia is and how to run a Paranoia game.
Richard Robert's Paranoia Site
Clearance Required: TAUPE
http://members.tripod.com/~Richard_Roberts/index.htm
Description: The home of the OCPUACIRPCD/DWTPEEIBAB.
Space Gamer Solo Paranoia
Clearance Required: STAR ORANGE and HEART PINK
Version One at http://www.winternet.com/cgi-bin/qq/alpha?page=0
Version Two at http://www.utopia.csas.com/cgi-bin/paranoia
Description: These links are to two solo Paranoia adventures and are set up in "Choose Your Own Adventure" style. They are almost identical adventures. Sometimes it is very tough to get through them, but there are endings.
WebRPG Discussion Page
Clearance Required: GAMER INDIGO
http://www.webrpg.com/?link=townhall/186/index.html
Description: For lack of a UseNET Newsgroup dedicated to Paranoia, using the WebRPG Paranoia Town Hall (a discussion Forum) is a better solution. People post Paranoia info to this place on a daily basis.
Yahoo
Clearance Required: PSYCHEDELIC VIOLET
http://www.yahoo.com/Recreation/Games/Role_Playing_Games/Titles/Paranoia/
Description: Yahoo has links to Paranoia sites, but they are all listed here as well. Some Yahoo links need to be updated.
Last edited by Squash-U-AHH on Tue Mar 02, 2004 6:21 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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| Allen Varney |
| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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Gamma Very High Programmer
Joined: 22 Feb 2004
Posts: 1083
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We'll include a bibliography in the new rulebook, and this article includes most of what I've thought of already. I doubt the rulebook descriptions will be in-character, though.
You left out Stanislaw Lem's MEMOIRS IN A BATHTUB (1971, English translation 1973). Uncannily prescient of Alpha Complex, and even nastier.
_________________
-- Allen Varney
PARANOIA (2004 edition) principal writer
Official PARANOIA novels: Ultraviolet Books
PARANOIA development blog |
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| Kwil |
| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 6:56 pm Post subject: Rent THX-1138 |
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YELLOW
Joined: 26 Feb 2004
Posts: 370
Service Group: CPU
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Really.. I think any good Paranoia GM owes it to themselves and their players to watch THX-1138 at least once.
Especially if they particularly enjoy bleak styled Paranoia.
I swear, I watched that movie the first time and thought "My God, George Lucas plays Paranoia.." then I looked at the dates and thought.. "My God, Greg Costikyan watches George Lucas movies."
It's a great take on what I like to consider "pre-Paranoia", where the computer wasn't quite yet the be-all and end-all, but the endless quest for economic efficiency had already reduced everybody to consumerist drones working as mindless cogs in the societal-machine.
Warning: There's some mild nudity in it. |
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| Squash-U-AHH |
| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 7:13 pm Post subject: |
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ORANGE
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 405
Service Group: CPU
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Yeah, go see it... as soon as Lucas releases it on DVD.
Hah. That won't happen for YEARS. He still has to make the Special Super Deluxe version of the movie. |
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| Kwil |
| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 7:31 pm Post subject: Pfeh.. |
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YELLOW
Joined: 26 Feb 2004
Posts: 370
Service Group: CPU
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VHS still works..
..and it's so much more in keeping with Paranoia. Hauling around a big cassette tape that can be grabbed and eaten by the machine.. |
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| El-R-KIN |
| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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YELLOW
Joined: 17 Dec 2003
Posts: 458
Service Group: HPD&MC
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Don't forget Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. While the movie was a dumb musical about jolly old people who memorize books, the book was a pretty good dystopian novel. Aside for the atmosphere of enforced ignorance, it also contains some great examples of grim-future technology as seen by the people in the 50s - and therefore, as discussed earlier, by R&D.
_________________
Clone number: 1
Status: Doing some final arrangements to the shootings of the new season of Teela-O-MLY. |
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| Squash-U-AHH |
| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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ORANGE
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 405
Service Group: CPU
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| James-R-BRT-4 |
| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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ORANGE
Joined: 02 Mar 2004
Posts: 43
Service Group: Internal Security
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handmaid's tale, margaret atwood.
one of the best dystopian novels ever written, and in my opinion one of the most frightening and precient. especially relevant in bush's america, with our constant antagonism of the middle east and quiet erosion of women's reproductive rights.
_________________
http://www.paranoialarp.com/ |
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| Laughing Penguin |
| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 2:06 am Post subject: |
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YELLOW
Joined: 03 Mar 2004
Posts: 126
Service Group: HPD&MC
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Wow, i'm shocked noone has mentioned The Prisoner (Patrickmc-U-HAN?).
Paranoia, schemes within schemes, mind control, constant surveillance, secret agendas, heavy drug use, weird science, men named by number... what's not to love?
You can find tons of reference online for this classic show, but very few actually do the show justice, IMHO.
_________________
Actual game transcript, circa 1993:
Player: "Everyone, hold on, I want to use my mutant power..."
[awkward pause as everone turns and stares at the non-registered mutant]
Player, remembering the 'no OOC' aspect of the game: "Oh, crap." |
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| Jazzer |
| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 2:13 am Post subject: |
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UV Master Programmer
Joined: 18 Jun 2003
Posts: 3052
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Good point, Laughing Penguin. That was a paranoid show if ever I saw one.
_________________
High Programmer Jazzer ~ Webmaster of Paranoia-Live.net |
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| Zogar |
| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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ORANGE
Joined: 21 Feb 2004
Posts: 151
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And some movies make great Paranoia adventures.
One of my best sessions of Paranoia was loosely based on a Coppola film, which I fondly refer to as "Alpha Complex Now". The troubleshooters have to hunt down rogue ultraviolet citizen Kay-U-RTZ, hilarity ensues.
_________________
Paranoia will get you through times of no enemies better than enemies will get you through times of no paranoia |
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| Squash-U-AHH |
| Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2004 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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ORANGE
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 405
Service Group: CPU
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| Laughing Penguin wrote: |
Wow, i'm shocked noone has mentioned The Prisoner (Patrickmc-U-HAN?).
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I could swear up and down I originally had that listed in the MP, but swearing is treason and punishable by... you get the idea. |
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| Gunt/R/ADR |
| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 10:05 am Post subject: |
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ORANGE
Joined: 14 May 2004
Posts: 52
Service Group: HPD&MC
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Am I delusional or has noone mentioned Aldus Huxleys Brave new World.
Also the predictions are false... Lucas is releasing THX on DVD... and it's the digitally enhanced version... new backdrops and special effects.
I'll be nabbing a copy.
_________________
Schroding/R's bot is both alive and terminated. |
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| Squash-U-AHH |
| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2004 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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ORANGE
Joined: 24 Feb 2004
Posts: 405
Service Group: CPU
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| Gunt/R/ADR wrote: |
| Am I delusional or has noone mentioned Aldus Huxleys Brave new World. |
It was listed. Albiet sans description, but it was listed.
_________________
Wouldn't you like 2 BBB 2?
Hey non-Registered Mutant!
If you can read this and you want to know more, PM me!
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