Speck of an Idea - Paranoiaish

[S.Lonergan]

I would love to do something along the lines of Paranoia, in a modern setting, where the players are encouraged to backstab each other...

Sure, there are lots of examples,

The Greedy bankrobbers

The heirs to the family fortune,

Competing in a business environment,

There are litteraly thousands of examples, though none I can think of suit to a full game, one off scenarios sure, but not full games...

Thats why paranoia was so cool. Because the setting fitted it perfectly..

I would love to do something like that.. only set in the current day, with no real ties to paranoia apart from backstabbing...

Help??

I was thinking for system. Something quick, with a deadly combat system.

Im not sure...

- Seamus

[Christoffer Lernö]

If there is difficulty creating a full setting for it. Why not some game method to turn any subject into a paranoia game. So that you can do I dunno "Star Wars the Paranoia" "D&D the Paranoia" and so on. Some universal twist you can put into any scenario which will evoke the same feeling.

Can't you do a game where you can play any paranoish oneshot with the same system? And where you can take any genre and play a paranoid version of it?

[S.Lonergan]

Thats another idea I had.... but really, you could use any system for a paranoiaish game...

[Jeremy Cole]

Yeah, I love that trust no-one feeling.

As a thought, I think the the fun of paranoia was that you didn't have to backstab, it was possible to survive without doing it.  But it really helped if you did, and was always good for a laugh.  If backstabbing is guaranteed, then there's no trust, then there's no trust to break.

A while ago I thought of a 'secret motives' system.  For example, in the bank robbery you suggested; all the players would have to work together with different skills to reach the loot.

BUT...  They would each have 'secret motives' as well (which may be an alternative means of completion, or maybe completely necessary).

One player could be an undercover cop, another could need more than his share of the loot, another could be a psycho, needing to kill civilians, police and players to meet his goals.  The players have other means of reaching a good conclusion for their character, and so you never know when your team member may suddenly sell you out.

This could be added onto any existing system like what was suggested.

[S.Lonergan]

The whole secret motives thing is an awsome idea....

[Ben Morgan]

Agreed. I'm stealing a page from Soap when I next run Vampire; each player will have to come up with at least one secret for their character that will come out at some point in-game.

[S.Lonergan]

Agreed. I'm stealing a page from Soap when I next run Vampire; each player will have to come up with at least one secret for their character that will come out at some point in-game.

That is a concept I would love to introduce to a game of Paranoia, and your secret has to indirectly involve another member of the group...

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

It seems to me that we already see this mode of play very commonly in modern-day role-playing settings, especially those characterized by political factions. Any of the World of Darkness games qualify, as well as quite a few of their imitators.

Bluntly, the notion seems redundant. Unless a presentation, system-tweak, or setting-context can be introduced that enhances the overt fun of the back-stabbing, then I don't see the point.

Best,
Ron

[Jeremy Cole]

Bluntly, the notion seems redundant. Unless a presentation, system-tweak, or setting-context can be introduced that enhances the overt fun of the back-stabbing, then I don't see the point.

Yes...  But I didn't think the idea of the thread was that secret motives were expecially revolutionary.  Seamus was interested in a Paranoia style game, and I suggested a secret motives mechanic.  Really, the next step was to develop the twist he wanted, to suit whatever the modern day setting would be.

I don't know, is a narratavist system possible here, because everything else has been incoherent or gamist.  Do the gamist elements of backstabbing make any narratavism too hard?

Jeremy