- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Mongoose Publishing; Service Pack 1 edition (1 Jan 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1904854265
- ISBN-13: 978-1904854265
- Product Dimensions: 27.4 x 21.6 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 617,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
PARANOIA was a revolution in role-playing games when released in the eighties. At that time, serious fantasy games such as Dungeons & Dragons dominated the genre. PARANOIA stuck two fingers up at such conventions and instead chose to be, of all things, a dark sci-fi comedy. The game soon attracted players looking for an escape from the endless clichés of swords and sorcery role-playing.
PARANOIA took the idea of group role-playing and turned it on its head. Players were encouraged to lie, cheat and summarily execute each other; quite a contrast from the traditional idea of co-operative group role-playing. GM's encouraged funny and imaginative play. Success was measured in fun, not experience points.
In the later years of its time at West End Games, PARANOIA fell into disrepair and finally ended its life with such derisible titles as PARAMILITARY and the infamous 5th Edition.
The original authors, Greg Costikyan and Eric Goldberg, recovered the PARANOIA property rights and brought in Allen Varney to write the new edition. Varney, a veteran from the golden period of the game as well as being successful author in his own right, immediately set out to discover what the community of loyal PARANOIA fans wanted from the new edition. Admiring the model of open source gaming sites like The Forge, he embraced the spirit of community development in a way that delighted the fans.
Varney was also at pains to ensure the new edition reflected the darker roots of the original game and took great care to steer it away from the juvenile parody that infected the later WEG line.
The result is a book that ranks alongside the very best role-playing material. Rich in ideas, the text is enthused by a passion for the delightfully savage humour of the original game. And, like any good PARANOIA book, it's a blast to read.
This is true PARANOIA. And it's better than ever.
The Computer is back!
0 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
If you want a game without the irritating player co-operation and you think trust is a thing of the past, then this game is for you.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
You are in error. No one is screaming. Happiness is mandatory!
16 Feb 2006
Format:Hardcover
This is the single most entertaining RPG book on my shelf. As far as reading the material goes, it's a perfect example of what you can do by turning normally frowned on RPG behavior into a drop dead riot of a game. The emphasis here is on the drop dead part.
While the text of the game goes to great lengths in instilling in the reader a sense of how the game is supposed to be played, in the end there are only two rules that need following.
1. The GM is always right.
2. Happiness is mandatory!
It's that simple, and it couldn't be more fun to read this book. Once you understand that every bit of it is cleverly written to convey the theme of Paranoia to the reader, you don't feel like you are being lectured yet again on the proper application of an attack roll. Rather you are learning what it is to be a GM/Player of this great game.
I only hold one complaint which is so minor that it didn't even effect me giving this game a perfect score.
Normally I don't find it necessary to print two seperate books for the core of a game. I actually prefer many games where GM and player information can be easily included together in one well laid out tome. Basically I don't think it's normally necessary to have to have two or more books to play and run a game. However in this case I think I would've preferred a division of the book into a distinct Player's guide and a distinct GM's manual. I think this is truly one of those games where the player's are better served to discover the ins and outs through regular play. In the case of Paranoia, the fun is in the failure.
ADVICE TO ASPIRING TROUBLESHOOTERS:
If you intend on playing this game, take the books advice and don't read the GM only section. Trust me when I say the tension caused by the unknown is the bread and butter of an enjoyable Paranoia session.
If you're the one buying the book for your group, gather the money together from fellow players and give this as a gift to your GM. He'll thank you, and any GM worth his weight will itch to run this game once he gets his hands on it. After all, what's the point of owning a book you are only supposed to read 48 pages of. PLAY THE GAME FIRST, AND THEN AFTER A WHILE BUY THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF. DON'T RUIN THE FUN BY READING TOO MUCH!
All in all, even if you do intend to ignore my advice and read it all, you'll have a blast doing so. I haven't had this much fun reading an RPG in a long time (with the possible exception of Godlike).
STAY ALERT! TRUST NO ONE! KEEP YOUR LASER HANDY!
While the text of the game goes to great lengths in instilling in the reader a sense of how the game is supposed to be played, in the end there are only two rules that need following.
1. The GM is always right.
2. Happiness is mandatory!
It's that simple, and it couldn't be more fun to read this book. Once you understand that every bit of it is cleverly written to convey the theme of Paranoia to the reader, you don't feel like you are being lectured yet again on the proper application of an attack roll. Rather you are learning what it is to be a GM/Player of this great game.
I only hold one complaint which is so minor that it didn't even effect me giving this game a perfect score.
Normally I don't find it necessary to print two seperate books for the core of a game. I actually prefer many games where GM and player information can be easily included together in one well laid out tome. Basically I don't think it's normally necessary to have to have two or more books to play and run a game. However in this case I think I would've preferred a division of the book into a distinct Player's guide and a distinct GM's manual. I think this is truly one of those games where the player's are better served to discover the ins and outs through regular play. In the case of Paranoia, the fun is in the failure.
ADVICE TO ASPIRING TROUBLESHOOTERS:
If you intend on playing this game, take the books advice and don't read the GM only section. Trust me when I say the tension caused by the unknown is the bread and butter of an enjoyable Paranoia session.
If you're the one buying the book for your group, gather the money together from fellow players and give this as a gift to your GM. He'll thank you, and any GM worth his weight will itch to run this game once he gets his hands on it. After all, what's the point of owning a book you are only supposed to read 48 pages of. PLAY THE GAME FIRST, AND THEN AFTER A WHILE BUY THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF. DON'T RUIN THE FUN BY READING TOO MUCH!
All in all, even if you do intend to ignore my advice and read it all, you'll have a blast doing so. I haven't had this much fun reading an RPG in a long time (with the possible exception of Godlike).
STAY ALERT! TRUST NO ONE! KEEP YOUR LASER HANDY!
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Paranoia 3: Rise of the Machines
31 May 2006
Format:Hardcover
Paranoia XP is the newest and in my opinion best version of the Paranoia game line. Here are people who need not apply (just to get you guys on to games better suited for your playstyle):
Gamers who like heavy combat tactics needn't look into Paranoia XP. Most of the weapons will kill a clone in one shot.
Gamers who like strategy in character generation or advancement needn't look into Paranoia XP.
Gamers who tend toward heavier systems (D&D, Rifts, HERO, GURPS) probably should tread with caution, as Paranoia XP's system is one die roll-under for everything. The rules are simple: roll a d20, get under Skill. Then if the GM decides you succeed, you succeed.
Gamers intent on character growth and development can find some support for such here, but under Classic rules, characters die often and hilariously.
If you like intra-party harmony, a good idea for nearly all RPGs, shouldn't look here. Paranoia is about backstabbing your fellow Troubleshooter.
If you enjoy having larger than life heroes, don't look into Paranoia XP. Paranoia XP characters are incompetant, ignorant, and insane.
Well, if you're still here, you either don't care about the above, or you're still interested to hear about the game itself, well, here goes:
By the way, you might have noticed I'm not bothering with any "HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY!" or "NOT AVAILABLE AT YOUR SECURITY CLEARANCE!" stuff, because I know it can be quite offputting to those looking into the game. It's an "in" joke, and using it against people who aren't "in" yet is a bit mean and/or foolish.
The game is about a complex, an underground post-modern utopia called the Alpha Complex, which is run by an AI called The Computer. Or it would be a utopia, if The Computer wasn't insane and paranoid, looking for commie mutant traitors. The Computer has security cameras everywhere, and regulates everything in the complex: air, food, plumbing, industry, economy, etc. Everything. But that's not the worst of it.
The mass of population is heavily medicated, usually happy in their existence mowing about the complex and doing their assigned duties. But not the player's characters! They have gotten the honor of being moved up in security clearance, from a lowly INFRARED to the slightly less lowly RED. Their job has been reassigned to Troubleshooter, and they get a laser gun! They go on fantastic suicidal/impossible missions for The Computer to root out commie mutant traitors, secret society members, and other sabateurs of The Computer. There's only one problem...
All the characters are mutants, and all belong to a Secret Society (perhaps even Communists). All the characters are traitors. And it's not like players don't know that everyone is a traitor. Instant mayhem, just add water and stir.
If this sort of game doesn't interest you, Paranoia XP is not for you.
Gamers who like heavy combat tactics needn't look into Paranoia XP. Most of the weapons will kill a clone in one shot.
Gamers who like strategy in character generation or advancement needn't look into Paranoia XP.
Gamers who tend toward heavier systems (D&D, Rifts, HERO, GURPS) probably should tread with caution, as Paranoia XP's system is one die roll-under for everything. The rules are simple: roll a d20, get under Skill. Then if the GM decides you succeed, you succeed.
Gamers intent on character growth and development can find some support for such here, but under Classic rules, characters die often and hilariously.
If you like intra-party harmony, a good idea for nearly all RPGs, shouldn't look here. Paranoia is about backstabbing your fellow Troubleshooter.
If you enjoy having larger than life heroes, don't look into Paranoia XP. Paranoia XP characters are incompetant, ignorant, and insane.
Well, if you're still here, you either don't care about the above, or you're still interested to hear about the game itself, well, here goes:
By the way, you might have noticed I'm not bothering with any "HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY!" or "NOT AVAILABLE AT YOUR SECURITY CLEARANCE!" stuff, because I know it can be quite offputting to those looking into the game. It's an "in" joke, and using it against people who aren't "in" yet is a bit mean and/or foolish.
The game is about a complex, an underground post-modern utopia called the Alpha Complex, which is run by an AI called The Computer. Or it would be a utopia, if The Computer wasn't insane and paranoid, looking for commie mutant traitors. The Computer has security cameras everywhere, and regulates everything in the complex: air, food, plumbing, industry, economy, etc. Everything. But that's not the worst of it.
The mass of population is heavily medicated, usually happy in their existence mowing about the complex and doing their assigned duties. But not the player's characters! They have gotten the honor of being moved up in security clearance, from a lowly INFRARED to the slightly less lowly RED. Their job has been reassigned to Troubleshooter, and they get a laser gun! They go on fantastic suicidal/impossible missions for The Computer to root out commie mutant traitors, secret society members, and other sabateurs of The Computer. There's only one problem...
All the characters are mutants, and all belong to a Secret Society (perhaps even Communists). All the characters are traitors. And it's not like players don't know that everyone is a traitor. Instant mayhem, just add water and stir.
If this sort of game doesn't interest you, Paranoia XP is not for you.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
These Rules Rule!
20 Aug 2004
Format:Hardcover
I read this book from cover to cover, and I must say that it is cleverly written, well formatted, and easy to understand. Mr. Varney perfectly captures the essence of the original game (released 20 years ago with great success), while updating it with modern gaming concepts and themes relevant to the times we live in. I was a fan of the original "2nd" edition rules, but a definite non-fan of the rather unpleasant "5th" edition rules - as is the case with many of us old-timers. But I am happy to report that this edition stands on it's own - incorporating everything I loved about the "2nd" edition and excluding everything I hated about the "5th" edition. Well done Allen Varney, well done Greg Costikyan and crew, kudos to all. Buy this book - Friend Computer insists.
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