Thema: Paranoia XP

[Selganor [n/a]]

So langsam kann man ja echt Angst kriegen was Mongoose noch alles macht:

PARANOIA XP ANNOUNCED
Cult Roleplaying Game to Be Revitalized for the Digital Millennium


The Computer says that failure to feature this announcement prominently is
treason. Treason is punishable by summary execution. Thank you for your
cooperation.


Mongoose Publishing of Swindon, Wilts., UK (www.mongoosepublishing.com)
announced today agreement with the creators of the fondly remembered
tabletop roleplaying game Paranoia, to develop and publish a new edition
of the game, Paranoia XP. The new version will be written and produced by
legendary game designers Allen Varney and Aaron Allston, with
participation by Paranoia's original co-designer Greg Costikyan.


The developers will conduct their discussions about the game on a blog
hosted at www.costik.com/paranoia, and those interested in the game are
invited to comment and participate in the process.


Paranoia, originally published in 1984, has sold more than 200,000 copies
worldwide, and retains a fanatical following despite having been out of
print for almost a decade. Designed by Dan Gelber, Greg Costikyan, and
Eric Goldberg, it and its supplementary products have garnered numerous
industry awards, including several Origins Awards and the Gamer's Choice
Award. It is known not only for its hilarious, dark vision of a future
world controlled by an insane Computer, but also for its ability to
attract world-renowned authors to contribute to its supplements and
ancillary material--people such as multiple World Fantasy Award-winning
author John M. Ford; Warren Spector, whom PC Gamer magazine names as one
of the top 20 creators in digital gaming, and Ken Rolston, co-creator of
the best-selling PC game Morrowind.


Paranoia debuted at a time when the Soviet Union was shooting down jet
liners and invading Afghanistan, and when many workers feared they would
lose their jobs as a result of the spread of desktop computers. With its
vision of an Orwellian world, a totalitarian society controlled by an
insane Computer that demands instant obedience at laser-point, it struck a
worldwide nerve. According to Costikyan, that vision is relevant now more
than ever. "Paranoia XP is not an attempt to bring back an old RPG for the
nostalgic. Its basic themes -- totalitarianism, fear of technology,
mistrust, and loathing--are, if anything, more relevant than they were in
1984. Spammers. Identify thieves. Blackhat hackers. The RIAA. Weapons of
mass destruction. Totally dysfunctional government. Just as it did lo
these many years ago, so shall the new Paranoia encapsulate and make funny
the terrors we live with every day... or remind us to be afraid of things
that we currently think are merely funny."


Alex Fennell, Mongoose's director, set down his Red Bull and Coke long
enough to say, "We're bloody delighted to be publishing Paranoia XP. Yanks
don't come any funnier than these blokes."


Allen Varney, who contributed to many early Paranoia supplements, looks
forward to revisiting the game's futuristic underground city, Alpha
Complex. "For years society has been inventing new material for Paranoia.
I'll have a great time transcribing it. I hope players will like our newly
redecorated setting, and I'll do my best to make them feel at home. Alpha
Complex is not a place but a state of mind. Oh, and ginger ale for me,
please."


Eric Goldberg who since 1984 has become one of the most respected figures
in the online and mobile gaming industries, said, "For those who know the
game, Paranoia has settled into the deep hindbrain. Catch phrases like
'The Computer is Your Friend,' 'Commies are Everywhere,' and 'Happiness is
Mandatory' come to mind at the most socially awkward moments. Back in the
80s, a concern with the social implications of technology was the purview
of a geeky few; today, it's of fundamental importance to everyone. Games,
too, are now a huge part of the vernacular. I believe Paranoia XP will be
of considerable interest not merely to the audience of tabletop
roleplaying gamers but also to anyone interested in and concerned with the
social-technological issues of today-the attempt to control IP, to police
the Internet, to suppress dissent. We're living Paranoia. By the way--what
a bunch of wimps. I'll have the pale ale."


The text-based online game rights to Paranoia have separately been
licensed to Skotos (www.skotos.com). Reports that Paranoia XP will also be
published in several other languages, and that film, computer, and console
versions are may be forthcoming are rumors. Rumors are treason. Treason is
punishable by summary execution. Have a nice day!


Mongoose Publishing is one of the leaders in the RPG market, producing
games such as Babylon 5, Conan, and Judge Dredd for roleplayers all over
the world. Its publications are available in all good hobby and book
stores.


Greg Costikyan (www.costik.com) and Eric Goldberg have collaborated on
various games since they first met at Simulations Publications, Inc. in
the 1970s, including on the first online game to attract more than a
million players.


Greg has designed more than 30 commercially published board, roleplaying,
computer, online, and mobile game, has won numerous industry awards, and
has been inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame for a lifetime of
accomplishment in the field. He writes about games, game design, and game
industry business issues for publications including the New York Times,
Wall Street Journal Interactive, Salon, Game Developer magazine, and his
blog (www.costik.com/weblog), which is one of the most widely-read blogs
dealing with games. He is also the author of four science fiction novels.


Allen Varney (www.allenvarney.com) has published three boardgames, over
two dozen roleplaying supplements (including several for Paranoia), seven
books, and 250+ articles, stories, and reviews, including regular columns
in four national gaming magazines. Varney recently designed and ran the UT
Executive Challenge, a three-day business ethics simulation for 100
second-year MBA students at the University of Texas McCombs Business
School. He is now developing a Web-based "business simulator" with the
e-learning company Enspire Learning (enspire.com).


Aaron Allston (www.aaronallston.com) is the author of a dozen science
fiction and fantasy novels and the award-winning designer of more than
forty tabletop role-playing games and game supplements. He has recently
written a script for a feature-length horror movie intended to carry his
trademark humor into the realm of ultra-low-budget filmmaking.


For more information, contact
Greg Costikyan
+1 646 489 8609


===========================
MONGOOSE GETS PARANOID
New PARANOIA XP edition and support line debut in August 2004


The Computer: Greetings, citizen! How may I help you?


Player: I hear Mongoose Publishing is releasing a new edition of the
Paranoia roleplaying game this August. What can you tell me about it?


The Computer: State your reason for requesting this information.


Player: Uh... I guess I was wondering whether to buy it.


The Computer: Excellent, citizen! You wish to legitimately purchase this
product, rather than steal The Computer's valuable intellectual property
like a traitorous data pirate. This demonstrates your loyalty to the
ideals of Alpha Complex. Brought to you by The Computer's brilliant
researchers in the R&D service firms of MNG Sector, PARANOIA XP is the
entirely updated and perfected version of the darkly humorous RPG
originally published by West End Games. The new edition's writers include
PARANOIA co-creator Greg Costikyan, longtime paranoiac Allen Varney, and
Famous Game Designer Aaron Allston. There are also devious and subtle new
contributions from the original PARANOIA line editor, Ken Rolston.


Player: Is PARANOIA XP still about living in an underground city of the
future ruled by an insane Computer?


The Computer: The Computer is not "insane." Traitors lurk everywhere. In
the old days, The Computer's loyal Troubleshooters only worried about
Commie subversion, secret society sabotage, unregistered mutants, robot
liberators, feuding High Programmers, tainted drugs, exploding food vats,
nuclear hand grenades, and the occasional giant atomic cockroach. How
naive! Now your clone family faces not only these persistent threats, but
a new host of looming dangers such as viral licenses, closed-source
genetic retooling, identity rentals, subconscious post-hypnotic
brain-spam, Infrared-market WMD auction sites, and filesharing.


Player: Filesharing?


The Computer: Filesharing is Communism! Fortunately, The Computer's loyal
Central Processing service firms have devised many innovative
digital-rights management methods to shield you from temptation. The most
promising methods manage your actual physical digits. Would you care to
get your fingerprints remapped?


Player: Uh... maybe later. Is this new PARANOIA XP anything like the
game's earlier editions?


The Computer: PARANOIA XP combines the scary-funny, sardonic tone of
PARANOIA's first edition (1984) with the fast-playing, rules-light
approach of the second edition (1987).


Player: Are you using the d20 rules system?


The Computer: No. PARANOIA is fun. D20 games are not fun. The Computer
says so. PARANOIA's second edition rules were, of course, perfect. The new
PARANOIA XP expunges certain imperfections introduced by subversive
elements, and will be even more perfect. Remember, citizen, PARANOIA is a
game of satire, not parody. It is not -- attend to this -- NOT "wacky."
Expect NO awful misfiring "wacky" parodies of Westerns, cyberpunk,
Arthurian myth, post-holocaust Australia, or angsty goth-punk blather.


Player: "Orcbusters" was a parody of fantasy games, wasn't it?


The Computer: "Orcbusters" obtained prior Internal Security approval using
Special Registered Parody Dispensation Form KR1986-12/j. All unregistered
parodies are treason. Instead, the new PARANOIA XP support line recalls
the illustrious releases of 1984-88, such as Acute Paranoia, Send in the
Clones, Alpha Complexities, and the award-winning Yellow Clearance Black
Box Blues. Mongoose will reissue updated versions of much of this
excellent material soon after PARANOIA XP debuts.


Player: Does the new edition use material from the "Fifth Edition"?


The Computer: There is no Fifth Edition.


Player: Huh? Come on, I've seen it myself!


The Computer: You are mistaken, citizen. No Fifth Edition was published by
West End Games in 1995, nor did West End show pages from a projected "Long
Lost Third Edition" at GenCon in 1997. Note that there also has never been
a Crash Course Manual, nor any "Secret Society Wars," "MegaWhoops," or
"Reboot Camp" adventures. These products never existed. They are now
un-products. Are you absolutely clear on this, citizen? Do you still doubt
The Computer? Perhaps you need to visit the Bright Vision Re-Education
Center.


Player: Uh, no! I trust The Computer. The Computer is my friend! But
Friend Computer -- against all the dangers you so brilliantly enumerated,
how can I possibly survive?


The Computer: I'm sorry, that information is not available at your
security clearance.


PARANOIA XP. AUGUST 2004. MONGOOSE PUBLISHING.
BUY PARANOIA. IT WILL BE FUN. FUN IS MANDATORY.


PARANOIA is a trademark jointly held by Eric Goldberg and Greg Costikyan
and used under exclusive license by Mongoose Publishing. Copyright (c)
2004 Eric Goldberg and Greg Costikyan. All rights reserved.



Matthew Sprange
Mongoose Publishing

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com

[Morpheus]

Puh da bin ich aber erleichtert.
Im ersten Moment dachte ich du wolltest hier über "Erfahrungspunkte" in Paranoia reden...

[Der Nârr]

Wird es ein d20-Produkt? Hat sich schon mal jemand überlegt, ob man Paranoia mit dem Hero-System umsetzen kann? Und wann erscheint GURPS Paranoia?

[Selganor [n/a]]

Ich weiss dass das ein LANGER Text ist, aber da steht die Antwort (zumindest auf den d20-Teil)

Player: Are you using the d20 rules system?


The Computer: No. PARANOIA is fun. D20 games are not fun. The Computer
says so. PARANOIA's second edition rules were, of course, perfect. The new
PARANOIA XP expunges certain imperfections introduced by subversive
elements, and will be even more perfect. Remember, citizen, PARANOIA is a
game of satire, not parody. It is not -- attend to this -- NOT "wacky."
Expect NO awful misfiring "wacky" parodies of Westerns, cyberpunk,
Arthurian myth, post-holocaust Australia, or angsty goth-punk blather.

HERO lohnt sich nicht, da die Charaktererschaffung laenger dauern wuerde als die durchschnittliche Lebenszeit der Charaktere ist. (Ausser natuerlich man hat alles schon in "passenden Paketen", dann sollte es gehen.

GURPS Paranoia wird es jetzt wohl nicht mehr geben:

PARANOIA is a trademark jointly held by Eric Goldberg and Greg Costikyan
and used under exclusive license by Mongoose Publishing. Copyright (c)
2004 Eric Goldberg and Greg Costikyan. All rights reserved.

Ich glaube nicht dass sie SJG was vom Kuchen abgeben wollen

[Der Nârr]

OK, danke, muss zugegeben, dass ich das Interview übersprungen habe .

Naja, ich bin mit meinem Paranoia sehr zufrieden - und wer eines haben möchte, hat auch Glück, weil die ja derzeit einem überall nachgeschmissen werden.

[Rauthorim]

Jea cool!!

Das wird ein teures Jahr.. Chroniken der Engel Zeug, Degenesis, WoD2.. Paranoia XP...

[Sethai]

Also ich werds kaufen *freu*

[Selganor [n/a]]

Bis zum GenCon kommt's wohl raus...

PARANOIA XP GOES GOLD
Internet Technologies Revolutionize Roleplaying Game Development

New York/Austin/Swindon -- Aug 5, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mongoose Publishing Ltd. and the creators of Paranoia XP announced today that the new version of the classic tabletop roleplaying game had "gone gold," and would be released in time for GenCon 2004.

To a large degree, the game was developed online, in public. Fans of the game contributed enthusiastically via blog, wiki, and online forum. They wrote text, debated rules, proofread, ran statistical analyses, and even wrote a computer simulator to test the game's paper-and-pencil rules.

"Online collaboration made this edition of Paranoia the best yet," said Allen Varney (www.allenvarney.com), the game's designer. "We borrowed the tools and methods of open-source software development for a paper game, and it worked brilliantly. I plan to create future games the same way, and other designers should consider it too."


THE COMPUTER IS YOUR FRIEND

Paranoia is a roleplaying game set in a darkly humorous future. A well-meaning but deranged Computer desperately protects the citizens of Alpha Complex, a vast underground city, from all sorts of real and imagined enemies. Players take the role of Troubleshooters, The Computer's elite agents, their job to search out and destroy the enemies of The Computer. Each player character is, however, secretly a traitor... In short, Paranoia is a light-hearted game of terror, death, bureaucracy, mad scientists, mutants, dangerous weapons, insane robots, and technological satire that encourages players to lie, cheat, and backstab each other at every turn.

The original version of Paranoia, designed by Dan Gelber, Greg Costikyan, and Eric Goldberg, pioneered in 1983, and was an instant hit, going on to sell more than 150,000 copies worldwide.

PARANOIA XP

The popularity of the original game was in part due to society's fear of nuclear war with the Soviet Union, and uneasiness about the new desktop computers that were starting to revolutionize working life.

Happily, today those fears are obsolete. Instead, we have terrorism, spam, viruses, trojans, malware, distributed denial of service attacks, the RIAA, cyberwarfare, identify theft, the Patriot Act, terrifying new diseases, the threat of environmental catastrophe, the grey goo scenario, and weapons of mass destruction.

In other words, Paranoia is more relevant than ever before, and Paranoia XP updates the world of Alpha Complex for all these terrors and more.

DESIGNING IN PUBLIC

In order to involve Paranoia's community of fans, the designers decided from the start to discuss the new version's development via a blog (www.costik.com/paranoia), and to invite comments, suggestions, and contributions from anyone who wished to participate. Naturally, there was a potential legal issue; there was no easy way to compensate people for their contributions, and nobody wanted to deal with the potential bookkeeping involved. The solution: a virtual inversion of the Creative Commons license. Posters were warned that anything they contributed might be used in the game, without any compensation whatsoever, and that although the creators would try to credit people whose material was used, it might slip their minds in the hurly burly of meeting deadlines. As the legal "boilerplate" (if you can call it that) said, "All Your Rights Are Belong to Us."

The fan community soon found it wanted to debate, discuss, and contribute in a more free-ranging format--and luckily, a pre-existing fan site, Paranoia Live (www.paranoia-live.net) agreed to host a forum for public comment and discussion. Varney soon discovered the utility and importance of posting and participating in the forum. "There were so many good ideas worth stealing... and the enthusiasm and support of the community really kept me going in meeting a pretty brutal deadline," said Varney.

To publicize the game, Varney started a wiki at http://paranoia.allenvarney.com. Framed as a "Lexicon" game -- in which players contribute one entry per turn to an alphabetic research report on a fictitious topic -- the wiki traced the history of "the Toothpaste Disaster," a wide-ranging Alpha Complex calamity. Varney recruited almost two dozen players, in hopes of finding writers for upcoming Paranoia support products.

"The project succeeded beyond my wildest hopes. The Lexicon game produced the largest stable of talented writers Paranoia has ever enjoyed." Varney has informally organized the best Lexicon writers as the "Traitor Recycling Studio," to collaborate on the next few Paranoia supplements using -- yes -- a wiki.

"We stumbled into this," said Greg Costikyan, one of the original game's designers. "I wanted to incorporate a blog from the start, but the community's response, and Allen's embrace of them, was both startling and exciting. I think Allen is onto something here--at least for artforms that are collaborative in nature, such as games and possibly film, there's a lot to be said for tapping the collective talents of the fan base, as filtered by a professional."

MONGOOSE AND GENCON

Mongoose Publishing Ltd. (www.mongoosepublishing.com) of Swindon, Wilts., is one of a new breed of hobby game publishers, producing roleplaying and miniatures games for the adventure gaming market. Among its fine roleplaying products are Conan, Judge Dredd, Babylon 5, and Macho Women With Guns.

"We had... no clue what we were getting into," said an exhausted-sounding Alexand Fennell, director of Mongoose. "But the bloody thing is finally at the printers... ahh, I mean, ahh, only a traitor could fail to find this new edition of Paranoia hilarious, spiffy, and well worth your money. Paranoia is fun. Other games are not fun. Buy Paranoia."

Paranoia XP will premiere on August 19th at GenCon (www.gencon.com), the world's largest convention for game players and enthusiasts, held annually in Indianapolis with more than 20,000 attendees.

HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY!

Failure to be happy is treason. Treason is punishable by summary execution. Have a nice day!

For more information and/or disinformation, interviews, drivel, or just for the hell of it, feel free to contact:

Greg Costikyan {my email address}
{my phone number}

URLS:

Paranoia Blog: http://www.costik.com/weblog
"Toothpaste Disaster" Wiki: http://paranoia.allenvarney.com
Paranoia Forum: http://www.paranoia-live.net
Mongoose Publishing: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com
To Order: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/rpg/detail.php?qsID=530&qsSeries=Paranoia%20XP
Allen Varney: http://www.allenvarney.com
Greg Costikyan: http://www.costik.com

[Selganor [n/a]]

Und schon wieder was neues (das Buch kommt ja hoffentlich demnaechst hier raus):

Der neue Charakterbogen

Ich hab' zwar vor LANGER Zeit das letzte Mal Paranoia geleitet (war noch zu 1st Edition Zeiten, also ehe es die Box oder eine deutsche Version gab) aber bei dem Bogen (gerade auf der Rueckseite) kommen mir einige Dinge neu vor...

[Rauthorim]

Kann sein, aber der Computerbildschirm wirkt noch vertraut...

[Preacher]

Der ist komplett anders. Allein die Gruppen, die die die Skills unterteilt werden sind krachneu. Außerdem gibts keine Attribute mehr, ab er Moxie, Chutzpah und Agility (Früher Atribute) stehen unter den Fertigkeiten. Es gibt Neue Fertigkeiten in Massen (z.B. alles unter "Software") etc.
Nach dem Cha-Bogen zu schließen, dürfte das Würfelsystem auch komplett anders werden als das bekannte.

Bin ja mal gespannt. Ich war an sich nie ein Freund von neuen Editionen und Neuauflagen - "hat doch bisher auch geklappt, muß ich mich ja umgewöhnen" - aber war dann doch meistens ganz froh, wenn ich sie benutzt habe.

Bei Paranoia fand ich diese "veralteten Technikvorstellungen" aber ganz charmant - zum Beispiel, daß die verschiedenen Programme für Robots auf Kassetten gespeichert sind etc. Ich hab ein wenig die Befürchtung, wenn die fiktive Technologieentwicklung von unserem heutigen stand ausgeht, dann könnte dieses Flair ein wenig verloren gehen.

Aber ich will nicht zu viel im Vorfeld unken - ich werd's mir mal anschauen.

[Arkam]

Hallo zusammen,

weis schon jemand ob eds eine deutsche Fassung geben wird?

Gruß Jochen

[Selganor [n/a]]

Unwahrscheinlich...

Ich wuesste nicht wer die Resourcen haette das zu uebersetzen.

[Alrik]

Hab mir gestern die (alte) Deutsche Paranoiabox bestellt. Nützt alle mal nichts. Die XP Edition ist ja mit 50€ auch nicht gerade ein Schnäppchen. Ich vertrau einfach mal dem alten....

[Selganor [n/a]]

Wer sich einen Sixpack vorgefertigter Charaktere mal anschauen will...
Unter http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/paranoiacharacters.pdf hat Mongoose einen Satz veroeffentlicht.

[Selganor [n/a]]

So... seit gestern habe ich Paranoia XP (nachdem mir meine 1. Auflagen vor Jahren abhanden gekommen ist... Merke: NIE Rollenspielbuecher an Leute verleihen die du nicht regelmaessig siehst)

Mein erster Eindruck: WUNDERSCHOEN

Beginnend mit dem "End Citizen License Agreement for Alpha Complex Usage" mit so Abschnitten wie:

7. Termination
You may be terminated.

ueber die "klassischen" Zeichnungen von Jim Holloway die auch heute noch wunderbar zum Setting/System passen bis hin zu so Dingen wie auf dem Back Cover:

Within this 256-page volume, you will find:

• New non-D20 rules. PARANOIA is fun. D20 games are not fun. Play PARANOIA
[...]

• No 20-sided die, which you will need and may purchase at better book, game and comic stores everywhere

hat es Paranoia XP geschafft das "Flair" des alten Paranoia in die heutige Zeit zu uebertragen.

Das System ist zwar komplett neu (dafuer aber sehr einfach) aber was die Spielweise angeht so hat man hier die Wahl zwischen "Classic" (also dem alten (1st Ed.) humorvollen Paranoia), "Straight" (einer dunklen Satire) oder "Zap!" (wer es abgedreht comichaft haben will)
An allen relevanten Stellen im Regelwerk wird jeder dieser drei Stile "unterstuetzt" und die dazugehoerigen Regelvariationen angegeben.

Ausserdem finden sich VIELE Tipps auch fuer erfahrene PARANOIA-Spielleiter und wie gesagt ein "Update" auf eine modernere Welt (z.B. traegt jetzt jeder Troubleshooter ein Photohandy/Minicomputer mit dem man Verrat sofort knipsen/filmen und dem Computer melden kann...

[Arkam]

Einen angenehmen Nachtzyklus Bürger,

die neusten Richtlinien von CPU zum leiten eines Troubelshooterteams haben viele Verbesserungen mit sich gebracht:

- Es ist ein Hardcover so das kleine Verstöße gegen Ihre Autorität jetzt jederzeit mit Schlägen mit den Richtlinien geandet werden können ohne die Einsatzfähigkeit des Teams zu beeinflußen
- Die Richtlinien haben einen roten Rand der auch Troubelshootern geringerer Sicherheitsstufen ein problemloses Handling erlaubt.
- Im Recourcenteil der Richtlinie finden sich jetzt auch die Angaben aus dem Pervekten Troubelshooter insbesondere die obligatorischen Bonusaufgaben.
- Die Trennung zwischen den Richtlinienteilen für Troubelshooter/Einsatzleiter wurde verbessert um die Gefahr einer Terminierung zu minimieren.
- Es gibt eine neue Einsatzsimulation für neue Troubelshooter die wohl nicht mehr in den Sektor OUT führt.

Insgesamt ist eine schnelle Umsetzung der neusten CPU Richtlinien zum leiten eines Troubelshooterteams sehr empfehlenswert. Lassen Sie sich auf keinen Fall vom Zusatz XP wie experimentell abschrecken. Diese Richtlinien sind sicher und einfach in der Handhabung.
Eine möglichst schnelle Umsetzung der neusten CPU Richtlinien zum leiten eines Troubelshooterteams auch im Sektor BRD wäre wünschenswert. Aufgrund Sabotageakten von dreckigen, mutierten Kommiverrätern wird diese aber wohl leider ausbleiben.
Das Gerücht die Richtlinien wären bei der CPU Ausgabestelle für 50€ zu erwerben ist Verrat. Die mir vorliegende Fassung wurde mir gegen eine Aufwandsentschädigung von 39,95€ übergeben.

Bürger Sar -U- MAN -3
Hoher Programmierer und Leiter der Troubelshootereinsatzzentrale des Sektors KGB
dankt für Ihre Kooperation.

Gedanke zum Tage: Nur ein modernes Team ist ein erfolgreiches Team.