[UA] Paranoia Style

[Royal Minister of Stuff]

--- mrteapot <mrteapot at subdimension.com> wrote:
> 
> Somewhat relatedly, I was planning on using AotM as
> a
> prologue to my UA campaign.  
...
> I also planned on having each PC be,
> Paranoia style,
> members of one group, but all have infiltrated it
> for the
> other groups, and then they all try to betray the
> other PCs.
> 

This is probably gonna sound mean, but I just got off
work at a customer service call center, so please read
out the random flecks of foamy anger.

Paranoia style isn't such a bad idea.  I've always
liked Chesterton's "Man Who Was Thursday," which
operates on pretty much the same joke.

But Paranoia does something else that I think is
important and which gets overlooked in a lot of "Man
Who Was Thursday" style games I've sat* for. 

In Paranoia, most players KNOW that everyone else is
an infiltrator and that there will be much
back-stabbing.  The player's introduction states this
and states it clearly.  This tiny little peice of
metagaming actually drives the plot on most Paranoia
sessions and add to the fun.

Sure, people can be mature and deal with the intrigue
and suspicion on their own, but not everyone comes to
the game in a good enough mood to suddenly face a sea
of betrayal.  Even if you're familiar with Unknown
Armies, a little bit of forewarning helps enhance both
the feeling of suspense and player participation in
building that suspense.

I post this because I see a lot of suggestions for
"blind" plot construction on this list, a lot of
suggestions for keeping players in the dark and I
don't think that works.  It's okay not to tell players
EVERYTHING, but you still have to tell them ENOUGH.

The premise, at least, has to be clear and, in this
case, "an occult group where everyone is an
infiltrator for some other occult group" is very much
central to the premise, if not the whole premise
itself.

Premise.


*I'm trying to make roleplaying sound more artistic. 

=====
-- Rp Bowman, Royal Minister of Stuff
The Electronic Nation of Yokeltania:
http://www.geocities.com/yokeltania/

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