A Council of High Programmers are gathered together to resolve crisises affecting Alpha Complex. Treachery, backstabbing, and blame-shifting are expected to be in high supply. Hilarity ensues.

Long Description

Alpha Complex is a dystopian nightmare overseen by an ever-present, ever-paranoid Computer that is convinced enemies lie around every corner and no one can be trusted. It is awash in bureaucratic paperwork, conspiracy, and a callous disregard for human life. Imagine a world designed by Kafka, Stalin, Orwell, Huxley, Sartre and the Marx Brothers.

When a crisis threatens Alpha Complex, the Computer summons together a Council of High Programmers to resolve it...High Programmers who engage amongst themselves in a level of internecine power struggle that would put Machiavelli to shame. Think of them as the future equivalents of today's billionaires...if they had ICBMs, functionally-equivalent immortality, and the power of life and death over people. The resulting backstabbing, sabotage, blackmail, and hijinx is unlikely to solve the crisis or actually be helpful to Alpha Complex in any way, but it is likely to be fed upon by the GMs like the emotional vampires they are.

Game Description

This is a Type 1 game...presuming that your idea of fun is playing a comedy so dark it may be described as Vantablack. It is a 'secrets and powers' game inasmuch as everyone has secret skeletons in their closet[^1], and the power to ruin everything with a phone call.

Be aware that is a competitive game, inasmuch as you will be in competition with the other players, but it is not a game about winning or being successful. Things will go wrong, there will be no-win situations, and everything will inevitably fall apart. The fun is in the journey[^2], and the goal is to be daring, absurd, and entertaining, not smart, optimal, or logical[^3].

Play this game if you want to convince people to use your marching band to stop a reactor from undergoing nuclear meltdown, rather than someone else's nuclear engineers, so that you can take the credit. Or, play this game if you want to sabotage someone else's nuclear engineers so that they fail and then people are forced to use your marching band.

Gameplay

The game will take place with you seated around a table with the other Council members[^4]. The Computer (an NPC) will brief the Council on a crisis, some players will get secret information related to the crisis, and then the Council will need to agree on a response. Orders will be communicated to offscreen minions. The situation will get worse due to treason[^5][^6][^7]. New crisises will occur. Rinse and repeat until it's not fun anymore.

Mechanics

This is a medium-complexity game. It features:

• An in-game currency
• Optional treasonous tasks that would reward you, so that you know not to do them
• Your list of minions (analagous to 'powers' in a 'secrets and powers' game)
• Secret information given along with a new crisis (analagous to contingency envelopes)

It does not feature:

• Combat[^8]
• Any form of conflict resolution aside from the Computer's Demotivational Lasers
• Permanent death (as a High Programmer, death is merely an inconvenience due to clones)
• Any expectation that you'll succeed, so don't sweat things too much[^9].

Previous Knowledge

If you have identified the source material as the Paranoia roleplaying game, then the GMs congratulate you on your impeccable taste.

However, if you're not familiar, you should know that no previous knowledge of the Paranoia setting is required (or helpful at all, really). All necessary information will be provided in the bluesheet.

[^1]: Failure to deliver human remains to Unproductive Citizen Reclamation Centers is treason. Pointing out that Unproductive Citizen Reclamation Centers are always located next to HappyTyme Soy-Like Algae Chip factories is double treason. [^2]: Failure to have fun on the journey is treason. [^3]: Rumors that the GMs consider "smart, optimal, or logical" play to be boring are treason. [^4]: Referring to the other Council members as "deadbeat losers who wouldn't understand leadership if they had a ship made out of lead" is treason. [^5]: Rumors that the responses may fail due to sabotage from other High Programmers are treason. [^6]: Rumors that the responses may fail due to the sheer incompetence of minions are treason. [^7]: Rumors that the responses may fail due to the Computer being insane are treason. [^8]: Fighting in the War Room is treason. [^9]: Sweating is a sign of guilt, and guilt is treason.