Paranoia, the sci-fi roleplaying game which satirises modern culture and capitalism, has turned its gaze on one of the more recent developments in the game's 40-year history--influencers!
The dystopian comedy roleplaying game was originally released in 1984 by West End Games. It has had six editions over the years, the first three by WEG, and the latter three by Mongoose Publishing. Set in a future city ruled by a capricious computer, players take the role of troubleshooters who are tasked with eliminating threats to the computer. The game is filled with black humour, and characters frequently die in violent or funny ways, quickly to be replaced by a duplicate clone.
The latest adventure, Algorithmic Loyalty, takes aim at today's influencer culture. The almighty Computer demands that citizens participate in VidMe so that it can acquire more and more data (and the citizens can compete for celebrity status). The Troubleshooters are tasked with handling a pair of troubling celebrities, all the while pandering to the algorithm and getting engagement for their own videos.
The dystopian comedy roleplaying game was originally released in 1984 by West End Games. It has had six editions over the years, the first three by WEG, and the latter three by Mongoose Publishing. Set in a future city ruled by a capricious computer, players take the role of troubleshooters who are tasked with eliminating threats to the computer. The game is filled with black humour, and characters frequently die in violent or funny ways, quickly to be replaced by a duplicate clone.
The latest adventure, Algorithmic Loyalty, takes aim at today's influencer culture. The almighty Computer demands that citizens participate in VidMe so that it can acquire more and more data (and the citizens can compete for celebrity status). The Troubleshooters are tasked with handling a pair of troubling celebrities, all the while pandering to the algorithm and getting engagement for their own videos.
VidMe is a popular social media site in Alpha Complex where users share short videos so they get attention and CPU gets more user data. Once The Computer remembered how many citizens are functionally illiterate, it mandated that all citizens produce loyal videos for VidMe every day. These must have good engagement, which here means whatever shows the people in charge were right all along about everything. Hey, it beats yet another stupid dance.
Algorithmic Loyalty is a complete mission for the Paranoia roleplaying game that satirises influencer culture, online video sharing platforms and pranking videos. GMs will pick two Alpha Complex celebrities (such as Teela-O-MLY and Funbot) who will bedevil the Troubleshooters throughout the mission. Along the way, the team gets to experience:
● A heavily guarded exit to the Outdoors as the perfect video background.
● A pool party that is sure to get plenty of Love points and no drownings.
● One Troubleshooter being more famous than the others which never leads to jealousy and bodily harm.
● Entering an Infrared subsector to stop pranking videos.
● Fleeing from that subsector because Infrared citizens are violently barmy.
Can the Troubleshooters get plenty of engagement for their online videos while dealing with two competing celebrities? Of course not. But it's great fun watching them try.
Algorithmic Loyalty is a complete mission for the Paranoia roleplaying game that satirises influencer culture, online video sharing platforms and pranking videos. GMs will pick two Alpha Complex celebrities (such as Teela-O-MLY and Funbot) who will bedevil the Troubleshooters throughout the mission. Along the way, the team gets to experience:
● A heavily guarded exit to the Outdoors as the perfect video background.
● A pool party that is sure to get plenty of Love points and no drownings.
● One Troubleshooter being more famous than the others which never leads to jealousy and bodily harm.
● Entering an Infrared subsector to stop pranking videos.
● Fleeing from that subsector because Infrared citizens are violently barmy.
Can the Troubleshooters get plenty of engagement for their online videos while dealing with two competing celebrities? Of course not. But it's great fun watching them try.
