Paranoia: HAL - A 2001 Inspired Space Odyssey

[Katana_Geldar]

So, I have run a few sessions of Paranoia now and I preparing to run one for our Christmas get together and this time I am going to write it myself.

The player are going to go into space on a large shuttle/ship/rocket to spread the influence of Friend Computer to an intelligent lifeform that has been detected somewhere near Jupiter. On board are three scientists, cryogenetically frozen until they reach their destination, and the players are the crew as well as shooting any commie mutant traitors that happen to have gotten themselves aboard.

I think I've been planning this ever since I decided I would use HAL as my inspiration for Friend Computer's voice. I plan on having the various crossed-orders that I love about Paranoia games, from secret societies and service service, as well as some surprises maybe like the actual one (the broken antenna) form the film.

Any comments? Suggestions? I'm getting some music as well for the lift off.

 

[jonesy]

Would our dear computer only send one ship? What if midway through the journey another suddenly docked with theirs? But then nothing else happened. And if they boarded the other they'd find signs of a massive battle. Yeah, I'm totally stealing parts from System Shock 2.

 

[darjr]

Frank Mentzer did an adventure for Star Frontiers based on 2001.

There is an entry for it at Star Frontiers - 2001/2010 adventure modules - Wayne's World of Books - Info & Sources and I used to own this. It's a license from the movie and contains a map of the ship.

 

[Umbran]

Any comments? Suggestions? I'm getting some music as well for the lift off.

Well, in bog-standard Paranoia, that there is even an "outside" is a high-clearance-only piece of data. To suggest that there was a region where Friend Computer didn't hold sway would be treason!

So, of course, those scientists may be high-enough clearance to know what's going on, but the troubleshooters? Not so much. Ignorance is bliss - and since happiness is mandatory. And in space, nobody can hear you commit treason...

No windows on that ship, and minimal instructions on what's actually happening. As far as they know, they're just in the belly of some big new (highly experimental) busbot.

By the way, unless the entire clone family is sent on the ship with them (also cryogenically frozen?), they aren't going to have their usual six-pack.

 

[jonesy]

And in space, nobody can hear you commit treason...

Not disagreeing with anything, but I always found the 'nobody can hear' line a bit odd. In vacuum, sure. But spaceships are noisy places. There's nowhere else for the sound to go to. All those quiet haunting scenes in movies never made any sense. There should be engine sounds everywhere, cooling systems, echoes of people.

 

[Piratecat]

Awesome!

Ages ago I wrote a Paranoia game entitled "Moonshot." I'm happy to attach it here if you want, so you can strip mine it for anything you like. Just let me know.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Never have the space ship leave the complex, aka Capricorn One.

 

[jonesy]

Never have the space ship leave the complex, aka Capricorn One.

And then, have the hangar take off.

They'll think they never really left, but then find the hangar out in space.

 

[Umbran]

And then, have the hangar take off.

They'll think they never really left, but then find the hangar out in space.

This would be appropriate. It would be just stellar to have someone think they made it out alive, and have their sixth clone sucked out into the vacuum of space.

 

[Katana_Geldar]

The Capricorn One idea isn't bad, I'll just knock out the players and make it a final twist. But I still want vaccum outside and zero-gee, so I could do both.

The scientists (named Dave, Frank and Stanley U-KBK) are going to be high programmers and I'm just going to spring the mission on them in a press conference to boost complex morale (not that it ever flags) after their MBT. The High Programmers know about the mission goals, but it's above the players security level.

As for the clones, well there's a machine on board with their DNA.