A C# program to create a static site by extracting data from a MySQL database of the "PARANOIA-Live" forums. "PARANOIA-Live" was a fansite for the science-fiction tabletop RPG 'PARANOIA' that was very popular in the 2000's and early 2010's.
"It seems Phase IV was considered interesting because it was a 'pseudo-MMO' of sorts, focused on life outside of Troubleshooting. The problem with it was that it required a bunch of GM activity to keep conflicts brewing, and that it tried to last a really long time. I understand that in these "uncertain times", trying to solve Phase IV is a bit ridiculous, but here's two possible options:
Create an idle-RPG/lifesim, where players set sliders to indicate what they want their characters to do, and you just see what random events happens as a result of those sliders. Find a way for stats for one player to impact that of another. The complex should keep running on autopilot long after everyone gets bored and walks away.
Running a standard PbtA campaign in real life (ideally, either Apocalypse World or Legacy), only doing some refluffing to match the Alpha Complex setting. The playbooks shouldn't refer to Troubleshooting duties, but refer to other positions (like Service Groups or Secret Societies), so that we pull away from Troubleshooting and focus on other aspects of the complex."
"Troubleshooting, by itself though, is a vague job description, meaning that the GM could throw the players of a normal PARANOIA game anywhere, as long as said GM come up with a good mission briefing.
"Citizens! Internal Security needs your help in infilirating the Romantics secret society and getting them into a turf war against the Communists."
"Citizens! The upper management of C-Mart has been terminated for treason. Take over temporary ownership of this service firm until 'permanent' help arrives!"
"Citizens! Please monitor employee morale in this fun-time circus we're holding to distract the proles, helping out with circus events as appropriate."
And so on and so forth. So maybe the appeal of Phase IV may be...misplaced?
In fact, it's safe to say that Troubleshooters are the 'Swiss army knives' of Alpha Complex, and thus could arguably be used anywhere and everywhere."
If I aim for running 'Phase IV' as a pseudo-MMO, I would try to make it a deterministic function, that takes the current time and use it to output the state of the sector at that time.
Some notes from the PARANOIA discord:
"It seems Phase IV was considered interesting because it was a 'pseudo-MMO' of sorts, focused on life outside of Troubleshooting. The problem with it was that it required a bunch of GM activity to keep conflicts brewing, and that it tried to last a really long time. I understand that in these "uncertain times", trying to solve Phase IV is a bit ridiculous, but here's two possible options:
"Troubleshooting, by itself though, is a vague job description, meaning that the GM could throw the players of a normal PARANOIA game anywhere, as long as said GM come up with a good mission briefing.
"Citizens! Internal Security needs your help in infilirating the Romantics secret society and getting them into a turf war against the Communists."
"Citizens! The upper management of C-Mart has been terminated for treason. Take over temporary ownership of this service firm until 'permanent' help arrives!"
"Citizens! Please monitor employee morale in this fun-time circus we're holding to distract the proles, helping out with circus events as appropriate."
And so on and so forth. So maybe the appeal of Phase IV may be...misplaced? In fact, it's safe to say that Troubleshooters are the 'Swiss army knives' of Alpha Complex, and thus could arguably be used anywhere and everywhere."
If I aim for running 'Phase IV' as a pseudo-MMO, I would try to make it a deterministic function, that takes the current time and use it to output the state of the sector at that time.