I felt the pyramid availability of higher clearance gave a new focus to the game as Troubleshooters rose through the ranks. Mid-clearance citizens have a damned good reason to focus their ire on higher clearance citizens - getting them demoted at any opportunity.
Under what circumstances were you finding death preferable to treason tokens? If you die, yes you lose the tokens, but you can easily find yourself with more and then you're losing two clones or more per mission. If the other players follow the tactic too often, consider:
- playing the tactic against them by providing valuable Docbot support when they least want it
- angle your tactics to ensure you win the turn they're out of the game
- change the rules, removing the another reference from Attacking Loyal Citizens is Bad on page 10. The Computer values all property and that includes you. Troubleshooters who shoot themselves clearly have some kind of defective gene or have suffered Communist reprogramming... therefore, they deserve reprimand (and 2 Treason tokens) so that might learn the error of their ways. Yes, the player can still clean his slate by shooting himself to death... but maybe you should reinforce it isn't the right thing to do in The Computer's eyes.
Alternately, you might want to introduce punishments for clones who kill themselves while traitors. Again, something clearly wrong with that clones template. While the sins of the last clone don't transfer to the new one in the PARANOIA rpg, we can make an exception here. If a clone commits suicide a traitor, compare the amount of treason tokens over their limit to the following table:
1-2 Token(s) Over Limit -- Fines. When the clone replacement arrives, the player must discard two cards at random, then draw one fresh card to replace the loss. If this would reduce the players hand to zero, the mission ends BEFORE the clone arrives at the mission location and they do not benefit from the outcome of the debriefing.
3 Tokens Over Limit -- Probation. Whenever the next clone receives one or more Treason tokens as a result of an Action Card or treasonous act (e.g. shooting a Loyal citizen), flip a coin. If they flip a heads, they lose their next turn.
4 Tokens Over Limit -- Demotion. The clone replacement loses ONE Security Clearance.
5-6 Tokens Over Limit -- Brainscrub. When the clone replacement arrives, the player must continue play with all Action Cards face up on the table.
7 or more Token Over Limit -- Template Erased. The clone replacement arrives busted down to RED Clearance, discards all current Action cards and draws a fresh hand of 5 cards.
Or something like that.
