Opinions on the new "Troubleshooters" book

[GamerDude]

I've been going through my copies of Paranoia:Troubleshooters (yes 3 copies, the black book and two regulars... I never am without one to read in my house) and I've been paying close attention to the graphics.

Now, I understand the XP version used mostly stuff from the original sets, and didn't look as sharp as we're used to from Mongoose, but the new graphics are a bit too different.

Don't get me wrong, they are great graphics well done, but they're not the classic style we've come to love and in fact feel very cartoonish/anime. That's all fine and good but for me the old illustraitions were a huge part of the game.

Also, some of the MDB badges don't work anymore... like the 'team leader' badge. The "target" on it was a blast but the new one looks like an eyeball... and like 5 of my friends have had a similar reaction to it (they've all played Paranoia with me before and have seen the badge).

Anyone got a diff take on the new graphics?

 

[Danforth]

Now, I understand the XP version used mostly stuff from the original sets, and didn't look as sharp as we're used to from Mongoose, but the new graphics are a bit too different.

Some of the changes to the MBD badges seem a bit random, like the Team Leader one, and the replacement "character" on the Hygeine Officer one, but like you say they are in higher res now, compared to certain ones in the 2004 rules, which is a Good Thing.

Still, for the Hygeine one particularly, I'm tempted to find the 2nd ed originals and make my own scans.

 

[Arkku]

I find the new illustrations too modern and mostly they just try to be "humorous", when they should be "darkly humorous" to set the proper mood. There was something about those 50's styled illustrations that was hilarious and yet so sinister at the same time—I think the a huge part of the authentic Paranoia mood was that style of illustration.

The only good thing I can say about the new illustrations is that most of them are easy to ignore (unlike the horror show in 5th edition). But I feel that "25th anniversary edition" should not have been made without the Paranoia artist. If he was unavailable to draw new ones, the old illustrations should have been recycled yet again.

 

[Arkku]

Also, some of the MDB badges don't work anymore... like the 'team leader' badge.

I got so carried away ranting about other illustrations that I forgot about the badges. Personally I never thought the original badges (2nd edition) were particularly good because they seemed like something that was made for the player instead of something issued to a troubleshooter in Alpha Complex. Of course, that's an entirely valid way of making them, but I'd have preferred something more authentic and less self-aware, e.g. what's the in-game justification for a bull's eye on the team leader?

In this sense, the new eyeball-like team leader badge is actually an improvement—it's obvious why the computer's eye would be on such a badge, but the joke is that it just happens to look like a bull's eye. Meanwhile the other new badges are a catastrophe; looks like a game designer attempted to try their hand at graphic design (or the illustrator can't handle vector graphics). So, I'd use the new badge for team leader and the classic badges for others, or make my own, or just skip the badges altogether.

 

[GamerDude]

I appreciate the input, and see we're in many ways of the same minds and opinions.

I love the badges when I run a game, and they seem to help the players get 'in the mood' .

If I come up with something I can post, I'll do that. (I want to get the badges re-done in color).

 

[Arkku]

An idea I've been toying with has been using clippings of (real world) communist propaganda artwork combined with scanned classic Paranoia artwork to create new badges. For example, the new equipment officer's badge is already a hammer and screwdriver, so one could use the hammer from the hammer and sickle for that, and the red background would be fitting for a typical troubleshooter's clearance, etc. Maybe I'm a commie traitor, but I think this kind of style would suit the game (plus it'd be suspicious for any character to point out the commie symbolism in their badge, etc).

 

[Weet-R-BIX]

The illustrations that I have seen from the new range of books are one of the things that stopped me from buying them. They are far too reminiscent of the 5th edition rulebook. Better executed, but they still have that 'comic book' feel to them.