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Official development blog for the PARANOIA roleplaying game. No description is available at your security clearance. The Computer is your friend.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Alpha Complex honorifics 

Wargame designer Brian Train posted on his blog a list of titles (originally from Harper's Magazine, February 2005) allegedly used by "prominent leaders from 160 nations across the world" to refer to North Korean supremo Kim Jong-Il:
Supreme Commander at the Forefront of the Struggle Against Imperialism and the United States

Greatest Saint Who Rules with Extensive Magnanimity

Lode Star of the Twenty-First Century

Best Leader Who Realized Human Wisdom

Leader with Extraordinary Personality

Perfect Picture of Wisdom and Boldness

Eternal Bosom of Hot Love

Master of Literature, Arts, and Architecture

World’s Best Ideal Leader with Versatile Talents

Humankind’s Greatest Musical Genius

Master of the Computer Who Surprised the World

Man with Encyclopedic Knowledge

Guardian Deity of the Planet

Heaven-Sent Hero

Power Incarnate with Endless Creativity

Greatest Man Who Ever Lived

Present-day God

World’s Greatest Writer

This list makes me wonder whether we'd see similar personality-cult honorifics in Alpha Complex. Presumably The Computer would see little purpose in such titles, inasmuch as all loyal citizens are (of course!) casual friends with all other loyal citizens. But status-seeking megalomanic High Programmers (is that redundant?) might persuade The Computer that such titles encourage citizens to ever more diligent service, a la the Hero of Our Complex (HOOC) program. (Though I'm guessing "Master of The Computer Who Surprised the World" wouldn't be on their list.)

This idea would give the setting a rather Chinese Communist feel, as opposed to the more Soviet-era flavor it has traditionally, uh, enjoyed. But Dan Curtis Johnson's tremendous mission "Hunger," in WMD, shows what kind of mileage we can get from judicious Chinese inspiration.

So what kind of titles do you think a glory-hogging ULTRAVIOLET might grab?
Posted by: Allen Varney / 3:42 PM

Comments:
I am... curious which 'prominent world leader' called him Eternal Bosom of Hot Love.

I'm guessing Castro.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : November 14, 2005 11:25 AM
 
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