I may have started repeating myself. Forgive me if I have I’m getting old and my memory isn’t what it used to me.

In the past when talking about the Paranoia RPG I may have mentioned possible influences to use when as the GM you play friend computer.

For me there are four famous or infamous computers that come to mind that can be channeled when playing the computer.

Those being GlaDOS from the Portal games, Eddie the computer from Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, Max Headroom from the tv series and the most obvious of all Hal9000 from 2001.

Choosing any of them as the inspiration for playing friend computer would be cool. But even cooler mashing up the personalities during a session. I like the idea of a multiple personality computer. You could use a die roll to choose which one makes an appearance when friend computer has to interact with the troubleshooters.

I think having a sheet or two of appropriate quotes for which one(s) you are using as inspiration is a good idea. For instance this website has all the lines of dialog for GlaDOS. Go0gle is your friend here, as is watching/reading the source material.

If you are a patreon of Matt Colville you can get a pdf of the computer dialog he wrote for the introductory mission [YOUR SECURITY CLEARANCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH FOR THE TITLE OF THIS ADVENTURE]. Which was by the way inspired by Eddie the computer. I’ve also included the streamed play through below. There aren’t many streamed play throughs of RPGs I can watch, but this is one of the few I can.

Mongoose publishing have an official product the RAM deck that is full of wisdom from friend computer for a GM to share with the troubleshooters.

Which ever way you decide to play friend computer, wherever you get inspiration from, it’s an opportunity to have fun.