Alpha Complex is not a place but a state of mind.
It’s a setting, yes—but that doesn’t really get at the essence of Alpha Complex. Other (non-fun) RPGs describe their characteristic settings, their kingdoms and star empires, in voluminous detail. Then they close with some cheery envoi along the lines of, ‘Judiciously adjust individual facts in this compendium to suit your campaign. Take the Duchy of Lower East Barnworth and make it your own.’
Alpha Complex is already your own. It has no hard data—no map, no measurements in square kilometers, no population figures. It has no coherence. It has only a mood, and this book can’t even provide that. You, the Gamemaster, create the Alpha Complex state of mind using this book’s tools. We can’t provide the brain- state, because different GMs create it using different tools.
It boils down to what makes you personally feel paranoid. That’s different for everyone. When you find your particular brand of PARANOIA, your players will too. Then you’ll keep changing it, to keep them guessing. Inconsistency is key.
You may say, ‘That’s the cheesiest excuse for slapdash execution I’ve ever heard, you lazy bastards.’
But this misses the brilliance of our idea!
Through rigorous commitment to principles of responsible game design, we’ve made slapdash execution an essential requirement for the game!
Thank you, thank you. Yes, that’s why we’re Famous Game Designers.