Welcome! These forums will be deactivated by the end of this year. The conversation continues in a new morph over on Discord! Please join us there for a more active conversation and the occasional opportunity to ask developers questions directly! Go to the PS+ Discord Server.

Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My

8 posts / 0 new
Last post
Albertorius Albertorius's picture
Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My
Hiya all, One of my player in the campaign I'm prepping wants to go heavy on the drone rigger route, and one of the things he has done is purchasing a combat-modified arachnoid morph with the main purpose of having it piloted most of the time by an AI, so I'm going to have to modify or do from scratch a "combat AI" for that. What stats and costs would be sensible for something like that? My original idea was to use a vehicle/bot AI with skillsofts for weapons, but the arachnoid does not really need to be piloted, and having a COO of 10 its combat skills with skillsofts go only up to 50 (which I don't see as so bad, but the player got kinda underwhelmed) Thanks in advance for ny help ^_^
CodeBreaker CodeBreaker's picture
Re: Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My
Quick Edit: Just a reminder (Because I have noticed some people don't remember), at character creation all Morphs are purchased with CP, not credits. CodeBreaker, to the Rescue! Ages ago (Like, a year ago) I wrote up a Tachikoma for someone, and I also figured how to make custom AI/Muses that line up with those in the books. Fist, how to make a custom AI to drive about the Tachikoma; Moderate = 150CP High = 300CP Expensive = 400CP All Aptitudes start at 10 All Aptitudes are limited to a rating of 20 All Active Skills are limited to a rating of 40 All Knowledge Skills are limited to a rating of 90 All CP Costs are equal to those for Character Creation You make it just like you would a normal character, except it has the amount of CP that you are willing to buy for it. If you only want to spend Moderate then you get 150CP to play with. Expensive, and you get 400CP. Get it? And on the off chance that you want something that really resembles a Tachikoma from either the movies or the anime, I happen to have one of those. Actually I happen to have quite a few of them, of varying costs and ability. First, the original writeup that I did last year when the game first came out. Tachikoma Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain, 360 Vision, Chameleon Coating/Skin, Direction Sense, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Vision, Eidetic Memory, Grip Pads, Hardened Skeleton, Heavy Combat Armour, Hidden Compartment, Hyper Linguist, Math Boost, Mental Speed, Mnemonic Augmentation, Pneumatic Limbs, Puppet Sock, Weapon Mount, Wrist-Mounted Tools. Mobility System: Walker (4/20) Wheeled (6/40) Web Sling (0/60) Aptitude Maximum: 40 Durability: 80 Wound Threshold: 16 Advantages: Web Launcher Attack (Immobilising, use Exotic Ranged: Web Attack skill), +30 Exotic Ranged: Web Attack skill, +5 COO, +10 REF, +10 SOM, Armour 16/16 Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Full Robot), Large/Heavy (+10 to hit in combat) CP Cost: 170 Credit Cost: Expensive(100,000 Rare) As you can see, expensive as hell. It wasn't really written up for a full blown Eclipse Phase Firewall campaign, simply because it is so massive and horribly expensive for someone who can expect to be vaporized by plasma at any moment. But it might fit in as a gift from Firewall for a few missions or something. Next is a modified version I did a few months ago, which is even more expensive, but slightly cleaner and stronger. MiniTank – The result of CB Industries first foray into cybernetics, the MiniTank is a military grade robotic attack Morph that was designed to act as fire support for special op groups. Featuring multiple mobility enhancements, including a strongly copyrighted web transport system, the MiniTank is touted as being capable in any environment, Zero-G included. When combined with its overwhelming fire power it is a deadly foe at any range. Implants – Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cortical Stack, Cyberbrain, Enhanced Hearing, Enhanced Smell, Enhanced Vision, Heavy Combat Armour, Hidden Compartment, Extra Limbs (6 Legs), Medichines, Mnemonic Augmentation, Neurachem (Level 1), Pneumatic Limbs, T-Ray Emitter, 2 Weapon Mounts (Concealed/Articulated), 360 Vision. Armour Mods – Chameleon Coating, Self-Healing, Thermal Dampening. Mobility System (Walking/Running/Maximum) – Walker (4/24), Wheeled (8/32/120), Thrust Vector (Zero-G 4/20), Webbed (0/40/120), Hopper (4/24/50). Handling – +20 Aptitude Maximum – 40 Speed Modifier – +1 (Neurachem) Durability – 100 Wound Threshold – 25 Advantages – Web Launcher Attack (Immobilising, use Exotic Ranged: Web Attack skill), +30 Exotic Ranged: Web Attack skill, +10 COO, +5 INT, +5 REF, +10 SOM, +5 to one aptitude of the players' choice, 16/25 Armour. Disadvantages – Large/Heavy (+10 to hit in combat), Social Stigma (Military Mech). CP Cost – 200 Credit Cost – Expensive (150,000 Rare) As you can see, very, very expensive. But balanced according to the official morphs. If you do use either of these you should find that they are powerful, but in line cost-wise with everything else.
-
Albertorius Albertorius's picture
Re: Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My
Very interesting, thank you very much! Although with these costs I don't think he'll want to touch the tachikomas with a ten-foot pole =^_^= I have a question, though, I was working under the assumption that the skill ratings for the AIs were provided before adding the Aptitudes, but if I'm reading it right, and taking into account the costs you've stated, the ratings provided are the final ones, is that right? That would mean that the maximums are overall maximums, too, sin't it? I think he'll not be too happy to hear it ^_^, seems I'll have to give him some pointers to equipment. Thanks again!
CodeBreaker CodeBreaker's picture
Re: Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My
When I took the AIs apart skills were counted from the aptitude, added up. So an AI with a COO of 15 only had to buy 25 skill points to get a skill rating of 40. The only way an AI could get higher than a skill rating of 40 is if the morph it is sleeved in adds to the aptitude, either via bonuses or implants. If you want my advise on how to handle it? Beta Forks. They are much better than AI for most tasks, legal throughout the Solar System, and they improve as you do. Plus they don't cost as much.
-
Albertorius Albertorius's picture
Re: Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My
CodeBreaker wrote:
When I took the AIs apart skills were counted from the aptitude, added up. So an AI with a COO of 15 only had to buy 25 skill points to get a skill rating of 40. The only way an AI could get higher than a skill rating of 40 is if the morph it is sleeved in adds to the aptitude, either via bonuses or implants.
Right, I think I get it now. Thanks! As an example: if a "combat Pilot AI" with 10 in all Aptitudes, Hardware: Electronics 40, Infosec 20, Interface 20, Perception 40, Freerunning 40, Energy Weapons 40, Kinetic Weapons 40, Spray Weapons 40, Interest: Arachnoid Specs 60 and Profession: Squad Tactics 60 (for a total of 300 CPs and High Cost) were to be mounted in an Arachnoid Morph (+5 SOM, +10 COO) would have +5 in Freerunning (45) and +10 in Energy Weapons, Kinetic Weapons and Spray Weapons (50), is that right?
Quote:
If you want my advise on how to handle it? Beta Forks. They are much better than AI for most tasks, legal throughout the Solar System, and they improve as you do. Plus they don't cost as much.
That's what I already told him (>_<*), but as he don't have ranged weapons skills other than Spray he think it would not be ideal for him... when he could just load a fork from one of the gun bunnies...
Quincey Forder Quincey Forder's picture
Re: Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My
why not adding the needed skills via psychosurgery on the B-Fork? something I was wondering about (weak) AI in general, is this; can they carry on a 'normal' conversation about their field of competence? And how do they refer to themselves? like Andrew Martin in Bicentennial Man "One is happy to serve"; like a house elf, by its name (incidently, I think that would make a nice domestic robot collector edition.
Quote:
For the 150th Anniversary of Harry Potter's first release, get your own Dobby(r)(tm), Winky(r)(tm) or Kreacher(r)(tm) house elf(r)(tm) robot for a [moderate*] price. The bundle comprises the shell and the pre-configured AI as well as the AR skinning software for your endoptics (* might be [high] in some habitat)
[center] Q U I N C E Y ^_*_^ F O R D E R [/center] Remember The Cant! [img]http://tinyurl.com/h8azy78[/img] [img]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg205/tachistarfire/theeye_fanzine_us...
Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture
Re: Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My
Quincey Forder wrote:
something I was wondering about (weak) AI in general, is this; can they carry on a 'normal' conversation about their field of competence?
I think they will come across as pretty bot-like, but factually correct. "Hiro, what is this?" "Sir, that is a piece of carbonaceous chondrite, approximately 14 cm in diameter. Most likely belongs to the CI group" "How do you know?" "It has a black matrix, lacks chondrules, it shows signs of high fragility and my chemosensor detects characteristic presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons." "Don't you think there is anything strange about it?" "It does have an apparent lack of olivine." "So the fact that it is a meteor that is embedded in the head of my best friend, who is indoors on Luna, doesn't strike you as unusual?!" "Sir, you are right. CI group chondrites are rarely found in the inner solar system.
Quote:
And how do they refer to themselves? like Andrew Martin in Bicentennial Man "One is happy to serve"; like a house elf, by its name (incidently, I think that would make a nice domestic robot collector edition.
I think this depends very much on what personality interface (PI) they have been given. Consider the "Genuine People Personality" of Marvin and the doors in the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, or indeed the personalities of the Tachikomas. While PIs doesn't give them any motivations, it shapes how they respond to things: the Majordomo series from Experta gives a competent butler with a dry wit, the Silversmith series of vehicle AIs speak like they were helpful native guides (you can set which ethnic stereotypes to allow and the level of parody/racism implied), the Zaz interface for domestic appliances makes them snarky or obsequious depending on level of physical threat, and Cognite recently announced a service (Presencia) that takes one of your ego forks and turns it into a PI for suitable AIs - this way your loved ones can have you present in their everyday lives!
Extropian
King Shere King Shere's picture
Re: Tachikomas and combat AIs, Oh My
Regarding AI, AGI and Ego, I have the impression that they don't have a radically different way of data management or requiring all that different psycho-surgery when edited. In other words: their neurological structure is similar. If so this blurs many dividing lines if they haven't already been erased. Rather than inventing a whole new and truly artificial, The AI creators instead most likely decided to copy and mimic "natures" proven infrastructure for brains . The most common "AI" is probably created using tidbits from Gamma Fork & vapour samples. Sure the programs that we today call bots and AI, still exist. But most of them may no longer be considered AI by EP society and regarded as merely unintelligent programs.