Andromedans in Gurps Prime Directive

rkbrown1800 · Post by **rkbrown1800** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 11:20 pm

With the publication of Gurps Ultra Tech for fourth edition we now have examples of how robots are treated in fourth edition. It also raises a few questions for a GM trying to come up with stats for Andromedan robots in his game. Specificaly, what sort of AI's do the Andromedan's use for their robots? For those without UT there are four types of AI's.

Drones: Not realy Artificial Inteligence at all, these are more like the militaries modern remote operated vehicles. Lots of robots with more sophisticated AI's may also have the ability to be remotely operated alowing a "dumb" AI to be taken over by a greater inteligence.

Non Volitional AI: Capable of problem solving, and perhaps learning from experience but no free will. A robot with this AI might be smart enough to repair a warp engine if ordered to, but can't haul itself in for regular maintanance without orders.

Volitional AI: As capable of problem solving and free will as an organic mind.

Cyborg Brain: A living brain surgicaly removed from it's body, outfited with a life supourt system and hardware to alow itself to directly accept computer input and output. If there are organic computers already in use someone dismatling a damaged robot might have trouble telling if the computer is a cyborg brain or a biological machine.

Which sort of AI the Andromedans use has impact on how they should be presented in game. Drones for example can be defeated by jaming the control signal (sparing the energy to jam the signal in the middle of a space battle might be a problem though). Non Volitional AI can be outwited by presenting situations they have no orders for. Volitional AI and Cyborgs can be as adaptaable and cunning as any life form, but also as capable of self presurvation, retreat and surrender.

On a related note, Ultra Tech also mentions the posibilities of AI being hardware or software based. Hardware based AI is hard wired into the computer and posibly the robot body. Software based on the other hand can be run on any computer that's powerfull enough. Which are the Andromedan Boarding robots? If they're software based it raises the specter of having a robot find a unsecured port while boarding a starship and uploading itself into the ships computer to take control of the ship.
What's the oficial answer on what sort of AI they use?

terryoc · Post by **terryoc** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:59 am

As far as I know, there IS no official answer yet (in any of the PD stuff I've read - I may have missed something). Why not write something up and submit it?

Nerroth · Post by **Nerroth** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:46 am

There's one interesting nugget from the Rimworld story in Captain's Log 27 - the Andros kidnap 'specimens' of the various species they raid before starting their conquests...

...and it seems there are simulacrum robots which look like humans, Gorns and others aboard their ships! (Maybe even facsimiles based on races from the LMC and Omega, too.)

Coincidence?

(And speaking of robots, you could go wild looking into the Drex, and the robots on the Juggernauts, too.)

Gary

rkbrown1800 · Post by **rkbrown1800** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:15 pm

Nerroth wrote:There's one interesting nugget from the Rimworld story in Captain's Log 27 - the Andros kidnap 'specimens' of the various species they raid before starting their conquests...

...and it seems there are simulacrum robots which look like humans, Gorns and others aboard their ships! (Maybe even facsimiles based on races from the LMC and Omega, too.)

Coincidence?

(And speaking of robots, you could go wild looking into the Drex, and the robots on the Juggernauts, too.)

Gary

You could design AI lenses in Gurps for anything using computer controls. Doomsday machines for instance could have Non Volitional AI's with orders that were way too broad. Even the computers on Federation Starships seem to have Non Volitional AI's, at least based on the depictions in clasic Trek.

I was mainly interested in the andromedans because GPD has pictures and descriptions of the three main types of boarding robots, but no game stats.

Post by **Steve Cole** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 10:30 pm

The "simulacrums" exist so that Andro robots can use the machinery of the race they are boarding. They are not going to "fool" anybody into thinking that they are an actual member of that species. It's just "size and shape" so that, for example, an Andro robot could drive a Gorn steam shovel.

Andro robots are AI and just as smart as humans, although the command and scout robots may be as smart as a smart human.