Rise of the Machines

[Saiyajinzoningen]

This will be a long meandering content request. Read at your own will.

Also, I am aware this could be realized via AE but I'm allergic 😏

 

As players we team up all the time to deal with massive threats.

Most of the time our foes do not team up. Perhaps it's a lack of trust, or a major difference in core values.

Machines have no such weakness. Nearly every hero/Villian group has an android or 2 on their side.

So, in a world with time travel/dimensional hopping/magic powers/aliens/giant monsters/weapons of mass destruction

and at least 10 different robot models of various size types and design. Where is the AI uprising task force?

 

For now, let's call the AV for this proposed task force Skynet (cause we all know what Skynet is)

Skynet would pull in robots and machines from all factions. There would be healer bots, shield bots flying bots and tankbots

These assets already exist in game and would create a new group with animosity to both heroes and villains alike. (Heck maybe even throw in some nanobot infected freakshow lol) 

 

The TF would require a team from 4-8 folks (any side).  The TF would take place in a tower (which is actually a giant antenna). Upon entering the tower the team could split up. Half the team could go up to disable the broadcast energy transmitter (Yo Joe!) the other half could go down to dismantle the thermo-electric generator that powers the tower. There would be a timer before Skynet commands all machines on site to self destruct destroying both the tower and players inside. There are 6 floors in the tower. 3 up and 3 down. Elevators are locked unless the unique guarded boss is defeated. Each defeated floor in either direction adds 5 minutes to the timer.

 

If a team chooses to not split up at the beginning there will be constant ambushes from the rear attempting to pincer the team. 

Both the BET and the TEG are large destroyable objects guarded by EB's/AV's. 1 foe will attack the team while the other attempts to repair the BET/TEG module. (strategy is key here as both foes will attack the team together if the module is undamaged). 

 

Once the BET & TEG are destroyed the signal controlling the machines in the city is disabled and the power source of the satellite shield incapacitated. Without power the tower begins to collapse, and the teams can escape via their teleporters BUT......

 

The teleport signal has been co-opted by Skynet. The Entire team has been teleported into Skynet's orbital satellite. Skynet plans to self destruct by altering its trajectory to crash into terra volta, the resulting explosion would destroy half the planet. The team has to face controlled Citadel+Siege &/or Luminary+Nightstar. When the bosses are near one another they are invulnerable and must be pulled away from one another to do damage. If one boss is down and the other gets close enough, they can resurrect one another.

 

Once the bosses are down the manual override that will allow players to steer Skynet into the ocean will become available. However, Skynet is determined to have the last laugh. The manual override must be controlled throughout the entire decent. One player must sacrifice themselves to save all. That player will gain the "Took one for the team badge". Upon success all players gain a prismatic android costume (collect them all)

 

Thanks for reading this far. Stay safe out there everyone 🙂 

 

[Techwright]

4 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

This will be a long meandering content request. Read at your own will.

 

I'm still trying to finish reading your forum name.  This will be a while.  😉

 

4 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

For now, let's call the AV for this proposed task force Skynet (cause we all know what Skynet is.

 

First thought:  What person or faction creates this particular A.I.?  First to come to mind is Dr. Aeon, but that's kind of a soft target.  Perhaps dabbling with someone else's stable A.I. triggers it, such as messing with a Rikti A.I.?  (I realize that's essentially Tony Stark creating Ultron in the MCU, so...homage piece.)

 

4 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

Skynet would pull in robots and machines from all factions. There would be healer bots, shield bots flying bots and tankbots

These assets already exist in game and would create a new group with animosity to both heroes and villains alike. (Heck maybe even throw in some nanobot infected freakshow lol)

 

Just so long as it doesn't include the Primal Clockwork due to their unique origin, design, and power source.  Praetorian Clockwork brought over to the Primal Universe would be fine, though.  Infected Freakshow might be good for some dark, hilarious dialog if the human part of the cyborg is alert but not in control.  I wonder: for the sake of the task force storyline, could synchronization mean a slight increase in attack speed and movement in all robots?  That would, of course, be a bit more challenging.

 

4 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

The TF would require a team from 4-8 folks (any side).  The TF would take place in a tower (which is actually a giant antenna). Upon entering the tower the team could split up. Half the team could go up to disable the broadcast energy transmitter (Yo Joe!) the other half could go down to dismantle the thermo-electric generator that powers the tower. There would be a timer before Skynet commands all machines on site to self destruct destroying both the tower and players inside. There are 6 floors in the tower. 3 up and 3 down. Elevators are locked unless the unique guarded boss is defeated. Each defeated floor in either direction adds 5 minutes to the timer.

 

First image that comes to mind when reading "tower" and "giant antenna" would be a visual homage building to Tesla's "free energy" tower.   Splitting up is interesting.  I can see the timer for sake of gameplay, but honestly, even a human could figure out that blowing up the enemy at first chance is a more practical move.  That said, remember I mentioned the dark humor?  Infected Freakshow could be telling players there's a timer, maybe even occasionally stating the time remaining (I believe we have the mechanic for that already.  There are street NPCs that give us changing stats like timekeeping, yes?)   It's machines:  why does it need to be one boss? Perhaps the Terminator franchise has conditioned us to think one at a time. I'd tend to think "swarm" with evil A.I. machines.  Yes, you have more opponents in later fights, but I'd feel that might need to be a constant. Perhaps two Elite Bosses per player present? Or a few Elite Bosses teamed with an AV? Or an AV who can repeatedly summon hordes like a tougher version of Gang War?

 

4 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

Once the BET & TEG are destroyed the signal controlling the machines in the city is disabled and the power source of the satellite shield incapacitated. Without power the tower begins to collapse, and the teams can escape via their teleporters BUT......

 

The teleport signal has been co-opted by Skynet. The Entire team has been teleported into Skynet's orbital satellite. Skynet plans to self destruct by altering its trajectory to crash into terra volta,

 

I like the unexpected (story-wise) move of co-opting the teleport to send the A.I.'s enemy crashing into the planet, but it's an A.I.: would it really have to "self destruct" or would it be trying to move itself out to the world wide web, while crashing the satellite at the same time?  One of the tremendously scary things about an evil A.I. is the thought that it might never be entirely eliminated if it's out there in cyberspace.  An archvillain immortal, and likely to strike again at any time.

 

4 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

Skynet plans to self destruct by altering its trajectory to crash into terra volta, the resulting explosion would destroy half the planet.

 

More like an explosion the size of...Belgium.   Well that's a bit underwhelming.  Ten minutes to Belgium!   Honestly, I'm not sure a crashing satellite from orbit, even with a nuclear reactor to help, would cause a scale like that of the dinosaur extinction.  It should, however, cause a city-sized explosion, and worse, a radioactive fallout for a huge area.  That's every bit as important to stop.

 

4 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

Once the bosses are down the manual override that will allow players to steer Skynet into the ocean will become available. However, Skynet is determined to have the last laugh. The manual override must be controlled throughout the entire decent. One player must sacrifice themselves to save all. That player will gain the "Took one for the team badge". Upon success all players gain a prismatic android costume (collect them all)

 

This fits with my thought that the A.I. might not be in the satellite but causing havok from cyberspace.  The special badge is an interesting wrinkle, however, despite their few numbers, there are perma-death player out there.  Should they make it this far, they'd never be able to earn this badge, unless there was some agreement that this doesn't count.

 

 

 

Edited March 16 by Techwright
Minor info addition

[Greycat]

3 hours ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

Where is the AI uprising task force?

 

 

While it's not a *task force,* I'm just going to mention there's at least one ... fairly sure Council, not Column, arc that starts doing a bit of the "AI uprising" thing.

 

That said, while in theory I like the idea of "the team has to split up," in *practice* I see it possibly being problematic - not every team is "8 individuals who can solo entire continents," after all. (I say this as someone who, back in the day, had an RP sg large enough I could write 2-3 *simultaneously occuring* AEs and have near full teams on them, and often wished they could affect each other - so, again, I like the *idea.* I'm just doubtful about its ability to execute well in game.) Yes, the Summer blockbuster does it, but on smaller, brief tasks and without too much opposition for a character to handle, if any (typically whoever's in the server room, and patrols can be dodged.)

 

About the only other thing I'd have some sort of issue with is the last, "took one for the team" bit. Mostly because ... well, while it's cinematic, it falls into the "railroading your character" trap. For instance, if I were playing this with the rest of my RP-ing folks, I'd have my Warshade do this. Why? Because if we're going down over the ocean, there's a point where it's not going to be able to divert enough to do anything *but* crash into the ocean and they can inherently teleport away. I'm one of those folks who *really* doesn't like being told what my character did without my input. (Another reason I don't do much redside, since it quite often tells you you've done something that either you wouldn't or that you *really* wouldn't.)

 

So... idea for it? Like the theme. It hasn't been touched on much. This *specific* execution? Issues with some details. (and ... minor nitpick, while having something crash into a nuclear reactor would be *bad,* it wouldn't explode... not in that way, at least. But, again, I know, cinematic-logic 🙂 )

 

[Rudra]

I don't like the "took one for the team" part. That's a cheap way to write off characters. Hells, even in Justice League looked at the cliche of a trope and said "Nope". When Batman was steering the League's orbiting base to crash into the Hawks' facility to keep it from wiping out Earth, Superman tore his way back into the falling station looking rather pissed as he grabbed Batman and flew him out of the station before it hit. There are so many ways around that self sacrifice bit. The players can disable the steering thrusters after setting the course and then all leave. A flying character can steer the satellite down until it is impossible to redirect to unwanted areas, tear or blast their way out, and fly off. A teleporting character can just teleport out after redirecting the satellite becomes pointless and keep teleporting to safety. The controls that steer the satellite can be destroyed after setting course with the same effect as destroying steerage thrusters. Creative players can figure out even more ways. I don't like perma-death scenarios in video games.

 

Setting aside my pet peeve over forced character death, the AI itself doesn't make sense. The OP reads like the AI is suicidal and so makes all its bots also suicidal. Destroying its own facilities and combat force as anything other than absolute last resort is not a sensible AI. You can take a page from the TF or SF (I can't remember which version) where you fight Reischman at the end, but instead of just 20 minutes of constant ambushes, the mission can spawn constant ambushes of drone swarms or combat bots or whatever that the players have to deal with. And to keep it from being a farm, make these constant ambush units worth 0 xp and inf' or very little xp and inf'. Have the AI doggedly defending its assets rather than throwing them away. Only have the AI destroy its assets when that asset is lost to take out the team and deny assets to its enemies. (Edit: If you want a timer, make it something other than the AI throwing its assets away. Like you have X time before the AI's system at that facility finishes breaking through military firewalls and seizing military drone vehicles and combat robots, making the AI effectively unassailable through conventional means. Or it is hacking into nuclear control systems across the globe and if you don't complete the mission in time, the world is a nuclear apocalypse. [Which obviously won't happen because of game reasons, but it does fail the TF.]) (Edit again: Or the timer could be the time before the AI activates a floor defense system which instant wipes out the party on the floor. So defeating the floor boss guarding the elevator buys you time by virtue of being on a different floor than the one the AI just triggered as death trap.)

 

I do like the split the team for different objectives part, as long as it is not mandatory and the objectives are not linked for destruction or deactivation at the same time. The team faces a harder fight if they split up, but the mission provides benefits for doing so. Conversely, teams that stay together face easier fights for being able to directly aid each other in combat, but there are mission penalties for doing so.

 

Edit: Also, you're going to run into network and coding problems between different factions. Praetorian and Rikti assets would most likely have had their networking and programming evolve differently than on Primal Earth. So they wouldn't be able to interface with a Primal AI without some external adjustments. And most of what we think are robots in Arachnos are actually robotic shells operated by a human head inside the 'robot'.

Edited April 11 by Rudra

[Saiyajinzoningen]

27 minutes ago, Rudra said:

I don't like the "took one for the team" part. That's a cheap way to write off characters. Hells, even in Justice League looked at the cliche of a trope and said "Nope". When Batman was steering the League's orbiting base to crash into the Hawks' facility to keep it from wiping out Earth, Superman tore his way back into the falling station looking rather pissed as he grabbed Batman and flew him out of the station before it hit. There are so many ways around that self sacrifice bit. The players can disable the steering thrusters after setting the course and then all leave. A flying character can steer the satellite down until it is impossible to redirect to unwanted areas, tear or blast their way out, and fly off. A teleporting character can just teleport out after redirecting the satellite becomes pointless and keep teleporting to safety. The controls that steer the satellite can be destroyed after setting course with the same effect as destroying steerage thrusters. Creative players can figure out even more ways. I don't like perma-death scenarios in video games.

 

agreed its a cheap trope but this game is full of those. 

 

28 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Setting aside my pet peeve over forced character death, the AI itself doesn't make sense. The OP reads like the AI is suicidal and so makes all its bots also suicidal. Destroying its own facilities and combat force as anything other than absolute last resort is not a sensible AI. You can take a page form the TF or SF (I can't remember which version) where you fight Reischman at the end, but instead of just 20 minutes of constant ambushes, the mission can spawn constant ambushes of drone swarms or combat bots or whatever that the players have to deal with. And to keep it from being a farm, make these constant ambush units worth 0 xp and inf' or very little xp and inf'. Have the AI doggedly defending its assets rather than throwing them away. Only have the AI destroy its assets when that asset is lost to take out the team and deny assets to its enemies.

 

Impossible to say to what degree an AI would have self preservation instincts.

 

29 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Edit: Also, you're going to run into network and coding problems between different factions. Praetorian and Rikti assets would most likely have had their networking and programming evolve differently than on Primal Earth. So they wouldn't be able to interface with a Primal AI without some external adjustments. And most of what we think are robots in Arachnos are actually robotic shells operated by a human head inside the 'robot'.

 

The AI exists mostly in hyperspace and can interact with most non-chemical based gizmos. Its main objective is to wipe out carbon based life forms in this dimension and then use portal corp technology to spread its influence throughout the multiverse.  If ironman gets hacked while inside the suit, the suit controls his physical movements.

[Rudra]

1 hour ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

Impossible to say to what degree an AI would have self preservation instincts.

It's not a question of self-preservation. It's a question of logical and efficient use of resources. The presented AI doesn't seem like it lacks self-preservation as a goal, it seems like it is actively seeking its own destruction and the destruction of its assets.

 

Edit: Oh, and I should also point out that just because a robotic shell or body includes comms, that doesn't mean there is a CPU to override or take control over, or that those comms are even connected to robotic control systems. In the case of the Freakshow and most of the Arachnos "robots", in order to take over their bodies, you have to attach a control unit to seize control from the organic components that are their control units unless the AI has a means of overwriting or taking over organic brains. In which case, why didn't it just take control of the PCs?

 

(Edit again: That was something I didn't understand or like about the Battlestar Galactica reboot. "We have to go low tech or the Cylons will remotely take over our craft!" Uhm, why not just make your ships and fighters without remote radio or wireless control or software access? If you limit access to your computer systems to physical interfaces rather than radio or wireless update capabilities, then they can't be remotely seized and you can use as state of the art electronic systems as you want. Best defense against remote hacking? "Air gapping". Keep your systems isolated except for direct physical, in-person access. You still have networked comms, and you include as many counter-measures as you can against Cylon interception, jamming, and mimicry as you can, but if your control systems are isolated and can only be changed at the base/ship by direct hands-on access, then the Cylons having exceptional remote hacking ability means nothing unless they attach a drone or other launched device that burrows into the craft and then overrides the computer software.)

Edited April 11 by Rudra

[Techwright]

How extensive would take-over be?  Would Robot masterminds have a percentage deficit of some sort to represent a struggle to control their minions?  Would Nemesis automatons and other machines, including cybernetics be affected, forceably co-opting the War Hulks, despite the human component? Or does Nemesis work entirely with bleeding-edge analog computers, and thus have an isolated network?

[Rudra]

1 minute ago, Techwright said:

How extensive would take-over be?  Would Robot masterminds have a percentage deficit of some sort to represent a struggle to control their minions?  Would Nemesis automatons and other machines, including cybernetics be affected, forceably co-opting the War Hulks, despite the human component? Or does Nemesis work entirely with bleeding-edge analog computers, and thus have an isolated network?

The Warhulks are basically exo-suits more so than robots. They would be largely immune like the Freakshow and most of the Arachnos bots. The regular automatons use the most advanced primitive computers ever. So they would also likely be largely immune due to differences in control systems. Especially since they seem to lack networking capability.

 

Robot MMs are defined by the game as having absolute control over their bots so no one can take control away, yet they are affected by confusion attacks just fine. So Robotics MMs could be handled in one or more of three ways: the bots remain loyal to the MM for some reason, the bots underperform as the MM struggles to maintain control and the bots process conflicting commands, or the MM is fucked and rendered petless with their pets adding to the numbers of opponents.

[Saiyajinzoningen]

24 minutes ago, Techwright said:

How extensive would take-over be?  Would Robot masterminds have a percentage deficit of some sort to represent a struggle to control their minions?  Would Nemesis automatons and other machines, including cybernetics be affected, forceably co-opting the War Hulks, despite the human component? Or does Nemesis work entirely with bleeding-edge analog computers, and thus have an isolated network?

 

since this is all currently theoretical lets go with all cybernetic assets currently in game for now.

Robot MM's would get a passive stealth buff because the AI considers them allied units. 

as far as cyborgs like warhulks and the like,

if they are more machine than bio they get co opted

but if all you got is a bionic arm then you are fine.

The AI is like a ephemeral brain.

The brain can control all the individual components of a body regardless of how far away or how different in structure it is from other components.

Your tongue and toe are very different things but are both controlled by your brain connected via your nervous system.

The AI's nervous system is the electromagnetic field of the earth.

[Rudra]

50 minutes ago, Saiyajinzoningen said:

 

since this is all currently theoretical lets go with all cybernetic assets currently in game for now.

Robot MM's would get a passive stealth buff because the AI considers them allied units. 

as far as cyborgs like warhulks and the like,

if they are more machine than bio they get co opted

but if all you got is a bionic arm then you are fine.

The AI is like a ephemeral brain.

The brain can control all the individual components of a body regardless of how far away or how different in structure it is from other components.

Your tongue and toe are very different things but are both controlled by your brain connected via your nervous system.

The AI's nervous system is the electromagnetic field of the earth.

Problems with that?

 

Shielded Wires: A basic shielded wire, that is, a wire with basically a wire mesh wrapped around its core insulator that is then covered in an insulator, are in common use. Their purpose is to take stray electromagnetic signals, like say from an EMP or strong fields, and shunt them away from the system wiring and into ground. So basic shielded wires prevents system co-op by the AI through passive fields such as the earth's electromagnetic field. (Edit: Unless the computer itself is not shielded for some reason.)

 

Shielded/Hardened Computers: There are computer systems that are hardened against EMP and other EMI to ensure their proper operation even in intense fields. Like with shielded wires, they take any external electromagnetic signal and run them to ground, away from the computer itself.

 

Non-Networked Systems: Computers are set up to receive signals in a specific manner. Networked systems are linked via landlines or wireless transmission, with radios being an option. If the computer is not set up to accept external data inputs, then no external data is going to reach the computer to alter its coding.

 

Non-Computer Control Systems: If there is no constructed computer of some type to operate the system, then control of the system must be accomplished by other means. In most cases, this means mechanical interaction with an operator. If the system is mechanically operated by an operator with no computers controlling system functions, then attempts to override the system with a computer will fail. You will need another operator to go in and mechanically operate the system or you will need to add a computer control system to the system as its operator. Computer controls cannot spontaneously generate themselves out of thin air. The same also applies with cybernetic systems. If an organic brain is the control system, then no amount of computer override or reprogramming is going to do anything since the computer system is the hardwired organic brain. Again, a computer control would need to be physically added to the system in order to take control away. Combined cybernetic-robotic systems like Malta Titans however, would likely be susceptible since precedent has already been established that the battle computer has priority control over the system with the organic brain being used as a reference system.

 

 

I get what you are trying to do, but it doesn't just blanket work because something looks or acts like a robot. It doesn't matter where the AI itself is or what it uses for its nervous system, there are technical problems it just can't overcome on multiple in game unit types. Now if you want to move away from science fiction and just say it magically seizes control of the units? Then you also have to explain why it isn't also taking over organic systems like humans with our organic computers and wiring. (Edit: The fastest means of wiping out organic life if something can just seize anything like a computer or robot without consideration to hardening practices and technological safeguards, or organic control of the system, is to seize control of the organic computer systems organic life uses and have the lifeforms self-terminate.)

 

Edit again: Even in things like Terminator, the machines rise up from a central point and spread out by producing more of themselves. They also seize control of vulnerable systems to expand their network. If a system is not accessible, then they have to go to that system and physically link it into their network. That's why shows like the Battlestar Galactica reboot are so annoying to people like me because it basically throws out what is already common knowledge and simple safeguards to make an enemy seem more imposing and dangerous than they should be.

 

(Edit yet again: Want to know a good way to either make a technician laugh or curse? Make them watch most sci-fi and emphasize the tech being used. You'll get a fairly wide range of reactions depending on the person as common equipment is mis-represented, misnamed, and misused. It can be difficult to get out of a maintenance/repair mind set even when watching or playing fiction.)

Edited April 14 by Rudra

[Player2]

Ehh...  I could do without a Terminator ripoff.  We have lots of robot content in the game; we don't need to make it about the plot of a movie franchise that has been done to death all kinds of twists and turns.  Honestly, you could have gotten me more on board with a Maximum Overdrive reference, but even that would have been on shaky ground in my view.  I'd rather see an uprising of stuff we don't normally see in pop culture references.  The pigeon attacks during the Mapserver event made me think more could be done with this... lets have lots of bird attacks and make a The Birds movie event.  But to make it truly threatening it might require a lot more birds on screen to make a swarm feel more threatening than other invasion events with normal-sized foes.