AI shells.

[Pratepresidenten]

Ive bumped across this on some server, I cant remember where. And I thought it was super nifty, and could possibly help a lot during deadhour.

What is it?

Well, from what Ive pulled up on various wikis is that the AI shell is a small drone with a limited toolset, capable of dragging things around and interacting with machinery around it. There's also a secondary option where you can install an AI interface chip into a completed borg shell to allow the AI to intergrate with it and use it as a normal borg, or something of the sort.

So the suggestion is to make this a thing here too. It would give robotics a little more functionality if there's an AI present, and it would give the AI more functionality to be physically present if there's a need for it to be. Setting up the engine, patching a few holes, operating or acting as security aid, depending on which shell its inhabiting.

Perhaps to counter power-swapping between shells/borgs there could be a cooldown between uploads unless the shell it was inhabiting is destroyed or something. (The destruction of the AI core would obviously shut down everything).

So the tradeoff here would be omnipresence for limited physical interactability. If you're on-site, you cant spy and help out everywhere.

But what if there is no robotics to make the borgs or shells?

I was thinking that the AI core would spawn with a dormant shell it could inhabit if needed.

[VTCobaltblood]

This is from Goon. The AI can easily go back and forth from a cyborg with an AI interface (it's inserted instead of a brain) to its usual self. However, if you want to help the station yourself, why even pick the role of an AI? Why not play a borg? The whole point of playing AI, in my opinion, are its unique ways to interact with the environment and crew without being present physically.

[Lord Lag]

This would be really cool for deadhour AI, I'd love it.

[Conspiir]

I don't know. I feel like if you pick AI, you're doing it to be omnipresent. If we add this, it's just like a better borg. You can be physically present AND omnipresent whenever you want.

[Pratepresidenten]

I don't know. I feel like if you pick AI, you're doing it to be omnipresent. If we add this, it's just like a better borg. You can be physically present AND omnipresent whenever you want.

 

Thing is though, you wont be a better borg if there's a lockout period involved, not to mention, robotics has to make a conscious choice about installing an interface chip in a borg shell, so you cant just hijack any shell to do whatever you want.

As for the shell itself, it probably only comes with a limited selection of tools, like a wrench, screwdriver, multitool or something.

The healthpool of the shell would be laughable, like a critter for example. Good for two hits or maybe one if you're feeling extra cruel!

Your primary function is to be the all-seeing AI. This is more of an auxiliary function that you use sparingly.

[Asheram]

Now, if it was a permanent migration then I'd be all for it. But for continuous movement back and forth I'm not so keen on this.

[Butterrobber202]

The AI's whole thing is that it can literally interface with every single electronic on the station, the drawback BEING it can’t interface with anything physically. This would obviously throw that intended flaw out the window and heavily increase their power.

For balance sake, -1