Tying AI functionalities to external devices [feedback wanted]

[Recusor]

AFT

This importantly spreads the functionality of AIs out away from its core and opens up potential counterplay to a rogue AI that's more than just RCD'ing into its core and killing it. The drives would likely be scattered around, with most of them in the Computer Core and some in the AI Core, with maybe one in the RD's office, one in the Bridge, one in Robotics (as Robotics should be able to print some simpler/fun upgrades), etc. They would all have some level of ID locks, potentially depending on where they are, but it should be possible to bypass them maybe.

As a potential additional mechanic, the tapes themselves would be wholly unlabeled, but come in boxes with actual labels on them; this means that an AI could convince someone to load in a dangerous tape that one of the borgs found. I am a big fan of antags convincing people to do things for them while keeping the person clueless as to their real intentions.

Love this idea. Super super cool. Here are my ideas for initial rack locations for the basic function tapes:

Bridge Comms Room-
No announcement cooldown
No shuttle call cooldown
PDA text shortcut on examine
One-time shuttle recall

RD Office OR Telesci
GPS tracker

Security - HOS office?
Thermal vision
Max limit of 5 viewports instead of 1 (Is this technically feasible? I feel like no at the moment?)

Engineering (SMES or CE office)
Overloading lights
Ability to temporarily bypass cut AI wires (on cooldown and possibly limited uses)

Computer Core
No cooldown on jumping between mobs/cameras
No camera movement speed debuff

I am at the moment a big fan of making a secret room, wiring it to the network and makign a data terminal and DWAINE console for sekrit conversations with the AI right now. I think that it would be pretty sweet to be able to make your own rack hidden on the station somewhere. Some balance considerations around that idea:

For the less secure method, maybe you can make one with metal sheets, rods and wires similar to a console creation. For more secure method, maybe you need to use a device analyzer on a rack to make it. This means that you would need to physically get close to one of the many racks spread around the station. For an even more secure method maybe the device analyzer needs to be emagged/traitor version. Wherever its made would need a data terminal and wired connection to network.

DAnger Noodle

The tape racks should be ID locked with a hacking functionality that lets people without access use them any maybe a secondary effect if you pulse/cut the wrong wire where the AI is alerted in big text about what you're doing.

I love this idea. Even after making the rack you then need to hack it effectively. Maybe if an unauthorized connection comes through to the AI they can permanently or temporarily block connections from that address for a period of time.

Allow the AI to make copies of some tapes, with a limited capacity for this. Some would naturally be blacklisted, of course, and when I say 'copy', I more so mean rendering the original tape inert and converting some rare blank tapes to contain the upgrades from the original tape. This could be a noisy and/or flashy procedure which takes some time and can be interrupted, with the column loudly whirring and winding and rewinding the tape, before ejecting the ruined tape.

What if you could save one tape at a time to a networked DWAINE Computer? This would definitely take time, and would only serve to be able to then copy the saved data to a blank tapedrive that could be installed later. Smart AI backs up a tape -> someone removes said tape - AI cant access functionality -> intrepid HoP puts blank disk back in -> AI can copy command to the blank disk -> works again.  Too roundabout?

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Just to add one about backing up to a networked DWAINE computer - You would need to find a console, remember which console has which backup and type the commands in yourself as AI to do this effectively.