08-29-2014, 11:32 AM
For the longest time I've wanted to be able to be able to control the little robots: robobuddies, floorbots, bucketbots, etc. I actually was given control of a Partybot once in the distant past and it was one of the most glorious moments of my time in this game. I zipped around blaring party dust at people and it was amazing. So why is it not possible to put brains in boxes instead of cyborgs?
If I had my way, it would be possible to make a number of almost completely useless robots just by sticking brains on/in things, give or take a couple extra parts. Given that people favor the nigh useless broborg already even though it can't do much but be silly, it seems reasonable to make other whimsical monstrosities, too. To prevent issues like them being in the way all the time or blocking doors (because they're not big like people) they should probably act the same way as someone who's laying down or like other robots do in terms of reacting to other PCs (that is, everyone can just walk past/over them so they can't block paths). Abuse issues are taken care of by them not really being able to do much else but be silly and/or hilarious(ly tragic, in some cases). I also have some other non-PC ideas, but take them as you will.
Examples:
Brain + Skull + treads = skullbot, a skull that skitters about and clatters eerily at people. It's a skull on wheels and it acts spooky. Literally no other purpose.
Brain + guardbuddy frame + cell + arm = brainbuddy! Unlike a guardbuddy, it has a brain instead of a module. Its special ability is that it can hug you! That's about it. It can also call you nasty names if the brain is not nice, but whatever, it can't punch you or anything, and it certainly cannot absolutely never ever jump because that's dumb. Now if some lunatic was to maybe try to change that through some electromagnetic interference or something outrageous like that, who knows.
Bucket + feet x2 = Boogiebot, because for some outrageous reason you STILL CANNOT BUILD BOOGIEBOTS, I CANNOT FATHOM WHY THIS TRAVESTY PERSISTS. Also maybe a boogiebrain variation that has a pulsing pink hat on its head and can flip and spin like WOW STYLISH! CHECK OUT THOSE MOVES! If you use human feet instead of robot feet, it isn't as impressive, and if you use two of the same type of feet then it can't dance well at all because it has two left (or right) feet!
Butt + timer + bike horn = fartclock, not a robot technically but just a clock that can be set to fart periodically, for when you want to know (in hilarious fashion) how much time has passed. Replace the bike horn with a vuvuzela for people who are hard to wake up!
Treads + crate + whatever else you figure fits = MULE, because it might be cool to just be able to build them but I see potential for abuse with this so maybe, maybe not, just putting it out there. It'd probably have to be complicated to build, at least.
Clown mask + brain + clown shoes + bike horn + cyborg head = revenge of the robo clown spider, similar to skullbuddy but somehow even more unnerving. It squeaks around on the floor and honks and that's all it can do. Maybe it can talk. Maybe not. Maybe it really shouldn't talk. This is also maybe true of skullbot, but I can't say for sure.
Anyway, those are just some ideas. I've always liked the way a roboticist can throw together a bunch of shit and somehow make a robot servant out of it, but I'd like to see that scope be expanded someday.
If I had my way, it would be possible to make a number of almost completely useless robots just by sticking brains on/in things, give or take a couple extra parts. Given that people favor the nigh useless broborg already even though it can't do much but be silly, it seems reasonable to make other whimsical monstrosities, too. To prevent issues like them being in the way all the time or blocking doors (because they're not big like people) they should probably act the same way as someone who's laying down or like other robots do in terms of reacting to other PCs (that is, everyone can just walk past/over them so they can't block paths). Abuse issues are taken care of by them not really being able to do much else but be silly and/or hilarious(ly tragic, in some cases). I also have some other non-PC ideas, but take them as you will.
Examples:
Brain + Skull + treads = skullbot, a skull that skitters about and clatters eerily at people. It's a skull on wheels and it acts spooky. Literally no other purpose.
Brain + guardbuddy frame + cell + arm = brainbuddy! Unlike a guardbuddy, it has a brain instead of a module. Its special ability is that it can hug you! That's about it. It can also call you nasty names if the brain is not nice, but whatever, it can't punch you or anything, and it certainly cannot absolutely never ever jump because that's dumb. Now if some lunatic was to maybe try to change that through some electromagnetic interference or something outrageous like that, who knows.
Bucket + feet x2 = Boogiebot, because for some outrageous reason you STILL CANNOT BUILD BOOGIEBOTS, I CANNOT FATHOM WHY THIS TRAVESTY PERSISTS. Also maybe a boogiebrain variation that has a pulsing pink hat on its head and can flip and spin like WOW STYLISH! CHECK OUT THOSE MOVES! If you use human feet instead of robot feet, it isn't as impressive, and if you use two of the same type of feet then it can't dance well at all because it has two left (or right) feet!
Butt + timer + bike horn = fartclock, not a robot technically but just a clock that can be set to fart periodically, for when you want to know (in hilarious fashion) how much time has passed. Replace the bike horn with a vuvuzela for people who are hard to wake up!
Treads + crate + whatever else you figure fits = MULE, because it might be cool to just be able to build them but I see potential for abuse with this so maybe, maybe not, just putting it out there. It'd probably have to be complicated to build, at least.
Clown mask + brain + clown shoes + bike horn + cyborg head = revenge of the robo clown spider, similar to skullbuddy but somehow even more unnerving. It squeaks around on the floor and honks and that's all it can do. Maybe it can talk. Maybe not. Maybe it really shouldn't talk. This is also maybe true of skullbot, but I can't say for sure.
Anyway, those are just some ideas. I've always liked the way a roboticist can throw together a bunch of shit and somehow make a robot servant out of it, but I'd like to see that scope be expanded someday.