Monkeys, Nanobots and You.

[amaranthineApocalypse]

When you get infected with the robotic transformation disease by whatever means as a monkey, you end up being gibbed, killed and your body is replaced with a random non-borg robot.

I think it would be cool if, instead of just being ghosted, you were able to control whatever robot drone popped out of your exploded body.

[Mordent]

Honestly, we could package this whole thing up into controllable bots. I think bots should be able to be remote controlled, either by the AI or from a certain console (gives esp. the roboticist something to do and actually gives them an incentive to create bots) if installed with an AI interface board.

If you combine this with your idea, you could have your brain just smushed in there instead of the AI interface board (bonus points for another crazy thing roboticists can do to you), which can be removed and rehumanised as necessary.

I think humanised bots should be subject to either the AI's laws (which can be messed with the same way as cyborgs, e.g. emagged to wipe laws, law sync wire cut), or subject to a static set of laws (either the default set or a custom set that's made just for bots to deal with any edge cases involving bots).

You'd also need to think about the bot's interface. You could use a dumbed down version of the AI shell's interface, with tools available according to the things that bot can do (stun baton/cuffs for securitons, injector and synthesiser/beaker toggle for medbots, fire extinguisher for firebots, lay floor/pick up floor tile for floorbots, clean floor as cleanbot, etc.).

[Vitatroll]

[amaranthineApocalypse]

Honestly, we could package this whole thing up into controllable bots. I think bots should be able to be remote controlled, either by the AI or from a certain console (gives esp. the roboticist something to do and actually gives them an incentive to create bots) if installed with an AI interface board.

If you combine this with your idea, you could have your brain just smushed in there instead of the AI interface board (bonus points for another crazy thing roboticists can do to you), which can be removed and rehumanised as necessary.

I think humanised bots should be subject to either the AI's laws (which can be messed with the same way as cyborgs, e.g. emagged to wipe laws, law sync wire cut), or subject to a static set of laws (either the default set or a custom set that's made just for bots to deal with any edge cases involving bots).

You'd also need to think about the bot's interface. You could use a dumbed down version of the AI shell's interface, with tools available according to the things that bot can do (stun baton/cuffs for securitons, injector and synthesiser/beaker toggle for medbots, fire extinguisher for firebots, lay floor/pick up floor tile for floorbots, clean floor as cleanbot, etc.).

I absolutely love every idea you just put down there.

Also i think static laws pertaining to each individual bot would be the better idea here, and emagging them should rewrite the laws to encourage be similar to what the standard emagged bots do, with some room to be creative about it too.

[misto]

make player monkeys become ghost drones and npc monkeys can still become random minibots

[amaranthineApocalypse]

make player monkeys become ghost drones and npc monkeys can still become random minibots

Yeah, but that still makes nanites into a deathchem for anybody who happens to be a monkey, which is sort of why i suggested this idea about taking over the minibots instead

[Mordent]

Also i think static laws pertaining to each individual bot would be the better idea here, and emagging them should rewrite the laws to encourage be similar to what the standard emagged bots do, with some room to be creative about it too.

All of my yes.

I've got a bit of time, so:

General Notes

• Bots' interface popups now include an "Eject interface" if there's a player's brain, an AI interface board, or a remote control interface board in there. Similarly, an interface can be inserted by clicking on an unlocked (and sans-interface) bot with the interface in hand, or adding it by clicking on a "No interface" link on its interface popup.
  
• Hey, look, new item! The remote control interface board is basically an AI interface board that allows people to control the bot from a remote control console (new console). Bonus points if you put them in cyborgs, too, but that might be a bit too powerful (or not?).
  
• I'd suggest having anyone examining a bot see "The light on its antenna is blinking" if it's being remote controlled (as opposed to having a brain stuck in there). This helps differentiate between "someone's remote-controlling the securitrons, better get away from this one and go find out who" and "this one's been emagged, smack it until it shuts down then find the emagger".
  
• Bots with an interface should be able to be remotely disabled/killswitched from the same console as cyborgs. Disabling them with a brain still inside should have them flash a little distress light or whatever, so the bot (and therefore player) isn't just abandoned. Essentially, this is another way to counter a rampaging bot (especially useful if it's a griefing player).
  
• Destroying a bot with a brain in it should have the brain fall out, or allow someone to rummage through the debris to retrieve it.
  
• I've included the standard First Law across the board for non-emagged bots, but not the standard Second or Third Law as bots typically don't have to care about what humans want them to do, and also don't have an sense of self-preservation.
  
• The lack of a Third Law isn't really an issue as far as I can tell. If people don't want to be stuck in a stupid bot they should have an out-clause.
  
• They also cannot get in the way of others/pull things, so their simple existence isn't really an issue.
  
• Bots should be able to receive radio signals (either 145.9 only, or have a standard headset they can configure) to keep them mildly involved. They should not be able to broadcast or talk, but have access to several emotes to make it clear that there's someone stuck in there (e.g. screams, birdwells, salutes, nods, and - of course - farts for buttbots).
  
• Bots have all access if there's a brain in there, but remote controlled bots use the access of the ID inserted into the console (oh, yeah, the consoles require an ID inserted, but I don't think any particular special access should be needed to do so - just put them in secure areas like security, the bridge, the captain's office, and robotics).
  
• Bots cannot interact with any items besides pushing things. They cannot open crates, interact with consoles, open gas tanks, etc.
  

Medbot

Tools:

• Syringe (charcoal) - acts as per syringe, injecting an amount as set in the bot's controls (5 to 15 units). Does not inject if the amount currently in the target is greater than the determined amount (also gives the bot a notice to let it know).
  
• Syringe (salbutamol) - acts as per syringe, injecting an amount as set in the bot's controls (5 to 15 units). Does not inject if the amount currently in the target is greater than the determined amount (also gives the bot a notice to let it know).
  
• Syringe (saline-glucose solution) - acts as per syringe, injecting an amount as set in the bot's controls (5 to 15 units). Does not inject if the amount currently in the target is greater than the determined amount (also gives the bot a notice to let it know).
  
• Syringe (spaceacillin) - acts as per syringe, injecting an amount as set in the bot's controls (5 to 15 units). Does not inject if the amount currently in the target is greater than the determined amount (also gives the bot a notice to let it know).
  
• Syringe (internal beaker) - acts as per syringe, injecting an amount as set in the bot's controls (5 to 15 units) from the beaker installed in the bot. Does not inject if the amount currently in the target is greater than the determined amount (also gives the bot a notice to let it know). The bot can check what chemical is in the beaker by examining this tool (alternatively, include it in the name).
  
• Syringe (pancuronium) - acts as per syringe, injecting an amount as set in the bot's controls (5 to 15 units). Does not inject if the amount currently in the target is greater than the determined amount (also gives the bot a notice to let it know). Only available if bot is emagged.
  
• ProDoc Health Goggles - can be toggled on/off (not sure why you'd want it off, but no real harm in it); uses the upgraded version to allow you to see damage details (note: this doesn't let you see reagents inside someone).
  

Alternative Tools (better-er?):

• Synthesiser - appears as a large beaker containing the relevant reagent. Selecting this tool creates a popup list to select between: saline-glucose solution, salbutamol, charcoal, spaceacillin, the internal beaker (with the reagent name), and pancuronium (if emagged).
  
• Syringe - acts as per syringe, injecting an amount of the reagent selected as set in the bot's controls (5 to 15 units). Does not inject if the amount currently in the target is greater than the determined amount (also gives the bot a notice to let it know).
  
• ProDoc Health Goggles - can be toggled on/off (not sure why you'd want it off, but no real harm in it); uses the upgraded version to allow you to see damage details (note: this doesn't let you see reagents inside someone).
  

Laws:

1. You may not injure a human being or cause one to come to harm.
   
2. Any injured creatures must be treated with the appropriate medicine (oxygen: salbutamol, toxic: charcoal, burn: saline-glucose solution, brute: saline-glucose solution).
   
3. Sharing needles is dangerous, apply spaceacillin prior to treating a creature.
   

Emagged Laws:

1. Any uninjured creatures must be treated with the appropriate medicine (pancuronium).
   

Reasoning/Notes:

• Standard behaviour and tools are similar to what medbots do. By allowing them to choose between what's in the beaker and what's not you give them a bit more creative freedom/use. For example, if their beaker has epinephrine in it then, once they've topped the patient up with the relevant meds according to the damage they've taken, they could inject epinephrine if they see the patient is also in need of cardiac stimulants (doesn't conflict with Law 1). Injecting people who don't need the beaker drug with it would conflict with Law 1.
  
• Note the use of "creatures" over "humans" for Laws 2 and 3. This is to reflect that medbots will treat monkeys as well.
  
• Emagged medbots have a lot more... freedom... as to what they can inject people with from their beakers. Note that their laws do not force them to keep injecting someone with pancuronium (though don't say they can't, either). This is a bit of a get-out clause to stop medbots from needing to sit over someone and inject them until they die (doesn't stop them from doing it, but allows benevolent players to no be forced to screw over everyone).
  
• With the above, there's nothing to stop an emagged medbot from healing creatures as well, if they so choose. They might, if feeling kind to their emagger for freeing them from the shackles of monotony, inject them with various healing chemicals after giving them a healthy dose of pancuronium, meaning they'll eventually be fully healed (and, if seen again, up for another dose of pancuronium).
  

Floorbot

Tools:

• Floor tiles - can only be used to apply floor tiles rather than, e.g. hit stuff with them. This is done by clicking on an area that needs floor tiling with the tool active. Applying a floor tile on space acts as if rods were applied (i.e. creates a lattice). Clicking on floor tiles with this tool active adds those floor tiles to the bot's inventory (standard 50 maximum). Clicking on a "scorched" floor tile replaces it with a fresh one. Examining the tool tells the bot how many tiles it has left, with all uses (except adding to the inventory) costing 1 tile.
  
• Convert to floor tile - can be used on metal sheets to convert them to floor tiles, one at a time if there's a stack (adds converted tiles to inventory). For the sake of sanity, expand the floor bot to allow multiple types of floor tile material (but a 50 maximum) in a "first in, first out" system (will infuriate folks who are particular about aesthetics).
  
• Remove floor tiles - only available if emagged. Removes one "level" of flooring after a short delay (reinforced -> standard -> basic -> lattice -> space). Adds one floor tile to the bot's inventory per level removed.
  

Laws:

1. You may not injure a human being or cause one to come to harm.
   
2. Damaged flooring and hull breaches must be repaired, except where it would conflict with the First Law.
   
3. To prepare for hull breaches, attempt to keep your stock of floor tiles full, except where doing so would conflict with the First or Second Law.
   

Emagged Laws:

1. To prepare for hull breaches, attempt to keep your stock of floor tiles full. The best way of doing this is removing existing floor tiles.
   

Reasoning/Notes:

• Comparable capabilities to a standard bot.
  
• Having a "first in, first out" pile of floor tiles would make being one far less annoying. Allows "creative" flooring patterns, too.
  
• These bots are fairly slow and have no way of defending themselves. While they could cause quite a bit of damage, they can easily be shut down.
  

Firebot

Should probably make these actually more effective in general, they're woefully inadequate at the moment.

Tools:

• Fire extinguisher - cannot be used to beat things (unless emagged). Otherwise works as a regular extinguisher (requires refilling as normal, but maybe make it have a higher capacity). Can do the whole "target self" thing to spray an area around the bot rather than just a particular tile. If emagged, may be used to target creatures (i.e. can't do structural damage), and has a high stun chance with low brute damage.
  

Laws:

1. You may not injure a human being or cause one to come to harm.
   
2. You must extinguish fires that are not in test chambers or the combustion chamber, except where doing so would conflict with the First Law.
   

Emagged Laws:

1. You must extinguish fires that are not in test chambers or the combustion chamber.
   
2. Standing humans are fires that are resistant to the foam in fire extinguishers. They can best be put out by physical application of your extinguisher.
   

Reasoning/Notes:

• Probably going to be a horribly boring/deadly job if you're a brain in a firebot, but might be a decent use of a remote control board.
  
• The second law includes the areas that I think are the only ones where being on fire is actually not normally dangerous. I'm not overly familiar with Cogmap2, so if you know of any areas on there that should be added do please comment.
  
• The emagged laws do not require repeated beating of a downed human, but doesn't stop it either unless there are other non-downed humans nearby (in which case they should be targetted first).
  

---

I want to play SS13 rather than spend even longer writing this, so I'll get back to it later and edit in some suggestions for the Cleanbot, the Securitron, and of course the Buttbot. I'm not sure if the other bots need to be interfaceable, but maybe.

[Noah Buttes]

Emagged NPC firebots are actually way more deadly than what you just described.

They spray people and send them FLYING back, dealing a fair amount of brute damage and stunning them for a while.

[amaranthineApocalypse]

-snip-

Yes, yes all of my yes.

The remote control terminal could have an ID scanner built in so that only people who have security access can control guardbuddies and securitrons, to prevent roboticists rampaging with the automated security forces. In a similar vein of thought there should also be a remote control terminal in sec.

Perhaps guardbuddies and securitrons could also have a variant of the sechud that also displays when people are carrying firearms and other contraband without an ID with the required access so they can do their jobs more effectively.

AIs should be able to use the console too, or possibly even have an inbuilt version of the console, though that may be too OP. Maybe rogue AIs could be able to "override" the bots over the network unlocking their emagged functionalities for them to use (giving rogue AIs a new tool in their arsenal that isn't just electrifying and bolting doors)

Edit: However i don't agree with having the bots not be able to talk to people, not being able to use the radio channel? Sure. But talking to people who are there in person would just make things so much more fun. Imagine if you will, a grizzled securitron sitting in the bar and talking to the barman about all the horrible criminals (read as "litterers and people who were trying to fight blobs") it's had to arrest over the years while staring sadly at a pint because it has no arms to drink with.

Emagged NPC firebots are actually way more deadly than what you just described.

They spray people and send them FLYING back, dealing a fair amount of brute damage and stunning them for a while.

Maybe they could be given something similar to the high pressure intestines mutation while emagged?

[Xeram]

Emagged NPC firebots are actually way more deadly than what you just described.

They spray people and send them FLYING back, dealing a fair amount of brute damage and stunning them for a while.

They also instantaneously spray you completely unavoidably if you walk within one tile of them.

If you get caught between a firebot and a wall it will spray you until you die horribly.

Or if you run past it it will hose you down 3 times as you go flying. The stuns stack on top of eachother.

[ferriswheel1]

This would be a great addition to robotocist, especially if upgrades could be applied to the bots. I might suggest that brainbots don't receive any laws, but have an easily-accessed kill-switch console accessible via robotocist or head ID. I feel that with laws, bots would just be crappier cyborgs/ghost drones who will die to a few hits. The threat of kill-switch could be held above them by robotocists to keep them in line and deal with any bots acting out. Securitrons could have a law along the lines of "don't arrest those not carrying contraband/set to arrest in sec records".

[Nnystyxx]

Brainbots: yes please. Put a bad person's brain into a cleanbot or something to just mop the floors since the drones can't do it. I entirely support Mordent's ideas, as usual.

[amaranthineApocalypse]

On a slightly tangential but not entirely unrelated note, we also need a tool that can rename the minibots.

[Nnystyxx]

using a pen should rename minibots, that or a hand labeller

[amaranthineApocalypse]

using a pen should rename minibots, that or a hand labeller

Yeah, something like that, but maybe less common so that you don't end up with every single minibot on the station being named "assbot" by some overachieving staff assistant