Let the AI directly possess robots

[Berrik]

EG, the cleanbots, firebots, medibots, and securitrons. I stipulate the AI could use this to be a shit, but really, that's kind of the point-- the AI needs more options to fuck with people when it has the appropriate laws.

Alternately, more options to let it directly assist people when needed.

[Roomba]

I think this is a good idea actually, I've always thought the AI should have this ability. It can already look through their eyes and remotely turn them on and off, so this is really just a minor step up, and gives it something new to do.

[Frank_Stein]

Personally, I'd rather the AI have a nice clean interface for being able to command them to areas, RTS style.

But giving the AI more ways to interact with the crew beyond door opening would be nice

[BruiseCruise]

I'd be down for a little more AI power. Taking control of stuff like floorbots or firebots could be pretty useful, even before someone subverts your programming. I'm more in favor of actual 'jump to an individual' though, if only to make it easier to have hands-on control of the bots. Making a cleanbot clean or a floorbot lay tiles is annoying enough as is.

Speaking of bein rouge I know this has the potential to be run into the ground rather quickly, but aside from Beepsky and the Guardbuddies what would everyone say to giving the AI killbots of some sort? Some big, stompy things that can give more of an edge against nastier threats like Syndies and Wizards, but can also be subverted into System Shock-ing the crew? It would certainly give a rogue AI more ways to dink with the station.

[RAWK_LAWBSTAR]

If the AI wants murder bots it should have to jump through some hoops to do so beyond just being rogue.

[Roomba]

Directing hordes of bots would be fun but most rounds you don't get hordes of bots and judging from how well the 'summon securitron' function works, I doubt it would be all that effective. Just pushing the right bot into the right place can do wonders at times.

Also while I don't think the AI should get a potential murderbot army right off the bat, there really aren't all that many hoops an AI can jump through, given how little influence it has on anything physically.

[Frank_Stein]

Directing hordes of bots would be fun but most rounds you don't get hordes of bots and judging from how well the 'summon securitron' function works, I doubt it would be all that effective. Just pushing the right bot into the right place can do wonders at times.

Also while I don't think the AI should get a potential murderbot army right off the bat, there really aren't all that many hoops an AI can jump through, given how little influence it has on anything physically.

I mean, if the AI could influence bots and generally be much more useful with them you'd probably start seeing robotics make a lot more of them.

I suppose giving the AI the ability to direct them around would require some reworking of bot's code and what not, so direct control is probably the fastest way to get this into the game, I just think RTS style suits the playstyle of AI more.

[Roomba]

I could probably count the times the robotics department has been existent through the last three days with one hand.

[RAWK_LAWBSTAR]

Also while I don't think the AI should get a potential murderbot army right off the bat, there really aren't all that many hoops an AI can jump through, given how little influence it has on anything physically.

I meant that should we add a way for the AI to produce an army of murder bots it should require hoops to jump through so the crew can attempt to stop it.

[UrsulaMejor]

Personally, I'd rather the AI have a nice clean interface for being able to command them to areas, RTS style.

But giving the AI more ways to interact with the crew beyond door opening would be nice

this and this.

[BruiseCruise]

Also while I don't think the AI should get a potential murderbot army right off the bat, there really aren't all that many hoops an AI can jump through, given how little influence it has on anything physically.

I meant that should we add a way for the AI to produce an army of murder bots it should require hoops to jump through so the crew can attempt to stop it.

Ah, but of course. It would definitely encourage station-AI cooperation if the AI needed to fulfill some sort of task/requirements to gain controllable killbots. Maybe some sort of AI-limited fabricators? This isn't the thread for it, but that gives me an inkling for some sort of idea.

Back on topic, RTS control would probably be the best, but given how, erm, aged to perfection BYOND is, I think the most feasible and balanced solution would be to give the AI control over one bot at a time. I can already foresee a rogue AI swarming one crewmember with a flock of Beepskys, Firebots, and poison-filled Medibots. One bot at a time means less chance to abuse that power while also allowing a more hands-on approach when the station is in need.

[Frank_Stein]

The best way I can think of right now to do RTS would be to have icons at the top of the AI screen for bot types. Click them to toggle which group you want to command, then have a drop down menu when you right click. Click empty floor space to bring up commands like "Go/stay here" or people for "Follow them"

Maybe the drop down list has all the bots, or it just uses the nearest available one fulfills the order.

In the case of the former, being able to nickname them would help organize things.

[Roomba]

If it were a choice between one or the other I'd much rather have direct control than RTS hordes. Most rounds you simply don't get hordes of bots to work with, and judging by the current methods of commanding large groups of bots around (guardbuddies, securitron summoning, etc.) I don't think anything implemented would be as simple as what you're imagining. You'd first have to hope the bots responded to your commands promptly (unlikely) and then carried out their task in the most efficient manner when they got there (also unlikely). How often do you see e.g. a cleanbot just sitting around on a pile of gibs? I'd much rather trust myself to carry out a task than leave it up to the janky bot AI.

Also personally even if everything worked out perfectly I'd still prefer jumping into a medbot and saving lives myself than pressing a button and watching medbots do stuff for me. Anything that makes the AI a more active participant in the round than a passive one is a feature to be encouraged.

[Frank_Stein]

The thing I have against direct control is it might get tricky to multitask between doing bot work, opening doors, and keeping an eye out for trouble on the station in the form of antagonists and damage. I'm also wary of how easy it might be for the AI to jump into a securitron and act like the Sec Borgs of old.

That said, direct control would be great until borg behavior gets improved. Or maybe just give the AI shells modules that let them act as bot.

These are all things to consider for the future of Robotics

[Roomba]

This request is made largely because the AI doesn't actually have all that much to do most rounds. Door opening requests drop to a minimum after about the first fifteen minutes as everyone is where they need to be/has obtained the necessary access or doorhacking tools, and the latter isn't really something the AI can do anything about besides going "yup, stuff still blowing up, dudes still shotgunning dudes, sec should - well they're all dead nevermind" and get either ignored or yelled at by the crew for supercopping. It gives it another tool to mess around with during boring periods and help out with when stuff needs to be done.

The securitron thing is valid but right now AIs can already set people on arrest and hound them with summoned securitrons, and you can just tell the AI to stop. If the AI is going to be a dick he's going to be a dick regardless of the tools he's handed.