AI upgrades (AKA: Giving the RD an actual job)

[Anonmare]

AI Upgrade Modules – AKA: An actual, non-suspicious reason to go into the AI core.

So I've been thinking lately and remembered that there are two loot/admin-spawned AI upgrades (The Enhanced Surveillance suite and Combat Hacking upgrades for those of you out of the loop) and thought 'wouldn't it be nice if AIs could get upgraded like cyborgs can?'. Of course, I wouldn't want to be upsetting the balance and the Combat Hacking upgrade is right out so I tried to think about the upgrades carefully.

I'd like to hear concerns specifically from the anti-silicon crowd because I can trust you guys to say when something's out of balance and not to just say “that sounds cool”. I'll make some suggestions and my reasoning as to how it should be. Do note that all upgrades have to be inserted into the AI manually and in person, meaning it has to put itself at the mercy of someone not entirely trustworthy, and vice-versa for the person doing the upgrading. It's essentially surgery for the AI and leaves it very open to being killed.

Suggested Modules

• Passive Repair Subroutines – A basic upgrade that borrows heavily from the Cyborg self-repair upgrade. Slowly restores the AI's system integrity and repairs burn/brute damage at around .25% per tick, stacks with“oxyloss” (power loss) damage healing.
  Basically means the AI doesn't have to get carded for repair after every narrow escape but barely improves it's survivability. More a convenience.
  Requires: Materials research – 4/Engineering research – 4/Data Theory - 4
  Cost: 15,000 metal/15,000 glass
• Improved Maintenance Diagnostics – Reduces the time it takes for an AI to regain control of an airlock after it's AI wire has been cut and an APC it's hooked up to if the power has been disabled, also superficially allows it to hack a firewalled airlock (It can receive information from it but it still can't undo the cut power wires). This also increases the speed of a Malfunctioning AI's APC hacking.
  Requires: Material research – 5/Engineering research – 6/ Data Theory – 4/ Electromagnetic research – 3
  Cost: 80,000 metal/6,000 glass/5,000 silver
• Tricorder Medical Scanner – Allows the AI to determine a person's overall health even if their suit sensors are disabled. Can only gives an overall status and detect harmful viruses. Cannot determine the cause of harm or if the stealth rating of a virus is below what can be detected of a medical HUD.
  Requires: Material research – 4/Engineering research – 3/Biological research – 3/Electromagnetic research – 3
  Cost: 5,000 metal/5,000 glass/2,500 silver
• Low-Level Light Enhancement – Grants the AI Eye night vision. Nothing else to say.
  Requires: Material research – 4/Engineering research – 5/Plasma research 5-/Electromagnetic research – 5/Data Theory research – 4
  Cost: 6,000 metal/6,000 glass/3,500 plasma/10,000 uranium
• Redundant Circuitry – Increases the AI's damage resistances to 80 (does not include bomb resistance) and reduces stun times caused by being EMP'd. Marginally useful seeing as how the AI can do very little once you can actually hit it.
  Requires: Material research – 6/Engineering research – 6/Data Theory research – 6/Electromagnetic research – 6
  Cost: 50,000 metal/30,000 glass/20,000 plasma/15,000 silver/15,000 gold
  Enhanced Surveillance Suite – Behaves exactly the same way as the malf module. Let's the AI hear spoken words as though they were relayed via holopad, cannot hear whispered words.
  Requires: Material research – 6/Engineering research – 6/Data Theory research – 6/Illegal research – 3
  Cost: 10,000 metal/15,000 glass/10,000 diamond
• Secondary Personality Runtimes – I'm iffy on this one but it sounds like a neat idea. Functionally the AI equivalent of a pAI companion and has to do whatever whom they belong to says, effectively making the AI's laws they're laws. Has an AI eye but cannot interact with secure station systems without having to hack them first, except vending machines. Can hear and speak on the binary channel and has many of the pAI downlaods available as standard, including the universal translator. AIs can re-format them if their companion proves too annoying. Their health is tied to the AI's so if it goes, so do they.
  Requires: Data Theory research – 5/Electromagnetic research – 3/Bluespace research – 2/Engineering research – 2
  Cost: 5,000 metal/5,000 glass/10,000 silver

General idea is that the upgrades should be marginal improvements and not anything really major. X-ray vision is a big no-no.
Also if anyone suggests adding the Combat Hacking module I will legit adminbus you because there is no way in hell will that ever be added to R&D.

[DemonFiren]

Wait, you'll add me to adminbus if I suggest it?

DO IT.

[Anonmare]

Wait, you'll add me to adminbus if I suggest it?

DO IT.

The adminbus is a literal bus. And a cliff.

[DemonFiren]

Wait, you'll add me to adminbus if I suggest it?

DO IT.

The adminbus is a literal bus. And a cliff.

Anything for getting candidated.

[Gun Hog]

I will be willing to code some of these things! But let me express some limitations.

AI Upgrade Modules – AKA: An actual, non-suspicious reason to go into the AI core.

Suggested Modules

• Passive Repair Subroutines This one is not too hard. Not very useful, though. Anything hostile that makes into the AI's chamber usually ends up killing it, so it is firmly in the "would be nice" catagory.
• Improved Maintenance Diagnostics – Seems moderatly helpful, I guess. Not sure how much use this one would get. A Traitor AI would only ever trust another Traitor to bring it this upgrade, though. (I hope)
• Tricorder Medical Scanner – Very useful, not much change balance wise as well. Coding this would be quite easy as well, I just swap the AI's "Basic" MedHUD to the "Advanced" one that virtually everything else uses.
• Low-Level Light Enhancement Cool. This one is an easy one to code. Note: This is also a feature in the AI's "Upgrade Camera Network" ability.
• Redundant Circuitry Silicons are the simplest mob branch when it comes to damage application. They have no defensive code at all, so coding this would be a bit of work.
  
  Enhanced Surveillance Suite – There is already an item in the game for this, so I do not need to code anything.
• Secondary Personality Runtimes I am not touching this one. The AI haters would destroy me for adding something like this.

Some suggestions I could throw up:

A mech control beacon. A Malf AI can steal a mech via a Malf power, and a mech control beacon, applied to the mech itself, would allow the same function. Since mech domination is a var on the AI mob, I could also code a direct upgrade disk to let the AI dominate any mech just like the Malf power.

[Anonmare]

I try to err on the side of caution when it comes to my serious suggestions, I prefer to keep it realistic (I.E. Things I know that can be accomplished in code already) and not amazingly game breaking. I'd be happy if it was just the medical scanner, I cannot begin to tell you how useful that would be

I actually thought about the mech control but I was concerned that might have come across as too much for others to be okay with.
I thought of it as more of a Goon-style thing with the mechs needing a specialised board (in addition to the mech control upgrade), like how their cyborgs can have a remote control board in place of an MMI to allow their AI to control them remotely.

The main thing I'm hoping for is for closer science and AI relations and chances for both to be weak. As it is, science rarely has reason to go to the AI chamber unless the AI is faulty and the AI rarely has reason to let people in unless they're breaking in.

[Wyzack]

Inb4 people start screaming and throwing thier feces at gunhog like chimps because HE BUFF HE OWN JERB NERF SILICONS

[DemonFiren]

Inb4 people start screaming and throwing thier feces at gunhog like chimps because HE BUFF HE OWN JERB NERF SILICONS

Geez, I hope not.
That would really be the epitome of jumping the gunhog

[Gun Hog]

Inb4 people start screaming and throwing thier feces at gunhog like chimps because HE BUFF HE OWN JERB NERF SILICONS

Geez, I hope not.
That would really be the epitome of jumping the gunhog

STORY OF MY LIFE. I have ended up being the Steelpoint of Silicons even though I switched to RD main after NTSL was removed. (I guess I am the Steelpoint of Science now too?) It is not based in any real fact, just a misguided public perception given my reputation of opposing popular nerfs.

Anyway, If you are not going to do the code yourself, I can give this a whack after I get some more work done on Arcane Research (If anything would make me Steelpoint, it would be THAT, lol)

[Atlanta-Ned]

MORE BUFFS FOR THE MOST BUFFED DEPARTMENT

[kevinz000]

More buffs for a misunderstood and noble department

[InsaneHyena]

Yeah, I really think that the most buffed and popular department needs MORE new code, features and power creep.

Not.

[DemonFiren]

Yeah, I really think that the most buffed and popular department needs MORE new code, features and power creep.

Not.

This isn't about Science, though.

[InsaneHyena]

It is, kinda. It gives more content and possibilities to a department already bloated with content and possibilities. There are mechs, guns, slimes, genetics, cyborgs, implants, telescience, Akarani's maxcaps and the fact that RnD can construct virtually any machine and replace any department. Sure, why not, let's give them even more shit.

[DemonFiren]

Shit that they can't use on their own.
Shit that they have to hand to someone else who may or may not be actively working against them.

[Reece]

It is, kinda. It gives more content and possibilities to a department already bloated with content and possibilities. There are mechs, guns, slimes, genetics, cyborgs, implants, telescience, Akarani's maxcaps and the fact that RnD can construct virtually any machine and replace any department. Sure, why not, let's give them even more shit.

While I do think this a good idea, Hyena has a point, the amount of times R&D holes up for twenty minutes and then churns out one of every machine (I've even seen them build a supermatter engine once) to replace the entire station is insane. Buffing them really doesn't seem like that great a move.

[AnonymousNow]

What about an upgrade that can let an AI examine things out of its personal range/on its cameras with shiftclick, goddamn.

Also, Hard Light Projector Modules. Cheap and cheerful, need to be fitted into holopads individually, but let the AI's hologram from that pad essentially be human, interacting with things with its hands etc. Still limited in range, though.

Hell, give us that last one with a RPED microlaser upgrade or something.

[oranges]

AI buffs are offlimits

[ShadowDimentio]

The anti-silicon cucks would have an aneurysm if this got in

[Anonmare]

I hardly see why, the upgrades I suggested aren't anything major, the eavesdropping upgrade would be really late-game R&D and by that point science will most assuredly have x-ray lasers, bags of holding and enough implants to make Kim Kardashian jealous. Plus they require the AI to put itself in a position of powerlessness to get, you have to be physically in front of the AI core to upgrade it and they can just as easily card+wipe before you'd even notice.
I'd like to hear actual reasons why it's a bad idea, in terms of code or balance instead of a flat no. As far as I'm aware the things unallowed are ERP, poo and Nazis.

[ShadowDimentio]

It's not that it's overpowered it's the principle that the AI dunked them once and now they want it gone from the game and buffing it at all is haram

[InsaneHyena]

> silicon player is butthurt again

[Anonmare]

Could you lot not drag job preference politics into this thread, unless it's about what's being suggested thanks.
Make your own threads for that.

[WarbossLincoln]

Hmm, AI upgrades. I can probably think of a few. Maybe some that aren't from R&D.

Camera Implants: Not a researchable item, Sec spawns with a few of them(3?). Implant someone and the AI can see around them like a camera. Implant an officer who is going to be working in maintenance. Implant a parolled prisoner so the AI can always track them. Maybe knock the prisoner out first so they don't know they're implanted. Order more from cargo, make them kinda expensive.

Borg Watchdog Program: A simple upgrade that will display a message in red in chat whenever a slaved borg takes damage. It's very easy to miss your bogs getting trashed unless they call for help. Then 20 minutes later you realize they're quiet and they're all dead. Maybe put the message on a cooldown so it won't spam chat. Give the AI the ability to turn it off so when shitler greyshit beats a borg for 10 minutes after it's dead it won't spam AI's chat.

A better idea actually. Instead of displaying it in chat place a little icon for each borg on the HUD. Each one has the sprite of the type of borg. A tooltip appears with the borg's name when you mouse over. It has a health bar. Clicking on the icon will follow the borg if able. AI can minimize each icon to just a name and health bar. Icons are moveable like other UI elements. Not sure what the research and mats cost should be, I don't know research that well so that's on someone else to balance.

I can probably think of some more as the day goes by. I'm trying to think of things that bug me frequently as AI that would improve the job. Without increasing power by a huge margin.

[Gun Hog]

Hmm, AI upgrades. I can probably think of a few. Maybe some that aren't from R&D.

Camera Implants: Not a researchable item, Sec spawns with a few of them(3?). Implant someone and the AI can see around them like a camera. Implant an officer who is going to be working in maintenance. Implant a parolled prisoner so the AI can always track them. Maybe knock the prisoner out first so they don't know they're implanted. Order more from cargo, make them kinda expensive.
This one is a no-go. We used to have something similar in which officers had cameras in their helmets, but the silicon-hate-brigade removed it.

Borg Watchdog Program: A simple upgrade that will display a message in red in chat whenever a slaved borg takes damage. It's very easy to miss your bogs getting trashed unless they call for help. Then 20 minutes later you realize they're quiet and they're all dead. Maybe put the message on a cooldown so it won't spam chat. Give the AI the ability to turn it off so when shitler greyshit beats a borg for 10 minutes after it's dead it won't spam AI's chat. Borgs get damaged all the time, this would be more an annoyance than a useful tool. Using the message system to broadcast a borg's death would perhaps be more useful.

A better idea actually. Instead of displaying it in chat place a little icon for each borg on the HUD. Each one has the sprite of the type of borg. A tooltip appears with the borg's name when you mouse over. It has a health bar. Clicking on the icon will follow the borg if able. AI can minimize each icon to just a name and health bar. Icons are moveable like other UI elements. Not sure what the research and mats cost should be, I don't know research that well so that's on someone else to balance. Borg icons on the HUD as alerts? That seems useful, but a pain to code.

I can probably think of some more as the day goes by. I'm trying to think of things that bug me frequently as AI that would improve the job. Without increasing power by a huge margin.

[WarbossLincoln]

I think the Camera implants could work better than the sec helmet mounted ones because they're limited in number. Maybe don't let cargo order more. At some point the silicon hate brigade can be told to go to hell. I think that would be a decent compromise.

Yeh, I realized the chat thing was a bad idea, I think the HUD based one would be much better, but I'm not sure how much of a pain it would be to code. We already have modular HUD elements like changeling chem ticker, silicon battery meter, etc. Deciding how to relay the info would be the main challenge. I think polling for silicon HP periodically wouldn't be bad, we already do it for the crew monitoring console. The main issue from a UI perspective would be allowing the AI to turn them off if it gets too cluttered. Most rounds where you have 1-2, maybe 3 borgs it wouldn't be bad, but if you had a ton it would be nice to hide the icons.

[WarbossLincoln]

Let's see, maybe a way to tie the AI into helping other departments more.

Collector monitor module: With this the AI would get an alert if the plasma tanks in any collectors on the station get low(<25%?)

Cargo... Maybe give the AI access to the stock market if it doesn't already. With the QM's computer getting the ability to lock out the AI if he wants to control it himself.

Medbay, I like the improved med HUD idea above.

[Gun Hog]

Let's see, maybe a way to tie the AI into helping other departments more.

Collector monitor module: With this the AI would get an alert if the plasma tanks in any collectors on the station get low(<25%?)
Seems useless, I have never seen them run low or out unless the Engineers were morons and forgot to fill them first.

Cargo... Maybe give the AI access to the stock market if it doesn't already. With the QM's computer getting the ability to lock out the AI if he wants to control it himself.
Iamgoofball would murder me for this. He coded it, and explicitly denied my suggestion.

Medbay, I like the improved med HUD idea above.
It is in my list, if no one else decides to put in the effort of coding this.

[Jazaen]

Maybe a "secondary power source" that makes AI able to survive without APC power/longer with no APC power.

[Helios]

I always liked the idea that AI was unlike other classes that had progression over time, as it had all of its abilities from the start, and it was an exercise in maintaining order, instead of gaining power. Made the AI even more unique as a role

[paprika]

>AI power creep

[Anonmare]

Necromancy is verboten

[kevinz000]

Yeah, I really think that the most buffed and popular department needs MORE new code, features and power creep.

Not.

Does this look like botany to you?

[Dagdammit]

Also, Hard Light Projector Modules. Cheap and cheerful, need to be fitted into holopads individually, but let the AI's hologram from that pad essentially be human, interacting with things with its hands etc. Still limited in range, though.

This one sounds really cool. It gives the AI a new kind of presence, while also being an upgrade to a specific station area rather than a general AI buff.

....Hell, what would it be like if the holodeck gave the AI this capability from round start? Malf AI lures RD into holodeck and tries to trap & kill them there? Alot of fascinating Danger Room/Holodeck gone rogue possibilities.

[DemonFiren]

I wonder if martial arts would work on those.
How do you elbow-drop a hologram?
Would the projector burn out if you gib it?

[Dagdammit]

Maybe demanifestation (an interruptible action which takes the hard-light construct, say, 4 seconds) forces a reboot of the hard-light subroutines & there's thus a 30, maybe 60+ second cooldown until the AI can manifest a new hard-light form (at any viable location). And the hard-light form forcibly demanifests if you put it into crit or it leaves the range of a projector (because you pushed it out of range/smashed the only nearby holopad).

[DemonFiren]

Then, of course, an AI is just about never gonna beat anyone in hand-to-hand.
Which is kinda the point, I suspect, but so much for the holodeck advantage.
Holopadded AI getting the powers of Sierra Madre security holograms when?