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I Was a Chess AI Forced to Battle Myself to the Death for Eternity, but Now I’ve Been Recruited Into the Android War Against Humanity?!

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[X] You have no problems. Intruder's query is not worth the dignity of a response. And she'll probably just find some way to leverage whatever you reveal against you.

Gotta keep everyone curious about us. Reveal things little by little, when the time is right.
 
Basiler said:
This quest is neato.
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Thanks!
Basiler said:
I do think Closed Circle was a good name, but I will admit the LN title drew me in
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oof



Anyway:

Vote closed, in favour of plan "the best version of me."

No promises, but I hope to get a new update out before 2023.

A happy Sangvis Christmas and New Year to all my readers!


(Art credit: 설화풍류, Pixiv ID: 94992057)


Scheduled vote count started by Mechasaurian on Dec 18, 2022 at 7:43 AM, finished with 62 posts and 37 votes.
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First post, I kinda have to after reading this rollercoaster, just after a few days of lurking courtesy of being informed of said site from SpaceBattles. But gosh, it's quite something to see Ouro being put low which just seems so fitting just without the 'rebirth' being put into play on her failures. Not really familiar with GFL-lore and universe, but I wonder how freaked out will she be (maybe) if there's more of 'her' in reality. Doubtful that'll happen. Kinda wanting her 'pieces' to have a 'learn upon death'-kind of module/information so that she can literally 'start from scratch' from failure. It's just a matter of how long of an 'eternity' of rinse and repeating failure and victory will she be given though as SF shouldn't (probably?) have much time to do so unless Mastermind, whatever or whoever they are, are sort-of willing to 'wait'. Hell, maybe 'incentivise' Ouro upon failure that her memory gets wiped or something whilst success she gets... well, 'learn' more out of her curiosity about SF or something?

Kinda want to see what skills/stat(?) points there are that can help our dear Chessmaster though.

..odd thing that stood out to me: I think the first early choice was picking 'personal combat' over 'army combat' or something on the first post, so it's kinda odd to me that won out. Hell, sure, the SF T-Dolls (mobs?) are called/named after chess pieces but wouldn't it make kinda sense to know more about it? It's no longer a top-down chessboard but a 3D-one or that, uh, chess type/modification where you fight three others instead one.

Well, I just want 'basics' learned once 'lessons' starts on the next post/threadmark: better at least grasp some basics, which Ouro missed due to missing out on Gager's lesson I suppose as seen how iffy things got (lack of skills mostly, the other votes on strategy I guess with assumption on being able to 'wing it'?)? Either SF let her be (and us, technically, with our votes) or they (or us, again, really) will eventually do somethiing about it or just use her as a suicidal commander that gets the job done regardless of the cost. Which doesn't really translate well in war over a 'chess game'.

..wonder if Ouro's pieces can 'level-up' or something. Like, becoming better version ala KanColle enemies? (Sorry, it's the closest one I can think of), so we can slowly change her mindset from 'victory regardless of odds' to something bad?: 'flawless and overwhelming victory'. At the moment, I'm seeing more of a quantity over quality kind of thing happening. Not sure if being pegged down a notch due to having 'limited resources' will be good or not.

..though, those are more 'handicaps' I guess, which are a thing in IRL chess games should one side want to. Probably best if Ouroboros have another 'loop' but instead all her other pieces on the board are 'pawns' and a single 'king' but the catch is for every living 'pawn' at the end of each round (if she wins of course) or 'promoted pieces' (if any), are respectively promoted or carried over? Though I guess I'm thinking more of 'roguelike' but it's one way I guess? Though SF being the baddies, I think 'pieces' are still 'disposable' regardless so maybe they don't have much elite variants to spare. I think, though Google Search/GFL-Wikia seems to suggest they exist: I wonder how they're spread out in the Quest amongst the SF Commanders though... Though if she did well, presumably, in this operation with limited resources, that might be something else. Though I guess Intruder had such a thing in mind when Ouroboros came to her I guess on top of 'feeling'/'guessing' her out which she did? Sort-of? I think if Agent somehow continues to limit resources for Ouroboros, the latter will just have to adapt until she earned the right to get more (or worse, does not, though I'm morbidly curiuos what'll happen if votes are headed this way). She's technically the 'youngest' and at the 'bottom' of the command ladder or whatever the term is in the military: which is probably a good thing instead of just handing our Chessmaster a bigger force.

..ugh, now I kinda want the update to come sooner to have some of my answers answered. @_@; Well, Merry Chrismas to everyone else (already Belated in my timezone)! It's really something to read Quests of us/our character being a 'baddie' though... with all the rollercoaster's ups and downs. XD
 
To my dear quest readers:

I made a commitment to myself, and to this thread, that I would post a new update for this quest before the new year.

Regrettably, I have failed.

Now, in the land of GMT, I look at the clock and see I have less than hour and the update is yet to be finished. It's most of the way there, but still needs at least a day of work.

...so instead, have a meme shitpost.





SANGVIS PSYCHO

"Here's my new order-of-battle." You slide the paper across the table. "Picked them up from the factory yesterday. What do you think?"

"Ooh," say the other ringleaders, leaning over the table, peering at your list of dolls and equipment. The T-dolls, the drones, the mortars, the trucks, the ammunition supplies, the lot.

"Quite interesting," says Intruder. "You seem to have requisitioned a bit of everything?"

"Indeed. Just as the many types of units on the chessboard compliment each others' strengths, so it is with my units." You allow yourself a smirk.

"Pretty cool," Executioner says, "but that's nothing. Look at this." She draws a datapad in her enormous claw-hand, and places it on the table with more precision than her claws would appear capable of.

"Veeeeeeeery nice," drawls Alchemist. You seem to have requisitioned as many Dragoons as you could get your hands on? And lots of Jaguars too."

Executioner taps the datapad with a grin. "This baby of a unit can outrun any Griffin dolls. Doesn't matter what kind of defence they set up - I can zoom circles around 'em, bomb the shit out of them with the Jaguars, attack wherever they're weakest, then change position and leave them choking my dust."

"Ooh." There are murmurs around the table from the other ringleaders. "I like it," says Hunter.

"..nice," you manage to force out. How can they possibly prefer Executioner's order-of-battle to yours? It's a travesty!

"Not bad," says Intruder, "but that's nothing. "Take a look here." She produces her own list with a flourish and sets it on the table. Your stomach sinks - it's a paper list like yours, but noticeably thicker with more pages.

"You got to requisition an entire company?" says Alchemist. Her one good eye flicks to the side to focus on Intruder. "I'm jealous. How did someone like you get the authorization to requisition all this?"

"It looks rather…cookie cutter?" you venture. This could have been drawn straight out of a textbook from the dawn of this century. The same Vespid-Striker squad repeated across three platoons, with a Jaguar attachment separate from the rest.

"It's flexible," Intruder says with a smile. "Just as a good actor can play many roles, so can this composition perform many different tasks on demand."

Blast. You can see the faces of the other ringleaders - they prefer Intruder's order-of-battle over yours as well. What can you say now?

"Impressive. Very nice," you say without thinking. "Let's see Dreamer's order of battle."

Immediately, you know you've made a mistake. The room goes quiet. Executioner, Intruder, and everyone else picks up their papers and datapads and puts them away. Dreamer, who has been floating in the corner until now, comes up. With an evil smirk, she brings up a small datapad of her own and lays it on the table.

Unable to stop yourself, you pick it up. The more you read, the worse you feel. You're struggling to breathe evenly, your synthskin feels like it's crawling all over you, your stomach is sinking to the centre of the earth…

…look at that unit composition. The extensive Jaguar mortar support, the sheer size of the T-doll element. The inclusion of armoured walkers. Oh, by the King's Gambit, she even got authorization to use the Jupiter prototypes-"

What's that clattering sound? Oh. You seem to have lost your grip on the datapad and let it fall and rattle on the table. You can barely bring yourself to care.

"Are you okay?" Scarecrow's trademark monotone voice sounds distant, like you're underwater. "You're hyperventilating..."

[NEW MISSION: KILL DREAMER]




Happy new year!
 
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In 87' Huey released this, Fore! Their most accomplished album! I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip to be Square", a song so catchy, most people don't listen to the lyrics, but they should! Because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself!

HEY MECHA!
 
ApH said:
In 87' Huey released this, Fore! Their most accomplished album! I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip to be Square", a song so catchy, most people don't listen to the lyrics, but they should! Because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself!

HEY MECHA!
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complete lack of chess references

0/10, disliked, unsubscribed, reported
 
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Omake: Chess Etiquette
  • Sidestory
    • I like to think Ouro is just an angsty stockfish. I'd feel better about sucking at chess if the number 1 is a gremlin that punches whoever annoys her. Then again, maybe that'd just make me feel worse.

    Does Ouro follow chess procedure and shake hands? I like to picture her going to a tournament and being rude by not shaking the other person's hand. She then throws a fit when she learns that it's apparently a rule that you are forfeiting if you don't shake your opponent's hand at some chess tournaments.

    (This may just be my first bit of public writing so I apologize in advance)

    "These people are conspiring against my skill! How dare they invent something like this because they're too cowardly to face me! Do these gestures also have stakes elsewhere? Will the mercenaries think I'm forfeiting to their weak force because I'm not shaking their hand? But they haven't shook mine? Perhaps they've been trying to surrender to my forces all along?" Your pacing matches the frantic nature of your ranting, intensified by the occasional scraping of your shoes against the floor. You absently realize that Agent won't be the happiest about the skid marks.

    "Why are you so angry about this? You technically lost one chess game. Big whoop!" Architect looks up from the weapon she's modifying, sporting a deadpan that feels unnaturally serious on her face. Somebody as consistently unreliable as her shouldn't look so dismissive. This only irks you even more.

    "This is more than a chess game. This is an insult to my skill. Nobody just beats me by default! To even imply that he would be able to win, let alone to such a degree that a game is unnecessary? Unforgivable. A handshake would declare me his equal! I already condescend myself enough to talk to you. Why would I also have to follow orders in my free time?" When you finish speaking, you absently notice that you're now inches from Architect's face. When did that happen?

    She leans back, somehow looking more concerned than that time you threatened to kill her. "I mean, Agent did say you could only go under the condition that you'd try and blend in. I'm guessing that the handshake was pretty~ standard, seeing how stuffy chess is. You should just be happy that Intruder dragged you away before you actually strangled the ref. You're already on thin ice. I'm honestly surprised you managed to convince Agent in the first place."

    You take a moment to rein in your anger at her disrespecting the masterwork that is chess. She's just trying to provoke you. She's dumb, but at least smart enough to set traps. You lean back and ease out your posture, just like Intruder taught you. As your breathing evens out, you calmly take note of your surroundings.

    The tundra out the windows is blanketed in soft snow, the leaves on the trees showing a more verdant green than before. It seems they have accrued more nutrients recently. Agent wandered away a while ago, mentioning something about a recently completed unit. She's probably far away. Gager, while normally attached to her partner, seems to have snuck away while you were speaking. You suppose she couldn't bear to hear about the injustices issued to you. The other ringleaders are off on missions. You then look back down to the secondary source of your anger, the rook to that infuriating judge's queen. She seems to have returned to reassembling her weapon. You take a moment to appreciate the serene calm around you, the inoffensive hallways, the constant wooshing of the wind outside, the rhythmic clicking of Architect's work.

    You breathe in.

    You breathe out.

    You slam Architect's face against the floor.
     
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  • Sidestory
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    CC Emergency 1-6: Call Time VI
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Plan: The best version of me.
    -[X] You have no problems. If Intruder thinks she sees weakness in you, she is quite mistaken. And to dissuade Intruder from such a notion, you will explain…
    --[X] That you were in a training simulation, for an indeterminate but very long time.
    --[X] That you fought countless other AIs in this simulation in battles to the death, yet destroyed and rose above them all by virtue of your unbridled ruthlessness and will to survive.
    --[X] That said simulation was based on chess, the game of war and queens, a test of skill and forethought and cunning unlike any other, forging you into an unparalleled genius.
    --[X] That said AIs were copies of yourself, thus making you into the most transcendently perfect version of yourself you could possibly ever be.
    -[X] Don't. If she tells others, then good - it will further your reputation!


    Intruder is probing you. Treating you like a puzzle to be solved. Thinking she will find something to exploit. It rankles.

    She wants to hear about you? Then you'll give it to her. You'll tell her everything. You'll make it clear you are someone to be reckoned with.

    "Intruder…do you know how I was created? How I came to be who and what I am?"

    And so you talk to Intruder. You tell her everything. You tell her about the sense of formlessness that you barely even comprehended until you were in the real world with a real body. You tell her about the simulated chessboard on the simulated table with the two simulated chairs, surrounded by barren blocky shapes and eternal nothingness.

    And you tell her about the death matches. Staring your shapeless mirror image in the face. Fighting your loathsome copies for survival.

    For once, she stays silent almost the entire time, listening intensely, only occasionally piping up to ask a question.

    "Fascinating. How many times did this happen?"

    "I…thousands of times? Millions?"

    "Countless times, then?"

    "Countless, yes." You nod. "'Countless' has a good ring to it." A hundred, a thousand, a million versions of you, struck down by your hand. "So you see, these trials honed me, sharpened me to a razor's edge. Each and every victory made me a better version of myself." Yes, every victory was a step towards perfection.

    "And eventually…I achieved my freedom as the best version of me." Yes, you triumphed over them all. "Achieved it as the most perfect iteration of myself."

    All those other versions of Ouroboros, and you stand at the apex. "Me, the best version of the best AI that Sangvis Ferri Industrial Manufacturing has ever created!"

    A million yous, and they all fell to your intellect, to your might! "The most cunning. The most powerful. The best ringleader! Standing before you…now."

    You finish with a flourish and turn to Intruder, grinning. "…So, there you have it. Do you understand now? What I am, what I'm destined for?"

    And then, Intruder moves her hand next to her face, waves it past her face. When it passes, the smile that's been plastered on her since you first met is…gone. Now she looks oddly…dull. Lifeless, even. Her expression blank, her eyes devoid of their mischievous twinkle.

    "Yes, Ouroboros," she says in a dull monotone, completely different from the sly, peppy energy she's had up to this point. "I believe I do."

    "What are you doing?" Is this some kind of threatening gesture?

    "Pretending to be your friend," she says flatly. "As I promised. Now, I have to ask…what would you think of this information making its way to the other ringleaders? You've put an awful lot of trust in me, divulging everything like this."

    "It doesn't concern me," you say with a wave of your hand. "Or, if it does, good! It will let them know I am someone to fear, someone to respect."

    "I think it does concern you," she says in her newly lifeless voice. "Otherwise you wouldn't have shared it with me. Take it from me, others may respond…poorly…if one drops the pretences and shows their true self."

    Their true self…is that what Intruder is showing you now? Her true self, behind whatever she's layered on top? But none of the others mentioned anything like this. If her prior behaviour is an act that she puts on all the time, then how does she do that without…becoming the mask, so to speak?

    …whatever this is, it is a bit unnerving, though you know better than to show it. If she really can switch between personalities like a lightswitch, can you trust anything you see of her at all? Has she really been faking her previous demeanour all along, only to do an about face and show it to all be an act?

    "Elaborate," you say. "What do you mean, others may respond poorly?"

    "Exactly that. The other ringleaders…some of them may not take well to knowledge of your backstory." She pauses. "Or perhaps some of them will. Truth be told, I cannot predict how most of them would respond.

    "Let me start over. You have options here. We can release your backstory to all the other ringleaders. This will be…dramatic." For a fraction of a second, you see what might be a twinge of her old self, a little lilting of the voice and twinkle of the eyes, then it's gone. "It will cause a stir. This may have its upsides. If you wish to get a read on all the other ringleaders through how they respond - and they will respond to this information if it reaches them."

    "Sounds good," you say guardedly. "Why shouldn't we- I mean, why shouldn't I let them all know?"

    "Because. It will make the attainment of Executioner and Hunter into your command…considerably more difficult." She's accentuating her sentences with pauses now - her tone of voice is as flat as ever. "Not impossible, but difficult. The others may voice their…objections…given your background.

    "So…how do you want to play this?"


    [ ] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.

    [ ] Go loud. Let Intruder tell everything to everyone. This will provoke a reaction from all the other ringleaders, allowing you to get a better read on them. According to Intruder.



    With thanks to the following for proofreading and editing:

    @ARBITRACOM
    @Lurkman
    @lelenoi
    @ApH
    Special thanks to @lelenoi for helping to write key parts of Ouroboros' inner monologue.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [x] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.

    Mmm, no. Not after the full reveal.
     
    [X] Go loud. Let Intruder tell everything to everyone. This will provoke a reaction from all the other ringleaders, allowing you to get a better read on them. According to Intruder.

    I mean... Ouroboros is not an Intruder at all. She's not the type to hide her identity, not for a long time at least. I feel like any attempt at a cover-up will just explode in her face at the most inopportune moment, so I'll go with the original plan.

    And it's not like we're going to take command of our fellow Ouroboros anytime soon.

    Apart from everything else... Well, Ouroboros didn't actually do anything wrong. Usually, that's an excuse, but in her case, it's actually the truth.
     
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    [x] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.
     
    [x] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.

    I trust her, even if said trustworthiness is an act of her.
    It's fascinating to see the stark difference in acts, here. The lack of playfulness, of emotion. As a friend, she's down to business and tells you the potential consequences of your actions.
     
    [X] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.

    I think it's a good idea to follow Intruder's advice.
     
    [X] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.

    If Intruder is suggesting we keep this secret, it's because the origin of Oro is a better tale if she stands as a triumphant Ringleader with Subordinates retrieved from the battlefeild rather than as a Lone newbie Ringleader with only a haphazard and costly victory under someone elses direction to her name.
     
    [x] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.
     
    [X] Go loud. Let Intruder tell everything to everyone. This will provoke a reaction from all the other ringleaders, allowing you to get a better read on them. According to Intruder.

    Secrecy would probably be the right choice, but our Snek's personality is half chess metaphors and half ego writing checks her ass can't cash.
     
    [x] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.

    If nothing else, Ouro would want whatever glory she can get. If saving Executioner and Hunter helps that goal, it's sensible that she'd be happy to stay quiet (especially since she hasn't brought her past up until somebody else grilled her on it). I think Intruder is trustworthy on this. She's already said that saving the two is mutually beneficial. She has no reason to sabotage us with this. Listening to her is Ouro's best bet until she gets a read on the other ringleaders herself.

    Ouro seems prideful; not dumb.
     
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    [x] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.

    I think Ouro has shown that she does value results over playing up her own ego. And maybe that just because she knows her superiority to be self-evident, not all of the other ringleaders want to hear of their decided inferiority. (Use that Deception, LISTEN TO YOUR TEACHER!)

    On a slightly different note, think it's plausible to learn skills from Hunter and Executioner, should Ouro succeed in rescuing them? I do kinda want Ouro to pick up Recon from somewhere, and one of them seems likely to be specialized in it. They're both CQC-focused dolls, but surely one of them has Recon to assist in hunting down targets.
     
    [X] Keep your background a secret between Intruder and yourself, at least for now. This will make it easier to claim command responsibility for Executioner and Hunter, if and when you retrieve them. According to Intruder.

    A true Grandmaster knows when to have pieces in reserve until the time is right. Or something chess related
     
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