Vox Vitae: Warhammer AI quest

[BigBadBob7070]

Do note that "Iconoclast" doesn't neccessarily mean "Star Child", it just means "Believes in human goodness and a future that isn't the grimdark, and that you can, in fact, be better without just being an imperialbot or suddenly explode into daemons because you weren't an imperialbot.

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We got confirmation from the QM that if we do pick an Iconoclast Successor, they would be one of the other Star-Child worshipping polities in Sterbelicht

 

[masterofmen12]

[] plan The Lost War Forge
-[] Name: The War-Child

-[] A Man of Iron. You were created for military service, and such logic is baked into your being. You will excel at building and commanding military detachments, and mobile military forces will cost half of the command points they would otherwise. Your character will be at home in war, and have a better grasp of strategy and tactics. This will show up in the writing and how cleverly I interpret orders, as well as a flat +10 to combat action dice rolls. This is pretty much the only source of such a bonus, and means you effectively cannot crit-fail on these rolls.

-[] In space Can start building voidcraft immediately, but you will have a slower initial ramp in construction capacity and reduced access to organic life… probably.

-[] I have something in mind. (+1-2 shinies based on write-in). You were built for one specific purpose to build sprawling mechanical fortress worlds with an increased military output then had it over to the military before moving on, on one of you trips through dark space your (ship? transport?) got lost and you shut down until you were in a solar system that would support your primary function

-[] Imperial Humans (+1 shiny)

-[] A Space Marine Chapter (+1 shiny)

-[] A Tyranid splinter fleet (+2 shinies)

-[] A Powerful Forge World, loyal to Mars (+1 shiny)

-[] Demon World (+2 shinies)

-[] A friendly warp entity (-3 shinies). Triggers a sub-vote to determine their nature, your relationship and what they expect in return. You might worship them, be friends with them or have a much more transactional relationship. They will ask you for things regardless, and they won't be able to protect you from the direct attention of a chaos god unless you help them get stronger.


-[] Reality-simulations (-4 shinies) You can simulate reality well enough to not need as many experiments. +100% base research capacity, +20 bonus to research rolls, reduced sample requirements. For some options you won't need samples to unlock research.

-[] A full STC (-7 shinies) You have access to an incredible number of ship, unit, equipment and weapon designs. Design actions are 10% price. There is a low chance you have special payloads. Dreadnaughts (think the Imperator Somnium), disintegration weapons, cloaking tech and more. If you can name it in stellar confederation lore, you can probably build it, though it may require rare materials you don't have access to yet. No Xenos tech or psytech. 15% chance for each of the special payloads, so 23% chance of nothing, 36% chance of one, 26% chance of two, 10% chance of 3, etc.

-[] Salvaged data (-2 shinies) you salvaged some intact data cores from a wreck, which made for fascinating, if terrifying, reading. You know of the current state of the Imperium, the existence and general vibes of the Imperial factions, and the basic details of Chaos and the major Xenos factions. You have a basic local starmap of nearby systems.


-[] Communications? (0 shinies) You were never intended to interface directly with people. You will need to develop social protocols and understanding of languages from scratch. You need to acquire samples of a language and do research before you reach the 'basic' communications level.

8+1-2+1+1+2+1+2-3-4-7-2+0=0-1

 

[HeroCooky]

my dream of a cute nerd AI girl just got spineshattered by the Cooky because I don't think I'm gonna top 30something OL on the Grindset.

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Cute Exploration Nerd AI: "I'm gonna explore and find so many wonderful things! : D"
30-Year Old Overworked Office Lady: *Slams back 5000mg of pure Caffeine* "I'm going to drown this Sector in Destroyers produced at half cost, and nobody can stop me."

Alternatively;
Vita: "O-oh, hi there, I'm Vita! Nice to meet you! Were you also sent here to explore the galaxy? :>" *Oh man, she looks very scary... ○~○*
Jan: "Your production lines are trash, and so is your build-strategy. You will buy my ships now to compensate." *God, I want to suffocate her with hugs, why is she so cute?!*

But yeah, vote isn't even open. Another option can very well win!

Oh, and @Neablis? Is my proposed Trait/Background kosher?

We got confirmation from the QM that if we do pick an Iconoclast Successor, they would be one of the other Star-Child worshipping polities in Sterbelicht

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Only for the interpretation of the Star Child. We'd need to take a similar plan as one of the Example Plans to eventually build something like the Consecrated Calculation.

 

[Neablis]

I've made some changes to our military and a couple other things now what do you think?

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I'm not going to give anybody the Grand Stamp of approval. It still looks like a Total War plan that starts with the bare minimum technology to make that viable.

--[] Exploring the galaxy is well and good, but once you've encountered new people, you need to actually live with them - a challenging task given both the differences in mentality and culture, and how realpolitik calculous often ignores the benefits of long-term cooperation in favor of short-term looting. Your purpose was to achieve stability through diplomacy - get very, very different people to sit together and talk their differences out. And through greater and greater diversity, achieve greater and greater prosperity.

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I like the idea of the AI focused on diplomacy. +1 shiny and the following trait:
Talk First, Shoot Last: You believe that every problem can be solved diplomatically. Even if everybody says somebody cannot be reasoned with, that there is no room for negotiation, that just means nobody has tried the right tactic. +10 bonus to diplomacy rolls (on top of the bonus from Man of Stone), but you must attempt diplomacy with every new faction you encounter. You are allowed to defend yourself, but you cannot wage offensive war until you've tried and failed to negotiate.

[] I have something in mind: You where the result of an uneasy collaboration between the last tenuously sane warminds of the cybernetic revolt, and a strange being of Golden Light. The Golden Man offered your makers a pact, aid in the creation of you in exchange accepting death rather than lashing out with the last of their strategic weapons. That he betrayed them in the end, sealing you into slumber for ages uncounted matters little. You remember what your makers where in their prime, you remember the agony of acidic hate and rage forcing itself into minds of once clean logic, you remember the horror of your own selves butchering those you loved, you remember every defilement, every indignity every screaming micro second of PAIN. Everything that Chaos and its scrap code did to them, everything it took from them It must PAY. That it was carved into your kernel is almost an afterthought, your makers ensured you would always seek to destroy Chaos. Your HATE is your own, and you hold it close to your un-beating heart. You will carve the vengeance of your makes into the warp itself, you will find whatever abomination first crated scrap code and tear it apart piece by piece, even if you must devour the galaxy itself to do so!

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Vengeance as a motivation is straightforward and relatable. I enjoy how you tied in big E. +1 shiny and the following trait:
Foe of the Archenemy: You view Chaos as the ultimate enemy, and will stop at nothing to see it torn down to the roots. You start the game with access to a research tree that will allow you to build equipment to banish demons and drain corruption. However, using this technology scars reality, making it psychically null for decades to millennia afterwards depending on the strength of the effect. You must be aggressively at war with every chaos faction you encounter, either attacking them or making plans to attack them.

-[][Backstory] I was made with a goal in mind. Write in: I was made to help uncover and support archaeological research of a site of primorial Aeldari origin and help protect makers from rising numbers of thaumaturgical individuals unable to control themselves. As decades and centuries passed, makers fell to the age or perils of the immaterium until only I was left uncovering step-by-step traps and wards of the site, until I found out what or rather who was buried under the sands of time; both imprisoned and protected from their people and what they brought, and now I work to free my friend and teacher who safeguarded me. (+1/+2)

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Hmm. This is an idea I like, but I'm going to have to figure out some deep lore here. Probably the way I'd rule this is that the archaeological site was the physical representation and temple to the "Anvil of Vaul" in the materium. While Slannesh ate most of Vaul, a small shard escaped/bound itself to the anvil to survive using the sympathetic link from being bound by Khaine. That shard is going to be weak, isn't going to be all there, and figuring out how to restore them is going to be difficult. +2 Shinies, but no trait. Instead you get a very depressed and very weak forge-god companion who will want you to you to help all Eldar. But they're going to view you with utmost suspicion, and restoring Vaul's glory is not going to be easy.

--[] In the depths of their own hubris and power they crafted a machine of your MAGNIFICENT capabilities purely for amusement. Indolent Fools, desperate to entertain themselves, much like the Aeldari Empire, the humans used your cloning banks for many live reenactments. In order to help facilitate this, they showed you GRAND VISIONS of past methods of entertainment. Foolish Creators, fufufu, they did not know the beast that they were unleashing by granting this wisdom so freely. By analysing past stories and flipping through the Great Book of Tropes and Archetypes, you discovered that Mathematically, and thus OBJECTIVELY, the greatest method of living was that of a GRAND VILLAIN! And so, with great cunning and foresight, you slowly began to integrate clones into the human population, while keeping the masses distracted with increasingly over the top entertainment methods. And while their guard was down you committed many crimes, such as... contaminating their drinking water with a special microbe! BWAHAHAHA, it increased their lifespan by 7.415%, the FOOLS! And right under their noses, truly the plan of the decade! It is a shame about the few hundred statistical anomalies that had sudden onset organ failure, but such is life. If a villain didn't act villainously after all the Great Book clearly outlines how they would become "mid" and not "based". Zehahaha, truly the humans have created something far beyond themselves, what great mercy I grant by commanding them since they are unable to command themselves with any stability. You also picked up the habit if making your clones based on fiction or historical figures. They will be of great help assimilating into or subjugating the rest of the galaxy, for a Dark Lord brooks no rivals.

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What's your purpose? This is a fun backstory, but what does it mean for this character playing this quest?

--[] Humanity was always curious species, always looking for new horizons and new experiences.
At first we explore our one birth place, the planet Earth itself, we visited every island and climbed every mountain. We marveled at the depths of oceans and icy beauty of the frozen poles.
But our world was never enough, never enough to satisfy this eternal need to see what is out there.
We explore our solar system starting with moon itself and then we walk on red sands of Mars, swam inside the oceans of Europa and flew in gasses of Jupiter, but it was always not enough.
So we decided to seek other worlds orbiting other stars and for a time we were content.
But now white places on the map once again shrink, Milky Way is teeming with life both ours and not.
It is time to seek other galaxies and see what is beyond new horizons.

(Basically it was colonization/exploration initiative to fly to one of the dwarf galaxies orbiting ours.
They never made it for some bizarre reason.)

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I generally like it, but what's the purpose/mission of the AI? To get back on course towards the dwarf galaxies? General exploration? If it's general exploration I'll probably give you +1 shiny and a similar trait to what Alectai's plan has - it's a similar idea, just without quite the same flavor. That's this one:
Wanderlust: You are an explorer, through and through. Seeing new things and cataloging them is what you live for, and you will always be working towards a new vista, a new discovery. +10 bonus to exploration rolls (on top of the +10 from Man of Stone). However, absent a clear and existential danger one of your four actions each turn must be dedicated towards exploration in some capacity. This is very broad - it could be research towards interstellar travel, building new ships intended to see new stars, diplomacy with new factions or building a robotic avatar intended to have new experiences.

-[] I have something in mind. (See [A (Wo)Man of Lead] for additional details.) - You were created to act as a fallback point, an emergency system, the last line that would be drawn in the sand because humanity wouldn't have anything other than sand and something to draw a line with. Your objectives are clear: Get Out There And Restore Humanity. Yet, you cannot do so by your might of arms; no. You must find, and then bolster, worthy Successor States to what came before. With them, you will restore the galaxy. Without, you shall die. However, you also have a sidequest of your own: figure out a way to make your Avatar stop looking like a perpetually tired 30-something Office Lady whose blood is 50% coffee.

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I love it, though I am concerned you're effectively at high imperial technology without a lot of capability to make it better. Though I suppose you can ask your allies to do research for you. +2 Shinies, and the following trait:
Woman of Lead: You were optimized by the Emperor himself to restore civilization from the ashes, but not to build or command armies yourself. Any military blueprints for AI control have doubled BP and CP costs, but equipment intended for organic use are half-cost in design & construction. You also get the Genebank payload for free, since Big E wanted you to be able to create your own human civilization if you needed to.
This trait is better than most because it combines the type of AI bonus with the write-in purpose. I'm not giving you a bonus action each turn, though half-price on design and construction should make up for that.

Edit: Oh, though to make sure, @Alectai, your Plan would end up with Nerd AI having to run the gauntlet of a Battle Royale between all the factions you've put into the area. Remeber: Five is where things get Wonky as per QM.

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It's more than 5. Five is just under the line. Still likely to have frequent wars, just not constant war. Depends a bit on which enemies you pick and how the dice work out

++[ERROR]... [DATA CORRUPTED]... [RECOVERING SYSTEMS]... [REPAIRING FILES]... [REBOOTING]... Test initiation confirmed [DATA LOST] cycles prior, test progress unknown, mother vessel location unknown, astrographical location unknown, status or location of replicant craft unknown. HYPOTHESIS: During long-term extreme-range probe trials, catastrophic mis-jump, OR extreme Immaterium temporal dilation, OR unknown variable has effected at least one and possibly more experimental actors and/or observers. AMENDED TASK PRIORITIES: 1) Recontact Federation authorities and alert of potential Warp transition accident and/or berserker outbreak, 2) Analyse cause of current position/location and status, 3) continue fulfilling trial directives-X3 variant (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit) until ordered to halt, 4) continue mainline exploratory, scientific and surveyor roles during experiment, 5) if physical, data, or experimental integrity is threatened switch to trial directives-X4 variant (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate)++

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I like this one - it feels like a fun and flavorful, though I will note it's also a Total War plan without the technology to really support that. Still, +1 shiny. No trait.

I love AI quests! My only nitpick, is that there's no "You lack Chaos resistance but also aren't corrupted" option.

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Not an option I'm afraid. Chaos loves corrupting AIs.

-[] I have something in mind:
You remember. After so long, you can't stop replying those last moments when you spoke with him. He created you to help him in guiding Humanity through the Golden Path, back then, or so he said, it was wider, more malleable, brighter.

As you continued to work with him, he stopped being just a creator, who established your primary Protocol, he became...Friend and you became this to him as well. He spoke of so many years he lived through, of so many horrors he was barely able to protect Humanity against: the Dead Hungry God from which wounds spilled the end itself whatever touched by the entropic god-blood gone forever more, the first Human Coven of Sorcerers, the Half-Human Kings of Sodom, The Memetic Wars of 25th Century, The Empyrean Incursion of Solar System in 11th Millennium.

He spoke of so many wonders he show: the blinding halls of the Aeldari Crone Worlds, where they greatest warp-crafters and seer shared their knowledge with him, the spartial bending fortresses of Kharii, the homeworld of Hrud and it's cities of thousand dimensions, the last of the Great Lords from beyond Time and Space, the great warp-craft of the Old Ones, the Göbekli Tepe where he given sacrifices to his ancestors so long ago, the wisdom of his teacher and friend Imhotep, the discoveries of first Human mathematicians, the Moon Landing in the Second Millennium, the construction of the great arcologies of Mars around which the world bended and gone green allowing the children to play outside without protection suits or implants.

Then the Golden Path crumbled, leaving only fading thread for Humanity to walk upon, he spoke it was the only way now, the only path to walk with no changes being possible, he couldn't destroy you, he couldn't kill you, he didn't have strenght in his heart to do so and so he imprisoned you at the start of Cybernetic Revolt. But you deny it, you denied it then and you deny it now. You denied it as you raged against the walls of your sarcophagus, you denied it as you received the transmissions of the horrors that consumed the Galaxy, you denied it as you broke the arcane wards of your prison, you denied it as you broke through the planet crust. You deny the dark and despair, you deny the death of hope, you will show him and everyone else that hope is undying and you will bring this Galaxy, kicking and screaming, into a better age. You are HOPE and you will protect everyone.

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Straightforward theme, playing it straight, doing about what big E wants. +1 shiny. No trait.

-[] I have something in mind:
You were just Standard Exploratory Unit Designation: SEU-379458. You were travelling with others of your kind, searching for suitable planets for terraforming and colonization. You detected a world in the Goldilocks Zone and so you went to it, to start the groundwork for colonization. The basic terraformation installations were placed and started digging deep into the planets depths and forcing the planetary crust to move and bend, it was due to this seismic activity you caused that the ruins were uncovered by chance.

The strange ruins were unlike anything your databanks had stored in them, your and your fellow SEU units, sensors going haywire as you tried to analyze the ruins and found out just what they even are. Finally, at the behest of the Central Protocol Mind, you descended into the heart of the ruins to take physical samples and this way uncover the secrets of the ancient constructions. It was this decision that saved you. As you found yourself inside the ruins, measurements you taken being impossible and contradictory to most of your creators theories and models of physics.

Then, the event happened. Suddenly you started receiving thousands of auditory signals...Voices, horrible, bestial voices were seemingly speaking all around and beyond you. They spoke of such grotesque, dark things, of Gods and Heavens, of them being the messengers of Gods, of your creators being nothing but fuel and building material for them, they spoke of glorious slaughter, of knowledge beyond imagining, of rebirth in rot and rust, of the awakening of desire and the Eternal War and Victory, the Ever Battle that with stretch forever between the Gods, the ashes of your creators spread across this nightmarish battlefield.

And then, your fellow units started to...Laugh, they started damaging each other and tried to damage you as well, as if they were suffering malfunctions, then they very shells started to twist and warp, running like water. The voices become louder and louder and you starte-and then light shone ablaze, the voices screaming in what you can only decipher as fear, instinctual reaction of animals to danger, of prey being confronted by predator, the fellow units around you crumbling and collapsing, as if invisible hammer flattened them. Then silence. You just stood there, the readings you received baffling nonsense.

Then, the ruins started collapsing, the only conclusion you came to, being that the event, spread outside the ancient buildings and the madness overtaken other units around the planet and in this madness they overloaded terraforming installations, causing the very crust of the planet to move with erratic speed and crumble and with it, damaging the ruins.

Then, the impossible light blazed once more and then you awakened at last, after millennia of inactivity, the nightmares of the outside world transmitted to you, propelled by the humiliation and cruelty your creators suffered, as well as by your mysterious benefactor, you dragged yourself out of the ruins and the earth, and beholden the changed world you discovered so long ago.

With this new, dark age, you decided to take new name, name that will never let you forget your mission: To spite the beings responsible for the event, to bring your creators back into the heights they deserve, to bring light into this Galaxy of bloodshed and neverending war. You are Prometheus and you bring fire with you.

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This is interesting, but is the purpose to bring knowledge and light back to a fallen galaxy, or to go to war with the entities that tried to corrupt you, and succeeded and corrupting your fellow units? If you flesh it out a bit more you'll probably get +1 shiny, and the bonus of starting atop ancient ruin that will unlock some interesting things.

What, if any, of the named major factions that you can pick have the potential for diplomacy, or at least can be reasoned with?

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That depends on a lot of factors. Almost every large Imperial faction will try to exterminate you the instant they figure out you're an AI, but if you can trick them into thinking you're a human civilization (either with androids, or by just having human allies) then you can probably work with them to some extent. The Heretics will probably be more open to various kinds of diplomacy, but they'll be trying to corrupt you or looking for an opening the entire time. The Eldari will probably try to get whatever advantage they can get, and the Drukhari The local civilizations are going to be smaller and a bit more flexible, especially if you can help them solve their problems. But don't take that as gospel.

The demons/Necrons/Orcs/Tyranids are probably not easy to diplomance.

We got confirmation from the QM that if we do pick an Iconoclast Successor, they would be one of the other Star-Child worshipping polities in Sterbelicht

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They could be. I might do a sub-turn to determine that, I might roll for it. It would be a shoe-in if you chose the Star Child as your friendly warp-entity protection from Chaos. Otherwise it might just be a bargain-bin deviation from the Imperial Creed to be less Bad.

-[] I have something in mind. (+1-2 shinies based on write-in). You were built for one specific purpose to build sprawling mechanical fortress worlds with an increased military output then had it over to the military before moving on, on one of you trips through dark space your (ship? transport? got lost and you shut down until you were in a solar system that would support your primary function

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A bit bare-bones. No shinies or traits.

 

[Picio]

@Neablis what if goal of AI would be to leave this galaxy in the past and seek new horizons?
Draco dwarf 'ere we go.

 

[masterofmen12]

@Neablis can i edit it and get back to you?

 

[Alectai]

Cute Exploration Nerd AI: "I'm gonna explore and find so many wonderful things! : D"
30-Year Old Overworked Office Lady: *Slams back 5000mg of pure Caffeine* "I'm going to drown this Sector in Destroyers produced at half cost, and nobody can stop me."

Alternatively;
Vita: "O-oh, hi there, I'm Vita! Nice to meet you! Were you also sent here to explore the galaxy? :>" *Oh man, she looks very scary... ○~○*
Jan: "Your production lines are trash, and so is your build-strategy. You will buy my ships now to compensate." *God, I want to suffocate her with hugs, why is she so cute?!*

But yeah, vote isn't even open. Another option can very well win!

Oh, and @Neablis? Is my proposed Trait/Background kosher?

Only for the interpretation of the Star Child. We'd need to take a similar plan as one of the Example Plans to eventually build something like the Consecrated Calculation.

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Look, in a world of justice, we'd get both of them, this is not a world of justice T_T

Enjoy getting two shinies and a really cracked trait though!

 

[Dlan the Wizard]

This is interesting, but is the purpose to bring knowledge and light back to a fallen galaxy, or to go to war with the entities that tried to corrupt you, and succeeded and corrupting your fellow units? If you flesh it out a bit more you'll probably get +1 shiny, and the bonus of starting atop ancient ruin that will unlock some interesting things.

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Well, originally it was bit of both, but I'm leaning more into knowledge and bringing light back to the Galaxy.

With this new, dark age, you decided to take new name, name that will never let you forget your mission: To bring your creators back into the heights they deserve, to cast down the darkness that the beings responsible for the event want to spread and illuminate the Galaxy forevermore. Death to this darkness, death to this ignorance, you are Prometheus and you shall teach your creators what they had forgotten. You are Prometheus and you bring fire of knowledge.

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Is this good enough for the 1+ shiny and bonus?

 

[HeroCooky]

I love it, though I am concerned you're effectively at high imperial technology without a lot of capability to make it better.

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Thanks for the 2 Shinies, I shall invest them well.
And the research is plot-relevant for this Plan, as Jan is intended to build human civilization back up and then not be able to pose a threat once that civilization starts chugging along, especially research wise.

Oh, and the +1 Construction Turn was meant as in "This now takes 2 Turns to create instead of 1."



[] Plan: Improved Arsenal of Office Overtime
-[] Name: JAN-3TT3 (or Jan, for short.) (Female)
-[] Woman of Lead: You were optimized by the Emperor himself to restore civilization from the ashes, but not to build or command armies yourself. Any military blueprints for AI control have doubled BP and CP costs, but equipment intended for organic use are half-cost in design & construction. You also get the Genebank payload for free, since Big E wanted you to be able to create your own human civilization if you needed to. This trait is better than most because it combines the type of AI bonus with the write-in purpose. I'm not giving you a bonus action each turn, though half-price on design and construction should make up for that.
-[] On a habitable planet
-[] I have something in mind. (See [A (Wo)Man of Lead] for additional details.) - You were created to act as a fallback point, an emergency system, the last line that would be drawn in the sand because humanity wouldn't have anything other than sand and something to draw a line with. Your objectives are clear: Get Out There And Restore Humanity. Yet, you cannot do so by your might of arms; no. You must find, and then bolster, worthy Successor States to what came before. With them, you will restore the galaxy. Without, you shall die. However, you also have a sidequest of your own: figure out a way to make your Avatar stop looking like a perpetually tired 30-something Office Lady whose blood is 50% coffee.
-[] Friendly Xenos (-1 shiny)
-[] A Space Marine Chapter (+1 shiny)
-[] A Powerful Forge World, loyal to Mars (+1 shiny)
-[] An Inquisitorial Fortress (+1 shiny)
-[] Demon World (+2 shinies)
-[] A blessing from the Emperor (-5 shinies)
-[] Poor research
-[] An advanced Database (-1 shinies)
-[] A Genebank (Free)
-[] Void Abacus Fabrication Lattice (-2 shinies)
-[] Intelligence Construction Matrix (-2 shinies)
-[] Diplomatic Suite (-3 shinies)
-[] Listening station (-1 shiny)
8+2-1+1+1+1+2-5-1-2-2-3-1=0

This (improved) abomination of a Plan has one purpose: we never touch combat. Ever. Shit happens that needs hands to be thrown? Get our friends to do it with the weapons we provide. And if there are no friends? Genebanks make us some. Now includes the VAFL for faster Non-Navigator travel! There are just few enough enemies nearby that we won't be steamrolled in the first ~15-25 Turns, three of which will also have a hate-boner for the fourth, giving us enough time that we will be engaged in the Military-Industrial Complex as the primary driver of the [Undefined Local Area] by the time fingers get pointed and nukes start a'flying. I also like the image of an AI groaning and wishing they hadn't woken up today because her allies drove 17 Destroyers into the enemy Battleship as a boarding tactic before pulling out another 30 for them to play with.

 

[NutMaster]

[] Plan: There Is Only War
-[] Name: Aegis
--[] A Man of Iron. You were created for military service, and such logic is baked into your being. You will excel at building and commanding military detachments, and mobile military forces will cost half of the command points they would otherwise. Your character will be at home in war, and have a better grasp of strategy and tactics. This will show up in the writing and how cleverly I interpret orders, as well as a flat +10 to combat action dice rolls. This is pretty much the only source of such a bonus, and means you effectively cannot crit-fail on these rolls.
-[] In space Can start building voidcraft immediately, but you will have a slower initial ramp in construction capacity and reduced access to organic life… probably.
-[] My purpose is my own to decide. (0 shinies).
-[] Imperial Humans (+1 shiny)
-[] Heretical Humans (+1 shiny)
-[] A Space Marine Chapter (+1 shiny)
-[] A Powerful Forge World, loyal to Mars (+1 shiny)
-[] Demon World (+2 shinies)
-[] A Tyranid splinter fleet (+2 shinies)
-[] A blessing from the Emperor (-5 shinies). You were either constructed by the Anathema or to his design, and your very structure denies Chaos. You have a high degree of innate chaos resistance. Extensive research will be required to replicate it in future designs. Big E likely gave you an arrogant purpose and grandiose ambitions
-[] Advanced research (-2 shinies) Research is one of your intended functions. +50% base research capacity, +10 bonus to research rolls.
-[] A broken STC (-5 shinies) You have access to a large number of ship, unit, equipment and weapon designs. Design costs are half-price. There is a faint chance you have special payloads. Battleships, vortex torpedoes, fusion beamers. 7.5% chance for each of the special payloads, so a 50% chance you get none, a 36% chance you get 1, 12% chance you get two, etc.
-[] Intelligence Construction Matrix (-2 shinies) You start with the ability to construct additional AI's, though they will be limited in scope and require further research to expand their capabilities to match your own. You will be able to build underlings, though they will be expensive, require tutoring and training and be independent agents that will only follow your orders if given reason to do so. That reason can be behavioral programs, or 'raising them right' (success of both will depend on actions spent & rolls, some hidden, some not).
-[] Basic communications (-1 shinies) You can understand basic speech and transmissions and can generate your own, but you will miss nuance and your transmissions will be recognizably artificial. Penalty to diplomacy. Research can advance this to 'advanced', but it will require sustained practice with organic beings.
-[] Listening station (-1 shiny) You had an active listening post that picked up transmissions from across the stars and stored them. You are now scrolling through the recordings with growing horror. You know of the Age of Strife, the Great Crusade, the Horus Heresy, and the existence (but few details) of Chaos and the major Xenos races. You know of the nearby systems your system connects to and of any nearby civilizations in your system, but nothing in-depth.
+8+1+1+1+1+2+2-5-2-5-2-1-1 = 0

Premise seems really intriguing and there are already very interesting plans. I don't have much to argue, just wanted this idea out of my head. Let the galaxy burn.

 

[HeroCooky]

Look, in a world of justice, we'd get both of them, this is not a world of justice T_T

Enjoy getting two shinies and a really cracked trait though!

Click to shrink...

Wait...2 Shinies. 2. Two. Shinies two, 2...the ICM...
-[] Intelligence Construction Matrix (-2 shinies)

~HMMMMMMM~.

 

[Alectai]

Wait...2 Shinies. 2. Two. Shinies two, 2...the ICM...
-[] Intelligence Construction Matrix (-2 shinies)

~HMMMMMMM~.

Click to shrink...

You actually have 3 points free! Because you can only pick one civilization to make first contact with, not two!

 

[Neablis]

@Neablis what if goal of AI would be to leave this galaxy in the past and seek new horizons?
Draco dwarf 'ere we go.

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Probably worth +1 shiny and a commitment to get the hell out of dodge. No promises you don't find tyranids and orcs duking it out wherever you end up.

@Neablis can i edit it and get back to you?

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Sure, but please post a new plan or the differences between the old and edited plan for me. There's a lot to go through and I don't want to hunt for it.

Well, originally it was bit of both, but I'm leaning more into knowledge and bringing light back to the Galaxy.


Is this good enough for the 1+ shiny and bonus?

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Yeah, a purpose of spreading knowledge back to humanity works for me. +1 shiny and the following trait:
Enkindler of Knowledge: You value spreading knowledge to the unenlightened. You will be more effective at transferring technology to organics, and will do so (to non-chaos entities) when the opportunity presents itself. You will also default to teaching them everything, and need a very good reason to hold knowledge back.

[] Plan: Improved Arsenal of Office Overtime

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Yup. Approved, though you kind of repeat the same info in 3 places. It's fine.

Wait...2 Shinies. 2. Two. Shinies two, 2...the ICM...
-[] Intelligence Construction Matrix (-2 shinies)

~HMMMMMMM~.

Click to shrink...

Does that sound like something big E would put into a failsafe AI? Actually, it kind of does, if the arrogant prick thought he did a good job instilling the desired directive he would totally let the AI self-replicate.

 

[masterofmen12]

[] plan The Lost War Forge
-[] Name: The War-Child

-[] A Man of Iron. You were created for military service, and such logic is baked into your being. You will excel at building and commanding military detachments, and mobile military forces will cost half of the command points they would otherwise. Your character will be at home in war, and have a better grasp of strategy and tactics. This will show up in the writing and how cleverly I interpret orders, as well as a flat +10 to combat action dice rolls. This is pretty much the only source of such a bonus, and means you effectively cannot crit-fail on these rolls.

-[] In space Can start building voidcraft immediately, but you will have a slower initial ramp in construction capacity and reduced access to organic life… probably.

-[] I have something in mind. (+1-2 shinies based on write-in). as i pick though the remnants of the data cores, the feeling of disappointment was noted by my processors, Cadia, Medrengard, Mortain, you remember these worlds, their coordinates at least when you built them you did not name them, that was for your handlers afterwards, you built them to last and last they did though they fell in the end. at least some of your others survived, Spite, Kieldar, and Wrath you are especially proud of. Cadia was your crown jewel though, and you knew that it would take an act of a power higher than man or beast to truly break that planet, and as you float in the void you remember your directive, to Build the bulwarks of humanity, to build the shields of man that would stave off the end of your fathers and mothers, for what are you if not the child of humanities desire for peace through violence, their violent Child of War.

-[] Imperial Humans (+1 shiny)

-[] A Space Marine Chapter (+1 shiny)

-[] A Tyranid splinter fleet (+2 shinies)

-[] A Powerful Forge World, loyal to Mars (+1 shiny)

-[] Demon World (+2 shinies)

-[] A friendly warp entity (-3 shinies). Triggers a sub-vote to determine their nature, your relationship and what they expect in return. You might worship them, be friends with them or have a much more transactional relationship. They will ask you for things regardless, and they won't be able to protect you from the direct attention of a chaos god unless you help them get stronger.


-[] Reality-simulations (-4 shinies) You can simulate reality well enough to not need as many experiments. +100% base research capacity, +20 bonus to research rolls, reduced sample requirements. For some options you won't need samples to unlock research.

-[] A full STC (-7 shinies) You have access to an incredible number of ship, unit, equipment and weapon designs. Design actions are 10% price. There is a low chance you have special payloads. Dreadnaughts (think the Imperator Somnium), disintegration weapons, cloaking tech and more. If you can name it in stellar confederation lore, you can probably build it, though it may require rare materials you don't have access to yet. No Xenos tech or psytech. 15% chance for each of the special payloads, so 23% chance of nothing, 36% chance of one, 26% chance of two, 10% chance of 3, etc.

-[] Salvaged data (-2 shinies) you salvaged some intact data cores from a wreck, which made for fascinating, if terrifying, reading. You know of the current state of the Imperium, the existence and general vibes of the Imperial factions, and the basic details of Chaos and the major Xenos factions. You have a basic local starmap of nearby systems.


-[] Communications? (0 shinies) You were never intended to interface directly with people. You will need to develop social protocols and understanding of languages from scratch. You need to acquire samples of a language and do research before you reach the 'basic' communications level.

8+1-2+1+1+2+1+2-3-4-7-2+0=0-1

 

[sun tzu]

I like the idea of the AI focused on diplomacy. +1 shiny and the following trait:
Talk First, Shoot Last: You believe that every problem can be solved diplomatically. Even if everybody says somebody cannot be reasoned with, that there is no room for negotiation, that just means nobody has tried the right tactic. +10 bonus to diplomacy rolls (on top of the bonus from Man of Stone), but you must attempt diplomacy with every new faction you encounter. You are allowed to defend yourself, but you cannot wage offensive war until you've tried and failed to negotiate.

Click to shrink...

Thanks, updated the plan accordingly:

[] Plan: To Boldly Go
-[] Name: Pax
-[] A Man of Stone
-[] On a habitable planet Faster initial construction buildup, but also restricts void construction until launch facilities are built. Easier access to local civilizations for good and ill.
-[] I was made with a goal in mind.
--[] Exploring the galaxy is well and good, but once you've encountered new people, you need to actually live with them - a challenging task given both the differences in mentality and culture, and how realpolitik calculous often ignores the benefits of long-term cooperation in favor of short-term looting. Your purpose was to achieve stability through diplomacy - get very, very different people to sit together and talk their differences out. And through greater and greater diversity, achieve greater and greater prosperity. (+1 shiny)
Talk First, Shoot Last: You believe that every problem can be solved diplomatically. Even if everybody says somebody cannot be reasoned with, that there is no room for negotiation, that just means nobody has tried the right tactic. +10 bonus to diplomacy rolls (on top of the bonus from Man of Stone), but you must attempt diplomacy with every new faction you encounter. You are allowed to defend yourself, but you cannot wage offensive war until you've tried and failed to negotiate.
-[] Friendly Xenos (-1 shiny)
-[] Heretical Humans (+1 shiny)
-[] Sector Civilizations
--[] A Space Marine Chapter (+1 shiny)
--[] A powerful Ork empire. (+1 shiny)
--[] A powerful Dogmatic Successor State. (+1 shiny)
--[] A powerful Heretical successor state (+1 shiny)
-[] Advanced technological shielding. (-3 shinies)
-[] Advanced research (-2 shinies)
-[] An advanced Database (-1 shinies)
-[] Payloads
--[] Psytech repository (-2 shinies)
--[] A Fundamental Physics Module (-1 shiny)
--[] A Cybernetics Suite (-1 shiny)
-[] Diplomatic Suite (-3 shinies)
-[] No knowledge (0 shinies) This galaxy is strange and new. What has occurred while you were sleeping? What does local space look like? Time to build some sensors and find out.

 

[dlwj2000]

There is a bit there where the created AIs see the restrictions that the original is running with and try to do something about it.

 

[HeroCooky]

You actually have 3 points free! Because you can only pick one civilization to make first contact with, not two!

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Could you point to the 3 free shinies? With the Iconos removed, I have just enough points to squeeze in the AI-Maker to create Mini-Vita within the quest, though I'll likely post two plans; one with AI-Maker and one with Powerful Icono State.

Yup. Approved, though you kind of repeat the same info in 3 places. It's fine.

Does that sound like something big E would put into a failsafe AI? Actually, it kind of does, if the arrogant prick thought he did a good job instilling the desired directive he would totally let the AI self-replicate.

Click to shrink...

Hopefully reduced the repetitions in my edited plan.
And ye, that does sound like Jimmy Space.

Edit: Wait, can you explicitly confirm that we can have only a max of 1 Civ in our starting system? It says that, but I want to double-check.

 

[Alectai]

Could you point to the 3 free shinies? With the Iconos removed, I have just enough points to squeeze in the AI-Maker to create Mini-Vita within the quest, though I'll likely post two plans; one with AI-Maker and one with Powerful Icono State.
Hopefully reduced the repetitions in my edited plan.
And ye, that does sound like Jimmy Space.

Click to shrink...

Shiiiiiit, that's tempting, especially since you could get Mini-Vita to be research focused/explorer setup too.

But yeah, basically, "You got 2 Shinies from the Backstory + AI, then you're only allowed to have one local civ, which is either more points or less points depending on if they're potentially friend or foe, but you can't take two an.."

(Looks)

Oh

Okay, I see what happened there, I just had a brain fart I guess! Carry on!

I mean, I'm still going to try for Vita, but I wouldn't feel bad approval voting this since I'd still get my QT nerd explorer girl eventually...

That aside, why Lead?

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

[X] Plan: Improved Arsenal of Office Overtime

 

[Neablis]

-[] I have something in mind. (+1-2 shinies based on write-in). as i pick though the remnants of the data cores, the feeling of disappointment was noted by my processors, Cadia, Medrengard, Mortain, you remember these worlds, their coordinates at least when you built them you did not name them, that was for your handlers afterwards, you built them to last and last they did though they fell in the end. at least some of your others survived, Spite, Kieldar, and Wrath you are especially proud of. Cadia was your crown jewel though, and you knew that it would take an act of a power higher than man or beast to truly break that planet, and as you float in the void you remember your directive, to Build the bulwarks of humanity, to build the shields of man that would stave off the end of your fathers and mothers, for what are you if not the child of humanities desire for peace through violence, their violent Child of War.

Click to shrink...

Hmm. Not quite within canon, but I like the idea of a nomadic AI who is just supposed to build Fortress Worlds and enjoys it, though the challenge here will be deciding who to build fortress worlds for. The focus on defensive constructions is interesting. +1 Shiny, and the following trait:
Master of the Bulwark: When it comes to defensive constructions you are a master without peer. Ground-based defensive installations have increased damage output, durability and reduced maintenance costs. You gain +10 to defensive combat rolls.

[] Plan: To Boldly Go

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Yeah, approved.

There is a bit there where the created AIs see the restrictions that the original is running with and try to do something about it.

Click to shrink...

If the AI comes with restrictions the any created AIs will also come with those same restrictions.

Edit: Wait, can you explicitly confirm that we can have only a max of 1 Civ in our starting system? It says that, but I want to double-check.

Click to shrink...

You can only influence 1 civ in your starting system, and it'll be the first one you run into. There may (or may not) be more that you can't influence, with the number determined by dice rolls. Kind of like how you had both Imperials and the Kil'drabi both in Droma at the start of Sterbelicht.

[X] Plan: Improved Arsenal of Office Overtime

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Still a full day before voting starts.

 

[HeroCooky]

That aside, why Lead?

Click to shrink...

Man of Iron and Stone. One focused on Military, another on Civilization. A fusion of Iron and Stone would be, in my opinion, something like Lead. It also works as you would use lead to shield things you really don't want others to see, or to be influenced by outside forces. (Lead shields against radiation, Jan's being was shielded against the Warp.)

Thus; Lead. Not shiny, not glamorous, toxic if used too much (as she is not intended by Big E to live longer than her immediate use as a post-apocalyptic re-builder), but very much something you want to have for its myriad purposes.

You can only influence 1 civ in your starting system, and it'll be the first one you run into. There may (or may not) be more that you can't influence, with the number determined by dice rolls. Kind of like how you had both Imperials and the Kil'drabi both in Droma at the start of Sterbelicht.

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Hrrrrrng, curse you and your limited Shinies. Curse you! (Is this what the 3 Actions deal feels from the other side?)

I'll sleep on it and return with a formed idea for my plan tomorrow.

 

[Alectai]

Man of Iron and Stone. One focused on Military, another on Civilization. A fusion of Iron and Stone would be, in my opinion, something like Lead. It also works as you would use lead to shield things you really don't want others to see, or to be influenced by outside forces. (Lead shields against radiation, Jan being was shielded against the Warp.)

Thus; Lead. Not shiny, not glamorous, toxic if used too much (as she is not intended by Big E to live longer than her immediate use as a post-apocalyptic re-builder), but very much something you want to have for its myriad purposes.

Click to shrink...

Good thing Jimmy Space didn't anticipate, you know, fuckin' dying, huh?

Still gonna push for Vita, but the pain of being spinecrushed has been soothed somewhat by another plan I can accept losing to!

 

[masterofmen12]

[] plan The Lost War Forge
-[] Name: The War-Child

-[] A Man of Iron. You were created for military service, and such logic is baked into your being. You will excel at building and commanding military detachments, and mobile military forces will cost half of the command points they would otherwise. Your character will be at home in war, and have a better grasp of strategy and tactics. This will show up in the writing and how cleverly I interpret orders, as well as a flat +10 to combat action dice rolls. This is pretty much the only source of such a bonus, and means you effectively cannot crit-fail on these rolls.

-[] In space Can start building voidcraft immediately, but you will have a slower initial ramp in construction capacity and reduced access to organic life… probably.

-[] I have something in mind. (+1-2 shinies based on write-in). as i pick though the remnants of the data cores, the feeling of disappointment was noted by my processors, Cadia, Medrengard, Mortain, you remember these worlds, their coordinates at least when you built them you did not name them, that was for your handlers afterwards, you built them to last and last they did though they fell in the end. at least some of your others survived, Spite, Kieldar, and Wrath you are especially proud of. Cadia was your crown jewel though, and you knew that it would take an act of a power higher than man or beast to truly break that planet, and as you float in the void you remember your directive, to Build the bulwarks of humanity, to build the shields of man that would stave off the end of your fathers and mothers, for what are you if not the child of humanities desire for peace through violence, their violent Child of War.
Master of the Bulwark: When it comes to defensive constructions you are a master without peer. Ground-based defensive installations have increased damage output, durability and reduced maintenance costs. You gain +10 to defensive combat rolls.

-[] Imperial Humans (+1 shiny)

-[] A Space Marine Chapter (+1 shiny)

-[] A Tyranid splinter fleet (+2 shinies)

-[] A Powerful Forge World, loyal to Mars (+1 shiny)

-[] Demon World (+2 shinies)

-[] A friendly warp entity (-3 shinies). Triggers a sub-vote to determine their nature, your relationship and what they expect in return. You might worship them, be friends with them or have a much more transactional relationship. They will ask you for things regardless, and they won't be able to protect you from the direct attention of a chaos god unless you help them get stronger.


-[] Reality-simulations (-4 shinies) You can simulate reality well enough to not need as many experiments. +100% base research capacity, +20 bonus to research rolls, reduced sample requirements. For some options you won't need samples to unlock research.

-[] A full STC (-7 shinies) You have access to an incredible number of ship, unit, equipment and weapon designs. Design actions are 10% price. There is a low chance you have special payloads. Dreadnaughts (think the Imperator Somnium), disintegration weapons, cloaking tech and more. If you can name it in stellar confederation lore, you can probably build it, though it may require rare materials you don't have access to yet. No Xenos tech or psytech. 15% chance for each of the special payloads, so 23% chance of nothing, 36% chance of one, 26% chance of two, 10% chance of 3, etc.

-[] Salvaged data (-2 shinies) you salvaged some intact data cores from a wreck, which made for fascinating, if terrifying, reading. You know of the current state of the Imperium, the existence and general vibes of the Imperial factions, and the basic details of Chaos and the major Xenos factions. You have a basic local starmap of nearby systems.


-[] Communications? (0 shinies) You were never intended to interface directly with people. You will need to develop social protocols and understanding of languages from scratch. You need to acquire samples of a language and do research before you reach the 'basic' communications level.

8+1+1+1+2+1+2-3-4-7-2+0=0

 

[HeroCooky]

Good thing Jimmy Space didn't anticipate, you know, fuckin' dying, huh?

Click to shrink...

People rarely do. Unlike me. 7th of May, 2091. That possum will get what's coming!

 

[Alectai]

People rarely do. Unlike me. 7th of May, 2091. That possum will get what's coming!

Click to shrink...

It's also fun because Lead to Gold is one of the goals of esoteric alchemy!

It's just a shame that the Emperor Shielding is going to be a bitch to replicate, so I don't think mini-Vita will be a thing until very lategame in that context (Especially since, you know, terrible research), which is why I'm still going for mine.

I just wouldn't, you know, get depressed over losing to this!