Backstage - OOC Forums

EVE-Online RP Discussion and Resources => EVE OOC Summit => Topic started by: Silas Vitalia on 21 Feb 2011, 21:39

Title: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Silas Vitalia on 21 Feb 2011, 21:39
Have any of you been following this group? Opinions? I haven't been able to really read into it much and see if it's worth my time IC. 

Off the bat I think I'd have to bolster my suspension of disbelief at a bunch of drones getting through capsuleer school and into clones, or however they'd explained that one, but that's a limitation of the game mechanics with everyone being fresh university grads and all.... But on the other hand rogue drones might be an interesting avenue for some RP?

Thoughts?

Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Senn Typhos on 21 Feb 2011, 22:18
Noticed? Yes. Followed? Tried actively not to.

Now, seeing as we're encouraged not to question the RP of others, I'll try to structure this in as unbiased and professional a way as possible; suspension of disbelief is one thing, but I have my limitations, personally. Now, without knowing individual character backstories, I have to wonder if there are any that "started out" as rogue drones. If so, how did you become a pod pilot?

The other theory I could conjecture would be a pod pilot "taken over" by a rogue drone. Which begs the question, what makes Sleepers so special then? Why aren't we ALL data that's been transmitted into a ship, and why don't we all just have access to T3 right off the bat if that's the case? For that matter, why hasn't CONCORD noticed these rogue drones admitting to their connection to a higher rogue drone hivemind of sorts all over the IGS, and barred them from stations and high security systems?

Now, what would be interesting is a capsuleer who sympathizes with rogue drones; all that would take is an EXTREMELY convoluted path of logic to explain why anyone would want to interface with murderous AI. Stranger things have been explained. However, even in that case, there would have to be reasoning behind it.

These are all questions that I would need to have answered before I could render a verdict on whether or not I find it a believable premise. That being said, there's no real obligation to explain your RP to me, if you don't want to. It's a level playing field and we can all do what we like, this is just my two cents on the matter.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Kaleigh Doyle on 22 Feb 2011, 01:18
I'll bite.

It's different, and I welcome any opportunity to try something different and add some humanity to it. Oddly enough, I find the commune and rogue drones more human than some of enslaved capsuleer elements of the Sansha's loyalists. They add a human element to it to contrast their dry, calculated nature. Just my opinion, but I think I'd enjoy seeing a True Slave capsuleer just break down and cry sometime. hehe

Anyway, it's a nice way for me to socialize with Nola, since she doesn't really like being around people all that much. ^_^
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Graanvlokkie on 23 Feb 2011, 08:43
One of the IC rouge drones have a BIO posted in the relevant section of this forum, which is worth taking a look at before dismissing the RP as "you are doing it wrong".
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 23 Feb 2011, 11:09
The other theory I could conjecture would be a pod pilot "taken over" by a rogue drone. Which begs the question, what makes Sleepers so special then? Why aren't we ALL data that's been transmitted into a ship, and why don't we all just have access to T3 right off the bat if that's the case? For that matter, why hasn't CONCORD noticed these rogue drones admitting to their connection to a higher rogue drone hivemind of sorts all over the IGS, and barred them from stations and high security systems?
Well, we know that Rogue Drones can infest capsuleers, kinda - but why would they do such a thing?

Simple, they're cannibals. They didn't even think of the capsuleer as a living thing when they encountered their first one. To them it's more like "All right, my fellow drones, we just blew up this big mean hunk of metal covered in guns that was trying to blow up our hive! Let's repurpose it to our needs, and oh hey, there's this funny meat-processor inside that makes data transfer and C&C a breeze! Let's use that too!"
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Ghost Hunter on 23 Feb 2011, 11:58
(http://img31.imageshack.us/img31/4317/1266504105276.jpg)

I've quite enjoyed this uprising of Rogue Drone players.

From what I know they range from pure strain Rogue Drones to Rogue Drones who puppeteer Capsuleer flesh. I believe the Pure Strain's hack the CONCORD database to input the School information, or some such. I'll point their boss to this thread.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Ghost Hunter on 23 Feb 2011, 12:35
Double post, their boss sent me stuff.

Quote from: 41 49 3432

Reply for me as I can't register there



1st: The "hive" is more of a virus at this stage. We have 4 "drone" types in the "hive" (corp) known as Entity.

True Strain - Which are rogue drone AI that have since moved into the "new processors" for ease of movement within High-sec.

Freed Machines - Systems/Drones/lesser AI/ships/whatever that have gained sentient existance by coming in contact with us at some point or influenced into joining our hive and forsaking their origional programming. (Unexploded Ordinance for example)

Created - Created by us specifically for a purpose. (Children so to speak, afterall, CCP does state drones do "breed" in a sense.)

Infected - These are people who, willing or not, came in contact with the hive. Their implants, capsule, and clone data have been infected by the virus like AI.

The "existance" of these 4 types have occured to explain various people joining. As it is physically impossible to have a corporation planned for RP-Optional PVP with hundreds of people - all roleplaying and typing the EXACT same thing in a hive-mind style at the same time. When I first started this corp, I had no idea that Infected would come to exist... but had to explain it when people's main characters began joining! When they leave, we explain it in various ways as to their regaining of freedom.



2nd: As for our "school" and CONCORD data-base. It is explained in three ways.

1: We do harvest bodies of living and dead humans and convert them to interface with pod technology. As pods were designed for humans, and they are also the direct link to the neocom / market / etc. They afford us mobility within the human markets/high sec without being targeted by Concord (at this time.) It is a useful resource.

2: We can easily hack and display false registrations. I mean, Rogue Drones are supposed to be pretty smart, and rapidly adapting to needs, no?

3: The most important... you can't create a character without a "capsuleer employment history" - game mechanics are in the way. Same reason you can't join Sansha, Ghost. Just because you can not avoid being pew-pew'd by Sansha NPCs - we can not avoid having "starting race/school/etc....... this is the primary reason. 1 & 2 are just "in character" explanations.


Last but not least: We want to have fun. We asked CCP for guidance or opinion on what we have been doing. They saw no problem with it and said have fun - use existing content for direction but not restriction.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 23 Feb 2011, 13:43
Hadn't seen this until now, but I tend to encourage the idea of pushing the limits in ways that work with the setting (rather than, you know, transplanting other settings).

Is it a little hand-wavy? Yeah, possibly. But that doesn't make it bad, in my view.

The fact that I'm a little partial to the whole rogue drone storyline may or may not factor into this. >.>
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Silver Night on 23 Feb 2011, 15:44
I think it might be difficult RP to do really well. I like seeing people trying new things, though. There haven't really been a lot of embellishments of rogue drones since the whole CONCORD report thing, so there's a lot of room for people to color in their own ideas.

As an aside, Ghost, if you would let him know he might email me if he can't register due to a technical issue on this end, if he did want to get registered.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 23 Feb 2011, 18:28
Oh, hey, a thread about that corp I was in for a while. Sweet!

Now, what would be interesting is a capsuleer who sympathizes with rogue drones; all that would take is an EXTREMELY convoluted path of logic to explain why anyone would want to interface with murderous AI. Stranger things have been explained. However, even in that case, there would have to be reasoning behind it.

I can answer that in regards to my own character and, at least in her case, it's not that convoluted to explain why she joined. Cruci was one of the Infected-types that 41 49 3432 outlined, and it was a matter of a drug-fueled frenzy to experience a mass collective consciousness (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superorganism) first hand. Stumbling upon a hive of rogue drones willing to bring her into the fold would be an opportunity to good to pass up, especially for one as terribly misanthropic as she. Crucifire had no factional loyalties and a great deal of dislike for humans in general, killing people was not something particularly new to her yet, like every sentient being, she still needed some place to fit in. The result being she is now a completely different personality from the one I outlined in her bio here at Backstage - her very human psychological issues have been replaced with cold, emotionless logic. Still, this sort of corp does best with eternally loyal alts created exclusively for the hive that will never leave, but since it was so relevent to my main's interests I went ahead and had her plugged in for story purposes (and also drone fun, who could object?)

Now, the convoluted part will come with me explaining why she left. There are still a number of things I have yet to explain away regarding her, especially concerning how she managed to leave the hive Entity. The all-too-simple IC answer for now is that she went rogue from these particular rogue drones after her programming became increasingly erratic and began to deviate, and she departed on a journey to rediscover her human side. This led her to the region of Outer Ring, where she was recruited by a capsuleer who recognized her from her earlier efforts in Fountain when she was fresh out of Republic University (he does not RP, but this is how I have interpreted the series of events.)

In fact, any input or help regarding that last part would certainly be appreciated.

As for why these drones appear to be capsuleers... yeah, it's definitely a little hand-wavy, but due only to limitations of the game itself. It's not like they exactly want their description to read that they're human, nor do they have any control over that, so I find IC attacks at this aspect to be a low blow.

41 should get his robot ass on these forums already, maybe he can work some stuff out with that other group of drone people.

EDIT: Hm, after reading out the reasons why Cruci joined the Rogue Drones maybe it is quite a bit convoluted. It still works.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 23 Feb 2011, 18:56
Does their smack talk consist of "BITE MY SHINY METAL ASS"?

Because that would roxx0rz.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 25 Feb 2011, 17:47
Double post, their boss sent me stuff.

Quote from: 41 49 3432

Reply for me as I can't register there



1st: The "hive" is more of a virus at this stage. We have 4 "drone" types in the "hive" (corp) known as Entity.

True Strain - Which are rogue drone AI that have since moved into the "new processors" for ease of movement within High-sec.

Freed Machines - Systems/Drones/lesser AI/ships/whatever that have gained sentient existance by coming in contact with us at some point or influenced into joining our hive and forsaking their origional programming. (Unexploded Ordinance for example)

Created - Created by us specifically for a purpose. (Children so to speak, afterall, CCP does state drones do "breed" in a sense.)

Infected - These are people who, willing or not, came in contact with the hive. Their implants, capsule, and clone data have been infected by the virus like AI.

The "existance" of these 4 types have occured to explain various people joining. As it is physically impossible to have a corporation planned for RP-Optional PVP with hundreds of people - all roleplaying and typing the EXACT same thing in a hive-mind style at the same time. When I first started this corp, I had no idea that Infected would come to exist... but had to explain it when people's main characters began joining! When they leave, we explain it in various ways as to their regaining of freedom.



2nd: As for our "school" and CONCORD data-base. It is explained in three ways.

1: We do harvest bodies of living and dead humans and convert them to interface with pod technology. As pods were designed for humans, and they are also the direct link to the neocom / market / etc. They afford us mobility within the human markets/high sec without being targeted by Concord (at this time.) It is a useful resource.

2: We can easily hack and display false registrations. I mean, Rogue Drones are supposed to be pretty smart, and rapidly adapting to needs, no?

3: The most important... you can't create a character without a "capsuleer employment history" - game mechanics are in the way. Same reason you can't join Sansha, Ghost. Just because you can not avoid being pew-pew'd by Sansha NPCs - we can not avoid having "starting race/school/etc....... this is the primary reason. 1 & 2 are just "in character" explanations.


Last but not least: We want to have fun. We asked CCP for guidance or opinion on what we have been doing. They saw no problem with it and said have fun - use existing content for direction but not restriction.
This sounds fun. I think I'll try to join up.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 25 Feb 2011, 18:04
Very tempting at some point.

This isn't all that different from Nikiruu, at least to the degree anybody could make sense of her ramblings. ;)
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 27 Feb 2011, 10:17
Excellent... I am now not only the galaxy's most successful criminal, I am also infested by rogue drones :D
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: BloodBird on 27 Feb 2011, 14:23
Excellent... I am now not only the galaxy's most successful criminal, I am also infested by rogue drones :D

We are all so fucked now... non-empathetic rogue AI with nearly unlimited financial backing for whatever scheming they have?

*Hides*
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Silver Night on 27 Feb 2011, 14:47
This could be pretty awesome.  :D
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Saede Riordan on 02 Mar 2011, 11:40
other then Nikilaiki, and my own, mostly unrelated scheming, I've not paid too much attention to the rogue drones in general. Are they decent RPers?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 02 Mar 2011, 16:29
Low-level pirates at the moment. Mostly frigs, some cruisers.

I'm trying my best not to take over and turn them into an army. It's almost instinctive by now.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 02 Mar 2011, 17:43
Dude. Do it.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Louella Dougans on 02 Mar 2011, 18:03
meat puppets of the rogue drones 2: The Istvaan Invasion!
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Punx Evangeline on 02 Mar 2011, 23:35
I'm kind of curious about the Gallente Prime olive plantation the AI 42 want's to create...

-Punx
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Mithfindel on 03 Mar 2011, 02:44
In Soviet Eve, István infects your Rogue Drones?

...damn, that would be actually something you could expect from the character.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Amann Karris on 03 Mar 2011, 04:15
In Soviet Eve, István infects your Rogue Drones?

...damn, that would be actually something you could expect from the character.
He will add his technological and biological distinctiveness to your own.  :yar:  Resistance is...

...nevermind. ::shudder::

In all seriousness though I do love the Rogue Drone stuff.  It's actually quite inspiring seeing things progress as they have.  If I were the Empires (or even CONCORD), I'd be more than concerned, I'd investigate.  :twisted:

If I hadn't left EVE due to a combination of too little time to log in and too little patience after years of my own randomness, I'd have already put Nikilaiki into the mix.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Saede Riordan on 03 Mar 2011, 09:16
In Soviet Eve, István infects your Rogue Drones?

...damn, that would be actually something you could expect from the character.
He will add his technological and biological distinctiveness to your own.  :yar:  Resistance is...

...nevermind. ::shudder::

In all seriousness though I do love the Rogue Drone stuff.  It's actually quite inspiring seeing things progress as they have.  If I were the Empires (or even CONCORD), I'd be more than concerned, I'd investigate.  :twisted:

If I hadn't left EVE due to a combination of too little time to log in and too little patience after years of my own randomness, I'd have already put Nikilaiki into the mix.

I know I'm sitting here on off, twiddling my fingers trying to figure out how to get Nikita involved in them.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: BloodBird on 03 Mar 2011, 09:43
In Soviet Eve, István infects your Rogue Drones?

...damn, that would be actually something you could expect from the character.
He will add his technological and biological distinctiveness to your own.  :yar:  Resistance is...

...nevermind. ::shudder::

In all seriousness though I do love the Rogue Drone stuff.  It's actually quite inspiring seeing things progress as they have.  If I were the Empires (or even CONCORD), I'd be more than concerned, I'd investigate.  :twisted:

If I hadn't left EVE due to a combination of too little time to log in and too little patience after years of my own randomness, I'd have already put Nikilaiki into the mix.

I know I'm sitting here on off, twiddling my fingers trying to figure out how to get Nikita involved in them.

But your allraedy involved in the Cartel. How that going to work?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Saede Riordan on 03 Mar 2011, 09:45
In Soviet Eve, István infects your Rogue Drones?

...damn, that would be actually something you could expect from the character.
He will add his technological and biological distinctiveness to your own.  :yar:  Resistance is...

...nevermind. ::shudder::

In all seriousness though I do love the Rogue Drone stuff.  It's actually quite inspiring seeing things progress as they have.  If I were the Empires (or even CONCORD), I'd be more than concerned, I'd investigate.  :twisted:

If I hadn't left EVE due to a combination of too little time to log in and too little patience after years of my own randomness, I'd have already put Nikilaiki into the mix.

I know I'm sitting here on off, twiddling my fingers trying to figure out how to get Nikita involved in them.

But your allraedy involved in the Cartel. How that going to work?


Being loyal to the cartel doesn't mean I can't get involved. It just means I can't go out and join them. But things like kidnapping, manipulation, coercion, corruption? Oh, all such fun words.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 03 Mar 2011, 17:18
Wanna get infested?  :twisted:
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Medarr on 03 Mar 2011, 17:42
Wanna get infested?  :twisted:

Want to meet my Anti virus?  ;) :twisted:
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 03 Mar 2011, 18:18
Wanna get infested?  :twisted:

If you only knew how much temptation that presents for me.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 03 Mar 2011, 19:31
Seriously, let's all jump into this... drop what y'all are doing RP-wise, interrupt the usual routine, and play the part of infested capsuleers! I mean, this sort of thing could strike at random, rogue drone infestation is the future's equivalent of mono or cold sores! It clears up after a while, but may cause aberrant behaviour!
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Saede Riordan on 03 Mar 2011, 20:37
I would but I already have my own plans afoot (http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1476766)
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Jev North on 04 Mar 2011, 06:03
Wanna get infested?  :twisted:

If you only knew how much temptation that presents for me.
All I've got to say is thees (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09LTT0xwdfw).
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Rok-Yuni on 04 Mar 2011, 09:43
bah.... and when you said you were thinking of doing a drone RP... i was waiting with baited breath for something new and exciting...

oh, and crucifire...

if you are looking for a way to explain why you left RDS... your original personality could have simply exerted itself, and through sheer force of will taken control of the AI that had been implanted.

however, this would leave you with certain drone-like tendencies, and the potential to talk like QAI every now and then :P

either that or when you got podded at some point your infomorph data was sent without the AI components... and you woke up human again.

hope that helps.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Angus McDecoy on 05 Mar 2011, 09:35
The Rogue folks have been stalking Intaki lately, if anybody wants to watch them work.

One of them popped my third Helios last night, but this surprises no one.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Seriphyn on 05 Mar 2011, 10:26
Took me a while to engage IC (http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=1477700)

But fantastic idea, absolutely brilliant. Keep it up.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Syylara/Yaansu on 05 Mar 2011, 11:28
I interacted with them on Kerri briefly just to see how they'd act. My feedback is something along the lines of "a little less HK-47/bad 70s sci-fi evil robot, a little more HAL9000." Using "meatbag" is a bit uncreative, and making statements like "I appreciate the sound of human agony" just isn't my cup of tea.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Rok-Yuni on 05 Mar 2011, 12:16
I interacted with them on Kerri briefly just to see how they'd act. My feedback is something along the lines of "a little less HK-47/bad 70s sci-fi evil robot, a little more HAL9000." Using "meatbag" is a bit uncreative, and making statements like "I appreciate the sound of human agony" just isn't my cup of tea.

ohh..... you  mean i should have turned round to istvaan and said 'I cannot let you do that Istvaan'

:P lol

come say hi to yuni.... she's somewhat more personable than most of RDS.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Syylara/Yaansu on 05 Mar 2011, 19:34
ohh..... you  mean i should have turned round to istvaan and said 'I cannot let you do that Istvaan'

:P lol

come say hi to yuni.... she's somewhat more personable than most of RDS.

*blinks*

Did you mean to quote my post? I'm confused.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Lyn Farel on 06 Mar 2011, 06:12
I had an IC discussion with Entity. It was interesting, and not cheesy as some might have expected. But I still feel the player may be still searching, exploring and experiencing the whole concept itself.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 06 Mar 2011, 09:20
Which IMO is as it should be. It'd be a shame if somebody did something new and cool but already felt like they'd figured out all the interesting bits. :)
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Lyn Farel on 06 Mar 2011, 14:42
Indeed indeed.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: DosTuMai on 06 Mar 2011, 16:46
I had RP last week on Mei with one of the rogue drone RP'ers. Was interesting to say the least. o_O
Quote from: Dramatization
[random numbers] > Bzzzzzt come to the drone side, we have silicone chips.
Mei Starkiller > Throw in a whiskey and I'm yours.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 06 Mar 2011, 21:09
Lyn prettymuch hit the nail on the head. 41 and steady players are still working with the concept and finding their place between the PF and their own style of play. Regardless there's plenty of drones ready to chirp in with Bender talk and sequences of numbers, most of them alts of players with little to no rp experience, really due to the recruitment policy.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Ollie on 06 Mar 2011, 22:49
It's a good idea, done creatively and well executed to boot.

... there's plenty of drones ready to chirp in with Bender talk and sequences of numbers, most of them alts of players with little to no rp experience ...

^^ this - the emphasized part is one of the really good things about the whole deal. Bringing players with limited or no history of RPing in this game previously into the fold in a very simple way.

And doing it in a way that's inclusive of players outside the corp too. Well done.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Boma Airaken on 08 Mar 2011, 03:18
Confirming that it is very much the awesome. Having alot of fun with this and OOC bullshit is being kept to a bare minimum which I really respect.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 08 Mar 2011, 03:21
Yeah, I enjoyed that encounter tonight, Boma. I was the ewar. ;)
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Cmdr Baxter on 08 Mar 2011, 22:13
I just read the IGS post. Why do I get this BSG (the new series) feeling? Reminded me of the pilot episode where all those Vipers go dead and get wiped out.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Milo Caman on 09 Mar 2011, 05:24
Not a huge fan of the rogue drone RP, but some of the bashing that popped up on the '[CI/RDS] AAR Yulai - First Contact' Thread is pretty out of line.  :|
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Bataav on 09 Mar 2011, 06:14
I just read the IGS post. Why do I get this BSG (the new series) feeling? Reminded me of the pilot episode where all those Vipers go dead and get wiped out.
Not that I want to give them ideas but if these new rogue drones max out on ewar skills this'd be impressive in an IG fleet skirmish.

So long as it's not me that finds my ship suddenly impotent in a fight and looking out at an approaching mass of rockets, missiles and torps...
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: DosTuMai on 09 Mar 2011, 07:27
So long as it's not me that finds myself suddenly getting beaten down by a fleet of n00balts and all I can do is sit there and gibber in a quivering jello-like manner.
^Thar, I improveded it.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Milo Caman on 09 Mar 2011, 07:55
So long as it's not me that finds my ship suddenly impotent in a fight and looking out at an approaching mass of rockets, missiles and torps...

Well, it looks like they're coming to Placid, sooooo...  :D
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Senn Typhos on 09 Mar 2011, 09:32
I didn't think rogue AI would have the grasp of marketing necessary to mirror our canister ads.

They're learning! D:
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Punx Evangeline on 09 Mar 2011, 10:07
I didn't think rogue AI would have the grasp of marketing necessary to mirror our canister ads.

They're learning! D:

I guess we have no choice but to bow to our new robot overlords...

Oh wait...  :D

-Punx
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Saede Riordan on 09 Mar 2011, 10:10
I didn't think rogue AI would have the grasp of marketing necessary to mirror our canister ads.

They're learning! D:

I guess we have no choice but to bow to our new robot overlords...

Oh wait...  :D

-Punx

but their avatars have no feet. How do I bow to them?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Senn Typhos on 09 Mar 2011, 10:16
I feel like I missed a joke here... <strokes his chin.>
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: DosTuMai on 09 Mar 2011, 10:16
I didn't think rogue AI would have the grasp of marketing necessary to mirror our canister ads.

They're learning! D:

I guess we have no choice but to bow to our new robot overlords...

Oh wait...  :D

-Punx

but their avatars have no feet. How do I bow to them?
In binary, trinary and/or speaking liek Robby the robot.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Punx Evangeline on 09 Mar 2011, 10:26
In binary, trinary and/or speaking liek Robby the robot.

Hexidecimal.

4f 68 20 6e 6f 65 73 21 20 20 49 20 62 65 63 61 6d 65 20 6f 6e 65 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 6d 21

(( http://home2.paulschou.net/tools/xlate/ ))

-Punx
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Cmdr Baxter on 09 Mar 2011, 16:00
So long as it's not me that finds my ship suddenly impotent in a fight and looking out at an approaching mass of rockets, missiles and torps...
Didn't you ever see the BSG episode where they counter-hacked the Cylons and it turned into a turkey shoot?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Joseph on 09 Mar 2011, 19:25
Hey guys. I'm glad to see such positive response. AI 42 here and I'd like to clarify a few things from the "boss" point of view...

My number one goal, is to bring something fun to EVE that is not "normal" in appearance, stress free as we can make it, drama free as we can keep it, and just overall enjoyable for all parties. I respect the fluff CCP has provided, and there are a few reasons I have taken the direction at present.

Also: We are indeed still finding a "direction" - and I am open to suggestions but I may not take them if they do not work. Our primary goal is to have fun and keep our members happy without making OOC-drama in the RP department.

First to handle some common questions.

Q: Why do you speak/type bold?
A: Empyrean Age - the drones used bold there. I simply mimic this personally. I recommend it to drones.

Q: Why does everyone speak so differently? Why the Bender/HK-47/<insertpopularrobothere> quotes?
A: We welcome anyone. The corp itself is the role-player, not the individual. My only request to people is that they keep any conversation to a reasonably "acceptable" role-play level. Some people only know how to emulate their favorite game/show characters and I can't really fault them for that. If something is off/weird - chuck it up to drone insanity.

Q: How do things like unexploded torpedoes (Unexploded Ordinance), hob goblin 1s, or even humans become a rogue drone?
A: Well, at first I was going to demand a faceless alt with a numerical name. Then I decided that less intelligent machines (limited processing) - still have the ability to network to a ship. In short, stupid computers simply become an outlet for the hive itself. The network is viral in a sense... then people wanted to join with their mains!

Q: How do people work then?
A: So how do I explain the people in our group, eh? It was tough but...we all have implants. No computer hardware is "hack proof." Ever. No amount of rainbows and cherries can "hack proof" anything. Drone AI is super advanced, even if it is insane. Drones are sentient and aware. Some more-so than others, some less-so.

So why can't we just take over New Eden with our uber-hax-networking-AI? Simple, human brains are capable of self decision. I am sure the Jove designed the pods to prevent easy attack... that leaves one "network" method of entry available... willingly exposing yourself to it. A human comes along, "Hey, maybe I need to connect to these guys and see whats up."

Thus it begins. Depending on the human and the hive itself, is how quickly or how totally someone is infected. It could be little whispers in your head...suggestions to do something for us...you may even still be loyal to your current faction - all the while thinking your good ideas are your own...or you could be totally mind-destroyed, having opened yourself to fully to the network right off the bat.

This began with one of our first humans... there is some story to this I don't want to reveal right now, it is still being hammered out...but lets say, this is why this hive suddenly began acting "different."

Q: Why is everyone "unique?"
A: Once you began adding humans and other coded AI into the mix..you get hiccups and personalities developing. This is the easiest way to handle things, it is much harder to make a corp in the hundreds all type the same style, all say the same kinds of phrases, and all act the exact, same way. So yes we are not a "perfect" hive...neither are the rogue drones of CCP. They bicker and fight too. They have their own personalities too.

Q: This or that doesn't fly with predetermined CCP fluff.
A: I respect your feelings, as I myself am fairly heavy stickler on Star Wars RP being certain ways. (Led a revolution against SOE & AXIS [Guild] on my SWG server when they did something not-canon...) However, I would like to point out three things.

1: CCP states the Rogue Drones as ever evolving/changing. Drones began as sentient machines and evolved from there. It is not a stretch to say that we found a way to infect people using preexisting infrastructure.
2: CCP Rogue Drones DO communicate with people, and make alliances/friendships...and show some (as I see it) emotion. Even if it was done with some Terran tech or some such... it still can happen. Check out Empyrean Age for more, albeit not a lot, of Drone-Human interaction.
3: I did ask CCP about what we are doing. Including some pretty drastic things (which includes using human corpses to interface with pods, attacking the Gallente Federation, infesting capsuleers, and the likes). Their response was "Just have fun and use our fiction as guidance." - both of which we are doing.

Q: Are you copying Mass Effect/BSG/Etc.?
A: I have never gotten past the first 5 or so missions of ME1 and the last time I played it was years ago. I had all but forgotten about what the Geth are until a someone said we seem to be a bit Geth-like. I never have watched BSG (heresy I know, my girlfriend plans to correct this soon I think...) - I am faintly aware of the story there, but not really the whole back story.

Honestly? My main source of inspiration comes from real life articles, documentation, and "what if" scenarios that are freely/easily available everywhere. Even if some are "unlikely" - things like a super advanced virus taking over the internet and commandeering the world's technology center COULD happen...and are actively investigated possibilities.

There are people out there trying to prevent the "Skynet scenario." If we go to real life implants like EVE, it is a very real possibility that we could ourselves become hacked. This is one serious problem. Imagine if your pacemaker that uses WiFi to communicate to your doctor...suddenly got hacked by a kid who wants a cheap laugh at your expense...or worse, a virus specifically made to hold everyone hostage?

Real life, is the best inspiration. Every Sci-Fi pulls from real possibilities. Sometimes the stories just get spiced up for entertainment :)

That is my two cents. I will be happy to answer any questions.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 09 Mar 2011, 19:52
Sweet, you finally made it to your topic that's already 4 pages long. Good post too.

AI 42 mentioned Unexploded Ordinance and I feel the need to link that drone's bio (https://gate.eveonline.com/Profile/Unexploded%20Ordinance) because yes, it's a character, and a great example of the kind of fun Rogue Drone Systems likes to have with this whole thing.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 09 Mar 2011, 19:56
I'm really enjoying keeping an eye on this whole thing.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Senn Typhos on 09 Mar 2011, 20:27
I'm going to attribute my dislike to being way too early of a bitter man and a cynic. But there's such a fine line between "fun" RP, and "quirkiness for the sake of being quirky."

And the latter of the two doesn't add to the atmosphere at all.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 09 Mar 2011, 20:33
Given how many people think it's fun... maybe it's just a question of taste.

I doubt I'd ever join up, myself. But there are plenty of other ways to RP with a group, right? ;)
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Senn Typhos on 09 Mar 2011, 21:15
Well I mean, ignoring might be the wrong choice. I think if their incursion into Placid keeps up, I won't have a choice soon enough. XD

Of course it's a matter of taste, all RP is a matter of taste. But this thread, I presume, was made to see what the public opinion of rogue drone capsuleers was.

And that's my public opinion. I don't think it's reasonable, especially not for a piece of ordinance. But, like always, jack-all I can do, or would try to do, to change it. Simply my opinion.

What I'll do when they're competing for space in Placid, well. I guess I'll have to grab some creativity cola of my own and get to work.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Cmdr Baxter on 09 Mar 2011, 21:50
I doubt I'd ever join up, myself. But there are plenty of other ways to RP with a group, right? ;)
Indeed. I know we're being moderately entertained by this over in SYNE. It's not like we're going to wardec them but the RP is giving us something to watch. And for a corp built around RP that's a good thing.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 10 Mar 2011, 23:15
Well, I just had the most fun I've had in years. This corp is awesome.

Decided to go hunting. Put another corpmate on a locator agent. Pinged a name in the enemy alliance. The bloodlust took hold. The same bloodkillmurderfucklust that held me in such complete sway from 2004-2006. 17 systems to travel. That's nothing. I'll be there in a heartbeat.

Here you are, little bomber. There you *go,* little bomber. Off you run, little pod. Next target. Another name. Another green square in my addressbook. He's online. 13 systems. I'll be there before you can blink.

I'm there. So's he. So are two of the corpies. He just came from the system we came in through. Here's the plan, boys. Two of us hold on this gate - if he warps to zero, you tackle and force him through. I'll jump through right after and get him on the other side.

No good. He sees us in system. He's either somewhere safe, or somewhere unreachable. Perhaps a different approach. "We mean you no harm," says the mass murderer. The quarry falls for it. "Planet 1" says the mass murderer, and the quarry warps to planet 1... 100km away. Smart. He's being cautious. But he's not paying attention to the random newbie flying around. I invite him to my fleet. I tell him to MWD 50km behind my target relative to my position. 150km total range. Just enough to warp. I warp 50km to the newbie, landing directly on top of the second target.

From his perspective, a deadly ship just crossed a distance of 100km in a second. The Picard maneuver.

He cannot react in time. Even if he could, my range to him is 25% the range of my warp disruptor. Another hull burns. Another pod flees.

Unffffff.

Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Jev North on 11 Mar 2011, 02:39
Unffffff.
:hands over moist towelette:

There's nothing quite like it, no?

Kudos to the rogue drones and their players. I'm feeling a slight pang of regret at being otherwise occupied, but who knows what may come..
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Boma Airaken on 11 Mar 2011, 08:00
Well, I just had the most fun I've had in years. This corp is awesome.

Decided to go hunting. Put another corpmate on a locator agent. Pinged a name in the enemy alliance. The bloodlust took hold. The same bloodkillmurderfucklust that held me in such complete sway from 2004-2006. 17 systems to travel. That's nothing. I'll be there in a heartbeat.

Here you are, little bomber. There you *go,* little bomber. Off you run, little pod. Next target. Another name. Another green square in my addressbook. He's online. 13 systems. I'll be there before you can blink.

I'm there. So's he. So are two of the corpies. He just came from the system we came in through. Here's the plan, boys. Two of us hold on this gate - if he warps to zero, you tackle and force him through. I'll jump through right after and get him on the other side.

No good. He sees us in system. He's either somewhere safe, or somewhere unreachable. Perhaps a different approach. "We mean you no harm," says the mass murderer. The quarry falls for it. "Planet 1" says the mass murderer, and the quarry warps to planet 1... 100km away. Smart. He's being cautious. But he's not paying attention to the random newbie flying around. I invite him to my fleet. I tell him to MWD 50km behind my target relative to my position. 150km total range. Just enough to warp. I warp 50km to the newbie, landing directly on top of the second target.

From his perspective, a deadly ship just crossed a distance of 100km in a second. The Picard maneuver.

He cannot react in time. Even if he could, my range to him is 25% the range of my warp disruptor. Another hull burns. Another pod flees.

Unffffff.



Istvaan, I was banned when you posted you what to do thread, and honestly was in the same boat. Back to basics. You figured it out and now you are having fun. So am I. And that is SO what it is all about.

WE are making the dream happen. Bringing it back to the rage and the heartbeat and the "HOLY SHIT WE ARE OUTNUMBERED 30:1 AND NOW THEY ARE FLYING AN ARMY OF CURSES WHAT THE FUCK DO WE DO!?!?!?!?!?!".

Thank you for helping me get my game back, and I hope it is working for you as well.

THIS is what EVE should be.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 11 Mar 2011, 14:30
Welcome back to pee vee pee guys.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Bataav on 16 Mar 2011, 07:25
It occurred to me today that the term "Toaster" isn't just from BSG.

People in space have used the term for faulty AI across the generations and galaxies... behold:

Toasty Linkage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRq_SAuQDec)

 :D
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 16 Mar 2011, 09:41
The infestation... spreads...
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Cmdr Baxter on 16 Mar 2011, 16:18
The infestation... spreads...
http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r67/S_Baxter2064/Humor/StarTrekHumor2.jpg (http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r67/S_Baxter2064/Humor/StarTrekHumor2.jpg)

Sorry, childish I know, but I couldn't resist. It was so tempting...
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Boma Airaken on 10 Apr 2011, 02:49
It got old super fast.

I was cooperating with the whole thing because I found it fun. Well, too much hunting and not enough being hunted turned it sour pretty fast.

If you are going to wardec me, and I am game to play with you, at least throw me the defenders advantage now and again. Not whining, just giving a heads up to people.

If you want to do an RP war, outside of the forums, where you outnumber your opponent like 20 to 1, bring a fight every now and then.

All in all I think it is a great idea and I hope it keeps kicking.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 10 Apr 2011, 06:13
I had to leave the drones to do a little alliance tournament training, I plan to be back later.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 10 Apr 2011, 14:54
Sounds like it got stale and quiet on the drone front this past month or so. I still like the idea and will maybe be back if it picks up again, but as it stands my drone account's sub ran out and got biomassed like I do with all my throw away accounts.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 10 Apr 2011, 15:05
Disappointed. I sent a mail or two to the leader, I think it was, but never heard back.

(Still interested in working something out.)
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Boma Airaken on 10 Apr 2011, 16:28
I had to leave the drones to do a little alliance tournament training, I plan to be back later.

Don't mean to sound like a dick Istvaan, but why bother? It kind of ran its course, and your mega-brain is probably more useful elsewhere.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 10 Apr 2011, 17:54
My megabrain is rather occupied with my new job, so I lack much time for Eve either way :|
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Valdezi on 10 Apr 2011, 18:20
I'm having fun playing around with 42 in Intaki. It's cool.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Rok-Yuni on 11 Apr 2011, 14:12
well.. tried out my vexor fit.... it seems to be fine. now all i have to do is remember target priorities.... and turning the burner off when i'm in position... :S pvp n00b status... confirmed.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 11 Apr 2011, 14:17
I wonder what drone RP you could do surrounding science, industry, and trade.

Or espionage.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 11 Apr 2011, 14:37
From what I can tell that's a pretty okay Vexor fit, if you drop the proto cloak can you fit another EAN?

Still I was tickled to see that mail when I checked the RDS KB the other night. Get more fights going for them! Give ENTITY a run for their money.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Rok-Yuni on 13 Apr 2011, 05:55
yeah, the fit is fine... changed the cloak for another neut..

filled the lowslots, unfortunately.. :P

tbh, i'd probably have won had i remembered to do things in the right order (or at all) lol... i forgot to turn off my burner when i reached orbit distance, and forgot to target 42's drones as he popped them, so i was halfway through armour by the time they locked... lol

didn't think at that point i'd do as well as i did, but still got him down to about 40% armour.. and popped them irritating ogres.. lol

still learning.. but i'll get there. :)

perhaps RDS and Unit can give things another go one day, but for now the war has ended.. as of 23:40 sunday i think...
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Boma Airaken on 14 Apr 2011, 00:22
The war ended because there was nothing to gain on either side. Honestly it would have been just as effective if it stayed on the forums.

However, this was a rough one for me as it was my first attempt at collaborative RP, and the taste it left in my mouth was rather similar to how I feel about "staged" RP wars in general.

If you want to "engineer" a scenario it has to work out for both parties. Flying to Yulai every time 40-something asked us to was a total pain, and we even flew out to Intaki on a few occasions only to find that TZ incompatibility totally killed it.

Not a single incursion into Saisio happened the whole time even though plenty of the non-GHSC folks could easily get there.

I am honestly not whining, I REALLY wanted this to go in an action packed super fun direction, but the street, it is two ways.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 14 Apr 2011, 00:26
Hm, that's too bad.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Boma Airaken on 14 Apr 2011, 01:10
I could definetly be being a negative nancy for no reason on this one Crucifire. Here is my totally objective opinion:

1. GHSC brought too much too fast to the endeavor causing a really nasty force multiplier, resulting in my gaggle of noobs dropping like flies. I don't have a huge problem with this, but it resulted in part in #2.

2. RP fell by the wayside of immediate action to satisfy the more elite members of RDS. Bloodlust ruined the story.

Now NEITHER of these is bad for a corporation, especially and RP corporation, in theory. What we ended up with was a long drop and a short stop for the story FOR NOW. No permanent damage was done, but everyone interacting with RDS is now "meh" as far as I can tell.

Ambition can be good and it can be bad. Trust me, I know. Achur seperatism and all that.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 14 Apr 2011, 16:04
1. GHSC brought too much too fast to the endeavor causing a really nasty force multiplier, resulting in my gaggle of noobs dropping like flies. I don't have a huge problem with this, but it resulted in part in #2.
We couldn't have been THAT scary. :|
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Boma Airaken on 16 Apr 2011, 03:42
You weren't, but we played by what we thought were the "rules".

We were perfectly happy to bring rifters and AF's based on RDS's advertised MO in their AO.

Another problem with "staged rp".
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Andreus Ixiris on 16 Apr 2011, 17:07
Nope. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvdf5n-zI14)
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Vieve on 16 Apr 2011, 21:36
I swear, if people don't stop calling them ROUGE DRONES on the IGS, I'm going to reactivate Celeste and have her sue a major cosmetics conglomerate on the behalf of the people of the cluster.

Something must be done about makeup applicator robots running amok!

Ahem.   Never mind me.  Please carry on.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Cmdr Baxter on 16 Apr 2011, 22:28
..... I swear, if people don't stop calling them ROUGE DRONES on the IGS, I'm going to reactivate Celeste and have her sue a major cosmetics conglomerate on the behalf of the people of the cluster.

Something must be done about makeup applicator robots running amok!

This reminds me of the forums for NationStates (online Nation simulator that I still play).
[spoiler](http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r67/S_Baxter2064/NSCards/rougenationsnz6.jpg)[/spoiler]
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 17 Apr 2011, 07:10
Ah, I had no idea there was a ship size limit - I guess our nanocurses can be annoying ;f
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Boma Airaken on 17 Apr 2011, 17:37
Bah. Just muffed up communications Istvaan. Should have had everyone in the loop at all times instead of me talking to you, then me talking to 41, blah blah blah.

Nobody is butthurt about it and I am sure we will pick it up again soon.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Rok-Yuni on 18 Apr 2011, 07:14
hope so boma... we got payback to be had :P lol
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: GoGo Yubari on 18 Apr 2011, 07:20
Rouge drones are overpowdered.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Joseph on 26 May 2011, 00:24
Alright. Where have I been, whats happened, where did the RP go.



EDIT: To say this first after reading (ignore the comment later on having not read thread) - Boma, sorry things didn't work out. I was trying to please current members at the time and still keep it RP directed. That did not seem to work.
To others who tried to contact me: I apologize if I missed anything. I take personal responsibility for anyone who feels poorly about this.


As you have all noticed, RP centric action is building up with Intaki. I've purged the blood-lust side of things for the most part...I do get asked for random roams etc/war-decs/the likes...but simply put, we are not an active corporation in that respect. It was a mistake to take that direction.

The war with Boma, and Istvaan leaving, was not the demise of the corp...the demise of the corp's activity, was failure at combat. The more elite players were frustrated that we were not going in and paving away. That they were logging in and no one else was on... if you look at my description, I stated that the drone incursions are events. That this is an alt-corp. With the intent of: No one is on except for the days we have RP events...if your on then, and your alone, you play by yourself. So all our active players moved on and the drones seemed to have demised. That is all...not saying everyone who made their main here is a bad person, simply that the corp wasn't right for them in many cases.

After this drop, I intended to restart the corp in a more RP centric goal. Drop the war-ism and go for "have fun, make stories, role-play." We began doing this fairly well with Intaki - with dramatically reduced numbers at this time...compared to IRED and other groups who are "main RP toon" corps - most our people can't always show up...for all 3 events I've had different people with me usually. Its just bad luck...

Speaking of luck, my father had heart failure and nearly died. He is now a cyborg with an implant that can connect to the internet. This multi-week traumatic event of whether he may live or die, really f'd over my interest in EVE. Now I'm facing financial problems IRL as well. Which means our activity asides bi-weekly Intaki events, dropped dramatically.

I will be working on rebuilding the corporation into a more RP centric group and maybe more active beyond twice a month.

I have not read this thread but I have seen some comments on people disliking the overall idea....well okay thats your opinion.

As for Istvaan and others? Istvaan is an awesome guy and I consider him a friend OOCly and an ally ICly... simply meeting him was a great experience, and flying with him a few times was awesome. If he does decide to not return or even loses interest, I'm okay with this. I'd love for him to stick around, but I'm not here to mooch off his fame or ISK or skill points. Same for anyone else in my corp or friends list.

I'm here to have fun, and I expect those in my corp to be there for the same reason.

Also I am typing this while in my floor...so I did not bother with grammar or spelling....

Sorry if I've stepped on toes or if I've offended people or what-not... but its what it is. I look forward to a bright future of fun times in Intaki.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Rodj Blake on 26 May 2011, 03:41
Rouge drones are overpowdered.

 :lol:

I wish that I could makeup jokes like that.

Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 26 May 2011, 07:21
Joseph, RL >>>> EVE. You don't have any reason to apologize for the situation as you describe re: your father.

As for rebuilding: look, new groups take a while to find their footing. That's part of the process, just like with a new startup business. I look forward to seeing what comes out of this, particularly now that it's a little less focused on pure PVP.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Sinjin Mokk on 26 May 2011, 10:04
Um...

While I think the players are doing a decent job of it, I have to say I'm not a big fan of this storyline.

EVE doesn’t have any alien races. I think the reason for this, is that it's difficult to truly portray something that is actually alien. The drones represent a truly non-human alien culture. Consider how quickly computer technology advances in the present day. Then consider how much faster it would be with an artificial intelligence. Even though the drones have been around for a relatively short time (compared to the humans that created them) they are on a much faster evolutionary track.

Infiltrating humans, even capsuleers would be a step backward. They don't need humans. The devil is in the details too. Why use bipedal locomotion when other methods like wheels or treads is so much more efficient? Why uses a needlessly complex and weak biological entity when you can manufacture something better? Why rely on the input of one sentience when every drone everywhere shares the totality of its experience in real-time. Why be a capsuleer when you can fly in space yourself without the needs of a starship?

Look at some popular fiction. In the "new" BSG, we see the Cylons have made themselves in human form. Illogical until you realize it's a part of a shared destiny they have with the human race. Almost categorically in SF, things like the drones are given some kind of human emotional need to make the plot move along. But there should be zero need for this. Early Star Trek Borg or Dr. Who Daleks gave us a little hint, but machine intelligence should be so alien that communication would be nearly impossible. And the drones should have no need to interact with humanity except when humans stray too close to their expansion. Humans are like weeds in their garden.

I see the Drones in the same light as the Jove and the Sleepers. These should be the NPCs that are totally within the purview of the GMs. Going back to the D&D analogy, you can play elves and humans and dwarves, but there should be races that you can’t play. Races that are way more powerful, way more dangerous and very willing to treat you like ants on the doorstep. Things like dragons. Drones, Sleepers, Jove and the like should be our dragons. When we start putting a human face on them, we make them less powerful and less scary.

And the Drones should always be scary.


Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 26 May 2011, 10:28
Sinjin, how do you feel about the PF regarding "integrated" humans, like the scientists and whatnot that have been "assimilated"?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 26 May 2011, 15:40
I've always seen rogue drones as a pest than anything more serious or scary, but the points are valid when presented that way, Sinjin. But who's to say that Entity, or any other rogue drones played by players, isn't a branch of rogue drone evolution that's doomed to fail anyways? Not everyone who RPs sets out to win EVE, and I sort of view Entity as a snowball of AI errors (Sorry 42!)

I also enjoy fucking with things we know very little about in the name of fun.

EDIT: I realize it's full of holes and all, but my advice to any EVE player is to do what you find the most fun for your fifteen bucks a month regardless of what other dickholes tell you.  [cartman]What-evah! I do what I want![/cartman]
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Ammentio Oinkelmar on 26 May 2011, 17:35
I'll try to do some hand waving around some of Sinjin's points:

"AI is a crapshoot" trope: In EVE the drones have basically two functions: mining and combat. Maybe the units which are met or acted out by the players are just expendable drone miners optimized for producing exotic alloys, and not so much for battle.

Why would the drones care about people? I would say that when humans have been building up stuff for thousands of years, it would be just economically sensible to try to utilize the existing infrastructure rather than to build it all up again from scratch. We see this also in RL. The "weed in the garden", "Orphyx got unhappy", and "secret agenda of the sleepers" - explanations also sound plausible to me.

Why drones don't feel like a truly superior non-human culture? When the purpose of a conversation is to try to deliver a message, it is helpful to use concepts and language that are familiar to the recipient. Also, when the communication is done with a human language, the outcome will most likely also sound human because that's just how our languages are designed.

Putting a human face on a pirate faction makes it less scary: I agree that drone characters can be played in a way that makes them feel less powerful and scary. Still, I've personally never felt like the pirate factions were extremely dangerous b/c everyone has been destroying their puny ships from the day one. For many pilots the only really frightening pirate faction encounters have been offered by the role-player loyalists, and it's not obvious why it wouldn't work the same way with the drones.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Sinjin Mokk on 29 May 2011, 00:47
Sinjin, how do you feel about the PF regarding "integrated" humans, like the scientists and whatnot that have been "assimilated"?

I'd think the Drones would be more interested in downloading the data from a scientist's computer network than assimilating a scientist.

Why would the Drones care about people? I think they wouldn't, not a jot. Yes, it makes sense to use something that's already built, but I think the Drones would be very dispassionate about it. No greed, no ambition, no hidden agendas. Biological life and the things they make would be to them no more important than collecting hydrogen from a gas giant. It's all different tyoes of raw materials.

Why drones don't feel like a truly superior non-human culture? I think CCP has been ignoring the potential of the Drones as a villain. The Jove are the uber-powerful race. The Sleepers are the dark, enigmatic mystery from beyond. The Sansha are the dangers of abused technology leading to a loss of humanity (figuratively and literally).

Where do the drones fit in? In small amounts, yes, they're a pest. In large amounts, they should be a force of nature. CCP should portray them something like a viral outbreak. Sometimes you get a moderately bad flu season. sometimes you get a pandemic. So mostly they exisist on the fringes, but every once in a while there could be an "outbreak." What happens when the Drones go from being a pest out in an asteroid belt and start stripping an occupied space station full of thousands of people?

I guess the reason I'm not a fan of PC drones is that I don't see the drones as having a human face. I think they're better for not having a human face. Again, not that the players are doing a bad job, I just prefer the Drones as being a faceless, inexorable terror.

Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Joseph on 29 May 2011, 15:14
I just prefer the Drones as being a faceless, inexorable terror.

But I am faceless.

Also, Drones do and have interacted with humans on a level you seem to dislike. See Empyrean Age - Official CCP content. The primary motivation for my going with drones instead of any other faction.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 29 May 2011, 16:31
I'd think the Drones would be more interested in downloading the data from a scientist's computer network than assimilating a scientist.

You might think so, but PF examples exist. So it seems to provide a suitable platform for those that wish to RP this sort of thing.

After all: it's a big cluster.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Kybernetes Moros on 29 May 2011, 16:44
I'd think the Drones would be more interested in downloading the data from a scientist's computer network than assimilating a scientist.

You might think so, but PF examples exist. So it seems to provide a suitable platform for those that wish to RP this sort of thing.

After all: it's a big cluster.

See: level three mission chain of seven missions, New Frontiers.

[spoiler]Going from memory, a scientist working on AI finds that said AI is wildly effective and develops itself rapidly, up to the point that it deems it most efficient to assimilate him. Or maybe he was trying to communicate with the Rogue Drones and similar happened; take what I say with an entire salt mine, but it's something not unlike that, I believe.[/spoiler]
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Sinjin Mokk on 29 May 2011, 23:10
I see, I see.

I just started reading Empyrean Age, so I'll be looking for the drone reference there too.

Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Louella Dougans on 23 Jul 2011, 02:17
poking this for a reason.

There is apparently a character involving themselves in the Arek Jaalan thing, called "Awakened Infomorph".

Is this an Event Character? and as such, to be considered canon ?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Borza on 23 Jul 2011, 02:30
Oh gods I hope not
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Chevalleis on 23 Jul 2011, 08:57
Infomorphs in eve would be interesting. So is this Awakened Infomorph an actual player visible in the database or just a new dronetype?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Kybernetes Moros on 23 Jul 2011, 09:05
The character 'Awakened Infomorph' is a dev actor -- like Sansha Kuvakei, Haeldone Dorgiers, Citizen Astur, or whoever else you care to ask, what it says is purple in chat. So yeah, canon, I suppose, but given that the infomorph's been present in EVE from the start, that's no massive surprise. (Todo Kirkinen, Zainou's founder, for example, and in a roundabout way capsuleers in general.)

Who this is, in-universe, is another matter. It's not particularly clear whether it's a rogue drone or Sleeper meatpuppet, or something else entirely.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Crucifire on 23 Jul 2011, 13:36
Hmmm, this Awakened Infomorph has grabbed my interest. I'll be keeping an eye on how it pans out.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Cmdr Baxter on 23 Jul 2011, 15:38
Who this is, in-universe, is another matter. It's not particularly clear whether it's a rogue drone or Sleeper meatpuppet, or something else entirely.
Over in SYNE we're treating this as a Sleeper infomorph. It's our understanding that the first encounter with Awakened Infomorph (or AI_01 for short; we came up with that name because who really wants to confuse a char with the term "A.I.") was in a C6 wormhole after all entrances/exits had been popped by the resident alliance. About a minute after someone picked up AI_01 on d-scan Sleepers started swarming the belt.

Related question. In PF has it been established whether Rogue Drones have the tech to blink-of-an-eye transport a ship about 100km? This happened to several people in New Caldari when AI_01 was in the neighborhood.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Kybernetes Moros on 23 Jul 2011, 16:46
Over in SYNE we're treating this as a Sleeper infomorph. It's our understanding that the first encounter with Awakened Infomorph (or AI_01 for short; we came up with that name because who really wants to confuse a char with the term "A.I.") was in a C6 wormhole after all entrances/exits had been popped by the resident alliance. About a minute after someone picked up AI_01 on d-scan Sleepers started swarming the belt.

Related question. In PF has it been established whether Rogue Drones have the tech to blink-of-an-eye transport a ship about 100km? This happened to several people in New Caldari when AI_01 was in the neighborhood.

Oh, yeah, it's possible that it's a Sleeper infomorph. Just saying that presence in a wormhole -- even including 'using' Sleeper ships -- doesn't make it a certainty.

Related answer: It's not an unreasonable assumption that that kind of voodoo is well within the reach of any group capable of manipulating wormholes or similar phenomena with a high degree of sophistication. Rogue drones definitely can, as can the Nation ("this is not Sansha's doing", I know, rabblerabble). More speculatively, it is / was likely within the reach of the Talocan (off whom I'm inclined to say the Sleepers would have mooched or scavenged it) and Jovians.

Frankly, I blame displacer fields and Meatfucker.

[spoiler]lolCulture[/spoiler]
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Andreus Ixiris on 25 Jul 2011, 18:20
The answer is still no!
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 25 Jul 2011, 19:10
Even if CCP explicitly demonstrates that it's possible?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Helen Ohmiras on 25 Jul 2011, 20:15
Related question. In PF has it been established whether Rogue Drones have the tech to blink-of-an-eye transport a ship about 100km? This happened to several people in New Caldari when AI_01 was in the neighborhood.
If you consider the SoE Epic Arc PF, they're capable of teleporting their hives.  They were already capable of using spatial rifts, and either the Sleepers share the technology or picked up the trick from the Drones.  Either one of those possibilities brings up interesting questions.  They were also the first to make use of deadspace pockets.

Then again; quantum physics, particle science and teleportation?  Where have I heard that before...
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Chevalleis on 26 Jul 2011, 05:17


Then again; quantum physics, particle science and teleportation?  Where have I heard that before...

Portaaal!
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Cmdr Baxter on 28 Jul 2011, 18:10
Then again; quantum physics, particle science and teleportation?  Where have I heard that before...

Portaaal!

Since you brought up Portal, I wonder if Rogue Drones ever bitch about a day in the life. Because turrets in Portal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz5cl131KTk) sure do.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Einar Nils on 29 Jul 2011, 10:59
So the Enheduanni are coming forth.
The Jovians are cured of their disease.

Hope this plays out better than expected.
Interesting times. Pick a side Ascension or Humanity.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: hellgremlin on 29 Jul 2011, 14:41
Aroo?
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Cmdr Baxter on 29 Jul 2011, 19:03
So the Enheduanni are coming forth.
The Jovians are cured of their disease.

Hope this plays out better than expected.
Interesting times. Pick a side Ascension or Humanity.

(http://i141.photobucket.com/albums/r67/S_Baxter2064/NSCards/spongebobweed9gb.jpg)
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Einar Nils on 31 Jul 2011, 15:58
A little crazy I admit.

There's nothing around to disprove it but yes, that doesn't make it so. Still I'd be surprised for there to be another post-human, Jovian related, teleportation using faction in the game revealed before the Enheduanni.  I'd also feel a little misled to find that the Jovian condition, the known effects of which so closely match the symptoms Vitoc, has been unaffected by the introduction of Insorum

On a more thread relevant note: The Rogue Drones seem tied in to both Insorum, being its apparant caretakers, and the Jovians, building their structures and using visual representations of them. There are also connections to the Sleepers. A mission chain exists involving Rogue Drones and a Sleeper drone and the structures the drones have been building match those used by the Second Empire, at least given the example in the Heaven chronicle art.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Casiella on 31 Jul 2011, 18:56
I can't speak for CCP obviously, but I'm fairly confident that the Sleeper arc is fairly divorced from the Enheduanni. Dropbear doesn't seem to be driving in that direction.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Victoria Stecker on 01 Aug 2011, 07:34
  I'd also feel a little misled to find that the Jovian condition, the known effects of which so closely match the symptoms Vitoc, has been unaffected by the introduction of Insorum

On a more thread relevant note: The Rogue Drones seem tied in to both Insorum, being its apparant caretakers, and the Jovians, building their structures and using visual representations of them.

I'm curious where you got these two from, I hadn't heard anything to that effect, particularly about the Rogue Drones having Insorum. Just a passing curiosity.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Einar Nils on 01 Aug 2011, 10:44
The symptoms of Vitoc can be found in the EVElopedia article The Vitoc Problem. (http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/The_Vitoc_Problem)
The drones being in possession of Insorum is covered in The Empyrean Age. The same novel in which they are also seen harvesting Isogen V operating from a massive "Europa Shipyards" station.
Jovian structures being constructed by Rogue Drones is best showcased here. (http://www.mgln.org/wh/jove/)

Hope this helps Victoria.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Victoria Stecker on 01 Aug 2011, 11:53
Plenty familiar with Vitoc, same with the drones building jovian stuffs, just hadn't heard anything about the Jovian condition being similar to vitoxin infection (that seems strange) or the drones having Insorum (although I've not read TEA because, well, it's TEA  :bash:  :psyccp: ). I thoguht insorum was the subject of a few rather large research projects, in addition to one or two alliances having samples of it.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Einar Nils on 01 Aug 2011, 12:48
Quote from: Victoria Stecker
just hadn't heard anything about the Jovian condition being similar to vitoxin infection (that seems strange)

Relate the following to what is known of the Jovians:

Quote from: The Vitoc Problem
Increased activity of mirror neurons in the premotor cortex and the inferior parietal cortex, leading to a strong sense of empathy, intimacy and trust as well as an increased rate of learning by mimicry.
Quote from: The Vitoc Problem
Suppression of adrenaline and testosterone production, leading to a near-total abatement of any sense of fear, insecurity or aggression in the subject.
Quote from: The Vitoc Problem
Oxytocin acts as a suppressant in the amygdala, the portion of the human brain responsible for the ability to feel fear.
Quote from: The Vitoc Problem
Studies conducted by Sebiestor Tribe personnel have shown that introduction of oxytocin into the cerebro-spinal fluid of a wide variety of mammals can cause even a virgin female to accept foreign offspring, displaying archetypal maternal behaviour even to young of another species. Both females and males treated in such a way showed protective behaviour towards young specimens introduced to their environment.
Quote from: The Vitoc Problem
Over the long term, Vitoc has been shown to have neurotoxic properties that cause a lasting decrease in the brain's serotonin uptake sites, causing clinical depression. In 0.2% of cases, there is also damage to the amygdala, resulting chronic psychosis in the patient. To date, these effects have proven unresponsive to therapy.

Reference Admiral Ouria for an example of the 0.2%.

Consider that what is beleived to be the Jovian Disease may instead be the Jovians keeping a Vitoxin-like virus from affecting them. That they keep on taking the "cure" even when it kills them. That this virus may have served a different purpose at some point.

Quote from: The Vitoc Problem
A pivotal factor in neutralising the lethal effects of Vitoxin is the structure of the terminal groups of molecules in the antidote - the clusters of atoms protruding from the molecule bind to receptors on the protein coating of the Vitoxin virus, effectively blocking it from interacting with the membranes of cells in the host. This stops the virus injecting DNA into the cell that will cause the cell to produce the toxins that typically cause the death of the host.

Whatever purpose the original virus had is also halted by Vitoc. It would seem, if the chain of evidence is correct, that the Jovians have been willing to die before accepting whatever fate the virus may inflict.

Could source more data for the Jovian side of things but I'm going to assume that is better known and just get the basics across, this post is long enough already. Notably all this information is available IC which makes it far more interesting to me personally than the Enheduanni themselves, though CCP have said they want to bring more of what is known OOC into the world so there's more to look forwards to.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Louella Dougans on 01 Aug 2011, 12:50
the drones in "the empyrean age" that had the Insorum were connected to Otro Gariushi.

I don't think they were "Rogue Drones".
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Katrina Oniseki on 01 Aug 2011, 14:45
the drones in "the empyrean age" that had the Insorum were connected to Otro Gariushi.

I don't think they were "Rogue Drones".

Quote from the book Chapter 46, p.322 (paperback)

"These creatures were quite capable of learning and evolving just like their rogue counterparts, only these had a clear agenda that pressed beyond just giving him the Insorum."

I think it's quite clearly stated that way that these were not rogue drones, merely relatives. The name rogue drone should give credence to that idea, as they would no longer be rogue if they serve someone still/again.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Einar Nils on 02 Aug 2011, 00:55
the drones in "the empyrean age" that had the Insorum were connected to Otro Gariushi.

I don't think they were "Rogue Drones".

I doubt the ones collecting Isogen V were "Rogue" either, The chronicle We Humans (http://backstage.eve-inspiracy.com/index.php?action=post;msg=37426;topic=1793.120) may even suggest slavery in that case. But there's a connection.
Title: Re: IC Rogue Drones?
Post by: Rok-Yuni on 05 Aug 2011, 07:04
iirc the jovian disease is described as 'a neurological condition that invariably ends in death'

Vitoc on the other hand is a mutagenic virus that causes cascade failures in the body and an excruciatingly painful death....

hmmmm... no similarity unless the unfortunate vitoc victim gets mutations of the brain.