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Magitec beings/some form of mechanical people


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So i've been thinking about how to bring some of my characters into the game, and how to place them into the setting without going against lore or too much against backgrounds of each of my characters, some of them have been easier than others, though one of them does have me stuck.

 

One of my characters is an android, which an advanced AI known as artificial humanity that allows her to act fully independent, and seem almost human ... though if she understood humans better she'd pass off as one!

 

I've been trying to think of ways of creating her within eorzea without losing that prospect of her, since that's what makes Yui herself.

 

Quick bit of back story of the original Yui. Yadda yadda land without magic, yadda yadda advancing technology quicker to be able to keep up with the rest of the world, yadda yadda, independent AI weapon project capable of fighting and adapting in any situation, yadda yadda engineer who wanted a robot husbando and robot daughter enlisted into the project, yadda yadda reprograms her after hours to become robo daughter.

 

I've been thinking of possibly saying that she's a magitec weapon experiment, which had a rebellious engineer working on her that altered her so to be used against the garleans.

 

Or possibly something to do with clockwork technology, but i don't know too much of that stuff.

 

If anyone has any suggestions or information that could be helpful, i would greatly appreciate it.

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Well...let's see...

 

The Magitek devices I've been exposed to in this game carry a variety of forms that are specialty-built for their purpose, and they tend to be on the rather large side. So the first question I would come up with is how the Magitek design has been so compartmentalized as to fit within a more humanoid form.

 

Second would be how such a wildly advanced prototype would have gotten out of Garlean hands. Granted, Garlemald's foothold within Eorzea isn't what it was, but none of the Castrums in the open map would seem to have facilities to house such a device. Least as I can figure. And I'd suspect a prototype of that level of advancement would be further within the Empire's own borders than worked on at the fringes of an active conquest.

 

Thirdly is the question of sentience. Now, obviously a level of open will is possible, as was presented in the regular story as it related to the Magitek Armor, but it was never really elaborated upon why the thing acted like a loyal attack dog. I believe it had something to do with what was put in to its core? So perhaps with the right type of core it could be feasible...but then it would perhaps still seem a bit...off somehow. I dunno. Someone more versed than me on the lore of Magitek core technology would need to mull that one over.

 

It's an interesting idea, but seems to be pushing this game's technological envelope perhaps a bit too far. Just my opinion. Unless, of course, there are some thoughts on the three points I brought up.

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I'd bring up Mammets, who seem to possess at least a rudimentary amount of intelligence (Gigi of the Goldsmiths' Guild especially, who might even have feelings depending on how you interpret their actions), but even then they are flawed, and markedly unrealistic in terms of appearance and operation.

 

On a tangential note, however, I would be one to argue that if you're absolutely sure that being a robot is required in order for the character to be interesting, then you might be going about their development and implementation wrong. I'd look at what you're looking to explore in that character, and then see if there are alternative ways of exploring that path that are more cohesive with the game's environment. If you were to supply information along those lines, I'm sure that people here could even help you with it!

 

 

EDIT: Additional information regarding Gigi (spoilered because...Spoilers):

 

 

 

 

It should be noted that it is possible that Gigi is a special case anyway, since according to the very last Goldsmith quest, they are actually the first Mammet ever made, which carries with it the implication that the reason why they are intelligent is because they have been around for a while, especially considering the servitor-like positions that most Mammets seem to hold throughout the game world.

 

 

 

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Oh right, i somehow forgot about mammets. It's not that it's required for her to be a robot to be interesting, it's just that's a part of her story and i'd rather not change it unless necessary. I have considered alternate routes, which i may have to decide on taking if i want to use her here, but i'd atleast like to try and figure out a work around.

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Well, the other thing that came to mind is that there are instances of souls getting bound to armor Alphonse Elric style. I think one of the first party-content bosses is one of those, actually.

 

It's not exactly a robot, but it's pretty close and actually in the game. It could be an interesting work-around to consider.

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Well, the other thing that came to mind is that there are instances of souls getting bound to armor Alphonse Elric style. I think one of the first party-content bosses is one of those, actually.

 

It's not exactly a robot, but it's pretty close and actually in the game. It could be an interesting work-around to consider.

 

...and would give one a reason for flanchard and full-suit armors. Those things are bog-ugly, but certainly would fit that whole "animated armor" idea reasonably well.

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Well, the other thing that came to mind is that there are instances of souls getting bound to armor Alphonse Elric style. I think one of the first party-content bosses is one of those, actually.

 

It's not exactly a robot, but it's pretty close and actually in the game. It could be an interesting work-around to consider.

 

...and would give one a reason for flanchard and full-suit armors.  Those things are bog-ugly, but certainly would fit that whole "animated armor" idea reasonably well.

 

Also true, there are some armor sets that are very accommodating to this idea.

 

Heck, if you don't want the idea, I might take it myself!

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Yar, I'm late, but I wanted to toss in a couple things... cuz I'm actually super interested in this kind of character. <_<;

 

So first, and was already brought up by Oli, are Mammets and clockwork servitors. While the game has never introduced a modern, man-sized clockwork servitor that I can recall off-hand, I don't see it as being outside the realm of possibility. In multiple instances throughout the game Mammets appear to have a psuedo-sentience. Gigi is one example, the Edvya mammet from the Little Lady's Day event, the Magitek Armor in the MSQ gains some sort of AI after Cid installs a Mammet Core into it, and a few of the clockwork servitor minions behave in inexplicably sentient ways according to their description. So having your AI character be some sort of Clockwork Servitor is definitely within the realm of believablility in my opinion.

 

 

The second option would be ancient Allagan tech. They are probably the only civilization capable of creating a true AI and such an "AI" may be evidenced in the Coils with the Ragnarok's intricate network of Clockwork soldier defenses. There's a snippet of lore which tells us that towards the end of the Allagan Empire, its armies were made up of Clockwork Servitors who kept order across the world while the Allagans sat comfortably in their homes.

 

Wind-up Onion Knight

If Sons of Saint Coinach anthropogeographer Rammbroes is to be believed, towards the end of their civilization, the Allagans began using automatons such as this to fight their wars (which had been deemed inhumane, yet ultimately necessary to spread imperial peace).

 

So could say your AI character is a leftover remnant of that 5000 year old civilization, recently uncovered by the Sons of Saint Coinach?

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Although Allagan technology makes it possible, I would personally advise against it for other plausibility reasons.

 

Allagan technology is rare, powerful, and valuable. Chances are those in power wouldn't want a working specimen of technology created by the most powerful civilization to walk the earth just strutting about; they'd want it in their hands and / or their laboratories. On the dissection table. Being researched.

 

So, although it could be technically possible, I wouldn't recommend it due to the circumstantial problems that would surround something like that.

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I like that allagn idea ... though people wanting to capture her for "research" might be bad ... though there might be something to be done about that, such as her identity not being made public knowledge or even her existence being unknown to those who'd want to disconstruct her or use her for their own purposes.

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It would be a very hard secret to keep. I know the Allagans were into some biological fiddling, but I don't know if ultra-realistic robots were on the agenda, especially considering their technology has a very distinct look.

 

I don't even know if the other races were known to them, and if they were, if they would make constructs in their image. I doubt they would be realistic enough to hide.

 

Though, I've already stated my position on that possibility, so I suppose I'm out of things to say on that. I still think you'd be much better off just finding a new way to integrate their story into a new setting, instead of trying to preserve what's there but might not be compatible.

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If you're going for anything futuristic, aim for Allagan. 

 

Through the story and the binding coils and everything else we learn, they were capable of cloning, cyborg enhancements, biochemical weapons, autonomous constructs, holograms, nano-manipulation, as well as everything magical and relating to understanding of Aether.

 

Maybe you could come up with someone like your character being trapped on Dalamud? That thing was full of more than just Bahamut - creatures, constructs, repair systems, you name it.

 

As for people noticing and hunting your character...would that be a bad thing? Personally I'd see it as an amazing way for you to create a story for your character, and involve yourself in RP more.

 

Live by the saying "There's no such thing as bad publicity." And don't forget that RP is about what you would like. If you don't want to be captured, just don't let it happen to you. Nobody can force you to do anything you don't want to.

 

Sounds like a lot of fun though! Enjoy!

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I don't have any information like that, only a question on my own. Actual robotics and AI seem to be a debatable matter in FFXIV, but what about prosthetics? Arms, legs, eyes, noses (...what?). Such possibilities, if they exist, may be good to know for a combatant adventurer.

 

I know Merri's character has a prosthetic magitek arm, but he's also an ex-Garlean engineer. I imagine such technology would be very difficult to come by in Eorzea for a laymen.

 

Clockwork technology could also make for an interesting prosthetic arm/leg as well and might be Eorzea's answer to Garlemald's magitek. If the Goldsmiths' Guild can craft life-like automaton minions which perform basic functions, I don't see why they couldn't make an arm or leg perform the functions of walking or flexing of the fingers. The fun trick with RPing as having said clockwork arm, is that it may or may not reliably function when necessary. For instance, the fingers may be able to move and grip, but do so on their own accord (if you have an automaton core in the arm).

 

 

Well, i'm getting a decent bit of "allagan could work" lately now, i think i might try and work that angle, if anyone has any information or lore they could share with me on allagan technologies, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Unfortunately, most of the lore surrounding the Allagans tells us what they had, not so much how it worked. All we know is the Allagans were exceedingly technologically and magically advanced - a paragon civilization of mankind. Which is why you may risk some grey area RPing as being ancient Allagan tech. There's little doubt they had the technology (or were at least capable) but how it worked or functioned is another matter entirely.

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I don't have any information like that, only a question on my own. Actual robotics and AI seem to be a debatable matter in FFXIV, but what about prosthetics? Arms, legs, eyes, noses (...what?). Such possibilities, if they exist, may be good to know for a combatant adventurer.

 

Merri and I both RP characters with magitek limbs. In his case, he's an ex-Garlean engineer. In mine, Stormwind, a magitek engineer and allagan researcher worked with Rhianna, a bonafide doctor, worked together to create just the prototype. In both cases they were lengthy, largely experimental processes. There really isn't a clinic or anything like that where you'd go to get an arm or a leg fitted. In Dogberry's case, he happened to know the right people, and was willing to pay a price well beyond any monetary value to get them.

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I don't have any information like that, only a question on my own. Actual robotics and AI seem to be a debatable matter in FFXIV, but what about prosthetics? Arms, legs, eyes, noses (...what?). Such possibilities, if they exist, may be good to know for a combatant adventurer.

 

Merri and I both RP characters with magitek limbs. In his case, he's an ex-Garlean engineer. In mine, Stormwind, a magitek engineer and allagan researcher worked with Rhianna, a bonafide doctor, worked together to create just the prototype. In both cases they were lengthy, largely experimental processes. There really isn't a clinic or anything like that where you'd go to get an arm or a leg fitted. In Dogberry's case, he happened to know the right people, and was willing to pay a price well beyond any monetary value to get them.

 

I don't ask much, just use of your body as a guinea pig and loyalty that may lead you to mutually-assured destruction, but I stand by my work and guarantee it 100%

 

*unfurls contract and summons a pen, cartoon devil style*

 

Just sign the dotted line.

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I love robots/androids/high tech and would love to RP with this character sometime if you want. I do not mind bending lore a bit either to make it plausible if need be :D

 

Why not work an angle besides magitek? The dullahans are literally vengeful suits of animated armor. This sets a much more stable precedent in my opinion, because despite seeing tons of high-tech allaghan machinery ingame we have never once seen an AI that does anything more than mindless killing.

 

Granted, a dullahan is basically an undead so its intellect is also up for debate, but I feel it is easier to swing this stuff because 'magic'.

 

Regardless of direction, such a creature probably wont be well received in public.

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I think what i'm going to do with this character, is just have two different characters on it. one for people who don't mind bending lore a little and want to rp with an android character, and another for those who'd rather keep to the lore, something along the lines of a sheltered girl groomed to be a human weapon to try and keep her as similar to both characters as possible.

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The dullahans are literally vengeful suits of animated armor.

 

Well... not entirely accurate. Dullahans are a type of Voidsent which cannot act in our plane until they possess an inanimate object, such as but not limited to, a set of armor. And all Voidsent really want to do is drain people (or anything really) of their aether.

 

So murderous AI or aether-sucking Voidsent? /jugglemotion

 

Not really here to police anyone's RP though. Just here to say what is and isn't in canon lore. Want to play an AI cyborg/android/automaton? Ancient Allagan tech or Clockwork Servitors are your best bet. Want to play a Voidsent that sneaks into the Hourglass and possesses random sleeping adventurer's gearsets and walks off with them? Dullahans are your ticket.

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