Robot Character-- Science or Tech Origin?
By
Aneko,
Posted on: 2012-04-07 14:00 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Personally I see most robots as Tech.
I use Science mainly for "Biological" characters created by or maintained through Scientific means. For me Science generally = biological processes, Tech = electrical processes.
FYI to me Science also overlaps heavily with Mutation; I seperate the two by asking whether the character is something that "happened through an accident nature" (Mutation) or "happened through the action of intelligent agents" (Science). Mainly it only really drives the flavor of the character and the distinctions are subtle. Same with Tech/Sci in a lot of cases.
My robot characters are tech. but ultimately origins are personal preference, make what you want, there is a lot of blur, so really just ask yourself, can you justify it to your own satisfaction? if so, go crazy.
Yeah, it really does depend. My main villain is a quantum computer housed in a robotic body, so it could arguably be Science origin, but I chose Tech because, well, robot.
Really any robot is a creation of science, technology is just applied science.
"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
Heck, you could call him "natural," if you wanted, since being a robot and all the abilities that come with it are inherent to his design.
My Origin Tiebreaker is the SO names.
Pick whichever best completes the sentence: "My character improves their powers by..."
developping Secondary Mutations - Mutant
contacting Dimensional Entities - Magic
learning new Techniques - Natural
installing Cybernetics - Technology
performing Experiments - Science
Character index
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I love this.|
Originally Posted by Silver Gale
My Origin Tiebreaker is the SO names.
Pick whichever best completes the sentence: "My character improves their powers by..." developping Secondary Mutations - Mutant contacting Dimensional Entities - Magic learning new Techniques - Natural installing Cybernetics - Technology performing Experiments - Science |
/thread
"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
Depends on type of robot. There are a few types but usual ones are
Cyborgs: These are usaully have a living brain and/or some organic components that is put in a robot body. In some cases it is also used for people who got one/alot/some cybernetics like limbs or eyes etc. This is for me at least can be in either category.
Robots: These have a processor to make decisions usually have a set mission and can't compute out of it. Technology
Androids: Much like cyborgs but these have an artificial brain rather than a living one. They can act outside of their mission and interact like a human to a degree. Mostly technology though it depends what kind of technique is used for creating artificial brain.
Transformers: Yup it sounds stupid but in Transformers universe robotic lifeforms exist (in the original generations at least and I think I remember reading some Superman volumes which features robotic lifeforms back in 80's) these can be counted as natural even since it is their natural state and they were notmade by either science or technology.
However CoH approaches to science as a biological/chemistry point rather than actual word and leave almost all physics related ones to technology.
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Very well said. That's generally the same explanation I use when people are confused by the origins.
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Originally Posted by Oedipus_Tex
Personally I see most robots as Tech.
I use Science mainly for "Biological" characters created by or maintained through Scientific means. For me Science generally = biological processes, Tech = electrical processes. FYI to me Science also overlaps heavily with Mutation; I seperate the two by asking whether the character is something that "happened through an accident nature" (Mutation) or "happened through the action of intelligent agents" (Science). Mainly it only really drives the flavor of the character and the distinctions are subtle. Same with Tech/Sci in a lot of cases. |
I have a SS/Elec bot whose powers are Science; he was made that way. I've a Bots/Traps who is Tech Origin; it's his bots and devices that let him do what he does, not built in powers. And I have Steel Mage who is a Magic Origin robotic wizard (he's an illegal, modified copy of Tin Mage).
Arc #40529 : The Furies of the Earth
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If you want to respect at least the general spirit of what the origins are supposed to mean, you should go with Technology. If you read what the Science origin entails, it pretty much consists of taking a character who has no super powers and then exposing him to a scientific experiment which grants him powers. Robots do not apply, because they were not born powerless and did not gain their powers through scientific experimentation. They are creatures of Technology, and should carry this origin.|
Originally Posted by Gothikaijuzero
I made a new robot character this weekend and gave him the science origin, as he is a creation of science rather than one who uses technology.
Now I'm wondering if I was thinking about it wrong... How do others see the origin of a robot character? |
There's some room to argue for Natural, as was already suggested, if said robot is actually a member of a legitimate species in the sense that the Transformers are, but that's a fringe exception.
If you don't like the description of Science and want it to mean something else, then your question becomes invalid. Once you're ignoring origin meaning, you can use whatever origin you want and you'd still be in the right, since you're moving the goal posts and defining your own rules. When you make the rules, everything you do is correct. There's nothing wrong with it, just so long as you expect that people will occasionally speak up to correct you and you'll need to either explain this to them or ignore them.
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Originally Posted by Arcanaville
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.
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I would argue that if it was a normal robot that was enhanced through deliberate experimentation or an accident to capabilities beyond its design, it could be Science Origin. Sadly, the only example that leaps to mind is Johnny Five from "Short Circuit." Please don't hold that against me.
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Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow
If you want to respect at least the general spirit of what the origins are supposed to mean, you should go with Technology. If you read what the Science origin entails, it pretty much consists of taking a character who has no super powers and then exposing him to a scientific experiment which grants him powers. Robots do not apply, because they were not born powerless and did not gain their powers through scientific experimentation. They are creatures of Technology, and should carry this origin.
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Why does your robot breathe?
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Yes, the sentience of this character is an accident. Designed as a prototype to combat alien invaders and giant monsters, he unexpectedly developed a bond with a human related to his research team. Sort of like, uh, Giant Robo.|
Originally Posted by BViking
I would argue that if it was a normal robot that was enhanced through deliberate experimentation or an accident to capabilities beyond its design, it could be Science Origin. Sadly, the only example that leaps to mind is Johnny Five from "Short Circuit." Please don't hold that against me.
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However, the " COH Science is biology/chemistry and Tech is electronics/mechanics" make solid points. He's only a couple of days played, so I may redo him as Tech, which also gives me a chance to name-tweak for free.
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Got myself a few of those (Iron Mage, Mercury Mage, Silver Mage and Nickel Mage) all basically imperfect Tin Mages who have 1-diminsional magic abilities.|
Originally Posted by Obscure Blade
And I have Steel Mage who is a Magic Origin robotic wizard (he's an illegal, modified copy of Tin Mage).
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Was it ever elaborated on what powers the original Tin Mage used? I figure he was like a regular spell caster, except a robot, so could do practically any magic a sorcerer could. My guys usually can only do 1 thing, such as changing matter into iron or use a particular artifact (relic Heart of Righteousness burns with the white flames of justice and the black fire of judgement) etc. etc...
Anyway, *TANGENT OFF*...Robots can be any origin, just depends how you want to explain it. Robot is just the shell that houses the character. You should, technically, be able to replace 'robot' with anything from human, alien, ghost, demon, etc. and manage any origin. I have a feeling, if you jumped to make your robot character science, then you went on your gut feelings which is often the right feelings.
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How on earth would a robot NOT be considered tech? It's pretty much the prime example of a tech character.
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Originally Posted by Gothikaijuzero
I made a new robot character this weekend and gave him the science origin, as he is a creation of science rather than one who uses technology.
Now I'm wondering if I was thinking about it wrong... How do others see the origin of a robot character? |
Virtue Server
Avatar art by Daggerpoint
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Originally Posted by Tyger42
How on earth would a robot NOT be considered tech? It's pretty much the prime example of a tech character.
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'I don't like the look of it at all,' said the King: 'however, it may kiss my hand if it likes.'
'I'd rather not,' the Cat remarked.
'Don't be impertinent,' said the King, 'and don't look at me like that!' He got behind Alice as he spoke.
'A cat may look at a king,' said Alice.
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Read the rest of the thread and find out.
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Originally Posted by Tyger42
How on earth would a robot NOT be considered tech? It's pretty much the prime example of a tech character.
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Depends. Does your concept rely more on the science involved with technology, or is the fact that it is a robot enough explanation for it's powers? Science for the former, technology for the latter.
An example:
If the robot exists as, say, a walking nuclear reactor, I'd say science because the tech involved is a tool used for the accessibility of science.
If the robot exists as being the epitome of technological power, I'd say technology because the science, in this case, facilitates the technology instead.
Also, origins will overlap infinitely if you sit down and think it through long enough. Pick what your gut feels is best and work with it.
Wild Streak - Lv. 50(+3) Beast Mastery/Sonic Resonance Mastermind, Amnesty - Lv. 50 Staff Fighting/Dark Armor Stalker
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I didn't really see any suitable answers. A quantum computer in a robot chassis? A computer is still tech. Magic robots? Those are called "golems"...
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Originally Posted by Memphis_Bill
Read the rest of the thread and find out.
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Virtue Server
Avatar art by Daggerpoint
As a veteran Shadowrun player, I find the arguments over the "proper" origin redundant, as I can easily conjure up characters to RP who have at least 3 or more of CoH's origins. And it makes my cyber-ed Amerind former-shaman-turned-runner sad.
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It seems like the problem is a narrow definition.
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Originally Posted by Tyger42
I didn't really see any suitable answers. A quantum computer in a robot chassis? A computer is still tech. Magic robots? Those are called "golems"...
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'I don't like the look of it at all,' said the King: 'however, it may kiss my hand if it likes.'
'I'd rather not,' the Cat remarked.
'Don't be impertinent,' said the King, 'and don't look at me like that!' He got behind Alice as he spoke.
'A cat may look at a king,' said Alice.
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Like I said, technology is just applied science. If the science is more important to who/what your character is, then their origin can be Science.
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Originally Posted by Tyger42
I didn't really see any suitable answers. A quantum computer in a robot chassis? A computer is still tech. Magic robots? Those are called "golems"...
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"You don't lose levels. You don't have equipment to wear out, repair, or lose, or that anyone can steal from you. About the only thing lighter than debt they could do is have an NPC walk by, point and laugh before you can go to the hospital or base." -Memphis_Bill
We will honor the past, and fight to the last, it will be a good way to die...
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Possible reasons:|
Originally Posted by warden_de_dios
Why does your robot breathe?
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1) Fuel cells generally require oxygen to produce power.
2) Heat exchange.
3) Biological components that also need oxygen.
4) Other types of power generation that use oxidation.
5) Verisimilitude to pass for a living organism.
6) Because.
Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...
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I make tonnes of robots too, almost all of them are tech.|
Originally Posted by Gothikaijuzero
Now I'm wondering if I was thinking about it wrong... How do others see the origin of a robot character?
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But I think it really depends on if the robot is singular. If it's a protoype using advanced, just invented technology using mysterious, poorly understood physics and is hard to duplicate, if it is, I'd say science is fine. If not, if the character comes from a world where robots are very common, definitely technology.
Then again I've seen a lot of players mix origins up, where they have magic powered robots or mutants whose ability is to convert their bodies into something robotic. And so on.
Origin also doesn't really confer any real advantage or disadvantage in the game so far as I know so just go with what you think makes the most sense.
"Civilization advances by extending the number of important operations which we can perform without thinking of them."
I made a new robot character this weekend and gave him the science origin, as he is a creation of science rather than one who uses technology.
Now I'm wondering if I was thinking about it wrong... How do others see the origin of a robot character?