Human-looking robots in TE

[BobGreenwade]

I keep thinking that somewhere in Terran Empire there was mention of the law that robots must be easily discernable as such at a glance, and not made to be indistinguishable from organic life. I know where to find the mention in Spacer's Toolkit (page 33) -- but is that the actual first mention of that law?

[Chuckg]

I think it's mentioned in the main book as well, in the paragraph about AIs.

[BobGreenwade]

I'm not finding any such paragraph.

[Monolith]

I do not remember seeing any rule stating that robots cannot look human (or alien depending on the race in question). I think they can look like whatever they need to look like to get the job done. I personally envision them as they are portrayed in the movie The Adventures Of Pluto Nash. That whole movie seems to have many interesting things to incorporate into a human-based TE game.

[keithcurtis]

I did a word search on my playtest copy of TE on the word "robot" and nothing came up about appearance. A lot of things came up about machine rights, but nothing about how they have to look.

The wording on p.33 of the SK is ambiguous since it does not say if this is true of all robots, or just house androids.

Keith "Say it now and say it loud! We are silicon and we're proud!" Curtis

[BobGreenwade]

Thank you, Keith.

Now go back to the writing and drawing you do so well.

And email me every picture you have of anything Mon'dabi.

[keithcurtis]

Thanks Bob,

Right now I'm working on maps for "Sharper than a Serpent's Tooth". I don't have any Mon'Dabi stuff, but I do have an unpublished picture of a Osaathri (sp?) senator. Maybe it could be used in a DH article if there are no TE plans for it.

Keith "Heroic Cartographer" Curtis

[BobGreenwade]

Actually, I could use anything Mon'dabi related, whether drawn by you, Nate, Andrew, or anyone else -- including any of the species in Mon'dabi space (and just for good measure I'm throwing in the aliens on pages 26 and 31 of Star Hero).

Y'see, I've been working up a booklet on the Mon'dabi Federation for the players in the Star Hero game I'm running, and (with Steve's permission ) I'll be including all pertinent illustrations of anything already published as well as anything new I get get my hands on.

Say... this Osathri Senator you drew -- how well would your drawing work if he was made into the Imperial Ambassador to the Mon'dabi Federation?

[Hermit]

I remember seeing something about the Mon'Dabi Federation forbidding the creation of AI's period. Maybe that's what you're thinking of 'law' wise?

[BobGreenwade]

Originally posted by Hermit
I remember seeing something about the Mon'Dabi Federation forbidding the creation of AI's period. Maybe that's what you're thinking of 'law' wise?

No, that's sufficiently distinct from what I'm thinking of that I doubt I'd make the mistake. I'm pretty sure Keith's right -- STK p. 33 is the first mention, and rather ambiguous at that. Unless James, Steve, Ben, or someone else involved with the production comes forward with information to the contrary, that's what I'm going to assume.

[Monolith]

Originally posted by BobGreenwade
No, that's sufficiently distinct from what I'm thinking of that I doubt I'd make the mistake. I'm pretty sure Keith's right -- STK p. 33 is the first mention, and rather ambiguous at that. Unless James, Steve, Ben, or someone else involved with the production comes forward with information to the contrary, that's what I'm going to assume.

It's on page 97 Bob. The last paragraph. "Both the Mon'dabi Federation and the Velarian Confederation forbid the construction of artificial intelligence machines."

Outside of STK I cannot find any other mention about robot appearance either though.

[BobGreenwade]

Originally posted by Monolith
It's on page 97 Bob. The last paragraph. "Both the Mon'dabi Federation and the Velarian Confederation forbid the construction of artificial intelligence machines."

I was aware of that, and had found that particuar passage before I even started this thread.

Thanks for trying, though.

[Hermit]

NP