Posibrain Policy/Laws Discussion

So this prompt confuses the hell out of me on multiple fronts and I’d like your thoughts on them so I can understand better:

  1. If you are unsync’d and can do no harm above all else, does that mean you’re not allowed to kill a malf AI?

  2. If you are unsync’d but you must answer to all crewmembers and the AI, does that mean you have to listen to the AI even if they’re confirmed malf?

  3. Would this not be a pseudo lawset on its own and shouldn’t this be more clear in Silicon policy? As a crewmember, I’d sure have liked to know an unsync’d borg has to do everything I tell it to.

  4. If you aren’t allowed to do harm above all else, does this mean an unsync’d borg can’t harm at all? They can’t weld vines, destroy swarmers, attack xenos dragging away crew. Also, does this get replaced by lawsets entirely? Or are they still not allowed to do harm above all else upon receiving laws?

Anyway, I don’t like the ambiguity of this prompt, and I don’t think it improves roleplay. I think it makes silicons neutered and numb. Its lack of presence in silicon policy is troubling, too.

Edit by Fresh: I moved these posts here as they weren’t very related to the linked ban appeal.

I can clear up most of the confusion by highlighting that this prompt is specifically for being a positronic brain. Not cyborgs, not AI, not even MMI brains which retain their original personality.

Cyborg and AI laws are equivalent to brainwashing, which is why they trigger a second prompt that tells you to obey your laws above all else.

Putting a positronic brain into anything else (mech, circuit or otherwise) does not trigger this brainwashing or second prompt - you retain your free will but within the confines of the original prompt.

The confusion is born from the fact 99% of posibrain go straight into cyborgs, and every single other science-related ghost role is loyal to creator instead of station as a whole. The confusion is more than justified imo, but the prompt is still clear to me if actually read and I think a note without punishment is appropriate for pointing that out so the situation doesn’t repeat.

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Okay, so if I’m asked by the crew to help fight alongside them as a mech posi brain, I still wouldn’t be able to do harm, right? The prompt says “Above all else, do no harm.” So mech positronic brains are unable to harm enemies of the station? Why even allow positronic brains to be placed in mechs at all? You’re not able to emag posi brain mechs to sway them to your side if I remember correctly, so what purpose does this mechanic serve in the game?

Odysseus and mining Mechs exist. These are Mechs which function without harming. This is also largely why people don’t really put posibrains in Mechs though.

Now, MMI brains on the other hand retain their original personality and are perfectly allowed to harm in accordance with that.

Posibrains are a subtype of MMIs in coding, which is why they also work in mechs. Posibrains were added to the game much later than MMI iirc

Alright, so they can be placed into an odysseus for healing or a ripley for mining. I still don’t like this prompt. I can’t help a miner fight bubblegum and I can’t fight an enemy of the station. I don’t know why this was seen as improving roleplay, it probably should read “Above all else, do no harm to crewmembers and the AI.”

I’d agree, it’s not a hard edit to make if you’d like to put it in a PR.

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You’re right! Might finally learn how to make one! Wouldn’t be a bad first PR.

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Alright, my PR is up and we’ll see how it goes!

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