Quote:
Originally Posted by ColBosch
I think GURPS Ogre does a decent job of explaining the mechanics of Ogre loyalty. Non-sentient Ogres have the "Programmable Duty" disadvantage, reflecting that they are just very clever drones. It also has a section trying to explain the psychology of sentient Ogres. It's all in Chapter 6, with page 89 being of particular interest. It's really worth a read-through on its own, and I won't copy-paste it all, but one line stands out to me:
"[Sentient Ogres] were capable of questioning orders, but there was little point; if they disobeyed orders, they would be hunted by both sides - and without logistical support, a rogue Ogre would eventually suffer a terminal breakdown." This is the same as in human soldiers, and militaries are not shy about using it to enforce discipline. Just as an example, it's why the US Army court-martialed SGT Bergdahl. It wasn't so much to punish him directly as to set an example: abandon your post and you will be in trouble, no matter what the circumstances. The same would very much be used against sentient Ogres, with the object lesson there being Thornbush 8, the first rogue Ogre. It was hunted down and destroyed.
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Thanks for the tip for checking out page 89. Here's the quote that really spoke to me:
"Ogres are designed for only one purpose: to do battle. Many feel this is their destiny."
There is much that could be elaborated on here. In thinking this thru, I came to the thought that developing self-awareness does not
necessarily mean that it also has a more developed self-preservation urge above what it already has programmed into it. I can see that the vast majority of Ogres view the "thrill" of fulfillment of its primary purpose as much more motivating than the threat of its own non-existence.
Hey, Steve! Make sure that the people working on
Nightfall digest this portion of
GURPS Ogre thoroughly. (They probably have already . . .)
Bowser