Digital Duplication problem: combining digital, construct, and no 'first dupe' . . .

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by davidtmoore

It's one of those basic GURPS problems, I guess. What you're asking is "can I have endless Extra Lives without having to spend points for each Extra Life?" and the answer's either "no" or Unkillable.

I guess this is the main reason for the social rules regarding xoxing in TS; it allows the system to conform to the GURPS assumption that you should pay points for backup lives.

To get what you're asking for, you'll either have to persuade the GM to let you have ELs for no CP cost, or find some way to pervert Unkillable into shape. Bruno's build seems reasonable.

Unkillable means that an entity will come back to 'life' after being completely destroyed. An infomorph will not come back to life if completely erased/destroyed. What makes things interesting indeed, is that Extra Life (Copy, Req Body) is the canonical way, even though technically very little stops me from making more copies.

Now, I'm completely okay with using the number of Duplications as a sort of a Pact with the GM on the max number of active copies I'm willing to keep.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Molokh

Unkillable means that an entity will come back to 'life' after being completely destroyed. An infomorph will not come back to life if completely erased/destroyed.

Unmodified Unkillable brings you back to life without any outside intervention. MODIFIED Unkillable with the specific limitation Trigger (from the Unkillable writeup in the basic set) means you don't come back to life unless the correct actions are taken. A copy is restored from an archived backup, an existing copy is duplicated, etc. are just as valid triggers, IMO, as someone spilling blood on your ashes or moonlight shining on your remains. Different in style, but it's still an event that is required to trigger your resurrection.

Similarly, no matter how Unkillable you are, if you have an Achilles heel, you can still be perma-killed and cannot come back to life ever, even if all the little boys and girls clap their hands and say they DO believe in faeries.

I think it's the right foundation. It just needs to be hammered into shape.

[whswhs]

The computer that carries the AI has the power to infect other computers with copies of the AI. That's Dominance. The AI can grant the computer that power. That's Affliction (Dominance).

Or Infectious Attack, if the copies are free-willed.

Bill Stoddard

[Bruno]

That's a neat idea. They'd all be NPCs, and the main copy has to keep buying up their Allies advantage if they keep copying themselves, which helps keep the issue in check.

[davidtmoore]

Originally Posted by Molokh

Unkillable means that an entity will come back to 'life' after being completely destroyed. An infomorph will not come back to life if completely erased/destroyed. What makes things interesting indeed, is that Extra Life (Copy, Req Body) is the canonical way, even though technically very little stops me from making more copies.

Now, I'm completely okay with using the number of Duplications as a sort of a Pact with the GM on the max number of active copies I'm willing to keep.

Well, yes, but Unkillable is the only advantage that allows you to repeatedly come back to life without losing points each time, so you just need to modify it.

Take Unkillable 3 with the limitations normally applied to EL for a digital copy. That should cover the need to replace the body, the dependence on someone loading you up, and the danger of all electrical copies being deleted.

[vicky_molokh]

I thing I'm forced to consider is ditching Extra Life/Unkillable, and using Summonable on the ally.

[martinl]

Originally Posted by davidtmoore

I guess this is the main reason for the social rules regarding xoxing in TS; it allows the system to conform to the GURPS assumption that you should pay points for backup lives.

The reason for those rules is because MIs ("Meat Intelligences") still dominate the setting, and they are leery of the competition having access to nigh-unfettered instant reproduction. In part this is prudence (they can see problems if this is allowed), and in part it is reaction to the results of unfettered xoxing by rogue AIs being used for mayhem. It is also in part to prevent shadows and emulations from being (legally) exploited.

If xoxing is criminal, only criminals will have xoxes.

Really anarchic MI polities (mostly in space) don't have this rule, and I seem to recall there are some Starswarm AIs testing out a wholly AI polity...

[martinl]

The NAI is equipment, even if it has a character sheet. Any reason you can't just use "signature gear?"

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by martinl

The NAI is equipment, even if it has a character sheet. Any reason you can't just use "signature gear?"

GM said that drones/shells are equipment, but the 'software friend' (NAI) is an Ally.

[martinl]

Originally Posted by Molokh

GM said that drones/shells are equipment, but the 'software friend' (NAI) is an Ally.

If it is easily copyable, isn't it an "ally group?"