HENWEN

[soulping]

You are on a spaceship.

Most of your time will be spent on the bridge, which is exactly as fancy as you’d expect it to be — it looks a little like this. (The chairs are super comfortable!) Your brand new artificial intelligence — which, if you investigate, you’ll find is housed in a small computer chip — has been implanted into the computer terminal on the back wall. The diagnostics readout displayed along the bottom of the screen tells you that the AI has only been outfitted with the most basic of Stability Cores, and is currently Critically Unstable.

Comments

ROUND 1

[soulping]

It is the year 5256, and humanity has spread across two galaxies. Technological leaps have been massive — super powerful, prohibitively expensive AI have recently been developed, with the capacity for beyond human-like growth, development, and learning. It’s said that a single AI could be capable of managing a fully outfitted fleet of galactic class star ships. Trials are looking positive.

A small number of ships — yours included — have been selected to take part in a competitive military research project. You lucky devils! The government has given you a brand new AI of your very own, complete with a basic Stability Core and a generous grant of 1000 credits. The only downside is that … well, one SC of that calibre might not be enough to sustain the AI for long.

CREDITS
Starting bank: 1000 Credits

BUY FROM THE GOVERNMENT
High Quality Core: 600 (Sell Price: 350)
Medium Quality Core: 500 (Sell Price: 250)
Low Quality Core: 400 (Sell Price: 150)

BUY FROM THE BLACK MARKET - if you dare
High Quality Core: 350 (Average Sell Price: 200)
Medium Quality Core: 250 (Average Sell Price: 100)
Low Quality Core: 150 (Average Sell Price: 50)

OTHER
Buy a newspaper: 10
Buy a cat: 50

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Help fund research on artificial intelligence by donating a sum of your choice.
Help further research on artificial intelligence by donating yourself.

OTHER
There are many ways to forge your path through life. What will you do?

SUBMIT

[soulping]

Re: SUBMIT

[robitussin]

Henwen is going to donate an NPC crew member to further research on artificial intelligence, and also buy a cat.

Re: ROUND 1

[robitussin]

I want a cat.

[clearly the most important thing]

Re: ROUND 1

[shiroganeheir]

I wonder if the cats do anything. I would not mind getting a cat. I might also suggest a newspaper would be beneficial.

Re: ROUND 1

[wherethewildthingsare]

Let's try buying a low quality core from both markets, too.

Re: ROUND 1

[shiroganeheir]

[Lapis blinks a few times.]

I... suddenly wish I had any knowledge of economics at all.

Re: ROUND 1

[wherethewildthingsare]

I saw a TV show like this, once.

ROUND 1 RESULTS

[soulping]

You donate a member of your crew to science, and receive a lovely thank you note. A small computer chip arrives in the post shortly afterwards — a barely functioning, critically unstable AI on the edge of failure.

Your crew mate is returned eventually, as well. He has no memories after the age of three and occasionally speaks in binary code.

The cat is a hyperactive calico kitten that likes to chew on wires.

Re: ROUND 1 RESULTS

[shiroganeheir]

Well, that was awful.

So now what?

ROUND 2

[soulping]

CREDITS
Starting bank: 950 Credits

BUY FROM THE GOVERNMENT
High Quality Core: 600 (Sell Price: 350)
Medium Quality Core: 500 (Sell Price: 250)
Low Quality Core: 400 (Sell Price: 150)

BUY FROM THE BLACK MARKET - if you dare
High Quality Core: 350 (Average Sell Price: 200)
Medium Quality Core: 250 (Average Sell Price: 100)
Low Quality Core: 150 (Average Sell Price: 50)

OTHER
Buy a newspaper: 10
Buy a cat: 50

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Help fund research on artificial intelligence by donating a sum of your choice.
Help further research on artificial intelligence by donating yourself.

OTHER
There are many ways to forge your path through life. What will you do?

Re: ROUND 2

[robitussin]

We still square on what we want to do?

Re: ROUND 2

[wherethewildthingsare]

Low=Quality Core from the Black Market, and givin' up your body to become a roomba.

SUBMIT

[soulping]

Re: SUBMIT

[robitussin]

Getting a low quality core from the black market while Lapis guards the ship, and donating Natalie to research.

RESULTS

[soulping]

You purchase a low quality core from the black market! All seems well …

You also donate Natalie to science! You receive a lovely thank you note and a box of Turkish Delight chocolates from the R&D department. They are delicious, if oddly floral in taste. Natalie isn’t exactly sure what happens next — it’s vaguely ticklish and feels a whole lot like sitting down in a chair except the chair wasn’t there. She comes back unable to remember her name, unable to do basic mathematics, and with a slight headache. She also brings back an unstable AI that, when uploaded into the computer, acts exactly like her.

… unfortunately, the low quality core you bought from the black market glitches. NatalAI becomes critically unstable and speaks gibberish in a ridiculously high falsetto. Constantly. Seriously, there is no shutting her up.

Re: RESULTS

[robitussin]

Can we take her out or something? Jesus.

ROUND 3

[soulping]

CREDITS
Starting bank: 800 Credits

BUY FROM THE GOVERNMENT
High Quality Core: 600 (Sell Price: 350)
Medium Quality Core: 500 (Sell Price: 250)
Low Quality Core: 400 (Sell Price: 150)

BUY FROM THE BLACK MARKET - if you dare
High Quality Core: 350 (Average Sell Price: 200)
Medium Quality Core: 250 (Average Sell Price: 100)
Low Quality Core: 150 (Average Sell Price: 50)

OTHER
Buy a newspaper: 10
Buy a cat: 50

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Help fund research on artificial intelligence by donating a sum of your choice.
Help further research on artificial intelligence by donating yourself.

OTHER
There are many ways to forge your path through life. What will you do?

SUBMIT

[soulping]

Re: SUBMIT

[shiroganeheir]

We are buying a high-quality core from the government and a newspaper.

Re: ROUND 3

[shiroganeheir]

Alright. We have 800 left. We need to find a way to make money quickly.

Because we either blow everything on one or two cores and have nothing, or have some money and... lesser cores.

Re: ROUND 3

[robitussin]

I'd get a high quality core and find a way to make money.

ROUND 4

[soulping]

CREDITS
Starting bank: 190 Credits

BUY FROM THE GOVERNMENT
High Quality Core: 600 (Sell Price: 350)
Medium Quality Core: 500 (Sell Price: 250)
Low Quality Core: 400 (Sell Price: 150)

BUY FROM THE BLACK MARKET - if you dare
High Quality Core: 350 (Average Sell Price: 200)
Medium Quality Core: 250 (Average Sell Price: 100)
Low Quality Core: 150 (Average Sell Price: 50)

OTHER
Buy a newspaper: 10
Buy a cat: 50

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Help fund research on artificial intelligence by donating a sum of your choice.
Help further research on artificial intelligence by donating yourself.

OTHER
There are many ways to forge your path through life. What will you do?

SUBMIT

[soulping]

Re: ROUND 4

[robitussin]

Okay, so how exactly do we want to destroy this research center?