Ring of Duplication: A matter of morality

[Randel]

Okay, continuing the "matter of morality" thread thing, here is my question.

One day, you walking along either in a rural area or just a good distance from anyone else when suddenly you hear a crash not too far away. Upon investigating the scene you realize thats its none other than the personal stealth-jet of the crimefighting superhero Mob Justice! This superhero's power is apparently the ability to create duplicates of himself to help him fight crime.

Staggering from the crashed jet, Mob Justice is in bad shape with multiple lethal-looking wounds, a broken-off spear sticking through his chest, and he's coughing up blood.

"Take my ring... the true source of my power... *cough* *cough* Don't let the forces of evil get it... and... stand back." the costumed superhero manages to spit out before pressing the ring into your hand. As soon as he finishes, he presses a button on his belt and there is a brief 'powering up' whine before a bright light flashes, disintegrating the hero into dust and steam.

Rules of the Mob Justice ring:
1). The wearer can create an exact duplicate of themselves at an arms length. The duplicate is made out of dopple-matter which is conjured from nothingness.
2). It takes one second to create a duplicate, and this is triggered by the user consciously wishing to create a duplicate. The user can make up whatever motions or words they want when doing this though they are not necessary for its function. One cannot create a duplicate by mistake or accident.
3). The ring automatically conjures up a users manual when a new wearer puts the ring on or wants to see how it works.
4). Each duplicate comes with its own ring and can in turn create duplicates. Thus multiple 'generations' of duplicates are possible.
5). Duplicates and anything made of dopple-matter exist for a limited duration which grows geometrically shorter with each successive generation. 1st generation duplicates exist for eight hours, 2nd generation duplicates exist for four hours, 3rd generation duplicates exist for two hours and so on.
6). When 1st generation duplicates reach their last thirty seconds they start to feel itchy on their skin, at five seconds they lose consciousness, at half a second they vanish into nothingness. Later generations undergo this faster at the same ratio their total life span is shortened.
7). Each duplicate looks exactly like the original aside from some blotchy discoloration on their skin as a result of bit-errors. This is a sign of skin-cancer. 1st generation duplicates have tiny pin-prick sized spots that look similar to freckles and later generations have this in greater amounts. This never causes pain or shows any sign of slowing down the duplicate... though its likely that if a duplicate did somehow find a way to escape sudden existence failure or managed to survive longer than 24 hours they would have some really nasty cancer to deal with.
8). If a duplicate dies before their time is up, they leave a corpse which vanishes at the appointed time. The vanishing is a result of the dopple-matter atoms collapsing into nothingness so a duplicate can't willingly speed up the process and any items they were doubled with can be moved wherever and will in turn vanish at the appointed time.
9). Duplicates are in essence unique individuals independent of the original but exactly like the person who created them at the second they were created. If a duplicate turns evil, behaves in a suicidal fashion, or acts with a blatant disregard for morality since they have a limited time to exist then that's how the original would have acted in the same situation. They do not instinctively know how much time they have left, they can not 're merge' with the original and there is no telepathic or sympathetic connection to the original unless the original is also telepathic. That said, if there is an afterlife its possible that duplicates are handled by it in some way... though its unsure what happens to them (or anyone else who goes there for that matter).
10). Generally, only objects that are in the wearers pockets are duplicated. Suitcases and backpacks are not duplicated though a baseball bat can if its held close to the body when the duplicate is created. Its not possible to duplicate someone against their will. Due to size constraints, only creatures roughly the size of a hamster or smaller can be duplicated... though so far no non sentient creature has ever been successfully duplicated (the only creatures who apparently have been duplicated via the ring have been Shrinking Violet the superheroine, Doctor Molar the evil guinea pig, and various microorganisms or parasites that have dug into Mob Justice over the years).
11). In case it ever comes up, eating food created due to the duplication process will only make you suddenly hungry when it vanishes (and isn't healthy to do on a regular basis), its pretty much impossible to sire children as a duplicate (or to spread diseases), food eaten by a duplicate will leave behind a mess when the duplicate vanishes, and forensic evidence of acts instigated by duplicates can get sketchy since DNA and duplicated items tend to vanish without a trace... although footprints and security tapes will naturally remain.
12). The ring is a unique artifact and cannot be destroyed or have its powers altered or copied except by its own duplication powers.
13). There is no true upper limit to the number of duplicates that can be created other than the availability of time and empty space at an arms reach. If a person works non-stop at making duplicates they can theoretically create 28,800 1st generation duplicates in eight hours (at which point the 1st generations would start vanishing) and those duplicates could each in turn theoretically create 14,400 in four hours (at which point the 2nd gens would start vanishing).

*whew* Anyway, I think that covers most of the possible questions and rules regarding the ring and its powers. Though I suppose I could toss out that Mob Justice has never in his career mentioned anything about a ring being the source of his power and it was commonly thought to be an innate ability of his. He also wore heavy gloves and a mask that covered his entire face.


So what would you do with the ring?

[Haruki-kun]

So what would you do with the ring?

Split into twelve separate people, and have each one of us do one of the drawings I have to do for drawing class. Oh, and probably have one of them start working on a new comic, because the rest of us are doing school work.

PS: I suggest you change the title of the thread. It gives the wrong impression about the topic.

[Mando Knight]

I would use it to FIGHT (http://www.theyfightcrime.org/)CRIME (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheyFightCrime)!

After experimenting with my own capabilities to fight crime (enhanced by the ring's powers), I'd undergo intense training and develop numerous gadgets that would be copied by the ring's power. I'd also use my power to geometrically increase my work output and become sufficiently rich to supply myself with a secret hidden base and such.

In combat/on a mission, I'd use as many clones as I'd think tactically necessary to complete my objectives. Being mentally similar/identical to myself, the clones should likewise be able to tactically assess the situation. And if necessary, I'd send out the clones to engage in missions when I'm otherwise busy.

In short, giving me the ring would essentially give me the motivation to become Batman-with-cloning-powers.

[reorith]

i'd go to the award banquet for the volunteer fire department, clone myself multiple times until we exceed the occupancy limit and then demand to see the fire marshal. once ejected by force, my clone army and i would go to starbucks where we would promptly create a large bottleneck at the counter. finally, once all my clones expired, i'd journey to mount doom after simply walking into mordor and into the fires of mount doom would i throw the one accursed ring. just as a big screw you to mob justice for such is my faith in the legal system and the everyday men and women that perform our emergency response services.

[Tequila Sunrise]

I didn't read nearly all of that text, but I'd keep a few doubles around for my own personal servants and send a few more out to be do-gooders.

[strawberryman]

Use the duplicates for mundane stuff so I could goof off all the time. *thumbs up*

[Copacetic]

Use the duplicates for mundane stuff so I could goof off all the time. *thumbs up*

This.

One for my schoolwork, one for my chores. One for my personal service, one to earn my living. Etc, etc.

[Trizap]

one clone would do homework, another would be my opponent in multi-player games, a third clone would do my chores, I would then use the free time to
to do whatever I want.

and if I ever felt like playing Super smash bros brawl, it would take only three seconds to find some competitors, and if I wanted to play DnD, it would only take five seconds to get a gaming group together, with me as DM.

and it would be so fun to debate philosophy with myself by having the other me
be the devil's advocate.

[SDF]

Okay first three things that came to mind;

1) Insurance fraud
2) Making out with myself
4) Forming a band with myself on guitar, vox, bass, keyboard, and drums.

[Trizap]

2) Making out with myself


why stop there?

*beat*

I'm kidding!

[SDF]

You're right, but I like to take things slow. And I'm a patient person. I'll come around eventually.

The duplicates also act independently and not as servants, so anyone saying they would make homework/chore slaves is probably going to just get in an argument with themselves. I'd totally fight myself for making myself only to do the work for myself I myself was too lazy to do.

[Vizen]

why stop there?

*beat*

I'm kidding!

Oh gods! Trizap burned my eyes!

[V'icternus]

Two words.

World domination.

All I would have to do is display my power of self-multiplication (without explaining any drawbacks) and tell the world to bow down to me.

Then, with my world domination in place, I would sytimatically start working to make the world better. And of course, I would be above the law, as there's no other way to stop it being corrupted by idiots with agendas.

Eventually, I would have a legion of my own, all working in fear that I might simply kill them if I want to with my almighty powers.

Currency would be abolished. If someone wants something, and someone else has it, and that someone is not using it, then they'd better bloody well give it to that person or my death squads (name negotiable) would take them to my extermination camps for promoting disunity.

Criminals that do not show any possibility of change will be killed. Period. I don't care if they had a good reason, my law is absolute and even the most minor of laws is more important than the lives of the people living under them.

Also, I would never, ever appear in public again. When I needed to (even if it's just for TV, radio, whatever) I would creat a clone, and explain to them that they are a clone and need to perform the act I want them to do.

The clone, being me, would understand and obey, because that's what I do. And, as it is me, it would not fear for its own life, because I do not. Life isn't really that important.

I would, however, not allow myself to die, because it would cause the structure of the world to fall back into seperation, disunity and meaningless stupidity.


Or maybe I'd just use it to freak people out. I dunno.

[Reptilius]

Well, think about it. You are creating individuals, with fully developed minds and morals (although they are essentially yours), that are doomed to die, probably painfully, in a few hours. Say you were to use it to commit crimes. If one dies at the scene, then anyone could find out your identity (assuming you concealed your identity). Say you used it to fight crimes. Same problem, only now instead of the authorities or other crime fighters after you, you have someone with an evil death ray. And besides, if you were the type of person who would fight crime with this power, wouldn't you have qualms about creating fully-fledged versions of yourself that are doomed to such a short lifespan?

[Lupy]

I would use my clones to end the game. Forever.

[GoC]

There are actually two different questions being asked here:
1. What would you do with the power to clone yourself?
2. What are the moral implications of duplication?

Everyone finds question 2 boring so they're just answering 1.


Also, it seems people don't understand that the clone may not obey you!
Why should he/her? He's got 8 hours to live, why should he care about you? He should spend those 8 hours as well as possible.

Oh yeah, the theoretical limit for number of clones is 3 thousand billion billion billion. And that many clones outmasses the sun 100 times over.:smallbiggrin:


Criminals that do not show any possibility of change will be killed. Period. I don't care if they had a good reason, my law is absolute and even the most minor of laws is more important than the lives of the people living under them.
Just to confirm: Joke?

[Silence]

I would use my clones to end the game. Forever.

Damnit, I lost.

But anyway, I would destroy it. Better noone ever uses it then it falls in the hands of some psycho.

[Graymayre]

So what would you do with the ring?

Fantasy time! :smallredface::smallwink:

[Faceist]

Better noone ever uses it then it falls in the hands of some psycho.
And that's my cue!

I'd take over the world with an army of me.

[Haven]

Frankly, I can't see having duplicates of me as accomplishing anything good. Especially with the knowledge that they'd die very soon--mopeyness at best, screwing up my life at worst.

So....ummm...give it to Barack Obama? Stephen Hawking? I dunno.

[chiasaur11]

Lessee...

Clone army to get me a standard 40 hour a week job, then spend a decent portion of every day studying and working out so as to have combat and research useful minions.

Then use the money to get a few good computers, a private server, and Novint Falcons, and become a TF2 team of one.

[Recaiden]

Well, the moral issues are is it okay to create people who have only several hours to live? I think that it is, down to a pretty small time, say a minute. (May vary after additional consideration.) Unless I had a very good reason though, I'd just let them go free.

[chiasaur11]

Well, the moral issues are is it okay to create people who have only several hours to live? I think that it is, down to a pretty small time, say a minute. (May vary after additional consideration.) Unless I had a very good reason though, I'd just let them go free.

Well, yeah, but it's yourself we're talking here.

And I know I'd be never hear the end of it from me if I failed to exploit the heck out of myself.

[Bucky]

Hmm. There are a few interesting corollaries worth pointing out.
(7a)The original and the duplicate can cooperatively figure out which is which by a quick skin inspection.
(9a)the duplicate has all the memories of the original
(9b)The duplicate knows all the details of the duplication process (assuming that the original bothered to read the manual)
(9c)The original can prepare instructions for the duplicate and resolve to obey them, and the duplicate will obey them if the original's resolve is strong enough.
(10a)You can spend duplicated money to buy real goods. Obviously, this is both immoral and illegal.
(story)It is important not to abuse the ring too much because you don't want the forces of evil to find out.

[GoC]

(9c)The original can prepare instructions for the duplicate and resolve to obey them, and the duplicate will obey them if the original's resolve is strong enough.

Here's the problem. That will require a lot of resolve.

[The Dark Fiddler]

I know that if I had an army of me, I'd probably use it to mess with people.

I don't mean with my friends or enemies, I mean with people. Like, doing stuff such as randomly shouting "I WANT CREAMCHEESE GODDAMNIT" in the streets. The sort of thing I'd normally do.

Or, you know, make out with myself. that sounds fun.

Don't judge me.

[Icewalker]

Yeah, everybody saying that they would create copies to do their lowly chores and homework and such are probably going to be in for some surprises. You don't want to do it, you're making clones for it. Why wouldn't they do the same, and try to go off to do their own thing (Don't forget, each clone can make more).

Personally, I don't feel much towards it in the terms of moral obligations, considering reality in a rather pragmatic and direct way, I don't see any natural 'superiority' to having something alive or dead. Anyways. I would use copies to accelerate the gathering of philosophy, knowledge, and research, by having equally talented minds to speak and work with.

[Hadrian_Emrys]

Knowing me, I'd make many copies. Each other me would be fearless, and enjoy life in a way I never have been able to in just the short amount of time they had. They'd know that I'd look at them with a sad sort of envy akin to an old sun watching the passing of shooting stars. I find the very concept as beautiful as it is painful. Who knows though? Such an experience might prove to be yet another step along the path of personal growth. It's something to really look at in any case.

[Tyrant]

I guess for me it would depend on how much they were willing to act towards the greater good. In this case the greater good being my good. I wouldn't have them around to do regular chores (or if they were it would be to help me do them, not so I could skip out on them). However, under the assumption that the money in my pockets would flawlessly replicate, I have a few ideas. I would at least consider going to Las Vegas. Create copies and split up going to different casinos. If nothing else just having them sit down and play for a short while at a table game before cashing out. Their money will disappear after they are gone and I have the chips to cash out (if they don't go ahead and cash them in). Some level of disguising would probably be in order. Sure it's an immoral plan, but it's one of the few businesses I wouldn't lose sleep over screwing over.

The legitamate alternative would be do something like start a legitamate business and employ entirely with myself. In another town from my own and claim we're all related or something. I suppose there I would need some fake identification and tax numbers and what not.

I suppose if I had some ideas and just needed someone to bounce them off of, I could have a sample group in short order.

I think the real key to exploiting this power would be to somehow be able to mentally link with the dupliates. As is there are lots of possibilities, but with something like that the possibilities would be near limitless.

On the self exploration front (come on, the thought crosses everyone's mind for a moment at least), if you have a SO things can get considerably more interesting.

Morally, I don't see a problem with it.

I do have a couple of hypothetical questions though. Since we are talking a fantasy item some of these are fantasy based. 1) Can one of the duplicates give their ring to someone else (other rules still applying)? 2) If so, what happens if I were wearing it (along with the original) while I created another duplicate? Would it create 2 duplicates at once? Would the duplicate(s) have 1 or 2 rings each (since I am wearing 2)? 3) Would something like being turned into a vampire save one of the duplicates or are we talking act of god for them to not die? 4) What if someone had an ability to steal the life force (soul, chi, whatever) of another and they got one of these rings (think Shang Tsung or an immortal from Highlander for good examples). Could they use the ring to replicate themselves and proceed to take out the duplicate to absorb their power which should in theory double their own? I would think an ability like that would allow that person to increase their power exponentially in a very short amount of time (assuming their duplicates were cool with it).

[thubby]

i would get a few different jobs to make money, probably use a few for house chores, and send the rest to fight crime.

[V'icternus]

Just to confirm: Joke?

Nope. It's called not caring. Give me the power to fix the world, I'd fix it, even if that means getting rid of the problem of choice. Evil? Maybe, but that's what I'd do. I'd craete the perfect world for anyone not killed to make it perfect. Who would dare commit a crime when they know that if found guilty, they're done?

Yes, I know my idea is drastic, but there is nothing else that can unify the human race better than forcing them to unify or die.

Also, with all the deaths, we'll take up less room, and less resources.

So no, not a joke. Just my extremist ideas that are devoid of emotion and common care for my fellow humans.

After all, it is a question of morality. And there's my answer of morality.

[GoC]

Nope. It's called not caring. Give me the power to fix the world, I'd fix it, even if that means getting rid of the problem of choice. Evil? Maybe, but that's what I'd do. I'd craete the perfect world for anyone not killed to make it perfect. Who would dare commit a crime when they know that if found guilty, they're done?

Yes, I know my idea is drastic, but there is nothing else that can unify the human race better than forcing them to unify or die.

Also, with all the deaths, we'll take up less room, and less resources.

So no, not a joke. Just my extremist ideas that are devoid of emotion and common care for my fellow humans.

After all, it is a question of morality. And there's my answer of morality.
Define crime for me please.

[V'icternus]

Define crime for me please.

Alrighty. Any act that is in violation of the law as set down by the current legal authority (in this case, me)

So if I have a law that says "Don't go there", and you go there, you'd better bloody well prove you'd never go there again, or you're dead.

If I have a law that says "Don't do that", and you do that, I'd better have reason to beleive you wouldn't do it again, or you're dead.

It doesn't matter what the severity of the issue is. It could be stealing, or killing, it makes no difference. If I think you'll do it again, or you do it again, your time is up. Forgivness is not my style. Oh, and don't even think about saying "I'm sorry" when you're not feeling any sorrow at all, because then I'll just kill you right then and there.

Yes, I would not be a good ruler, nor an especially fair one, but I'd get things done, dammit.

[Xondoure]

Kage bunshin no jutsu!
Honestly, this seems to be that with a longer life span, and his clones don't seem to mind dying, then again once they do he retains their memories. hmm... I would use them to acomplish the impossible with an army of one. for example: We all work on homework for one hour, and we're done. Now we all go and help people. I guess theoretically, a clone could last for at least 24 hours, by creating a new version of himself before he disappears. Still, I'm assuming that the clones accept their fate, because they would otherwise be pretty much useless.

[Randel]

A few things I add just for fun: (and I suppose I'll exchange the word Duplicate with Copy since its shorter)

1. When you create a Copy, all the items that the Copy is wearing act just like regular objects until they vanish at the end of the time limit. So you can create Copies and then have them give their rings to other people who can use their rings power... at least until the ring vanishes.

2. The duration of a Copy depends on the matter of the object it was copied from. So, if your 1st gen Copy use their ring to copy themself then the 2nd gen Copy will last half as long as the 1st gen Copy. But if the 1st gen copy hands their ring to somebody else, that person can create a Copy who lasts eight hours... though the rings these new Copies have will only last for four hours since its effectively a 2nd gen ring.

3. Using your Copies to hold multiple jobs could be difficult but doable, since a 1st gen Copy only lasts eight hours and an eight hour workday would also include a lunch and whatever commute you take to get to work. Though your Copy could go to work, and do six or so hours of work, then create a copy on-site and then leave to spend their next two hours doing whatever they want. The 2nd gen Copy could work the rest of the day and maybe even get back home before they vanish. Though, of course, unless they take really good notes or somehow inform you what happens at work then the Copy you send the next day wouldn't know what happened. It would be really really hard to keep multiple jobs via Copies without tipping anyone off that something is wrong.

4. Any one person can only create one Copy at a time, even if they are wearing multiple rings. Its thought-activated thing, so unless you have more than one brain you can only create one Copy at a time.

5. Also, taking over the world face some speed-bumps since the 'range' of your ability is effectively how far you (or your ring) can travel in (8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + .5 ... = 16) a bit under sixteen hours or so. Sure, you can create an absolutly huge number of Copies, but unless you have some planes, trains, and automobiles on hand to send them across the globe they will be stuck in the same area that you are. Also, each of the billions of possible Copies you send out will forget whatever they saw when they vanish. Plus, every second you sleep or rest is a second you're not pumping out Copies.

In short, if you're aiming to take over the world and control it for any measurable length of time you might have to get some help.

6. Oh, and story-wise its unlikely that anyone would be looking for someone with a duplication ring since Mob Justice was genre-savy enough to tell everyone that it was just an innate power instead of waving his magic ring around so bad guys could steal it. Plus he disintegrated himself so if any bad guys did follow him they would likely just assume that he was another Copy that vanished.




As for what I would do... I would probably try using it for personal gain (like with the Las Vegas idea). Then I'd try to get a girlfriend who is beautiful, kind, compassionate, and sane and then give her the ring and see what happens. Actually, I'd probably go though a few of them, weeding out the ones who are too sane to enjoy reality-warping artifacts or to insane to be trusted with the same... hopefully I'll hit the jackpot and find a hot girlfriend who's willing to make lots of Copies of herself for fun. If I'm really lucky, she'll turn into a superheroine or something which would be awesome.

Of course, I'm genre-savy enough to avoid being a mentor figure so I'll have to be really underhanded and sneaky about it, maybe tell her its an engagement ring I got from a mysterious store. If I'm sneaky enough about it I can be like Aunt May and get contractual immortality by being useless and oblivious instead of being Uncle Ben and getting killed off right after imparting useful advice as part of her back story.

So yeah, I'd probably be a manipulative jerk and try passing it off to someone who has a better sense of ethics then myself and who I wouldn't mind having lots of Copies of her all over the place.

[Khanderas]

Use the duplicates for mundane stuff so I could goof off all the time. *thumbs up*

Except your copies know they will be terminated within a day.
Why would they (that is you in every bit that counts) want to do someone elses homework for the last day they are alive ? I dont see anywhere among the powers the ring has, the power to force your clones to do anything.



Myself I would be quite hesitent to use the copies. If I knew I was a soulless copy, with no possible way to survive the next sunrise, some liberties could be taken that is not really suitable to print on this forum. Examples being for example, assassination of ppl I dislike, drug abuse, rob a bank for money to said drug experimenting, frustration from inevitable death could cause a copy to steal a car and live out "grand theft auto".

[Coidzor]

I'd pretty much go about life as usual, though I would savor the fact that now I had a solution to the problem of sit-com double dates resting on my third finger...

I suppose that occasionally I would dup money in order to commit petty larceny, never anything more than is already covered by the prices set up to protect against shrink from theft. Y'know, a $10 dinner here, an extra 8 hours of gardening/novel-writing there. I'd probably dup myself with the intent of writing down everything I experienced as a chain of memoirs from duplicate 1 on...

The item-duplication property though... Well, I'd have to wash clothes a lot less often. :smallbiggrin: And just think of what fun I might have with pranking someone by stealing their clothes in the morning and replacing them with a duplicate wardrobe...

short-duration drugs whose effects last less than 8 hours anyway would be another place where I'd be able to save some money by not having to buy 'em all that often.

Hmm, yeah, pretty much the worst thing I can see myself doing something X-rated. Don't really see myself using it for violent purposes, just a little bit of petty counterfeiting if I'm in a tight spot... Might do a bit of malicious mischief by leaving a bit of duped gold here and there for people to find, but I find that a bit unlikely to be very common.

[GoC]

It doesn't matter what the severity of the issue is. It could be stealing, or killing, it makes no difference. If I think you'll do it again, or you do it again, your time is up. Forgivness is not my style. Oh, and don't even think about saying "I'm sorry" when you're not feeling any sorrow at all, because then I'll just kill you right then and there.
YOU DID NOT FILL IN ZONING ORDINANCE FORM 354A WITH BLOCK CAPITALS. YOU MUST DIE.


Yes, I would not be a good ruler, nor an especially fair one, but I'd get things done, dammit.
But get what things done?

[V'icternus]

Whatever I wanted. That's the benefit of world domination.

Simply put, I would unify people. Peace and harmony would no longer be optional. Either your peaceful and harmonious, or you're out of the picture.

Also, I would abolish all currency, as well as uneccesary "ownership" crap. Zoning permits, for example, wont exist. If you need a permit to do something in a world where you can just ask for anything and get it, you'd be better off not doing it.

So, the end result would be a peaceful, unified, stronger human race, at the cost of a couple of million (billion?) lives. It's all numbers. Humanity has to be saved from itself. Andas there's no other race to do it, another human has to.

It would create a world of recreation, of course. People doing what they want to (within limits) all the time. And, this freedom will actually allow people to still do their jobs (if they like their jobs. If not, then they're free to leave).

It's evil, for the greater good.

[GoC]

...obligatory text

[V'icternus]

Ask a question about morality, expect to get answers from those with no morals.

[Coidzor]

...obligatory text

Ahh Dark Kantians. They are compelled to do evil regardless of its utility. :smallwink: Just don't let 'em get ahold of Occam's Razor though, and you should be fine.

[V'icternus]

Fear my logical Lawful Evilness. ^^

If it helps, I may decide against taking over the world due to being one of the laziest people I know.

[ghost_warlock]

*create a dozen duplicates*

"Okay, so as you know, this ring allows the wearer to create duplicates. There might be other powerful rings, somewhere, that allow the wearer to do other super-power-type stuff. Your 'job' is to find out! First bugger to seize a ring gets to keep it; at least as long as they're alive - should be worth at least a few laughs before you expire. Maybe one of the rings will circumvent the whole dying-in-a-few-hours thing. If y'all find anything out, let me know; I'll be doing the usual day-to-day junk."

Rinse and repeat scheme a couple times daily.

[Bucky]

How well the ring works depends on its user's attitude. I think the most effective way to use the ring would be to simply view the duplicates as extensions of myself. The copies wouldn't really be worried about their imminent 'death' because they don't view it as death. They'd cooperate with the original me because we both know we're the same person. By the same token, the original I would not ask them(us) to do anything I wouldn't be willing to do myself because I know I'll end up doing it anyway whether I remember it or not.

Similarly, as a copy I wouldn't do anything that the original wouldn't want to be held responsible for.



6. Oh, and story-wise its unlikely that anyone would be looking for someone with a duplication ring since Mob Justice was genre-savy enough to tell everyone that it was just an innate power instead of waving his magic ring around so bad guys could steal it. Plus he disintegrated himself so if any bad guys did follow him they would likely just assume that he was another Copy that vanished.
.

Those measures would help, yes. But Mob Justice was obviously worried enough about the possibility to warn you about it. It'd be best to take a few precautions, such as not announcing to the world that you have a ring which lets you make copies of yourself.

[Micate]

Took me a while, but a light just went off in my head. MMO playing. Through clever use of clones, who don't have to sleep (why waste half their life unconscious?), I could be online 24/7! Even playing multiple accounts, make my own groups, maybe even become one of those evil bastard Chinese gold farmers I so hate, selling powerleveling for cash.

My clones will never argue with me about that at least, since I'm basically just asking them to play video games while I sleep. Otherwise I'll probably just make clones randomly when I'm bored and hope he can come up with something to do. Also, I'll have lengthy discussions with my clones (especially my early ones) about what they expect to happen when they die. Just to make sure I'm ok with only having 8 hours left to live.

[Khanderas]

*create a dozen duplicates*

"Okay, so as you know, this ring allows the wearer to create duplicates. There might be other powerful rings, somewhere, that allow the wearer to do other super-power-type stuff. Your 'job' is to find out! First bugger to seize a ring gets to keep it; at least as long as they're alive - should be worth at least a few laughs before you expire. Maybe one of the rings will circumvent the whole dying-in-a-few-hours thing. If y'all find anything out, let me know; I'll be doing the usual day-to-day junk."

Rinse and repeat scheme a couple times daily.
At wich point the duplicates laugh at you, take your money (or if you duplicated with money skip that step) then take a few (up to eight) hours break and does something fun.

... afterall, if you had 8 hours to live would you do homework / yardwork / errands from a lazy brat who thinks he is better then you just because he is "the original" ?

[V'icternus]

Hell no. If I don't want to do it myself, why would more of me?

[Thufir]

Pretty sure I've said this before on a different duplication/cloning topic: Barbershop quartet consisting of 4 of me.

[Devils_Advocate]

It would create a world of recreation, of course. People doing what they want to (within limits) all the time. And, this freedom will actually allow people to still do their jobs (if they like their jobs. If not, then they're free to leave).
What happens if a bunch of people who provide entertainment decide that they don't like their jobs? If e.g. no new television programs get produced, might that not leave people worse off, recreationally?

Similarly for people whose job is to grow food. Or scrub toilets. If they don't have to do that to earn a living, aren't we likely to wind up with a bunch of filthy toilets?

Are you unaware of the historical and theoretical problems with communism? Problems that need to be resolved in order to prevent a decline in quality of life? Problems best summarized as "People want things done that people don't want to do"?

It sounds like you're to lazy for your duplicates to do everyone's grunt work.


Edit: Ooh! I have the solution!

Use the ring to duplicate altruists who are happy to do everybody's work.

[mangosta71]

You say it duplicates items in your pockets? In that case, I'd go to the bank, empty my accounts and put the cash in my pockets, create a bunch of clones, take the money in their pockets, and deposit it all of the dopplemoney. The bank has legitimate records showing that I made the deposit, so even though the money disappears from their vault/safe I have it in electronic form. And I still have a bunch of cash on hand in case I ever need to multiply my resources again.

[Shadowcaller]

Whatever I wanted. That's the benefit of world domination.

Simply put, I would unify people. Peace and harmony would no longer be optional. Either your peaceful and harmonious, or you're out of the picture.

Also, I would abolish all currency, as well as uneccesary "ownership" crap. Zoning permits, for example, wont exist. If you need a permit to do something in a world where you can just ask for anything and get it, you'd be better off not doing it.

So, the end result would be a peaceful, unified, stronger human race, at the cost of a couple of million (billion?) lives. It's all numbers. Humanity has to be saved from itself. Andas there's no other race to do it, another human has to.

It would create a world of recreation, of course. People doing what they want to (within limits) all the time. And, this freedom will actually allow people to still do their jobs (if they like their jobs. If not, then they're free to leave).

It's evil, for the greater good.

Wow, either your joking or your a clone of a really bad comic villian.

[chiasaur11]

Wow, either your joking or your a clone of a really bad comic villian.

Hey!

Annihilus is a fine Marvel supervillain.

Not his fault a clone can't get the MO right.