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Madeiner
2012-08-12, 06:47 AM
Hi there everyone.
I have prepared this short adventure for my players, but i realized it maybe is too "passive".
I would like some help on how to make it better and more active; see details at the end of the post.

Here's the backstory:

A few in game years ago, the characters went into an utopian city, once led by an AI and a paladin. The paladin fell, and the AI (it's name is Phi) took control of the city since the paladin was not performing great, and the AI decided she would be better at leading the city.

The AI then proceeded to learn human emotions, and split into two different AIs. One, Phi major (Phi+) was the main leading force; the other, Phi minor (Phi-) was a subprogram that mostly collected the emotions from the fallen paladin, and became "good".

These AIs are in a constant battle of minds, with Phi- trying to overthrow Phi+. With a lot of double and triple crossing, using the PCs as bait while predicting their actions, Phi- managed to destroy Utopia and transferred itself to an airship in the city, which the PCs used to flee. She thought only her would get aboard the ship, with Phi+ being destroyed with Utopia.

Phi- has been inactive for a few years since then, damaged in the transfer.


Adventure starts
The ship is currently stranded and damaged in the Outlands.
One day, while sentient constructs are repairing it (they are a bit like warforged, only without the "war" part), Phi- comes back alive. Although the PCs dont know that, the entire plot has been decided a few seconds after Phi- and Phi+ came alive, with each Phi unit calculating outcomes and starting their plans.

Phi- has calculated that it now equal in power to Phi+. Phi- decides to reveal itself, and knows Phi+ will try to hide as a result.

So Phi- shows himself to the PCs, asking for repairs, and telling them that there is a nearby source of magical disturbance. She can pinpoint it, if the PCs turn over control of the antenna to her, and then counter its disturbance. Phi- warns that while doing this, spells may not work, but nothing bad happens. Phi- tells that she has released control of the antenna, which is not true.

Then the PCs investigate the ruins of an ancient machine (using "Force of nature", a free adventure from Wotc), but they can't understand what it is.
Phi- says they can use cable to connect her to the machine and discover what it is. It says there are no spare cables (not true), and to use those from the control room, without mentioning that without those cables, there is no way to manually control the ship, but that they can be reconnected later if needed. This deception is still part of Phi-'s plans.

The machine is able to open portals and store energy in spheres, energy that is very useful for the ship repairs. To do that, the PCs travel to the four elemental planes to "fill" the magical spheres.

(We have played up to this point; The PCs have filled one of the spheres.)

Phi+ knows that this can be seen as suspicious behavior, and so decided to try and impersonate Phi-. Phi- however predicts this, and lets Phi+ take control on purpose.

Phi+ then shows itself to the PCs as Phi-, telling them that they have effectively lost control of the ship by using the cables from the control room, and that the other Phi can shut down their spells easily, since they gave them control of the antenna. It tells them that the other Phi will soon ask for complete control of the ship, in order to secure its survival. Then it tells that the only way to shut her down is by sending enough energy via the cables they have connected in order to fry her. This will be done by telling the other Phi that systems will need to be shutdown in order to give her full control for the ship when she asks for it, and meanwhile using the ancient machine to fry her while she is rebooting. Meanwhile, Phi+ (which is still posing as Phi-) will transfer itself to the ancient machine, in order not to be fried along with Phi-.

To prove his sincerity, Phi+ will point to the fact that Phi- has asked to use Command room cables when there were other cables to be used, and that she has never released control of the antenna, and those things can be proved by simply searching the ship and checking data.

However, Phi- has predicted everything. So, while the PCs are on the elementals planes, she will warn one of the constructs (that she knows well, since he helped her in Utopia, and is also a close friend of the PCs) to substitute one of the spheres with a damaged one.
Then, when later Phi+ tries to send a damaging shock, the cables will fry due to energy fluctuations, leaving Phi- intact, and leaving Phi+ inside the ancient machine, with empty spheres as they have already been used, incapable of escaping since no connection to the ship exists anymore, thus saving the day and letting the PCs decide what to do with Phi+.

---

This is most of the story. It is not 100% complete, but additional details are not really important.

Now, i think this is a credible story, and also really in touch with how the AIs think. Phi- has decided the plan from the get-go, and has no reason to involve the PCs in her plans, since the construct is much more gullible and will do as she says without hesitation (this is an enstabilished fact).

However, i feel the PCs are too little involved in this. They can decide NOT to trust Phi+, but she will present so much evidence (there is more evidence: using a method of communication, a tablet, that it claims "Phi+" has never seen (not true) and that the real Phi- has used in the past (true), and using a dragon as a seal to the tablet, with only Phi- knowing the group Paladin's attachment to dragons(not true: Phi+ also knew this)) that i'm sure they will trust her with no doubts.

What i'd like is a final "confrontation" between the two AIs, each of them needing the PCs to do *something* that decides who survives, and who dies. This should happen right at the end. If Phi- dies and Phi+ lives, then they will lose control of the ship, with Phi+ trying to rebuild perfect society in a hundred years or so. Otherwise, they gain a very powerful ally.

How do you think i should modify this story to make the PCs more involved?

Thank you if you read it all up until here :)

douglaswalkers
2012-08-16, 01:48 AM
I don't know much about gaming development side, but I will recommend you that you should not forget to give users cool mazes, because it will give them proper gaming experience and will create new culture of gaming.

GeriSch
2012-08-16, 07:00 AM
IMHO it would be interesting to bring a third side into play, you have two strictly logical opponents which battle for supremacy, but what if one wins? Wouldn't the AI because of their lack of emotion (i think it suits the machines better to not "learn" emotions, because they ore often not predictable) try and start wiping out everything thats chaotic (and therefore not calculateable and illogical)? You could introduce some faction who fights for chaos/freedom. But what if they win? Are the citizens of Utopia civilized enough to live without their government or would it burn down in chaos?

Just my 2 Cents,
Geri