---
# System prepended metadata

title: Personal AIs (pAIs)

---

# Personal AIs (pAIs)
## Intro
This page contains information of how Personal AIs should be used and carried out in the future.
## Abstract
Personal AIs (pAIs for short) are a feature that allows dead players to rejoin the round as someone's buddy. They are potentially the one individual you can truly count on in SS13, being slaved to you and getting a whole servo of abilities to help you out, while not being a combat-focused role.
## Goals
- Provide players who die with an engaging role at the cost of not being able to return to their body.
- Provide players that go out of their way to obtain one with a good companion that gives them a nice set of helpful stuff.
- Add a way to possess minor technical objects (like PDAs, bots, MODsuits, etc.) without needing a whole lot of research.
- Create fun choices for pAIs to pick with their limited RAM values.
## Non-goals
- Creating a role that is powerful solo, without the help of another person. If someone wants to create an independent being, they should make a posibrain.
- Making antagonistic behavior not viable as the antagonist. Personal AIs should be able to be pretty easily disabled and/or countered, and in any advanced form visibly present so they cannot stealthily fuck over an antagonist.
___
## Implementation
### RAM
pAIs have RAM they can spend to purchase pAI modules, these generally should be small things that should fit in one of two categories:
1) pAI upgrade to help the pAI's owner in some way
2) An integration module to be able to be inserted into a certain mode

Good examples of pAI modules following point 1 include:
- PDA messenger, as they are now able to send PDA messages to their owner if lost.
- Health Analyzer, as they are now able to scan their owner's vitals.
- Medical/Security HUD, as they are now able to alert their owner if they catch a disease or is set to arrest.

Good examples of pAI modules following point 2 include:
- BOT integration functionality, allowing a pAI to be placed inside simple bots.
- PDA integration functionality, allowing a pAI to be placed inside a PDA.
- MODsuit integration functionality, allowing a pAI to be placed inside a MODsuit.

pAIs should have a certain amount of RAM, and should be able to get reset, at the cost of all their programs being refunded. This can be done by a cyborg reboot board, or a pAI alternative of it, printed at the Service lathe rather than the exosuit fabricator. This is not because we want to encourage just carrying around reboot boards to reset a pAI when they're sick of a module, but to avoid the annoyance of having to delete and redownload your pAI to re-gain RAM back every time.


### Modes
Outside of RAM and your programs, pAI's should mechanically have different modes they can enter.
But to do this, they should follow these requirements:
- Require certain programs installed to be able to enter "advanced" modes.
- Require a Human to help you enter said mode.
- Require maintenance work from a Human, scaling with the benefits you would get being in said mode.
It also should either:
1) ONLY benefit the Human maintaining you.
2) Be replacing an NPC, being just about as efficient as it. This means replacing an NPC should not allow you to access default pAI abilities.
- If none of the above is achievable, there should have a last-resort way for a pAI to find a way to make this achievable.

#### Current possible modes:
0) Holochassis mode
Holochassis mode allows pAIs to travel freely wherever they want, assuming there is no access requirement to do so. This allows pAIs to easily find a Human to maintain them and/or a task they would want to fill in.
If this is not wanted, this mode also allows them to stay mode-less, and spend their RAM on misc programs.

1) Default mode (pAI mode)
```
No starting work - To start this, simply download a pAI
Low maintenance work - To maintain this, simply keep a pAI in your pocket.
Cost - Free
CAN enter Holochassis
```
pAIs in this mode can use their RAM to purchase programs (ex: Health Analyzer to scan and tell their carrier information about their currently health status) to benefit the carrier. This is basically when they are allowed to shop for whatever they like.
This is the most freeform mode, as this mode allows them, if needed, to move onto and find someone else. Such examples this would be needed is: dead owner, pAI stolen, pAI separated from their Owner, Owner does not wish to have a pAI and hadn't imprinted their DNA, Owner telling you to 'be free'.

2) PDA mode
```
Low starting work - Insert a pAI into your PDA
No maintenance work - Wear your PDA, something most crewmembers already do
Cost - PDA integration functionality (10 RAM? Should be low to require PDA app too)
CAN NOT enter Holochassis
```
In this mode, a pAI is placed inside a PDA, making it cheaper than Default mode, but this requires the pAI to purchase a new ability that allows them to be inserted into PDAs. While in a PDA, a pAI cannot enter holochassis, and will receieve any PDA messages the Human gets, while also being able to respond in their name. The pAI cannot PDA in their own name while in a PDA.

3) MODsuit mode
```
High starting work - Obtain a MODsuit and upload a pAI to it
High maintenance work - Ensure the power cell is charged often
Cost - MODsuit integration functionality (50 RAM?)
CAN NOT enter Holochassis
```
In this mode, a pAI is placed inside a MODsuit, making them able to control the whole suit. This includes the modules, and moving in this mode will move the suit itself, including the person wearing it if there is one. Doing this is at the cost of the suit's power cell, which the pAI cannot charge themselves.

4) Bot mode
```
Medium starting work - Construct/Find a bot, and have sufficient access
Low maintenance work - Mostly just Bot repairs/replacements if damaged/destroyed
Cost - BOT integration functionality (20 RAM?)
CAN NOT enter Holochassis
```
In this mode, a pAI is placed inside a small NPC bot, taking control of it. While inside a Bot, a pAI cannot use any of their programs, as they are strictly replacing an NPC Bot.

## Alternatives
- Being able to place pAIs inside advanced machinery like mechs. Mechs are very much combat related and with their arsenal are practically independent, violating non-goal 1.