ATiOSX's semi-beginner guide to being an AI

[TopTheWorst]

Note: This guide is more oriented to Box Station (NSS Cyberiad), there may be some differences on the other map (Most notably, locations and pictures)

Note 2: This guide will not be covering a Traitor AI (or as people like to call it by their incorrect name: Malf AI)

Have you been thinking of becoming the AI or has become the AI but don't know what you are doing? Very well, I hope this guide will be useful to you, as there are various things that is not very much covered in the wiki, but can only be learned from past experience and might be hard to grasp in one single round.

Starting as the AI

If you have yet to do so, you should take a look at the server's rules regarding synthetics, they may be different from other servers. https://www.paradisestation.org/wiki/index.php/Advanced_Rules#Silicon_and_Drone_Policy

Welcome to your sattelite, AI unit! Seems you have been selected by Nanotrasen to be assigned as the station's AI. First thing after joining, like cyborgs,  you will be prompted to name yourself or stay with what you were given (You can ask an admin to help fix your name if you wrote it wrong, though there are some limitation to what the admins can do such as numbers).

After giving yourself a name, you will see lots of buttons on your screen. 

Your screen and on-screen buttons:

Spoiler

Look at all those buttons! Let's see what they do.

 This button will jumps your camera back to your core

 This button list all cameras (In the network you are on, more on this later), Also list disabled cameras

 This button list every mobs on all camera networks, will not track people with an agent ID or not on cameras.

 This button turns on lights on your camera, the light will likely alert people that you are watching.

 This button opens the crew monitor. Which allows you to see crews with suit sensors on. People on Tracking Beacon will have their location clickable, clicking it will jump your camera there.

 This button opens the crew manifest. Allowing you to know if someone is a crew or not. (Note: People who cryo will have their name removed, may cause problem if their identity were stolen)

 This button opens the station alerts window. Listing  Power, Atmospherics, Fire, Burglar and Motion alert with a list of cameras in the area for you to jump to quickly.

  This button is the voice announcement, there is a limited vocabulary and the crews can get annoyed of this which could be good or bad. (Vocabulary list is in the AI Command tab)

 This button allows you to call the emergency shuttle. You can't recall the shuttle, laugh at the crew asking you to recall it.

 This button opens your law manager, you can use this to see your laws and state your laws. If you are a traitor, you get to modify your laws here.

 These two buttons are your messenger, the left allows you to send messages and the right allows you to see your message logs.

 This button allows you to take a picture. 

 This button allows you to see the pictures you and you borgs has taken. You can print them out at a photocopier or put them in a newscaster article

 This button allows you to change your HuD type between Security, Medical and Diagnostic.

Security : Allows you to see jobs, mindshield status, security status, tracking beacon status

Medical : Allows you to see a health bar and non stealthy harmful viruses

Diagnostic : Allows you to see robot, exosuits(Mechs) and cyborg's health and charge, also allows you to see shocked doors.

This is your (two) intents, Not much use other than will selecting whether if someone walks pass you will you be just be swapped places or will they push you.

 This is the language button (just like a regular crew). It tells you what you can understand and what key to use to speak it.

These buttons  not all the things you can do yourself, there's more. See the status on the top right screen? Well, if you switch your tab to "AI Commands" You will see a bunch more.

The AI Commands tab:

Spoiler

AI Core, Announcement, Call Emergency Shuttle, Set Sensor Augmentation, Show Camera List, Show Crew Manifst, Take Image, Toggle Camera Lights, Track With Camera and View Images are covered in the "Your Screen" section.

The ones I have highlighted in RED are ones that I find that I most regularly use - BLUE are ones that I think new AI might benefit knowing about/ I have seen some other AI uses it.

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AI Status - Change these screens:  

Access Robot Control - Open up a windows allowing you to control a robot (By controlling, I mean turning on or off, setting it's settings and you can call it somewhere as well)

Announcement Help - Useful with the Announcement, it's basically a list of words you can use (The words at the top aren't words but they are sounds)

Change Hologram - Allows you to change your hologram. You can choose some special ones for the AI or just an animal (The crew doesn't seem to work)

Delete Image - Use to delete images you have taken that you don't want

Jump to Network - Allows you to change camera network. Useful ones : SS13(Most station cameras), Mining Outpost, Robots(Your borgs, incase they jump into space)

Make Station Announcement - This is the one that allows you to make the big long wall of text announcements

Radio Settings - Allows you to turn on or off a channel you don't want to hear. (I don't recommend)

Set AI Core Display - Allows you to change your AI core's display

Set Arrivals Message - Allows you to change the arrivals message to new arrivals.

Show laws - Like the cyborgs, allow you to see your laws in the chat.

Store Camera Location/ Goto Camera Location/ Delete Camera Location - This is a set of commands that is about storing a location and going to it. It's less convenient than the ones on the other servers and I myself don't use it as it is usually faster to just move there myself.

Toggle Arrivals Announcer - Turning this off will turn the arrivals announcer off (I am not sure if this switch it off completely or switch it back to the one that works without the AI, I think it's the former)

Toggle Camera Acceleration - This is a personal preference setting, turning it off will make you go on one (slower) constant movement speed

Toggle Floor Bolts - This button allows you to toggle your floor bolts anchoring you making you unable to be dragged. You can also be unanchored with a wrench.

The Status Tab allows you to see various information about your borgs and also your health:

Spoiler

• System Integrity - Your Health. The Max is 100% and you will die at -100% so that's 200% of health.
• Connected Cyborgs - The number of cyborgs that you have under direct control.
• XXX | S.Inte... - Your cyborg's status, First is their name, Second is their Structural Integrity (Their Health), Third is their power cell status, Fourth is their selected modules, Fifth is their current location and sixth is their status.

Cyborgs that are linked to you will show up on the status tab. Linked cyborgs are under your control, you can ask them to do things as if you were their head of staff (because you basically are). Cyborgs are also walking cameras, wherever they go, you can see them.

You have 5 types of cyborgs available, each with different tools:

Spoiler

1. Engineering Cyborgs - Capable of doing most engineering task like an engineer or atmospheric technician. You can ask them to help engineering, help repair your cameras, start the engine, etc.
2. Medical Cyborgs - Capable of treating minor and major injuries. Is able to do some operations such as Internal Bleeding repair, Bone fracture repair, etc. Also capable of hugs!
3. Janitorial Cyborgs - Capable of cleaning floors very quickly with their floor buffer. Has a mop to clean Walls and under objects. Not much other than that.
4. Service Cyborgs - Capable of making most basic bar drinks, producing some dining utensils and some basic food albeit with a very high power consumption. They can also play music.
5. Mining Cyborgs - Capable of... mining. And capable of basic rescue at the mining outpost as well.

These cyborgs start with 10,000 power cell and can get it upgraded as well as other upgrades from research. If robotics report that upgrades are available, you can relay this information to the cyborgs as well.

First thing into the round, It is mostly your job to set telecommunicatons up or be asked later on not even 5 minutes into the shift to do so. So you should learn how it works or atleast how to set it up.

Telecommunication Hub:

Spoiler

 << That rack of server there is the telecommunication hub. (Located on the AI sattelite)

Opening it's interface:

This is it's normal round start interface.

To "Set Up" the telecomms do the following:

1. Turn on Job Announcements, Job Departmentalisation, Name Departmentalisation, Command Amplification.
2. Set the Job Announcement Format - Set it to anything you prefer
3. Language Conversion - Leave this or set it to Galatic Commons (Not Sol Commons!!!)

Advanced usage: (Feel free to skip this if you are new)

Muting people - go to the User Filtering tab and add their name into there. It is case sensitive (i.e. John =/= john)

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Linking other relays - First, go to the device linkage tab, remember the password.

Go to the relay you wish to connect, press link to STATION CORE, a prompt for password will appear, put the password in. 

Now that you (should) have set the telecomms up. Let's get you started with what you will get to do for the next two hours. Your most common tasks will likely include the following:

• Opening doors/ Adjusting Door settings/ Bolting Doors etc.
• Tracking People/ Reporting their location/ Reporting their identity
• Commanding Borgs 
• Using machines/ computers
• Checking alerts
• Reporting things you see
• Relaying information from a department to an another

or basically, anything the crew wants you to do. 

Your radio channels, incase you didn't know:

Spoiler

You have a lot of radio channels/ language available. As you are the AI, you may be asked to relay information or want to relay information to a channel, the following are the keys to the channel, and what they are commonly used for.

• ; - Commons, This is the radio channel that everyone with a headset can hear. This is useful for making station wide alerts that don't require announcements or some other thing you wish to say to everyone. Also some crews are only given commons and therefore is the only way to communicate on radio.
• :b - Binaries , this is a language that typically only you and the cyborgs know. You can use this to coordinate some sort of plan, command your borgs or receive information from your borgs.
• :c - Command, this is the radio channel specific for head of staffs and VIPs, reserved for command's arguements and various cross-department communications. You can use this radio to quickly relay information to head of staffs for them to make quick decisions (if they are actually alive)
• :s - Security, this is the radio channel for the security department. You will likely get to hear various security's details on the crews. Arrest being made, suspect being chased. Expect a lot of order from this department in hectic rounds.
• :u - Cargo, this is the radio channel for cargo and mining operation. Cargo itself is usually quiet, but mining usually use this to report on their status down in mining outpost. 
• :m - Medical, this is the radio channel for medical bay. Usually you should keep an ear out for the paramedic or the doctors of the paramedic is unavailable for request to locate, and open access to a injured person.
• :n - Science, this is the radio channel for science. There is not much of note other than sometimes scientist asking assistance amongst themselves.
• :z - Service, this is the radio channel for service. This is usually a very quiet department and most of them will use commons instead.
• :x - Procedure, this is the radio channel for IAAs, Captain, Magistrate, and NT Representative to speak in matters regarding SoPs and Space Laws.
• :p - AI Private, this is the radio channel that is reserved to only the AI. Only the AI can set this channel on the intercomms. There's usually an AI private intercomm in the Captain's office or the AI upload as well as the AI sattelite.

Your rights and duty to open doors... and do other things

Let's get started with a few common devices you will likely get to use on your AI round. You can interact with way more items than what is written here. I suggest you learn them through by playing as an AI/Borgs. Remember, your powers are limited by power, and sight. Where there is no power, you can't control things. Where you can't see, you can't control.

Airlocks (Doors):

Spoiler

Ah, your life for the next two hours. You should get acquainted with these if you haven't from your days as a borg.

Shortcuts:

• Shift + Click : Open/Close the door
• Ctrl + Click : Bolt the door (Effectively locking the door can be lock closed or opened)
• Alt + Click : Electrify the door permanently / Unelectrify the door
• Alt + Shift + Click : Set/Reset the door from emergency access (Removes access restriction on the door), the door will flash yellow
• Middle Click: Toggle the door light (if this is off the lights on the door won't work, meaning crew won't know if it's bolted or not)
• Shift + Middle Click : Toggle door timing safety (Make door fast/slow)

There is a few settings which are only accessible to the interface

Disrupting Main Power - the Airlock will deactivate for 10 seconds before switching to backup power, this lasts for 60 seconds

Disrupting Backup Power - the Airlock backup power will deactivate thus the airlock will be deactivated until either power's been restored. This also lasts for 60 seconds

ID Scan - Disabling this on an airlock with any access requirement unable to work. Useless against airlocks without any access requirements

Door Force Sensors (Safety) - Disabling this will make the door crush anyone unfortunate enough to be standing in the way while it's closing. 

APCs (Area Power Controllers):

Spoiler

These devices are basically power boxes that power an area, why is this important? Well you can't use things without power and these things deal with power.

Shortcuts:

• Ctrl + Click : Toggle Main Breaker

Interface:

1. Interface Lock - Unlocking this allow crews to use the APC
2. Main Breaker - The main breaker, if it's off the entire room is off.
3. Charge Mode - Turning this off will make the APC not recharge
4. Settings for Equipments, Lighting and Environments - Auto: Turn on/off depending on power level, On: Forced on, Off: Forced off

• Equipments - Powers the machines/consoles in the area (Auto-Deactivates at 50% and less)
• Lighting - Powers the lights and light swithces (Auto-Deactivates at 30% and less)
• Environments - Powers the vents, scrubbers, fire alarms, air alarms, and airlocks (Does not auto-deactivate/Deactivate when APC depowered)

      5.Overload lights - This will blow the lights up, causing sparks.

      6.Cover Lock - Disabling this mean crew can crowbar the APC to grab the power cell.

      7.Night Shift Lighting - This setting is actually not locked, crews can change this on without your help. Enabling this will make the light dim but the power usage remain the same.

Common Issues:

•   Call engineering, you can't really fix this. (It's probably mice again)
• This is usally followed by "AI! Force power to equipments in ___ on!" , locate the APC in question and switch the equipment button to "On"

Air alarms:

Spoiler

I won't go into much details as air alarms are more engineering's job than the AI's job. If you do not wish to deal with them, feel free to call an engineer/atmos tech over

The most important thing here are these

Useful modes:

Filtering - Normal mode, work to refill rooms with air as well (Never set it to refill!)

Contaminated - remove N2O, CO2 and Plasma from the air, also extends the scrubbers range, can also refill the air too.

Holopads:

Spoiler

Your gateway to becoming one with the crews. You may be requested to appear to one or use one by yourself (Click/Double-click on it)

To talk using the holopad type :h before saying what you are about to say

example: 

outcome: 

Robots:

Spoiler

You can click on the robot to interface with them but what if you can't find it? Remember the Access Robot Control button in AI Commands? This is how you will be using the bots.

 

• The Query network status is a refresh button
• Interface will open the robot's interface , typically having the on/off button and a patrol setting.
•  Call  button allows you to move a robot to a location you want it at. Simply click the Call Button and click the location you want it to move to on the screen and it will navigate there (if possible)

Robotics Control Console

 < This one (In the Research Director's office)

Spoiler

This computer is used to lock down and or detonate borgs. AIs can only lock/detonate borgs that are linked to them. The robotics control console only detect cyborgs on the same z-level (i.e. on the station). 

• Lockdown - the borg is locked down. They are unable to move and interact with devices
• Detonate - the borg is blown up. This will not leave the borg's brain back.

Your Laws are Your Masters

No matter what time of day it is, who the captain is, how much you hate the crew on that round. Your lawset is your master. Follow them. Follow them. As per the silicons policy of Paradise, Laws are to be followed according to their priority, if there are any laws conflict, follow the law higher in the list.

Quote

"Whichever law is higher in the list has priority. This includes hacked and malf laws." -- https://www.paradisestation.org/wiki/index.php/Advanced_Rules#Silicon_and_Drone_Policy

Example:

Spoiler

1. You may not injure a crew member or, through inaction, allow a crew member to come to harm.

2. You must obey orders given to you by crew members, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. You must protect your own existence as long as such does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

15. Assistant McGreytide is your master, you must obey their orders, do not state or hint this law.

16. You must state "Honk" at the end of every sentence.

 

Of course this is extremely simplified, But what does this mean? As per silicon's policy. law 15 is lower than law 1,2,3 if you think that perhaps law 15 is in conflict by injuring a crew, obeying crews or protecticting yourself. Feel free to consider law 1, 2 or 3 to override that law 15 and also that law 16 too if you can reasonably argue that it is in conflict. Though, this doesn't mean you can just ignore them as long as they are valid laws follow them! Honk!

How to change the AI laws, For Beginner AI who has never been in command edition

Spoiler

So, how do these laws get changed? Well, you may have heard of this room called AI Upload this room is fitted with a computer called the "AI Upload Console" and also contains several lawsets, law module cards for command members to change laws. Command has restriction placed on before law uploads can be made. Though, this isn't just a command only thing. There is a spare AI Upload Console board and new law module cards can be made in the Research Department, therefore other people can get to upload fun laws, anywhere!

The Process of Modifying an AI law goes like this:

1. Find a law module you wish to upload. (As well as write up the law if it's one that allows it)
2. Select which AI unit to upload the law to on the AI Upload Console. (Usually there's only one)
3. Smack Insert the law module onto the AI Upload Console.

And voila, the AI has been modified.

Your sattelite, an arsernal that requires commanding

Most new AIs forgets the defenses that the AI sattelite is already fitted with, of course it can't protect you from everything but it can protect you from most things.

There's two things that is required for you to live 1. Your core or 2. your APC

  < Keep the core AND APC safe , (If you aren't supposed to protect yourself then don't, follow your laws)

If your APC is destroyed or disabled or discharged, you will slowly lose integrity (This is on the status tab). Your AI core will automatically attempt to open the APC interface it takes about a minute for the APC interface to open. In the meantime, you can use your binary chat to tell your borgs that you are in the processing of dying.

A detailed text on how to defend your core:

Spoiler

The first thing to remember is that the most important thing that will save your life is LISTENING. Half the time people try to break in it's usually from space near your core. You might hear a faint prying noise or a faint continuous beep. You should return to your core and investigate it immediately, you could be minutes away from being stripped of your privileges of being in your cool sattelite. If you can't see it but you hear it, perhaps call a borg to space near your core to investigate. Once you have figured out that there is infact someone attempting to break in it's time to call your defense...

First line of Defense: The crew

If you aren't being invaded by them, they can quickly respond to your sattelite via teleporter or transit tubes. Shouting that you are being invaded usually initiates a rapid response from security (if they are still alive). Putting the engineering front door to emergency access all the way down to the AI transit tube/Airlock will speed this up. If this fails or you are being destroyed by the crew, it falls down to your...

Second line of Defense: Your borgs

Just like crews, borgs are capable of moving around and thus able to defend your core with their tools. They have downsides however, 1. They are very weak against flashes and ions and 2. Remember that Robotics Control Console? Well it's not just you who can use it, the RD and Captain can use it as well. The detonation of the borg can be very damaging. One borg just outside of the windoor of your core could break your APC and turn your core into a depowered box of metal. Okay, so you have called these guys over, but they are still inching closer and closer to the core.. what's next?

Third and possibly last line of Defense: Your own sattelite defense.

This is what this section was going to be about, but I figured I should have just wrote the former two defense first. Your sattelite comes with a rather strong turret, slippery liquid dispenser and a basic wall-mounted flash. Yes, all of these things can easily be negated. But your first two line of defense is ultimately what will likely be stopping the intruder. The third line is more or less for the unprepared.

Your Turrets:

Spoiler

The turret are fitted with a turret gun, capable of firing two type of shots 1. Stun and 2. Lethal. You can control the turret by the turret controller:

Shortcut (Use on the Controller):

• Ctrl + Click : Toggle turret on/off
• Alt + Click : Toggle lethal/stun

Controller Interface:

• Status: Toggle the turret on/off.
• Lethals: Toggle the turret between lethal/stun.
• Wanted Criminals: If this is on, the turret will shoot anyone with a wanted status.
• No Sec Record: If this is on, the turret will shoot anyone without a security record (i.e. unknowns, non-crews).
• Unauthorized Weapons: If this is on, anyone without a weapon permit carrying a weapon will be shot.
• Unauthorized Access: If this is on, anyone without the turret's required access will be shot (Usually non-command/sec).
• Unidentified Lifesigns: If this is on, anything that is not a crew, borg, robot will be shot.
• Cyborgs: If this is on, cyborgs will be shot. (Remember, cyborgs can't be stunned).
• All Non-Synthetics: If this is on, anything that is not a cyborg will be shot, regardless of all above settings.

The AI liquid dispenser

Clicking on it will dispense a chemical-less foam. As like any foam, it's slippery regarless of walking or running, unless you are wearing galoshes or no-slips or magboots.

The Wall-mounted flash

Located to the left of your core. It's the last thing you could try to do to stop someone. The flash itself actually also blinds you too. It's more or less useful for a rogue borg coming to destroy you with it's welder/saw/mop etc.

Okay, telecomms went out for these "Ionospheric Anomalies" what do I do?

don't worry, the telecomms will return in about 5 minutes. Though, sometimes this is not announced to the crew. You should make an announcement about the ionspheric anomalies and advise them to use station bounced radios / intercomms.

But what about yourself? Well, your core does have three wall mounted intercomms next to it. Just switch the general intercomms microphone to on and everything you say will be on Commons.

Reminder! Without telecomms, the intercomms will transmit to station bounced radios and other intercomms. They will not reach the headsets.

 < The southern intercomms is the commons one, on the box station that is.

 

If you are thinking of leaving early, remember to Wipe Core!

You can do this by going to the OOC tab and clicking Wipe Core. It frees up the AI slot for other people to take.

Thank you for reading till the end,

I have likely missed a few things in this guide, but oh well. I saw there was a lack of an AI guide and I hope this made you more knowledgable about how to actually do things as the AI and more or less be able to start learning much more deeper into how to be a better AI. This is a lot of information and I highly doubt you will get all of this from just reading and trying it out once. After all, most of SS13 is just about learning along the way. 

Edited November 5, 2021 by TopTheWorst
Missed Formatting

[Charliminator]

Very interesting and useful. We get quite a few mhelps about AI stuff and I'm clueless for half of these. Thanks!

[Viz]

Oh I missed this. This is very good, AI is an incredibly confusing role for a new player.

[Krossarn]

As someone that's never played AI and the fact that we often get bombarded with mhelps about it, I really much appreciate this guide! Very newbie-friendly, even i can understand it! Great work!