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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Pixie in the Playground
    Join Date
    Mar 2014

    Default Help with Backstory and Complications?

    Alright guys, I'd love some help with brainstorming some stuff. So I have a M&M character who is a robot who has magically been gifted sentience by a benevolent magical figure, and told to "Do good in the world". He was originally created to be a (literally) mindless killing machine by an evil mad scientist (who I'm considering making a Nazi because who doesn't love fighting Nazis), and is getting introduced to the party by being sent to fight them by his creator, and during the middle of the fight is when he'll be granted sentience. As a character, he'll be motivated to learn who he is as a sentient being, and how to actually go about doing good in the world. (I only realized after making the character, but he's basically the Iron Giant, but normal sized.)

    The problem is, I'm pretty bad with thinking up complications for my characters, and in M&M that's a rather important gameplay feature. So what kind of complications would you suggest for a magically-animated robot who has no idea how to be a person? I already have Socially Awkward and the original Inventor as an enemy out to "reclaim me" as he sees me as his property, but just two isn't really enough. Any thoughts or help to be given?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Telok's Avatar

    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    61.2° N, 149.9° W
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Help with Backstory and Complications?

    Secret control codes that still work, partially or in full.

    Undetected tracking or survellience equipment not under the robot's control.

    Reverts to being a mindless killing machine when the sapience granting magic is interfered with.

    Subject to random personality changes when exposed to powerful magnetic or electrical fields.

    Requires periodic software updates from Microsoft and can't control when they occur.

    Ad ware.

    A learning loop subroutine becomes fixated on lolcats.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    Smithsguild's Avatar

    Join Date
    Jan 2017

    Default Re: Help with Backstory and Complications?

    Quote Originally Posted by Telok View Post
    Secret control codes that still work, partially or in full.
    ...
    A learning loop subroutine becomes fixated on lolcats.
    My mind flashed to Johnie-5 from Short Circuit (1986) screaming "Input!".
    Last edited by Smithsguild; 2017-02-11 at 03:16 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Smithsguild View Post
    (IMHO: Spam is good as a breakfast meat, not as a Forum additive.)

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    DruidGirl

    Join Date
    Jan 2007

    Default Re: Help with Backstory and Complications?

    What happened that turned what is potentially a villain into a hero?

    Or more importantly who died resulting in their soul bonding with your robot that overwhelmed it's creators programming turning it into an actual sentient lifeform?

    Imagine the pregnant wife of an enemy of your robot's creator is deliberately killed but the unborn child's soul is bound inside your robot guided by their mother resulting in your heroic robot?

    Would that work?

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