Overview of Robot Types
This section provides an overview of the major types of robots featured
in the Armitage III features, along with some speculation about
the mystery surrounding the character of the robot Mouse.
First-type Robots
The most common type of robot on both Earth and Mars is the First-type.
Such robots fulfil many of the menial functions humans have given up or
ones they deem to dangerous for humans to do safely. This list of functions
is quite long, including such things as automated construction, explosives
or hazardous materials disposal, mining, and assisting with higher mathematics
functions on interplanetary flights and the like. First-types rarely have
a humanoid appearance, and have been around for so long that most people
don’t even realize consciously that they exist anymore. The earliest First-types
were the robots in use in the modern world, and they have changed little
in function since then, improving only in the quality of their work and
manufacture.
Second-type Robots
For over a century, First-types were the only robots in widespread use.
Then, around 2169, the Conception Company introduced its new line of Second-type
robots, which had a form very much like a human’s but still lacked any
real personality. The Seconds had the agility of a human being and so could
be used for delicate work that also required mobility, and on and off knobs
on their foreheads to identify them as robots and to make shutting them
down easy if something went wrong. They also had a darker use as sexual
objects, which many decried but some welcomed. Second-types are now the
most commonly-seen robot, far outnumbered by First-types but much more
obvious to the normal human on the street. Anti-robot groups who wish to
destroy robots take their vengeance out mainly on Second-types, as the
forgotten Firsts escape notice. Earth-manufactured Seconds contain slave
circuitry to guarantee their obedience, but recent cries for robot rights
could put an end to this practice.
Sample Second-type robots can be found here.
Assassinroids
Next in the robot developmental chain were the secret Assassinroids, constructed
by Conception for the Martian government to appear identical to human beings,
but made for missions of murder. Assassinroids lacked on/off switches and
had their own personalities, though each was modelled physically on their
creator Dr. Rene D’anclaude. Attempts at creating female Assassinroids
resulted in psychologically unbalanced robots, and so only males were ever
produced. Conception halted production of the Assassinroids soon after
it began, but the Martian government still had the ones it had purchased.
The last known Assassinroid was destroyed by Armitage at Shenora Hospital.
With that said, the copies of Armitage created by Dimitrio are closer
to basic Assassinroids than true Third-type robots. Therefore, we provide
their stats here,
along with those of the robotic D’Anclaudes (including Wilbur).
Third-type Robots
Dr. Asakura, a colleague of Dr. D’Anclaude’s, had a philosophical objection
to making robots to kill people and left the project to work secretly on
another for Conception. What he produced initially was a female robot with
some Assassinroid capabilities but no mental imbalance. He also made it
able to reproduce sexually, as his project was intended to help alleviate
the growing birth problems on Mars. This prototype was Armitage, and he
used her as a basis for a new type of robot--the Third-type. This type
of robot were much like the Assassinroids but excelled in creative areas
rather than just killing. Like Armitage, they were all female and could
procreate- all but one. The final Third, Julian Moore, was created in the
form of a teenage boy. The reason is unknown. All of the known Thirds from
this era were killed by Dr. Rene D’Anclaude or an Assassinroid. Demitrio
Mardini of the Earth Robotronics Union attempted to secretly revive the
project himself but failed, and the only known specimen remaining from
his experiments is the property of Mouse.
The Alives
The most recent development in robotics was secretly produced by Dr. Asakura
several years ago after he retreated from public view to the secret Dunwich
Hill dome. There, to help accelerate the terra-forming of Mars, he produced
the Fourth-type robot, which he called Alives. Alives were not made to
resemble humanoids, but rather large tree-like vegetable beings, and their
function was to monitor and care for plant-life on Mars. Before they could
be perfected, the Martian government attacked and obliterated the Dunwich
Hill dome, killing Dr. Asakura and wiping out all known versions of the
Alives.
The Mystery of Mouse
In Poly-Matrix, we see a wide variety of robots, mainly Second-types,
acting as servants in various ways. From aircraft hostesses to barmaids,
bodyguards and soldiers, they all have one thing in common--they lack personalities
and self-awareness. That film gives the impression that only Thirds act
like people, with feelings, desires, creativity, and a desire to improve
themselves. Dual-Matrix presents the same basic idea as well, showing
servile robots and reprogrammed terrorist Seconds, none of which seem to
be truly self-aware. None, that is, until Mouse enters the picture.
Mouse is energetic, motivated, extremely knowledgeable, and sneaky.
He owns his own repair service, and even has his own Armitage copy at the
end of Dual-Matrix--a robot owning a robot. How is this possible?
The easy explanation would be to call Mouse a Third. This would fit nicely,
except that he has the standard Second-type on/off nodules on the back
of his head and he is male. As far as we know, the only male Thirds ever
produced were Julian and the Assassinroids, and if Demitrio had made Mouse
as a copy he would not have let him run free. This seems to indicate Mouse
is a Second-type who somehow has his own personality and desires. More
importantly, he has ownership of things, which shouldn’t be legal, and
accepts money for work- more ownership. This is an interesting quandary--is
Mouse a Second who was later reprogrammed by a robot rights supporter or
the like to be nearly human, and who owns things illegally but gets away
with it because he is clever? Or is he something new altogether, a prototype
for a new type of robot like Armitage was for the Thirds? These questions
are left to the imagination of the viewer (and for the elaboration of GMs
running BESM campaigns).
Armitage III, Poly-Matrix, and Dual-Matrix are TM
and Copyright © 1994-2003 Pioneer Entertainment Inc. (USA)
Used without permission. No infringement or challenges
to ownership intended.
Page created by Steve
Miller, November 18, 2003