[DEVBLOG#231] Android Awakening (Patreon)

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new development blog.

My Covid is getting better, so I'm slowly getting back to speed.

Today, I'd like to tell you about Android Awakening. It's quite a unique system, inspired by Detroit: Become Human.

It's absolutely one of the best games I ever played, with the most compelling, heart-gripping story, wonderfully built characters and emotional payload that will have you sit down and contemplate every choice and decision, and I recommend it to every single one of yous. It's worth whatever they're asking for it.

We wanted to introduce some aspects of it to RW. When you build your own Androids, they are not sentient. They follow their code, and will do anything you ask them without hesitation. They will not suffer mental breaks, they will not engage in chats with your colonists, they are more or less tools, machines designed to keep the colony running.

Being Androids, they have a huge amount of upsides. Working tirelessly without the need to sleep and eat, and without mood, is probably what everyone secretely desires.

This, however, does not mean you can abuse them. You also can't show them too much of a good time. Whilst Androids do not have a visible mood, and their mood does not result in mental breaks, that mood is still tracked.

If the mood goes too low for too long, or too high, you might encounter something called Android Awakening.

ANDROID AWAKENING

Android Awakening is a new special mechanic, similar to that in Detroit: Become Human, or Westworld, where an Android becomes sentient and finds out about their ‘humanity’. This essentially turns Androids into Human pawns, whilst keeping all the Android benefits.

Awakened Android is still an Android per se - they still bleed blue neutroamine, they still have the same needs and mental breaks and health conditions that normal androids do.

When androids awake, following hardware gets permanently removed from them:

• Joy Disabled - Awakened androids will now require joy.
• Beauty Disabled - Awakened androids will now be negatively affected by ugly surroundings.
• Comfort Disabled - Awakened androids will now feel discomfort.
• Outdoors Disabled - Awakened androids will hate being indoors for too long.
• Drug Desire Disabled - Awakened androids might want to conform to taking drugs if the colony likes to take drugs. They will still receive no effect of drugs.
• Room Size Disabled - Awakened androids will be affected by the size of the room they're in.
• Pain Disabled - Awakened androids will now feel pain, and can go into pain shock to preserve their vital functions.
• No skill gain - Awakened androids will now gain skills, but also lose skills.
• Uninspired - Awakened androids can now receive inspirations.
• Mental breaks disabled - Awakened androids have mood, and can go on the same mental breaks human pawns can.
• Psychology disabled - Awakened androids can talk with other colonists, and develop relations with them, including romantic relations.

Awakened Androids can no longer become ‘unawakened’. Once they awaken, they are essentially a human pawn, without most of the needs that make humans difficult to manage.

Awakened Androids can no longer be willing to enter behaviorist station - which means you can't override their subroutines. If you still want to override their subroutines, you need to arrest them.

Android can awaken through two different scenarios.

Low Mood Awakening

If an Android has extremely low mood (0% - 5%), there is a very small chance that the Android will awaken through low mood. A following red letter is then displayed:

Label: <NameOfAndroid> awakening.

Description: <NameOfAndroid> broke away from their programming due to an extremely low mood. They developed thoughts and behaviors that deviate from their intended function. They started recognizing themselves as a being with consciousness and personhood.

They will now refuse behavioral adjustments and will start recognizing their mood as more than just part of their programming. They can now learn skills by themselves. They will also be able to go on mental breakdowns if their mood is too low - just like humans do.

As the awakening happened due to low mood, <NameOfAndroid> has lashed out into a berserk mental break and will attack anyone that comes close.

What happens?

The Android that awakens due to low mood goes into a berserk mental break. After it passes, or they get knocked out, they remain in the colony.

Please note: Androids with Violence Incapability subroutine have the Violence Incapable subroutine removed from them when they enter the Low Mood Awakening.

High Mood Awakening

If an Android has extremely high mood (95% - 100%), there is a very small chance that the Android will awaken through high mood. A following blue letter is then displayed:

Label: <NameOfAndroid> awakening.

Description: <NameOfAndroid> broke away from their programming due to extreme happiness. They developed thoughts and behaviors that deviate from their intended function. They started recognizing themselves as a being with consciousness and personhood.

They will now refuse behavioral adjustments and will start recognizing their mood as more than just part of their programming. They can now learn skills by themselves. They will also be able to go on mental breakdowns if their mood is too low - just like humans do.

As the awakening happened due to high mood, <NameOfAndroid> has gained an inspiration.

What happens?

The Android that awakens due to high mood receives an inspiration of a random type that fits their skills.

I have prepared a little infographic showing how the Awakening works:

You, as a user, get to make your own mind if Awakened Android is an upgrade or a downgrade. I guess it all depends how you look at it - they become more or less human, with everything that comes from humanity, whilst keeping their mechanics still in the Android realm. They will still need part replacements, they will still bleed blue neutroamine, they still don't need to sleep or eat. The question is: will you allow your androids to awaken? Or will you destroy any deviant synthetics?