[ Text | UN: catstate ]

[dragonring]

I feel like my first words to the multiverse should be something big and important but I've been staring at the screen for a while now so I'm just gonna stick to the basics.

Hi. I'm Dave.

I got here a few days ago. I was assigned to what I'm gonna call the nerd unit in the Perimeter Guard, which means I should be developing stuff to make the rest of the Guard's life easier. I've been reading a lot and kept an eye on the network but-- you know, at the end of the day, it's easier to go to the sources and just ask people what they need based on their experience, so...

Yeah. What do you need? What kind of problems have you encountered on the other side of the wall? What weak spots should we be working on to improve? Do people go out there a lot? I mean more like, REALLY deep in the jungle. (Or forest, or valley, or whatever it is. Probably defies definition.)

Because not gonna lie, guys, I though I would see a bunch of drones on the wall. How come we don't have an army of drones already?

[Maybe if you explain the term first, Dave...]

Comments

[buildsomething]

Pretty sure the mapping's pretty covered by the folks who wander out that way. But how do you define what to warn for? Wait for something to actually attack or program in a list of suspicious behaviors to look out for? I'm just saying, there's a lot that goes in to this kind of thing.

[dragonring]

I *know* there's a lot, this is why I'm asking what's important what to work on and where to begin. Suspicious behaviors isn't a bad idea, but cats are little suspicious ninjas. Maybe if the cameras have a bestiary in the system it would help them recognize the potential danger? Or I can use that animation spell in a bunch of, I don't know, gargoyles or something and put cameras in their eyes.

[buildsomething]

Is a spell any more likely to be able to recognize things as an actual risk?

[Magic is weird.]

You can train a program to recognize certain things, but you're still going run into issues with literalism occasionally, unless it's a true ai. Not to say it's a bad idea, it's just one that's going to need a lot of trial and error.

[dragonring]

90% likely, actually. It would make them behave almost like real animals.

I know. I suppose I can make it a side project while I put together the information. Do you work for the Perimeter Guard too? Working in any projects right now?

[buildsomething]

Animals can still make the wrong call.

[And probably need even more training than programs do. But he's not going to argue the magic spell thing.

Well, not much, anyway.]

Technically no, I'm R&D for the Abandoned City. But I do a lot of dabbling. And robotics is kind of a specialty.

[dragonring]

Just because my dog barked at the mailman...

[That's his attempt at humor. Don't mind him.]

...oh. Sweet. Does the R&D group concentrate on rebuilding, protection or both?

[buildsomething]

It concentrates on whatever I happen to be working on at the moment, mainly.

[Yeah, it's just him. But Tony generally likes it that way.]

At the moment it's rebuilding.