Confusion - Units are Manned or Unmanned?

[JDW]

The guide doesn't mention which Bodies/Propulsions are Manned (human operated), and which are Unmanned (Computer Controlled). As a result even experienced members are having contradicting opinions..

For example someone said VTOLs are Manned Units, while someone else said they're computer-controlled

So this is more of a suggestion to whoever is in charge of the Guide to add "Manned"/"Unmanned" or "Human operated"/"Computer Controlled" (or anything else that you feel appropriate) notes to each individual Bodies/Propulsion description page,.

For example the Viper Page, can have the entry added to the list of existing features

Project Light Body
Light body vulnerable to heavy weapons
Good scout vehicle
Low power cost and low production times

Any information in the Guide that would clear the confusion would be highly appreciated.. Thank you Dev team,

Regards,
j0shdrunk0nwar.

[TVR]

All vehicles are unmanned, this is why we call them droids.

It's also proved in the first campaign cinematic and concept art for it, if you pay attention, you'll notice an AI core being loaded into the cockpit.

Yes, the technology to make artificial neural networks exists in Warzone 2100, that's what does the research in the Research Centre.

[JDW]

All vehicles are unmanned, this is why we call them droids.

It's also proved in the first campaign cinematic and concept art for it, if you pay attention, you'll notice an AI core being loaded into the cockpit.

Yes, the technology to make artificial neural networks exists in Warzone 2100, that's what does the research in the Research Centre.

But if VTOLs give acknowledgement responses like "On our way" and "Commencing attack Bravo", are these responses from droids or humans?

You see the confusion?

Berg and Christheturtle say they're human.
Colditz and TVR say they are droids..

Anyhow, every member can speculate until the WZ2100 staff clears this up for us.

[TVR]

You want a technical response? They are human voice recordings automatically played by your personal computer, er, command console, whenever it detects that you've issued orders, or a target has been acquired.

[JDW]

You want a technical response? They are human voice recordings automatically played by your personal computer, er, command console, whenever it detects that you've issued orders, or a target has been acquired.

Are you saying that that's what it is? Or what it could be?

This issue affects how future features of the game can be designed, for example Structures.. I saw a comment on how a VTOL rearming model looked too much like a Helipad and not necessary bcoz VTOLs don't have humans. But there's no mention in the guide about it.

Anyhow, thanks for your opinion.

[TVR]

If you absolutely insist on confirmation from a developer:

search.php?keywords=droid*&terms=all&au ... mit=Search

[Rman Virgil]

.

At best all the evidence is ambiguous.

The only folks who can definitively say one way or another are WZ Creators, members of Pumpkin Studios who designed WZ & which underwent many changes from the concept drawings of 1997 to patch v. 1.10 releassed the fall of 1999.

As far as I know TVR was not a member of the Pumpkin team nor were any members of the current dev. team.

To state catagorically one way or another that ALL units are robotic or that some have human pilots, some robotic, if you were not a member of Pumpkin would simply be an edict.

"Droid" is a software engineering term refering to a mobile game object that can be controlled by A.I. scripting or a human player.

The terms Android, Cyborg & Robot or Drone are not synonymous and interchangable. That's square one.

- RV

.

[JDW]

If you absolutely insist on confirmation from a developer:

Yes, i do insist, coz I don't trust you..
your name makes you look like you're a model from the Terminator series...
TVR will be back , and he always is..

But on a more serious note, you do present a very strong case. Thanks again..

[Zarel]

The current state is intentionally ambiguous. Players are left to imagine the droids as either manned or unmanned. Personally, I like to think of them as being controlled remotely - neither fully automated nor directly manned - with cyborgs being controlled remotely with a synaptic link. But that's not canon, so don't blame me if we later announce that they're not.

[Rman Virgil]

The current state is intentionally ambiguous. Players are left to imagine the droids as either manned or unmanned. .....

That's my personal take too. I think it a good design decision actually.

- RV

.

[JDW]

The current state is intentionally ambiguous. Players are left to imagine the droids as either manned or unmanned. Personally, I like to think of them as being controlled remotely - neither fully automated nor directly manned - with cyborgs being controlled remotely with a synaptic link. But that's not canon, so don't blame me if we later announce that they're not.

Glad that this issue is finally cleared, or is it now?

[Kamaze]

Well, if they would be fully remote controlled, then the cotrolling guys should gather and save experience even when the droids die

[JDW]

Well, if they would be fully remote controlled, then the cotrolling guys should gather and save experience even when the droids die

Excellent point, me thinks

[Emdek]

Well, if they would be fully remote controlled, then the cotrolling guys should gather and save experience even when the droids die

Excellent point, me thinks

Yes, but could be explained like here:
viewtopic.php?p=54479#p54479

[Corporal Punishment]

Sorry for raining on your parade, Zarel. But the state of units being manned or unmanned is anything but ambiguous. As far as cyborgs are concerned, WZ is particularly explicit:
1. The term "cyborg" is an abbreviation for "cybernetic organism." It describes a biologic organism that is enhanced by cyberware. choosing to call cyborgs cyborgs forbids them being remotely controlled drones or self-guided machines.
2. After gaining the synaptic link artifact, the campaign video says that "early attempts at power suits failed as they proved to be slow and unresponsive." Only the development of the synaptic link "allowed soldiers to be placed in power suits which they controlled as easily as their own bodies." While the narrator tells this, an animation is shown of the power suit being mounted on a soldier and connecting to his synaptic link.
As for vehicles, there is numerous evidence pointing at human crews:
1. All bodies have eye-slits. AI-controlled vehicles could do well without them.
2. Auto-loader technology replaces manual loaders. Manually loading a weapon means that there is a soldier doing all the work. If you need a human to do the simple task of loading the weapon, this makes it highly probable you need humans for the far more demanding tasks of aiming the weapon and piloting the vehicle.
3. The background screen with the Cobra Wheels Pepper-pot shows the driver's hatch.
Remotely controlling units via the synaptic link is completely off the scale. This urban myth probably stems from the mentioning that "operator's bodies would be kept in immersion tanks while in cyberspace." However, this refers only to Dr. Reed's research on humans directly entering cyberspace, what would point at the Internet or equivalent technology, that was canceled prior to the collapse which Dr. Reed utilized to create Nexus.