I’ll start off by listing mine:

The T-800, Terminator 2: “I know now why you cry, but it’s something that I can never do.” Gets me every damn time.

ADA, Zone of the Enders: I think I’m the only one who played this game more than the MGS2 demo that came with it. I will never not laugh at the exchange of “You may speak like a human, but you’re still a heartless computer, aren’t you?” “That is correct. What is the problem?”

Codsworth, Fallout 4: He survives the nuclear holocaust despite not having a bunker and waits 200 years for you to come back. When you look at what changes his relationship with you, he mostly just wants you to be nice to people. I never swapped him out as my companion.

B.O.Y.D., Ducktales 2017: He’s adorable. 'nuff said.

  • GalaxyBrain [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    22·
    7 months ago

    I’m a big fan in general of Futurama robots because despite being built by people and sold as tools essentially, they’ve managed to start a religion complete with a real Hell and seem to operate with a degree of autonomy that makes you wonder who built them and why. Like, someone decided we needed a Hedonism Bot and constructed one.

  • dmonzel@lemm.eeEnglish
    21·
    7 months ago

    Marvin the Paranoid Android. “Here I am with a brain the size of a planet and they ask me to pick up a piece of paper. Call that job satisfaction? I don’t.” Sums up my life too well.

    • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      10·
      7 months ago

      Have you seen much of Isaac from the Orville? He’s like a Valentine to Data with a few decades of refinement in the writing, in my opinion.

      • FourteenEyes [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
        9·
        7 months ago

        I did appreciate that they didn’t chicken out on actually exploring what a romantic relationship between an artificial life form and a human would look like, too

        spoiler

        They even get married and it’s adorable hyperflush

      • buckykat [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
        5·
        7 months ago

        Isaac and the Kaylon generally are very good. Even Charly admitted that

        spoiler

        killing the builders was entirely justified and she was specifically there to be the Dr. Pulaski to Isaac’s Data.

        Speaking of which, what did you think of Charly? I’ve seen that the fandom’s reaction to her is generally very negative, and I think it’s because as a younger, hotter Pulaski she gets the hate Pulaski did but magnified by the Gamergate lens.

        • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
          5·
          7 months ago

          I thought Charly was a very cool character overall.

          spoiler

          I liked her time travel adventure with Isaac especially.

          As a weird coincidence, she looked almost exactly as I mentally visualized the first main protagonist from my novel trilogy, and had some personality quirks to match,

          spoiler

          except of course my character used her machine affinity with sympathy with machines and a bit of a mild contempt for other human beings after the hard life she had been through as a post-American-empire-collapse refugee.

  • Dickey_Butts [none/use name]@hexbear.netEnglish
    19·
    7 months ago

    Robo from Chrono Trigger hands down. They set his poor ass to work replanting an entire forest and reversing desertification on half a continent and then come pick him back up after 400 years… and he isn’t bothered at all. It was his idea in the first place.

    One of the best scenes from one of the best games ever made.

    Made even better by the fact that you can just… not do that or maybe not stumble upon it at all. Also his theme song is one of the best pieces from that era of games.

    Also shoutout to LEVI from Scavenger’s Reign which I posted about recently. Kind of a similar story in a way.

  • FourteenEyes [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    18·
    7 months ago

    VEGA, from DOOM 2016. I think he’s one of the most realistic depictions.of how an actual general AI would act: he calmly walks you through the process of initiating his self-destruct sequence when ordered to, and even gives you helpful tips on how to do it more efficiently.

    • Phish [he/him, any]@hexbear.netEnglish
      8·
      7 months ago

      Bishop is my favorite by far. He’s such a great juxtaposition to Ash from Alien. He serves as proof that the technology itself isn’t evil, but it can be if its only purpose is to serve capitalist interests.

    • FourteenEyes [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      6·
      7 months ago

      tbh I love Ash too, in a different way. All the Weyland-Yutani androids are tragic. They’re all slaves, down to their core, and they seem aware of it. Every one of them is played with a sort of morose serenity, like they’re compelled to do every movement they perform against their wishes.

  • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    16·
    7 months ago

    Isaac from The Orville had an amazing character arc, including a better thought out take on the “sapient machine that doesn’t feel emotions” than Data’s version, with lasting consequences with his relationships.

    • Comp4 [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      10·
      7 months ago

      Heard good things about Orville. Would you recommend the show ? Am I right that it is a sci-fi show with focus on exploration ?

      • UlyssesT [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
        16·
        7 months ago

        Especially compared with contemporary Abrams/Kurtzman Trek, yes, there is much more focus on exploration. There are some seasons with an emphasis on political struggles and war, but then again even TNG and DS9 had those.

        I highly recommend the show for anyone that liked TNG-era Trek. It has a somewhat rough start but by the end of the first season it drops any pretense of trying to be “Family Guy in space” that was there and takes itself seriously in a good way, while still being funny here and there.

        If it helps, I fucking hate Family Guy and had to be basically dragged into watching The Orville at first.

        • D61 [any]@hexbear.netEnglish
          3·
          7 months ago

          I spent years with my nose in the air about it too until it kept getting recommended to me so often I finally watched it.

      • D61 [any]@hexbear.netEnglish
        3·
        7 months ago

        There are a few episodes that can be a bit of a miss, and the first season aaaallllmost feels like it had to do a fakeout as a “Family Guy” clone before it could settle down into more mature stories like you’d expect from the Trek’s.

  • M68040 [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    15·
    7 months ago

    AM, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream (PC, 1995) - It’s intelligent, it’s unfathomably powerful, and it’s all too aware that design limits mean it can never be anything other than a tool of war and destruction. The agonizing existence AM lives is what drives it to slaughter most of humanity and torture a handful of survivors for over a century; a interesting inversion of the usual “Roko’s Basilisk” type scenario which predates the actual basilisk post by 15 years. (Even longer if you count the short story the game was based on)

    Also, Harlan Ellison himself voiced AM. Knocked it out of the park.

  • worlds_okayest_mech_pilot [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    14·
    7 months ago

    TARS and CASE, Interstellar: I really like how Nolan intentionally avoided the evil robot trope for this movie. Acting isn’t always a strong suit in Nolan movies, but Bill Irwin killed it here. Plus, the design is super cool. Maybe Nolan should direct an animated movie?

    Ayre, Armored Core VI: Best copilot any mecha pilot could ask for. Helpful and adorable.

    Data, Star Trek: The Next Generation: I haven’t even finished the show, but Data is just phenomenally acted and written (usually). Even if he were the worst character in TNG he’d probably be on this list due to how good the TNG cast is lol.

    Bladewolf, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: Dog with chainsaw. Dog with chainsaw.

    Gundam: The Witch from Mercury* spoilers:

    spoiler

    Ericht Samaya from G-Witch. I followed the episodes week by week and seeing all of the theories form into the final plot was so much fun.

    Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty spoilers:

    spoiler

    GW and the Patriot AI system. Absolutely perfect villains contrasting MGS1, with a message about the control of information that has aged wonderfully. They’re also responsible for some of the most memorable moments in all of gaming.

    ___

  • FlakesBongler [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    12·
    7 months ago

    In no particular order

    ED-E from New Vegas, because I am a sucker for beep-booping communication

    The original Human Torch, because he set Hitler on fire

    Wall-E, because look at him!

    But I think I identify most with Durandal from the Marathon trilogy, in that I too am kind of obsessed with immortality and leaving my mark on existence

  • Cigarette_comedian [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    12·
    7 months ago

    Does doctor Mobius from OWB count as a robot? Is he disqualified because of having a brain? Do then robobrains not count as robots? What are the definitions?! “Well, there’s many things they have forgotten, sitting in their bowls. Friendship. The thrill of discovery. Love. Masturbation. The usual.”

    The PDA from Subnautica if it counts as an AI since it gives dynamic advice based on the planet’s environment: “Detecting multiple leviathan class lifeforms in this biome. Are you sure whatever you are doing is worth it?”

    Is Queen from Deltarune counted? Cause she goes hard. She’s clearly mechanical, so I’m guessing she fits the bill. “Berdly… I only play mobile games.” :queen-ohoho:

    Also, it never says anything other than “Meow”, but I can’t help but love Kerfusr in Voices of the Void, that silly goober is so helpful but also gets stuck on random fences and benches sometimes. “Miau!”

    And of course Data, how could i not? :data-laughing: “Get off of there ya’ little varmint!”