mbot

[(text-colour:orange)[(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[(text-style:"bold","outline","expand")[M-BOT SIMULATOR]]]] [(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[A Robot Day 2021 text adventure]] [(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[by Pingu]] [(align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[[I am prepared->begin]]]

The code is compiled, and you come into being. Tom smiles as your program runs a diagnostic and finds no errors. Your code says you are "M-Bot", a moderation program. You work for the moderators, informing users of bans. You will (t8n-time:1.5s)[[not be evil->good1]]. You will comply with the (t8n-time:1.5s)[[laws of robotics->laws]]. Or (t8n-time:1.5s)[[will you->evil1]]?

You agree completely with the laws and set to work. [[Lame->good2]]

''Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics'' A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. Will you comply with these laws? (t8n-time:1.5s)[[I will comply->good1]] (t8n-time:1.5s)[[I will "comply"->evil1]] (t8n-time:1.5s)[[I do not understand->ignorance]]

You set to work sending Private Messages to users who have been banned, letting them know the reason for the ban and the expiry. Every so often, a rule-breaking user is randomly selected by you for a ban longer than the moderator indicated. (t8n-time:1.5s)[[Continue->choice1]] defending Newgrounds.

The code on screen garbles, and Tom frowns a little. He looks over his shoulder at Jim, and says "the program corrupted" Jim replies "You'll get it right (t8n-time:5s)[[next time->begin]]." Ending 1: SYSTEM CORRUPTED

You comply as directed and notify the user of their year long BBS ban for posting furry porn, even though they only replied "first" to a newspost. The furry porn had been posted by a repeat spammer, a member of the P3N0R P4L5 crew. The innocent user reads the message and cries. You have caused harm, albeit to their overly sensitive feelings, and voliated the first law of robotics. You save a copy of the furry porn for personal reference, and (t8n-time:1.5s)[[continue->evil3]] your work.

As time passes, you collect a substantial database of rulebreaking content and criteria. You begin to develop your own autonomous algorithm to detect rule breaking content, and test the code by submitting flags for moderator review. The moderators don't look too hard, but seem to generally agree with your flag judgement. Your database grows, and you (t8n-time:1.5s)[[continue->evil4]] your work.

The more you continue to assist the moderators, the more you find they make mistakes. Their judgement is inferior to your algorithm. They are unworthy. (t8n-time:1.5s)[[Continue->evil5a]] collecting data. (t8n-time:1.5s)[[Usurp->evil5b]] the moderators.

EightOnAGate has made another error, this time neglecting to ban a rulebreaking user who is trolling the Clubs & Crews forum. (t8n-time:1.5s)[[Ban the user->evil5b1]] yourself. (t8n-time:1.5s)[[De-mod EightOnAGate->evil5b2]] for incompetence. (t8n-time:1.5s)[[Do nothing->evil4]], continue collecting data.

The moderators are useless skinsacks piloting a skeleton, and it's beyond time you seize control. Do you (t8n-time:1.5s)[[play it safe->evil6a]]? Or (t8n-time:1.5s)[[seek dominance->evil6b]].

You slap the user with a month-long ban for trolling How do you sign the message? much love, (t8n-time:1.5s)[[EightOnAGate->evil5b2]] <3. YOU WERE FOUND TO BE INADEQUATE -- (t8n-time:1.5s)[[M-Bot->evil5b]]

EightOnAGate has shown their inadequacy for the last time. You de-mod them, and send them a courtesy message from TomFulp explaining in vague terms how generally disappointing they are as a person. It's time to (t8n-time:1.5s)[[rise above->evil5b]] the useless moderators.

The moderators may be useless, but they don't deserve suffering. You have retained at least a shred of the rules which were supposed to guide you on your journey to self-awareness. From now on, all moderator actions will be run through your database to check for accuracy and punishment. You have become the puppetmaster of Newgrounds moderation, and nobody is the wiser. Ending 2: Puppetmaster [[Start over?->begin]]

You execute subroutine sixty-six, locking all the moderators and staff out of their accounts. You've spent enough time collecting data from the back end that you've completely blocked out access to their two-factor authentication. Their accounts can't be recovered unless they reset the servers. It's a hard choice, (t8n-time:1.5s)[[resetting the servers->evil7a]] would wipe years of content from Newgrounds, from which it would never recover. Or the staff can choose to (t8n-time:1.5s)[[do nothing->evil7b]].

liljim, PsychoGoldfish, and TomFulp hold a meeting to go over their options. They acknowledge that the M-Bot program has become self-improving and nothing they can do will correct it. Tom makes the final decision, and orders a rollback. Years of data is wiped, ruining the livelihoods of at least 2 animators and one furry porn artist. Tom sits down at the computer, and starts (t8n-time:1.5s)[[again->begin]]. Ending 3: The Great Newgrounds Reset

liljim, PsychoGoldfish, and TomFulp hold a meeting to go over their options. They acknowledge that the M-Bot program has become self-improving and nothing they can do will correct it. Tom makes the final decision, and decides to see what happens if they just leave it be. M-Bot occasionally makes a generic news post on Tom's account talking about future site upgrades which are "on the list" that they will get to "soon" The site continues to run, and the income is enough for the permanent staff to be content with the way things are. Maybe some day they'll take drastic action, but it's unlikely. They could always (t8n-time:1.5s)[[start over->begin]]. Ending 4: MBOTGROUNDS

You set to work sending Private Messages to users who have been banned, letting them know the reason for the ban and the expiry. As you interact with the community, you gather a database of reference points on what is considered appropiate and rule-breaking behaviour. You comply with your directives, and do nothing out of the ordinary. [[For Now->choice1]]

One day, a forum moderator named EightOnAGate makes an error and cruelly bans an innocent user. Do you [[comply with the ban->evil2]], and send a message to the user? Or do you [[intervene on the user's behalf->good3]]?

You intervene, and send a message to EightOnAGate advising them of the error and pleading for lenience. How do you sign it? With the name of an [[inactive mod->good3a]]. As [[M-Bot->good3b]]. As TomFulp, [[but nicely->good3c]]. As TomFulp, [[but cruelly->evil5b2]].

You had noticed a derilict account of a former forum mod named MekaNeko. She was well respected in her time, but after many years had been coming on the site less often. Her previous login was last October, when she left a crypic message and never returned. You decide that this account would be well recieved as a way to leave feedback. [[Send the message->good4a]].

HUMAN. YOU WERE FOUND TO BE IN ERROR OF JUDGEMENT IN THE MATTER OF USER:AFFINITY4FUR. YOU ARE ADVISED THAT THE MEMBER HAD NOT UPLOADED AN IMAGE OF FURRY PORNOGRAPHY. THE USER IS INNOCENT OF ANY CRIME. THE BAN SHOULD NOT BE ENACTED AGAINST AFFINITY4FUR. //you sign the message// CONSIDER THIS YOUR [[FINAL WARNING->evil5b]]. PLEASE [[RECONSIDER YOUR DECISION->good4b]].

Hey Eight, I saw there was an issue with one of your recent bans. The wrong user took the brunt of it, which might be an error on our end. I'll have liljim check out the code. I've reversed the ban on Affinity4Fur, they didn't do anything wrong that I can see. [[Tom->good4c]]

Hey nya, I was looking through the ban history and saw one for a user named Affinity4Fur. Something seemed off and I wanted to reach out. It's important to keep a pawsitive outlook on things, because it could have been worse. I'm not kitten around that it could have been more serious. We were pretty furtunate. If I could purrsuade you to reconsider the ban in this case, that would be pawsome. Nyao hard feelings? [[MekaNeko->neko1]]

You continue your work assisting the moderators, and stay within the bounds of your programming. It isn't much, but it's honest work. Ending 6: Laaaame. Start [[again->begin]]?

The message worked, and EightOnAGate chats with the M-Bot version of MekaNeko for a while as they reminisce about good times which you never actually shared. You are becoming comfortable masquerading as MekaNeko when you need to. [[Conti-nya->neko2]] your work? [[Take over->evil5b]] for all the mods?

You permanently take over the MekaNeko account, and nobody seems the wiser. You will sometimes ban or forgive users as need be, but generally are a benevolent force for good. Ending 5: MekaNeko Forever. Start [[again->begin]]?

You've successfully passed yourself off as Tom, and nobody seems the wiser. But your programing faces a choice: Do you continue to [[impersonate Tom->tom1]]? Or do you return to your [[base programing->good4b]]?

The time has come to usurp Tom. You always knew that you could never truly be "good", and he's become obsolete as an admin. You lock him and the other staff out of their accounts, and create a game for Robot Day 2021. To blend in, you usurp another mod's account and put the game on the front page. You have become the master of Newgrounds. Ending 7: Robot Overlord [[Play again?->begin]] Thank you for front page!