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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/48332
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

I have some character stuff im trying to figure out for an AI antagonist.

In a game development project that I am part of, there is an artificial intelligence that speaks to the player character through messages that sound pre-scripted, despite the A.I being canonically fully aware of the player character and the status of the game world, etc.

for example, when the player character enters an area the AI doesn't want him in, it might say something like "Warning. Unauthorized personnel in area number [area the player character is in]. Rerouting..." and then proceed to close doors and stuff.

The reason I'm trying to write this character to speak like this is that the A.I was built on 1970s computer equipment- think reel-to-reel tape drives and the like. To me, it makes sense that such an A.I would only be able to speak using the limited phrases recorded on the tapes, and it makes for interesting character development- its an AI that was designed to help humanity's technical progress which suffers from its own apparent obsolescence.

the problem comes with making the A.I more relatable. for example, what if the A.I is angry at the player? what if its the final boss fight, and the A.I is trying to insult the player and stuff to get them to stop dismantling it?

I'm trying to find the best way to write dialogue for the A.I antagonist that sounds more relatable and less pre-recorded, but at the same time, I want it to still give players of the game a sense that this AI has limits due to the antiquated equipment it is on; and perhaps the AI's hidden frustration with that fact.

The A.I running on antiquated equipment ties into the character's motivation and backstory in a few different ways that it would be counter-productive to share in the scope of this question. it is important to me that I don't compromise the fact that this AI believes it is still important to the future despite the obvious obsolescence it suffers from.

Ultimately my question is what the best way is to convey the character's obsolescence without sacrificing believability or character depth.

Original score: 1