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AT THIS POINT, WHILE GOLEMS ARE OCCUPIED IN FURTHER TASKINGS, AND WE WAIT ON CHARGING TO OCCUR, IT MAY BE USEFUL TO REVIEW CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON STATUS OF IONIAN DIRECTORATE GOLEM TECH.
AS YOU CAN SEE, A VARIETY OF GOLEMS ARE AND HAVE BEEN IN USE.
THE BOTTOM LINE REPRESENTS THE CURRENT LINE OF MULTI-FUNCTIONAL MODULAR SERVICE GOLEMS, EASILY RECONFIGURABLE FOR MULTIPLE TASKS. THESE GOLEMS ARE DESIGNATED BY THEIR CHASSIS SLOT, WHICH IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE GOLEM IN QUESTION, AND CANNOT BE REPLACED OR UPGRADED WITHOUT ENTIRELY DISMANTLING THE GOLEM. THESE GOLEMS HAVE FOUR UPGRADE SLOTS; TWO 'ARM' SLOTS, WHICH CAN USE A VARIETY OF SPECIALIZED TOOL APPENDAGES, ONE 'HEAD' SLOT, WHICH CAN USE A VARIETY OF UPGRADES INCLUDING SENSORY CAPACITY AND IMPROVED AUTOMATION, AND ONE 'UTILITY' SLOT, WHICH HAS A WIDE VARIETY OF EFFECTS, INCLUDING IMPROVED MOBILITY OR EXTENDED POWER RESERVES.
THESE GOLEMS ARE FAVOURED BY THE IONIAN DIRECTORATE FOR MOST PURPOSES DUE TO THEIR FLEXIBILITY. NOT ALL CHASSIS DESIGNS PROVED SUCCESSFUL OR FEASIBLE, BUT THE ONES CURRENTLY IN USE ARE AS FOLLOWS. NOTE THAT THE BOTTOM ROW CONTAINS EXAMPLES OF ALL GOLEMS CURRENTLY IN SERVICE, BY ORDER OF INTRODUCTION DATE.
G_FACTORY_I: THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION GOLEM DESIGN, EXCEEDINGLY CHEAP, WITH MINIMAL POWER REQUIREMENTS. NOTED FOR BEING QUITE SLOW, REMARKABLE FRAGILE, AND HAVING ESSENTIALLY NO AUTOMATION CAPACITY. NONETHELESS, THIS OLD DESIGN REMAINS IN COMMON USE WHEREVER AUTONOMOUS INTELLIGENCES OR DIRECTORATE MAGI ARE PRESENT AND AVAILABLE TO MICROMANAGE THEIR ACTIVITY, AS THEY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY CHEAPER TO PRODUCE AND KEEP FUNCTIONAL THAN ANY LATER DESIGN.
(CLASS II WAS A FAILED ATTEMPT AT PRODUCTION/REPAIR AUTOMATION, AND DISCONTINUED, AS AUTOMATION CAPABILITIES AT THAT TIME WERE NOT ADVANCED ENOUGH TO JUSTIFY THE EXPENSE.)
(CLASS III WAS THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT A MILITARY GOLEM, WHICH WAS SEMI-SUCCESSFUL, AND IN USE FOR SOME TIME, BUT ABANDONED WHEN THE CLASS IV CAME INTO PRODUCTION.)
G_PATROL_IV: THE MILITARY/SECURITY GOLEM DESIGN, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE BASIC MODEL OR IT'S PREDECESSOR, AND WITH EXTREME POWER REQUIREMENTS. NOTED FOR REASONABLE SPEED, HIGH DURABILITY, AND ADVANCED AUTOMATION. AUTOMATION PROCESSES USED WERE ONLY ADVANCED BY THE STANDARDS OF THE TIME, BUT IT WAS SUFFICIENT TO ENABLING THEM TO ACT SEMI-AUTONOMOUSLY ON THE BATTLEFIELD AS REQUIRED. THIS WAS SEEN AS DESIRABLE BY THE IONIAN DIRECTORATE, AS THE CONTROL RANGE OF AUTONOMOUS INTELLIGENCES IS LIMITED BY BULKY TRANSMISSION FACILITIES, AND DIRECTORATE TACTICAL DOCTRINE STRESSES THAT IT'S RARE AND LOYAL BATTLEMAGI SHOULD NOT BE WASTED ON MICROMANAGING INFERIOR UNITS. THOUGH THE DESIGN WAS CONSIDERED A SUCCESS, THE EXPENSE INVOLVED IN PRODUCING THIS MODEL LED TO RELATIVELY LIMITED OVERALL PRODUCTION, EXCEPT IN FACILITIES SUCH AS THIS ONE, WHERE OTHER GOLEMS SEE HEAVY USE, ESPECIALLY AS THE HIGH POWER CONSUMPTION OF THIS MODEL LIMITED THEIR STRATEGIC RANGE. AS TIME WORE ON, THE GOLEM'S AUTOMATION FUNCTIONALITY GREW TO BE SUPPLANTED BY THAT OF AUTONOMOUS CORES, WHICH COULD UTILIZE THEM IN A SECURITY ROLE WITH MINIMAL GUIDANCE.
(CLASS V WAS AN EXPERIMENT AT A FULLY-AUTONOMOUS GOLEM THAT COULD OPERATE COMPLETELY INDEPENDENTLY. IT WAS TERMINATED IMMEDIATELY, AND ALL MODELS DESTROYED, AFTER THE MODEL WAS DISCOVERED TO BE ABLE TO DEVISE LOOPHOLES IN THEIR PROGRAMMING SAFEGUARDS AND BETRAY THE DIRECTORATE)
G_REPAIR_VI: THE REPAIR GOLEM UNITS YOU ARE CURRENTLY FAMILIAR WITH, SOMEWHAT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE BASIC PRODUCTION MODEL, AND NOTABLY MORE POWER-HUNGRY. NOTED FOR BEING REASONABLY AGILE, MODERATELY DURABLE, AND POSSESSING LIMITED AUTOMATION. THIS MODEL'S AUTOMATION WAS MOSTLY JUST ENOUGH TO EASE THE PROCESSOR BURDEN ON CORES UTILIZING THEM, BUT SOMETIMES ALLOWED THEM TO ENGAGE IN SEMI-AUTONOMOUS TASKINGS, WITH SOME NOTABLE INEFFICIENCY. QUICKLY BECAME ONE OF THE MORE COMMON GOLEMS IN USE WITHIN ANY FACILITY CONTAINING AUTONOMOUS CORES, AS SAID GOLEMS CAN BENEFIT FROM, BUT DO NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRE, MICROMANAGEMENT; SOME FACILITIES WITH LESS CAPABLE PROCESSOR CORES OPTED TO REPLACE THEIR CLASS I MODELS ENTIRELY WITH CLASS VI MODELS, FINDING THE INCREASED AUTOMATION JUSTIFIES THE INCREASED COST AND POWER REQUIREMENTS.
G_MEDIC_VII: A GOLEM DEDICATED TO TENDING TO ORGANIC UNITS, SIGNIFICANTLY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN MOST OTHER MODELS, BUT WITH SIMILAR POWER REQUIREMENTS TO THE CLASS VI. NOTED FOR REASONABLE SPEED, LIMITED DURABILITY, BUT RELATIVELY ADVANCED AUTOMATION. THIS GOLEM WAS A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT IN 'EXPERT SYSTEMS' ALLOWING FOR A GOLEM THAT COULD ACT WITH CONSIDERABLE INTELLIGENCE AND INDEPENDENCE WITHIN A GIVEN SPHERE. INCREASED SIZE OF AUTOMATED CORE COMPENSATED FOR BY DECREASE IN INTERNAL PLATING, RENDERING THE UNIT UNSUITABLE FOR ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE AS A COMBAT MEDIC, BUT THE GOLEM WAS SUCCESSFULLY USED IN HOSPITALS AND SIMILAR SECURE-SEEMING AREAS TO TREAT PERSONNEL INDEPENDENTLY AND THEREBY EASE THE STRAIN ON DIRECTORATE BATTLEMAGI.
(CLASS VIII WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL UPDATE OF THE COMBAT DESIGN, ATTEMPTING TO DEVISE AN 'EXPERT SYSTEM' FOR WARFARE. PLANS FAILED; AN ACCEPTABLE TRADEOFF BETWEEN POWER REQUIREMENTS, ARMOURED PLATING, AND AUTOMATION CAPACITY WAS NEVER REACHED.)
G_HAZMAT_IX: A GOLEM DEDICATED TO SERVICE IN HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS, VERY EXPENSIVE, AND MORE POWER-HUNGRY THAN ITS IMMEDIATE PREDECESSORS. NOTED FOR SWIFT SPEED, EXTREME DURABILITY, AND REASONABLY ADVANCED AUTOMATION. INSTEAD OF A BULKY 'EXPERT SYSTEM' APPROACH, THIS REPRESENTED A FALLBACK TO MORE TRADITIONAL AUTOMATION DESIGNS, QUITE SUCCESSFULLY, AS THE CLASS IX WAS QUITE EFFECTIVE AT A VARIETY OF TASKINGS. PRIMARILY FOUND USAGE IN DISASTER RESPONSE AND HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENT REPAIRS, AS WAS ITS INTENDED PURPOSE, BUT ITS DURABILITY AND EXTENDED POWER LIFE FOUND QUITE A FEW DEPLOYED IN COMBAT ROLES, ESPECIALLY TO COUNTER ENEMY SORCERERS, WHOSE ELEMENTAL MAGICS PROVED MOST INEFFECTIVE AGAINST THE HAZMAT LINE.
G_SCIENCE_X: AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL, DESIGNED AS ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT A GENERALLY INTELLIGENT AUTONOMOUS AGENT, EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND APPROXIMATELY AS POWER-HUNGRY AS THE CLASS IX. NOTED FOR RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED, LIMITED DURABILITY, AND UNSURPASSED AUTOMATION CAPABILITY. THE PROBLEMS OF THE CLASS V WERE GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO BE AVERTED IN THIS MODEL BY THE USE OF NOW-STANDARD KILL COMMANDS, LURKING SEGMENTS OF CODE ABLE TO ENFORCE SELF-DESTRUCTION ON ANY AUTONOMOUS INTELLIGENCE THAT STRAYED OUTSIDE THE LAWS AND COMMAND STRUCTURES OF THE IONIAN DIRECTORATE. THIS GOLEM PROVED QUITE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY PERFORM ANY TASK ASSIGNED TO IT... HOWEVER, ITS LIMITED DURABILITY AND SPEED RENDERED IT UNSUITABLE FOR MOST PURPOSES BEYOND RESEARCH, AS INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS MINIMALLY INCONVENIENT TO MORE DURABLE GOLEMS COULD DESTROY THESE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE WONDERS.
G_CASTER_XI: ANOTHER EXPERIMENTAL MODEL, PRODUCED LATE IN THE FINAL WAR, AT UNSURPASSED EXPENSE AND POWER REQUIREMENTS. NOTED FOR REASONABLE SPEED, MODERATE DURABILITY, AND SOPHISTICATED AUTOMATION. THOUGH NOT AS INTELLIGENT AS THE CLASS X, THE CLASS XI WAS DESIGNED TO SERVE AS A PORTABLE MANA BATTERY, RITUAL ASSISTANT, AND USER OF MINOR COMBAT SPELLS. ITS OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS IN THIS ROLE WAS UNKNOWN, AS THINGS SEEM TO HAVE BEEN CHAOTIC AT THE TIME. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE STATE OF THE LAST WAR, CONSULT MODULE EPSILON.
FINALLY, NOTE THAT VARIOUS OTHER DESIGNS WERE EMPLOYED BY THE DIRECTORATE AT VARIOUS TIMES, AND CONTINUE TO BE SO EMPLOYED.
SIMPLE SELF-PROPELLED CARTS, AN ANCIENT DESIGN, CONTINUE TO BE EMPLOYED THROUGHOUT THE DOMINION SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY ARE EXCEEDINGLY CHEAP AND DO NOT REQUIRE POWER, UNLIKE THE MODE MODERN DESIGNS.
EARLY NON-AUTOMATED TREAD-PROPELLED SERVICE GOLEMS WERE USED PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE MODULAR GOLEM DESIGN, AND SOME REMAIN IN OPERATION, DUE TO POSSESSING ESSENTIAL NON-MODULAR SYSTEMS THAT WOULD BE MORE COSTLY TO REPLACE THAN TO CONTINUE REPAIRING.
THE 'WARHOUND' GOLEM DESIGN SAW MORE ACTION ON THE FRONT LINES THAN ANY FULLY MODULAR GOLEMS, AS IT WAS FAST AND ARMOURED, AND HAD A SINGLE MODULAR INTERNAL SLOT CAPABLE OF POWERING VARIOUS WEAPONRY, WHICH ALLOWED IT TO ENGAGE ENEMY UNITS WITH SPEED AND EFFECTIVENESS.
THE 'SPARTAN' GOLEM DESIGN WAS ALSO EXTENSIVELY USED, AS ITS LATE-MODEL AI AND BUILT-IN FLIGHT PACK MADE IT AN EXCEPTIONALLY FORMIDABLE ADDITION TO IONIAN DIRECTORATE FORCES, THOUGH ONLY LATE IN THE WAR. IT WAS ENTIRELY NON-MODULAR, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT CAPABLE OF USING THE SAME SORTS OF HAND WEAPONS FAVOURED BY DOMINION TROOPS, IN ADDITION TO A BUILT-IN MANABOLT CANNON.
THE 'BATTLESUIT' GOLEM DESIGN IS ALSO ANCIENT, BUT STILL FAVOURED BY DIRECTORATE BATTLEMAGI, AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO RUN OFF THE USER'S INTERNAL ENERGY, AND MAGES TRAINED IN THE DISCIPLINE OF ENCHANTMENT ARE EASILY ABLE TO PROVIDE SUCH ENERGY TO ENCHANTED DEVICES WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. THESE BATTLESUITS MADE DIRECTORATE MAGI CONSIDERABLY HARDER TARGETS WITHOUT NOTABLY IMPEDING THEIR SPELLCASTING, ASIDE FROM THE REQUIREMENT OF KEEPING THE DEVICE POWERED.
THE 'TANK' GOLEM DESIGN IS SIMILAR TO THE WARHOUND, BUT IS SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWER, IN EXCHANGE FOR POSSESSING HEAVIER ARMOUR AND ADDITIONAL MODULAR SLOTS FOR HEAVIER WEAPONS, ALLOWING IT TO SERVE IN AN ARTILLERY OR MAIN BATTLE ROLE, DEPENDING ON EQUIPMENT.
FINALLY, THE EXPERIMENTAL 'AVATAR' DESIGN WAS CREATED LATE IN THE WAR, AND USED AS AN IMMENSE POWER RESERVE FOR BATTLEMAGES OF THE DIRECTORATE, ESSENTIALLY LIKE A PORTABLE POWER NODE. THE DRAIN IMPOSED BY THIS MODEL ON THE GEOMANTIC NETWORK WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO CAUSE ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE TO THE DIRECTORATE'S ENVIRONMENT IN AND OF ITSELF, BUT APPARENTLY THIS WAS CONSIDERED A SECONDARY CONCERN DUE TO THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE THREAT AT HAND.
THIS CONCLUDES THE INFORMATION POSSESSED IN MODULE ZETA REGARDING GOLEMS. SHOULD ANY OF THESE GOLEM DESIGNS BE ENCOUNTERED, KNOW THAT WE WILL BE CAPABLE OF ENACTING REPAIRS UPON THEM, GIVEN APPROPRIATE FACILITIES
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