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Undead computer (DND, at least initially)

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Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#1: Jul 30th 2012 at 7:46:03 PM

Alright, so today, I was introduced to this archived /tg/ discussion.

I very much suggest reading it, but the general gist of it is that an extremely powerful necromancer could use undead as data-carriers (and give them commands amounting to logic gates) to create a computer. I think it's a fascinating idea, and kind of want to open the discussion here, if you'd want to talk about it.

A multiverse, and timeshifted pocket dimensions solve the problems of size and processing speed, but I still don't understand how he could transfer the information that a skeleton can hold (potentially 10 bits, using just his fingers) in any meaningful way. Not to mention display. A few ways were discussed in the original thread, but none of them seemed to properly fix the problem, or if they did, I didn't quite comprehend it.

For a CE major, I still have problems on the conceptual stage.

I have a message from another time...
KylerThatch literary masochist Since: Jan, 2001
literary masochist
#2: Jul 30th 2012 at 8:06:10 PM

A black-and-white display sounds simple enough. Like tell a zombie/skeleton to keep holding up a black-and white tile. If its foot is being pulled, flip it white side up. Otherwise, flip it black side up. Then again, you'd need a whole field just to get a decent resolution.

This "faculty lot" you speak of sounds like a place of great power...
KyleJacobs from DC - Southern efficiency, Northern charm Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#3: Jul 30th 2012 at 8:26:51 PM

Alternately, could just be a really REALLY old school computer. Punch-card old. No display necessary.

Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#4: Jul 30th 2012 at 8:37:22 PM

What would be the output, then?

Honest question. I don't think I actually know. Older computers printed out results on paper, didn't they? How would that translate here?

I have a message from another time...
SilverFayte Since: Feb, 2010
#5: Jul 31st 2012 at 5:52:22 AM

I believe the "output" was mainly through orders being relayed to non-terminal skeletons to go out and gather more bodies to use in the skeleputer. Assuming the computer is 'programmed' to expand itself, this would eventually lead to a necromantic AI hyper-optimized to gather skeletons, often with the genocide of entire planes of existence. Basically, Lich-Grey-Goo-Skynet.

Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#6: Jul 31st 2012 at 8:02:03 AM

Yeah, but there was discussion of liches using it for tasks other than propagation of the computer, such as calculations and such. Which really does bring up the issue of how to relay output.

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SilverFayte Since: Feb, 2010
#7: Jul 31st 2012 at 9:39:12 AM

You could just have a couple thousand skeletons at a large chalkboard, with the orders "If you see that skeleton over there raise his hand, write an A on this board..." Or have a grid of lamps that can be viewed from an observatory and triggered by the skeletons.

Durazno Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#8: Jul 31st 2012 at 4:23:53 PM

It depends on how complicated the orders to a single skeleton can get, doesn't it?

Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#9: Jul 31st 2012 at 9:32:40 PM

People in the original thread tended to say that fighting is a pretty complex thing, so if a skeleton can be commanded to fight, it can be commanded to raise its fingers in various combinations after observation.

So, if the output was, let's say, stones enchanted with an on/off version of Light that a skeleton can activate with a touch, would each output skelly need more than one light to activate, if the data-carriers use finger binary? (10 digits equates to 1024 bits, represented in binary)

I think it all depends on how sophisticated we want the output to be.

If we're just doing calculations: an undead calculator, then one row of output skellys could activate lights to represent the output in binary. If we wanted to turn the binary numbers into modern numbers, we could have more output skeletons each operating a different row of lights that would, when triggered in tandem, resemble the number. I actually did something similar to that in a CE class: a single-digit block number display consisted of 7 lightable lines, and a major part of the program was working out the logic for when each bar would come on.

Obviously, more than one digit would massively increase the number of display skeletons, and/or the number of different instructions each display skeleton would need to be able to act on.

And of course, more sophisticated displays, such as letters, would require more data-carrying skeletons, and a ton of extra display skeletons. But, with multiverses of creatures to harvest, and the Genesis spell, such a task is well within a Lich's reach.

The real insanity would come when a Lich decided to try and encode images, and would have to make a skeleputer display in pixels. Just as in the real world, that sort of jump would require a massive upsurge in calculating and display skeletons.

The initial idea was just stationary skeletons, seperated into rooms with which they could see the others and react. The instructions given to each skeleton would be the logic gates. However, later, it was suggested that the labyrinth of rooms itself could be made into the logic gates, with skeletons marching through each, and adjusting their fingers according to symbols on the doors.

Like, "if you pass through a door with [this] symbol, lower every finger that is raised, and raise every finger that is lowered." Or, "If you pass through a door with an upward-pointing symbol, followed by a "1", and meet another skeleton, lower every finger that skeleton has lowered, and continue.". It might cut down on some of the skeletons required, and more easily transfer data without having to hardcode the logic gates into specific skeletons. Potentially, all each data-carrier would need to know would be how to respond to each of the four main logic gates (AND, OR, XOR, NOT), and to respond to an order to put up initial values and begin their march.

Granted, it would then require some sort of Epic magic to change the layout and markings of the labyrinth when you wanted to tweak the program, but...

What do you think of that form of the computer, or is the skeleton cubicle design better?

Either way, I think that the initial design would have the lich sending initial values to the skeletons via a parchment carried by some sort of flying minion that he sends into a portal to his computer plane. A necromantic version of punched cards.

edited 31st Jul '12 9:34:40 PM by Enlong

I have a message from another time...
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