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Many of you who have also played Rifts early on may remember the Rifts antagonist ARCHIE 3 from the first Rifts Sourcebook. Well, I was wondering if anyone else thought that it would make an interesting protagonist or antagonist in the AtB setting.

If I remember right (it's been a while since I cracked open that book), ARCHIE's history stated that in the early days he/it wasn't such a bad guy and helped a few villiages, later became disgruntled and finally lashed out at life on the planet.

Thinking back on ARCHIE, I think it could make an interesting "behind the scenes" hero or villian. Either working to aid humanity or the mutant animals, or some mad machine that reboots eighty-some years after the Crash to start the war all over again.

I don't see why not, but the rules would have to reflect that ARCHIE & the Cyberworks facility would remain in NPC-status, and be limited by scenario of AtB2. No Hagan, nothing from Rifts Sourcebook One, no ultra-designed robots & power armor. The facility could be populated by the decendents of surviving employees & some mutant animals, but that would be it.

I voted no, not because of the theme...but because of ARCHIE, it's too tongue in cheek. The theme itself is fine but there is just something about an AI named ARCHIE that just sounds...dumb, IMO.

I likewise voted no, because I prefer the existing robot factories of Twist "4".

Kuseru Satsujin wrote:I likewise voted no, because I prefer the existing robot factories of Twist "4".

One could say that those robot factories were the direct result of ARCHIE's influence and/or expansion years on down the road.

Heck, if you really want to do a cheesy movie spoof game, you could have fighters from the future come back to current AtB in an attempt to destroy ARCHIE before he can create the robot factories that threaten the future in Twist 4.

gordyzx9r wrote:I voted no, not because of the theme...but because of ARCHIE, it's too tongue in cheek. The theme itself is fine but there is just something about an AI named ARCHIE that just sounds...dumb, IMO.

I have to agree with you there. However, one could take the concept and just rename the facility/AI to something like Colossus, SkyNet, or Zardoz.

Okay, maybe SkyNet would be pushing it...

Rali wrote:Colossus

Actually kinda a dig that one...leave it with it's old '70s tech and it finds itself suddenly aware again in AtB after having been idle for decades in some old cold war subteranean bunker.

I'd throw him in but seriously tone down the megapowers and his arsenal would at best be a fraction of what the Empire of Humanity has right now. It'd still be a formidable force against any animal kingdom. I would have Archie still hating humans and possibly using animals to wage war against them. It would be fun to have an ally that is actually genocidal and not a good guy, but who provides invaluable equipment and intelligence.