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i hate the difficulty of leveling there and the dependency on gold
(both cubigold and game gold) but .. it's nice to work in a group as EP
(the healer / resurrector of the group); it's nice to be needed and
fulfill a specified function in the group .. and you are killing
virtual monsters not real humans .. so i think the game is not overall
a destructive force in our society .. it actually can bring us together
.. true, there is too much pking (player killing) going on .. but i
think they do that out of boredom more than anything .. maybe boredom
and frustration .. but you just let it go - don't take it personally -
and move on.. on the Malaysian servers, u can find many ppl from around
the world willing to work together for a common goal (finding mold or
killing a boss;) .. it's cool to be part of an international team of
'monster squashers' ;) hehe .. sigh .. there was a while when i was
escaping too much into the game .. spent way too much time on it ..
neglected my 'real life' .. but .. everything goes in phases .. it
didn't last forever .. i play now just to level and help others out ..
it's fun to meet interesting ppl from around the world :)<br>
<br>
i hate the commercial aspects but .. it would not be there without
them..<br>
<br>
the graphics and magic capabilities (is there anything they did NOT
steal from d&d???;) are cool :)<br>
<br>
i like pets too (in the game and irl).<br>
<br>
i recommend it for any teenager who feels neglected or excluded irl ..
just try to moderate it (asking the impossible?) .. try to find a
decent guild..<br>
<br>
the following is something i did for a java class - an object oriented
problem decomposition of consciousness.. robot rights! robots rock! ;)<br>
<br>
<p class="MsoNormal">A COnscious MAchine Simulator – <st1:place
w:st="on">ACOMAS</st1:place></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Salvatore Gerard Micheal, 06/JAN/09</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Objects</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>2 cross verifying
senses (simulated)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>hearing (stereo)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>seeing (stereo)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>short-term symbol
register (8^3 symbols arranged in 8x8x8 array)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>rule-base (self
verifying
and extending)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>3D visualization
register</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>models of reality
(at least 2)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>morality
(unmodifiable and uncircumventable)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>don’t steal,
kill, lie, or harm</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>goal list
(modifiable, prioritized)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>output devices</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>robotic arms
(simulated
– 2)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">
</span>voice-synthesizer and speaker</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>video display
unit</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>local environment
(simulated)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>operator
(simulated, controlled by operator)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Purpose</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>test feasibility of
construct for an actual conscious machine</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>discover timing
requirements for working prototype</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>discover
specifications of objects</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>discover
implications/consequences of enhanced intelligence</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>(humans have 7
short-term symbol registers)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>discover
implications/consequences of emotionless consciousness</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Specifications – The registers are the core of the
device –
the (qualified) ‘controllers’ of the system (acting on goal list), the
reasoners of the system (identifying rules), but all constrained by
morality.
The goal list should be instantaneously modifiable. For instance, an
operator
can request “show me your goal list” .. “delete that item” or “move
that item
to the top” .. “learn the rules of chess” and the device should comply
immediately. Otherwise, the device plays with its environment –
learning new
rules and proposing new experiments.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The purpose of the cross verifying senses is to
reinforce
the ‘sense of identity’ established by these, registers, and model of
reality.
The reason for ‘at least 2’ models is to provide a ‘means-ends’ basis
for
problem solving – one model to represent local environment ‘as is’ and
another
for the desired outcome of the top goal. The purpose for arranging the
short-term register in a 3D array is to give the capacity for ‘novel
thought’
processes (humans have a tendency to think in linear sequential terms).
The
reason for designing a self verifying and extending rule-base is
because that
has a tendency to be a data and processing intensive activity – if we
designed
the primary task of the device to be a ‘rule-base analyzer’,
undoubtedly the
device would spend the bulk of its time on related tasks (thereby
creating a
rule-base analyzer device and not a conscious machine). The ‘models of
reality’
could be as simple as a list of objects and locations. Or, they could
be a
virtual reality implemented on a dedicated machine. This applies to the
‘local
environment’ as well. For operator convenience, the simulated local
environment
should be in the form of a virtual reality. So the operator would
interact with
the device in a virtual world (in the simulated version). In this
version, the
senses, robot arms, and operator presence – would all be virtual. This
should
be clarified to the device so that any transition to ‘real reality’
would not
have destructive consequences.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My ultimate purpose of creating a conscious
machine is not
out of ego or self aggrandizement. I simply want to see if it can be
done. If
it can be done, then create something creative with potential. My
mother argues
a robot can never ‘procreate’ because they are not ‘flesh and blood’.
It can
never have insight or other elusive human qualities. I argue that they
can
‘procreate’ in their own way and are only limited by their creators. If
we can
‘distill’ the essence of consciousness in a construct (like above), if
we can
implement it on a set of computer hardware and software, if we give
that
construct the capacity for growth, if that construct has even a minimal
creative ability (such as with GA/GP), and critically limit its
behavior by
morality (such as above), we have created a sentient being (not just an
artificial/synthetic consciousness). I focus on morality because if
such a
device became widespread, undoubtedly they would be abused to perform
‘unsavory’ tasks which would have fatal legal consequences for inventor
and
producer alike.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In this context, I propose we establish ‘robot
rights’
before they are developed in order to provide a framework for dealing
with
abuses and ‘violations of law’. Now, all this may seem like science
fiction to most.
But I contend we have focused far too long on what we call ‘AI’ and
expert
systems. For too long we have blocked real progress in machine
intelligence by
one of two things: mystifying ‘the human animal’ (by basically saying
it can’t
be done) – or – staring at an inappropriate paradigm. It’s good to
understand
linguistics and vision – without that understanding, perhaps we could
not
implement certain portions of the construct above. But unless we focus
on the
mechanisms of consciousness, we will never model it, simulate it, or
create it
artificially.</p>
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