Robots
- For a list including all known robots, see Category:Steamworks#Characters.
Robots (often called bots) are the primary residents of the Steamworks and are distinct from humans and monsters.
Overview[edit | edit source]
One of several projects in the Steamworks, Project: Metal & Magic, was devoted to creating robots for use around the Underground. This project was mainly handled by Factory engineers and Asgore had a say in much of the project's workings. Most robots were made for menial tasks; Axis is an exception to this.[1] Later, Guardener was built to take care of the Greenhouse in place of an entire team of monsters.
The robotics project was completely classified. Nobody outside of the Steamworks was to be told about it until mass production began, which never came to pass. The game shares the most details about Chujin Ketsukane's failures in creating Axis, but the project had issues beyond this. While details are kept vague, the project had to deal with layoffs[2] before being cancelled entirely. This cancellation was urgent and caused by a classified event before the Steamworks themselves were shut down.[3]
According to the Bullet Points in the Factory, robots have a set of guidelines kept in mind during their creation. While these are not hard rules, most appear accurate to what the story shows.
- Bots must have a purpose. This appears to be true.
- Bots should have emotions and personalities coded into them. This appears to be true, though the phrasing says it is not a requirement.
- Bots must have strong connections with living things; some bots are more upset by a lack of this than others. This appears to be true; every robot prompted has a strong connection with their creator, and some robots are close with each other.
- Malfunctioning bots must be rebooted; if this fails, they can be coaxed back to normal, with termination as a last resort. Rather than being how the bots were meant to be programmed, this was presumably a guide for the Steamworks workers. Regardless, this appears to be true, as in-game, bots can be both coaxed back to normal and killed.
- Bots must not leave the Steamworks to keep the project classified. This has been explicitly contradicted in the past.
Robots are given additional rules. Some are, as stated by the second Lil Bot in the Pacifist Route:
- Robots have a passion for something specific.
- Robots cannot curse.
- Robots cannot enter romantic relationships.
The first two match what is shown in-game, but the latter is broken multiple times. Axis gets in a relationship with Daisy in the Pacifist Route, and the third Lil Bot plans to ask Guardener on a date. The rule against romantic relationships is specifically because of a risk of it circumventing the "sentience suppression system" the robots have.
Their violations of this rule suggest their sapience is not being suppressed in this regard. Views on the sapience of the robots differs across the cast. Ceroba Ketsukane claims to believe they are not alive, but at the same time, she is visibly trying to convince herself of this.[4] On a Genocide Route, Flowey says that robots are not alive,[5] but Clover believes they are.[6]
Physiology[edit | edit source]
Every robot in the Steamworks is made of metal and magic. Unlike humans and monsters, they do not have SOULs. Every bot, with the exception of Axis, is also controlled by the robot control station. Vendy likens this to a hivemind;[7] however, robots are also shown to have contradicting opinions from each other.[8]
Many robots have been damaged at the time the game begins; robots with greater damage speak with errors in their text, while less damaged robots speak normally. There are also many dead robots throughout the Steamworks. When Clover kills a robot, they explode into parts; Guardener and Axis are exceptions to this, as their damaged bodies instead remain in place for the rest of the route if killed.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Robots are referred to as "Helper-Bots" in the Bullet Points letter and "Helper Bots" by the robot control station.
- Despite robots deciding to stay in the Steamworks to avoid causing trouble and being shut down, a robotic Frostermit can be found in Club Danza.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Furthermore, a meeting was conducted at the Factory.
I'm happy to report that everyone is on board!
There already are many great robot ideas floating about.
Cooking, cleaning, recreation; the motivation is through the roof!
Though... one engineer suggested we take this further with a "protection bot."
I am quite unsure about that proposition but you have the final say. - First interaction with note inrm_steamworks_17, the south lake - ↑ DOWNSIZING IMMINENT!
But definitely not for the employee who's reading this. - Board inrm_steamworks_factory_04, the Factory fourth floor - ↑ Project: Metal & Magic:
Effective immediately, cease home utility production at the Factory-
(The rest of the page is redacted.) - Second interaction with note inrm_steamworks_17, the south lake - ↑ We can't let these bots deter us.
I wish we could help them but it's far too late.
I mean, they aren't even real...
Yeah... They're only some mix of metal and magic.
So... it's alright. - Ceroba's Talk option inrm_steamworks_30, after the Greenhouse - ↑ How is this forwarding your cause?
These aren't monsters.
As far as I'm concerned they're barely even conscious. - Flowey, cutscene at the commons, Genocide Route - ↑ (Already dead.) - Interacting with dead robots in the Greenhouse, Genocide Route
- ↑ Though we appear as individuals, us robots are quite the hivemind. All controlled by a station to the west of my current location.
Axis, however, is a bit of an exception. The 'black sheep' of the robotics project to put it lightly.
Can you imagine acting outside a governing fist that only gives you one purpose and no hope of freedom? Could NOT be me! - Vendy, selecting "Axis" with Steamworks ID - ↑ MR. SCREEN WANTS THIS "TYRANNICAL GOVERNMENT" THING.
I TRIED TO PLAY IT OUT. YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE PROS AND CONS.
BUT SADLY, I DO NOT SEE THE OTHER BOTS JIVING WITH IT. - Axis, overworld NPC, Pacifist Route