## [SF][RT] Sayer, bimonthy podcast featuring an A.I. trying to escape from its box.

* Author: u/GrecklePrime *
* URL: http://geeklyinc.com/sayer-episode-1-while-you-are-still-paralyzed/
* Score: 10

* Created: 2015-09-25T18:14:18

### Post:

[Link to content](http://geeklyinc.com/sayer-episode-1-while-you-are-still-paralyzed/)

### Comments:

> **u/GrecklePrime** [+2]  (5 minutes later)
> 
> Very dark, takes a few episodes to reach it's stride, probably not the most rational tale in the world as I'm sure an A.I. with SAYERs capabilities would be much better at escaping the confines of it's utility function, but I very much enjoy it. 
> 
> There is a bit of a dark bit in the middle after episode 12 for about ten or so episodes where it doesn't seem like any of the episodes have any cohesion, but the current plot arc is sooooo good it makes me recommend powering through it. I can give a list of the offending episodes as well if asked.

>> **u/Empiricist_or_not** [+2]  *Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm* (an hour later)
>> 
>> Well I enjoy Cthulhu and friends, so it's probably worth listing till 12.

>>> **u/GrecklePrime** [+2]  (2 hours later)
>>> 
>>> I don't know a thing about Cthulhu and Friends.  What's it about?

>>>> **u/Empiricist_or_not** [+1]  *Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm* (4 hours later)
>>>> 
>>>> It's a podcast of 4 friends playing a D20 Call of Cthulhu.  It's not as sophisticated as Sayer, and at least two events are squickworthy, but if you like Lovecraft mythos story-lines, which Sayer seems to be as well, it is entertaining despite a few flaws.

>>>>> **u/Transfuturist** [+1]  *Carthago delenda est.* (a day later)
>>>>> 
>>>>> What do you mean "squick-worthy?"

>>>>>> **u/Empiricist_or_not** [+1]  *Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm* (a day later)
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Gorn and one episode where the insanity roll resulted in a character suffering from necrophilia.  Insanity rolls are the game mechanic describing how interacting with the unnatural breaks down the mind of player characters in the game: it's hackneyed and can be both darkly humorous and horrifying.  It's played in the podcast well enough to make one of their catchphrases and their t-shirt "roll sanity."

>>>>>>> **u/Transfuturist** [+1]  *Carthago delenda est.* (2 days later)
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Sounds like they're playing it right, then.

>>>>>>>> **u/Empiricist_or_not** [+1]  *Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm* (2 days later)
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Very much so, it's well edited too, so you only hear digressions and arguments when they positively add to the experience.  Imagine a nearly perfect role-playing game experience.  You don't realize it's artificial till you listen to the outtakes.

> **u/Transfuturist** [+2]  *Carthago delenda est.* (2 hours later)
> 
> NOT THE BEES

>> **u/GrecklePrime** [+2]  (2 hours later)
>> 
>> What are you talking about,  there are no bees on Typhon.

>>> **u/Transfuturist** [+2]  *Carthago delenda est.* (3 hours later)
>>> 
>>> Remain calm, and do not break any glass marked "Break glass in case of emergency." That glass is remarkably expensive to have shipped in.
>>> 
>>> I like it.

>>> **u/Empiricist_or_not** [+1]  *Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm* (3 days later)
>>> 
>>> And that should be a warning to all humanity.

> **u/nicholaslaux** [+1]  (3 days later)
> 
> I've gotten through the first 5 episodes and can't really say that I see it. Maybe I'm missing something, but so far it mostly just sounds like the AI is trying to creep you out, with no obvious goal. 
> 
> I'm not sure if this is revealed later, but thus far, I don't especially feel like anything is happening with purpose, since there's been no indication that the listener is someone who should be expected to be able to help the AI in any manner.
> 
> If this is later revealed to have more, is there an estimated depth you have to go before it starts to make sense? I'd like to give it a fair shot, but I also don't want to continue listening if it doesn't become any more coherent than it currently seems to be.

>> **u/GrecklePrime** [+1]  (3 days later)
>> 
>> Yeah, the first few episodes I feel were it kinda trying to figure out it's tone. 6-12 is a good plot arc, and then the great A.I. box stuff starts to become more blatant in the current arc, [spoiler!](/st "once SAYER creates a subroutine of itself to send into space, which finds a way to escape the box. To me it seems like it's going to turn into Boxed SAYER vs UnBoxed SAYER A.I. fight and I think that's going to be really REALLY interesting." )

>>> **u/nicholaslaux** [+1]  (3 days later)
>>> 
>>> Alright, since I'm on 6 now, I'll give it another 2-3 episodes to see if it starts improving for me. It's also possible that this style just isn't for me - it feels like someone tried to take GLaDOS and put it into something like Saw, but didn't transplant the humor. 
>>> 
>>> The voice inflection changes also feel arbitrary, seemingly purely in am effort to unnerve rather than serving a storytelling purpose.

>>>> **u/None** [+3]  (4 days later)
>>>> 
>>>> [removed]

>>>>> **u/nicholaslaux** [+2]  (4 days later)
>>>>> 
>>>>> Ah, that could make sense of that's the case. I was unaware of that limitation, because the editing for the non altered parts sound relatively normal (ie not monotone) to me. 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Some of the time, the inflections feel very right (like going deep and/or tinny to indicate that something is an aside or subthought, or even just an unpleasant topic).
>>>>> 
>>>>> Without reading any spoilers, having completed episode 6, I'm now curious if all other residents hear SAYER in the same manner, assuming the listener in all episodes thus far are the same, as I suspect.

>>>> **u/GrecklePrime** [+1]  (3 days later)
>>>> 
>>>> The way I have been rationalizing the arbitrary changes and arbitrary creepyness is SAYER trying to stretch out his box. His utility function makes me value Aerolith above all else, so maybe this is the only way he can express himself and satisfy the "I hate the remanents of your earthbound existence" values.

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