Robot

A robot is a machine that is capable of autonomously completing tasks. Depending upon the robot, these tasks may be simple or complex and may require little human intervention or complete oversight.

In the Fallout universe, robots had been constructed for many purposes, and many examples survived long enough to be a factor post-War.

Robots had been constructed by pre-War society to fill all niches and occupations. From general-purpose utility droids to full-fledged military battle machines, robots could be found in almost any environment and function. Some of the robots in the Fallout universe will attack immediately but some will aid in battle or remain ambivalent.

Background
At the time of the Great War, robots were just making their appearance in the average suburban household, but the military still had the largest number of active robots. The robots that are still running are found in isolated former military bases or ones that have been restored by settlements with the sophisticated technology needed to keep them running.

Characteristics
Typically, robots are equipped with a basic programming structure that dictates behavior and priorities. In most cases, these rules are predetermined, and there's little the player character can do to influence them. Some robots also have distinct personalities. Whether this is an intended feature present from manufacturing or the cumulative result of centuries of poorly-attended operation is unknown. Some robots, such as the Nuka-Cola shipping foreman have harsh personalities while others, such as the protectron series have little personality at all.

At times, this personality may operate at odds with the fundamental core programming of the robot. Examples of this discontent include Cerberus, the Mister Gutsy robotic soldier that patrols Underworld. Despite programming to protect the ghouls of the city, Cerberus nevertheless admits quite freely that it detests the ghouls and, were it not for his combat inhibitor, would likely kill them all. Sawbones, the resident medic at the Citadel, has an unhealthy interest in pain driven by his personality, while his programming states he is a medic. Many robobrains, when fighting will say things like "They could have programmed me to love, to forgive; but noooooo," or "Please believe me when I say I'm not enjoying this." Robots can even exhibit finicky personalities. One such Mister Gutsy Sergeant RL-3 will dislike anyone without neutral Karma.

Even robotic butlers show contrary streaks, although these aberrations are less likely to cause grievous bodily injury. The butler present in the player character's home in Fallout 3 is often overheard saying with a cheery voice "How can I serve you master?" while muttering, "Not that I really want to..." a little while after.

Robots are often pressed into emergency duty outside their normal menu of skills, although this meets with varying degrees of success. A general-maintenance Mister Handy may make for a poor medic.

It may also be noted that without proper supervision, robots may handle situations rather extremely. Metro protectron will kill anyone who does not have a ticket. On top of this, they do not accept red pass or blue passcards, meaning someone traveling on these lines may be attacked even with proper authorization. Another note is that the factory protectron mentioned on a computer terminal in The Pitt killed all the workers when they refused to leave the mill and their jobs. Also, Milo the shipping foreman, a type II Mister Handy robot, had trapped a group of employees in a locked closet to die, and for very minor infractions (taking a longer lunch break, for example). With this in mind, it can be safe to say that robots of the Fallout universe do not follow Asimov's three laws of robotics, or if they do, they do so very loosely. It would seem east coast robots have a naturally adverse attitude towards humans, or animated things in general- living or robotic, as all the robots feature a combat "inhibitor" meaning the robots may act violently without such an inhibitor.

Interactions with the player character
While some robots in the Fallout universe are peaceful, most are following centuries-old programming—or newer programming—that classifies the player character as a threat. To that end, effective anti-robot combat strategies are a must.

Most robots are highly resistant to damage from conventional weapons. Bullets do not generally affect robots as severely as they do their organic masters, and militarized robots can generally shrug off grenade shrapnel. However, like all electronics, robots are vulnerable to the effects of an EMP, making pulse weapons the ideal choice for disabling a robotic enemy.

Pulse grenades, pulse mines, and 12 gauge EMP shells are ideal for disabling a robot quickly, and though these munitions are typically expensive, they are much more efficient in a cost-for-effect frame of mind. Explosive weapons like missile launchers or miniature nuclear weapons are effective, but more costly to use against robots.

Player characters with sufficient Repair skills, or certain perks can disable inattentive robots, while those with sufficient Science skills can often find control terminals that can shut down or reconfigure patrolling mechanical guards.