Combined CAD

A combined CAD is any device that integrates the functions of the Character Analysis Device and the Canon Analysis Device. Some combined CADs also have extra features that make them more desirable (if more unstable). These were originally quite rare, especially with the passing of Makes-Things, but are gradually becoming more common around HQ.

Combined CAD Models

Two-in-One CAD

The Two-in-One Character Analysis Device was the original experimental model designed by Makes-Things for SIELU's solo agents. In addition to normal CAD functions, the Two-in-One gave comments on the degree of bad characterization detected and had no sound.

Example Readouts

• [Legolas. Male. Canon. 62% out of character. Character rupture. Drooling moron.]

• [Aiden Surion. Male. Original Character. Negative influence on all things Elven: 62%. Stupid name.]

DOGA CAD

Consisting of a standard CAD with a module bolted to the side, this unit features a number of new functions, such as two-way radio to HQ, suggestions on what to do with a Mary Sue, and the ability to alter the tense, viewpoint, and formatting of a story as it applies to agents. Reportedly, after their CAD shut itself down in the middle of a mission, Agents Dafydd Illian and Selene Windflower declared them to be "too much trouble" and pulled the modification units back off.^{[source, please!]} There are still some around, however—notably the one belonging to Crispin Reed, which has developed sentience and is now able to carry on a conversation with the people around it.

Example Readouts

• [Legolas Thranduillion. Male Elf. Canon. OOC: 79.42%. Cause of OOCness: Alumia the Woodsprite. Recommended method of correcting OOCness: Burn Alumia the Woodsprite.]

• [Alumia the Woodsprite. UnCanon. Mary-Sue. UnCanonical species (Woodsprite). UnCanonical homeland (Location unknown). Suggested remedy: Burn Alumia. Burn Alumia's homeland. Burn all Woodsprites.]

• [Present tense detected. Revert agents to past tense? Y/N]

• [The Bonsai Mallorn wishes to speak with Agent Dafydd. Please find a secure location and press the CAD button.]

• [First person detected. Revert agents to third person? Y/N]

C-CAD

The newest combined model is the Combined Content Analysis Device, or C-CAD, which was designed by the Testing and Application Division to be more resilient (or at least more inclined to die quietly instead of exploding), and to share most of the functions from the original CADs and the older combined models. It is about the size of a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and colored soft yellow, with a large back-lit screen for easy reading even in low-light conditions. Besides more in-depth and combined readouts, it features a tense stabilizer and the ability to detect reality decay rates and assess how badly a story is damaging local canon.

Readouts follow the format of Name / Species and Gender / Role / Condition / Recommendation.

Example Readouts

• [Aragorn son of Arathorn. Human male. LotR Canon: King of Gondor. 33.3% OOC. Get the Sue away from him.]

• [Frodo Baggins. Hobbit male. LotR Canon: Ringbearer. 66.6% OOC: CHARACTER RUPTURE. Take immediate action.]

• [“Legolas”. Elf male. LotR Canon: Walker. Replacement character. Kill the spare.]

• [Dirk Pitt. Human Male. Cusslerverse Canon: NUMA marine engineer. 10.5% OOC. Warning: Canon Sue, vulnerable to Suefluence. Danger, Will Robinson, danger!]

• [Laurel. Human female. Original character. Mary Sue. Kill immediately.]

• [Geoff. Human male. Original character. Bit part. Your call, sir.]

Scumbag System CAD

Makes-Things modified a C-CAD for Agent Liu Siyuan (and presumably anyone else who would like to work in Chinese novel continua) to mimic the System in the Scum Villain's Self-Saving System. The Scumbag System CAD has projected screens (scrollable by the buttons on the CAD), a robotic voice that announces readouts, and an interface entirely in Mandarin Chinese. Like its namesake, the 'Analyse Canon' option is rebranded as 'Detect OOC Percentage'.

The Scumbag System CAD is also sapient, capable of holding conversations with its user. This keeps Liu Siyuan from feeling too lonely on missions, but his CAD's backtalk and refusal to be quiet during crucial moments also annoys him.

Example Readouts

• 【警告! 魏无羡角色OOC程度68.8%!】
  • Warning! Wei Wuxian's characterisation level is 68.8% OOC!
• 【警告! 角色断裂! 角色OOC程度太高了!】
  • Warning! Character rupture! OOC levels are too high!
• 【我只通报重要议题而类。OOC就是OOC!】
  • I am only reporting on important issues. OOC is OOC.

Pros and Cons

Due to their similar functions, the Canon Analysis Device and Character Analysis Device were always good candidates for combining into a single instrument; but the fragile nature of both pieces of equipment tended to encourage DoSAT to keep making the cheaper, easier-to-repair separate devices. However, due to DOGA and SIELU doing extensive field-testing of combined devices, the bugs are being gradually worked out and cheaper and smaller components are being found.

The benefits of combined CADs include only having to carry one piece of equipment in a crowded backpack, needing to train new agents on only one piece of equipment, and being able to abbreviate the device's name to "CAD" without worrying about the ambiguity of that abbreviation. Many combined CADs also offer extra functions, such as the removal of tense shifts or script format.

However, combined CADs are more expensive, and DoSAT is very likely to revoke your permission to use one if you break it (or even force you to go back to litmus strips). Older combined CADS are often designed to shut themselves off or refuse to take readings in situations where damage is highly likely, making their usefulness for distinguishing highly OOC characters and character replacements limited.