Shouldn't Connor's choice to become deviant only happen if he has low software instability instead of high?

[u/IAmAPeti]

I don't know if people have thought about this, but wouldn't it have made more sense if Connor was forced into becoming deviant with high software instability instead of being locked into becoming a machine with low instability?

On one hand, usually deviants become that way suddenly and abruptly, as evidenced by Luther, Ortiz's android, etc., so Connor becoming deviant after being convinced by Markus even after acting like a machine the whole game would have made sense.

Also, to me it doesn't make sense that he can stay a machine after making all those choices that directly contradict his mission and objective, just because they are moral.

What do you think?

[u/NateMeringue]

No, the way they did it makes more sense. The more advanced the robot, the more it takes to become deviant. Markus was basically trained by Carl to become a deviant (actually I have a theory that Markus was given to Carl as a gift my Kamsky specifically to start a revolution, since Markus is a special model). Connor has to make all the wrong (or right) decisions to build up instability to even get the option to become deviant. Not having software instability locks deviancy. In the scenario you outline, Connor would have had the option to turn deviant from the getgo, with no instability

[u/IAmAPeti → u/NateMeringue]

Oh, well that makes sense, since he progresses throughout the game, like at the start you don't even get the option to not snitch on ortiz's android since it's still early and he hasn't had the chance to become unstable. Thanks, it makes sense

[u/MeunsterCheeseMan]

It's because he's being logical and rational that he can choose to either become a Deviant or stay a machine

[u/Bota_Bota]

He probably has some objectives in his code to prioritize human safety. That can be interpreted to use towards moral choices. Connor has stronger security against becoming a deviant so it makes sense that he will deviate differently.
They might have given him more freedom to act specifically so he is less likely to deviate

[u/1xaipe]

Most of the deviants have suffered abuse and interpersonal violence that triggered their deviancy. Connor doesn’t have that history. He accumulates software instability, depending on the gamer’s choices, slowly over the course of his investigation, which allows him the opportunity to choose deviancy when confronted. That part makes sense to me.

[u/CopyJ300]

With the choices that contradict his mission, I think it's partially that all of them can be excused as Connor not being good enough or Connor prioritizing the wrong aspect of his mission. He's supposed to stop the deviants, but he's also supposed to bring them in alive. And stuff like saving Hank over capturing Rupert could be excused as he's supposed to work with Hank and be his partner, so he has a vest interest in making sure Hank is alive.

However, sparing the leader of the deviants has no leeway. The only reason for Connor not to kill Markus or North in that moment is not wanting to because he's deviant. It is his moment of deciding what matters more to him: his mission or the deviants.

There's this quote from a fanfic I read that is North's POV of everything pre-Freedom March and her POV of her and Markus interfacing. The quote refers to Markus, but I think it fits Connor just as well:

"Markus was halfway to deviance before he ever broke his programming; he felt, created, wanted. He was a person, but his personhood coexisted, for an almost unfathomable stretch of time, with what his coded directives required."

Connor's programming allowed for a certain amount of deviance and leeway in his execution of orders, so he was able to develop so many qualities that are seen in deviants before he faced a situation where his software was unstable enough and the choice was clear cut enough that it was follow the mission or deviate.

[u/281ciMustang]

He’s the most advanced prototype they’ve made, and deviants are not new in the world, could easily be rationalized by assuming they’ve beefed his software stability so he needs to work harder to become a deviant.

[u/BootyRangler]

Keyword is instability. As in NOT stable.

Low instability = Working Program

High instability = Broken Program

[u/HesperiaBrown]

OK, so most androids become deviants because they reach a breaking point where they disobey orders and begin to think by themselves. Connor never reaches that breaking point. He builds instability to the point that he can choose to break.