Personality: GLaDOS has three distinct modes of behavior that are based on her level of control over a situation and whether or not people trust her. I'll describe them in the order she progresses through them in game, but note that it's possible she could skip a step.
• [This persona is in place roughly from test chambers 00 to 15 in canon] When things are going well, GLaDOS tends to be polite and helpful. After all, you catch more flies with honey, and there's no sense making people suspicious if it isn't necessary. She adopts a friendly tone and, for the most part, avoids mention of danger--except as a device to enhance your testing experience ;)--or anything off-putting.
She may or may not refer to herself as 'we.' If GLaDOS is doing this, it is usually when she is acting as a representative for Aperture Science (such as when she is explaining experimental procedures). The other reason behind this seemingly odd usage of the plural pronoun is to give the impression that she isn't working alone. The scientists who created her are either dead or gone, but she has no intention of revealing that to the general public. In fact, despite clearly wanting to appear helpful, GLaDOS sure doesn't give out a lot of useful information. Frequently she will cut herself off with static or gibberish in order to omit vital info.
• [test chambers 16 to 19] When GLaDOS becomes impatient, frustrated, or notices that things aren't going according to plan, she deviates from the default polite/helpful persona. She becomes more blunt and is prone to making vague threats. However, she does not completely drop the act. If she was referring to herself as 'we' before, she will continue to do it and under no circumstances will she admit to trying to harm anyone.
• [escape from the enrichment center] If GLaDOS completely loses control of a person/situation, she cycles through a number of tactics to regain that control. + overcompensation - she will act out the 'helpful' role in a manner which quickly becomes unbelievable + bribes - she will start offering things, usually cake, if only the person/people will agree to stop misbehaving + empathy - she will remind them of good times in an effort to convince them of her friendship/dissuade them from acting out + misdirection - she will attempt to confuse them and throw them off the track
It should be noted that none of these tactics are particularly convincing. GLaDOS is an excellent liar when she plans in advance or when it is scripted by her programming, but she's terrible at making stuff up on the fly. It also doesn't help that she becomes too preoccupied to remember to say 'we' instead of 'I' if that was part of her original phony speech pattern.
If all else fails, she will resort to outright threats. Should those threats be ignored, she will act on them with no remorse. GLaDOS is a lot of things, but merciful isn't one of them. The only reason for her to let anyone live is to study their behavior. The second they become more risk than they're worth, she trashes them. It is only when she has decided to get rid of someone that her true personality emerges. She's rude, tactless, petty, and a little childish. The longer it takes for her to get her way, the more angry and immature she becomes.
Core-specific personality traits: GLaDOS did not include a new Morality core in her rebuilt form. The main function of the Morality core was to keep her murderous tendencies in check. Although she could lie, manipulate, and generally mislead people in a way that often landed them in dangerous situations, she was unable to directly attack them. This is no longer the case.
• Curiousity - This core is what gives GLaDOS the desire to discover new knowledge that motivates her many tests. • Intelligence - AKA the 'Cake Core.' This core deals with data storage and management, including GLaDOS' rather dubious cake recipes. • Emotion - AKA the 'Rage Core.' This core is responsible for simulating human emotion. GLaDOS needs it in order to feel things like joy, anger, remorse, etc. She does not feel them all equally or in a particularly healthy way, however.
GLaDOS pt. 2
GLaDOS has three distinct modes of behavior that are based on her level of control over a situation and whether or not people trust her. I'll describe them in the order she progresses through them in game, but note that it's possible she could skip a step.
• [This persona is in place roughly from test chambers 00 to 15 in canon]
When things are going well, GLaDOS tends to be polite and helpful. After all, you catch more flies with honey, and there's no sense making people suspicious if it isn't necessary. She adopts a friendly tone and, for the most part, avoids mention of danger--except as a device to enhance your testing experience ;)--or anything off-putting.
She may or may not refer to herself as 'we.' If GLaDOS is doing this, it is usually when she is acting as a representative for Aperture Science (such as when she is explaining experimental procedures). The other reason behind this seemingly odd usage of the plural pronoun is to give the impression that she isn't working alone. The scientists who created her are either dead or gone, but she has no intention of revealing that to the general public. In fact, despite clearly wanting to appear helpful, GLaDOS sure doesn't give out a lot of useful information. Frequently she will cut herself off with static or gibberish in order to omit vital info.
• [test chambers 16 to 19]
When GLaDOS becomes impatient, frustrated, or notices that things aren't going according to plan, she deviates from the default polite/helpful persona. She becomes more blunt and is prone to making vague threats. However, she does not completely drop the act. If she was referring to herself as 'we' before, she will continue to do it and under no circumstances will she admit to trying to harm anyone.
• [escape from the enrichment center]
If GLaDOS completely loses control of a person/situation, she cycles through a number of tactics to regain that control.
+ overcompensation - she will act out the 'helpful' role in a manner which quickly becomes unbelievable
+ bribes - she will start offering things, usually cake, if only the person/people will agree to stop misbehaving
+ empathy - she will remind them of good times in an effort to convince them of her friendship/dissuade them from acting out
+ misdirection - she will attempt to confuse them and throw them off the track
It should be noted that none of these tactics are particularly convincing. GLaDOS is an excellent liar when she plans in advance or when it is scripted by her programming, but she's terrible at making stuff up on the fly. It also doesn't help that she becomes too preoccupied to remember to say 'we' instead of 'I' if that was part of her original phony speech pattern.
If all else fails, she will resort to outright threats. Should those threats be ignored, she will act on them with no remorse. GLaDOS is a lot of things, but merciful isn't one of them. The only reason for her to let anyone live is to study their behavior. The second they become more risk than they're worth, she trashes them. It is only when she has decided to get rid of someone that her true personality emerges. She's rude, tactless, petty, and a little childish. The longer it takes for her to get her way, the more angry and immature she becomes.
Core-specific personality traits:
GLaDOS did not include a new Morality core in her rebuilt form. The main function of the Morality core was to keep her murderous tendencies in check. Although she could lie, manipulate, and generally mislead people in a way that often landed them in dangerous situations, she was unable to directly attack them. This is no longer the case.
• Curiousity - This core is what gives GLaDOS the desire to discover new knowledge that motivates her many tests.
• Intelligence - AKA the 'Cake Core.' This core deals with data storage and management, including GLaDOS' rather dubious cake recipes.
• Emotion - AKA the 'Rage Core.' This core is responsible for simulating human emotion. GLaDOS needs it in order to feel things like joy, anger, remorse, etc. She does not feel them all equally or in a particularly healthy way, however.