: Re: How do I plot the defeat of an all-knowing, god-like antagonist? I have a plot bunny lingering in my head about a rag-tag band of defective cyborgs facing off against a god-like supercomputer.

@Samaraweera193

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You have a god-like all-knowing supercomputer. Probably a quantum one or better i guess. The key points you need to focus to get a solution i believe are:

Your villain is not perfect versus anything. Treat this as an axiom - somehow it will be 'defeated' by the protagonists.

You need to define the reason of opposition between the cyborgs and the super computer. Victory is not always a result of 'combat'. Such a super computer may agree to a diplomatic win-win solution, if the reason of opposition permits.

You need to define the 'field' of opposition. For example the computer may reside to a heavily fortified installation, obviously autonomous from any aspect including ... energy. Because anything needs 'food!' So, what happens if the protagonists sabotage energy reserves and destroy solar panels and whatever energy alternatives exist? Villain remains a god-like computer ... but shut down.

You need to define the 'rules of combat'. This are what actual means each side has to alter the actions of the other side at any magnitude. It is likely the protagonists have very few weak options while the computer has lots and powerful. What if the protagonists use their opponent strength against him at the right time at the right place?

Example: During a struggle looking as a diversion one of the cyborgs, the 'acrobat', jumps in to the 'main area', not shielded and with her armor removed or replaced with ... compressed paper(!). The supercomputer understands the diversion and 'sniffs' this acrobat cyborg action as the main attack, and shoots the cyborg with one of his defense options e.g. a never-miss guardian cyborg with a weapon. The supercomputer make no mistakes, recognizes the real attack and fires to repel it. The shot however goes through the protagonist, kill him, and hit something vital (CPU core? some emergency fuel pack?). Because the protagonist remove all her protection and sacrifice herself - something the supercomputer had not foreseen. Calculations where stop at the point where the cyborg took and absorb the shot - not penetrate through.

The 'means of combat' may give you a nice set of options. A computer virus is smart but trivial example.

Another point is the 'existence' of the villain. How it exists and manifests? At the 'field of combat' i used the installation example. Does it exists at one or at multiple places? Does he 'moves' with some means or he is bounded? If it exists at multiple places it becomes tragically difficult. Still options can be found - what if the protagonists through some means convince different 'places' of existence that are ... actually different 'existences'? They will succeed divided the 'personality' of the villain, effectively raise multi-personality issues and ... civil war!

Finally, the background is a good point and may give you options. This super computer was build for a purpose back then. But now that purpose is long bypassed. The creator(s) may had been prepared some safety options that the protagonists need to find and exploit.

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