Topic: How is X the first robot to "think and feel"?

[CyberXIII]

Most of the following is cribbed from this guy: http://www.mmhp.net/Commentaries/Musing58.html

To quote him:

In Mega Man X, Dr. Light wrote on X’s capsule that X was the first robot able to think, feel, and make his own decisions. If the Robot Masters in Mega Man’s time could do this already, why would Dr. Light imply on X’s capsule that X was a new and different thing?

Maybe, people will say, X was already built and sealed away by this point in time. Maybe he was even the prototype that Dr. Light used when building the Mega Man 9 Robot Masters. This explanation doesn’t work, however, because why then wouldn’t Dr. Light have sealed away the Robot Masters as well?

The fact of the matter is, Dr. Light was afraid of X. That’s why he put him in the capsule in the first place. He feared X would take his new freedom and decide to do something disastrous. So Dr. Light sealed him away until his loyalty could be confirmed—which he knew would not occur during his lifetime. So this rules out the Robot Masters being able to be confirmed when X couldn’t—and if they could, why wouldn’t Dr. Light release X at that time as well?

While this overlooks the possibility of X being built after the MM9 fiasco, he does raise a good point.  What exactly makes X so special besides that Suffering Circuit?

[Pringer X]

I'd assume that the robots could be easily reprogrammed to think differently, or their range of emotions weren't that great. X however, felt an actual conscience instead, and simply couldn't be reprogrammed if push came to shove.

Either that, or the very Suffering Circuit that's in him is the reason why he's so special.

[Flame]

You keep asking these questions when we have thousands of arguments and debates over it.

He isnt the first to think and feel. He is the first to be able to decide right from wrong by himself.  He is forced to constantly worry deeper than any other robot or reploid. Like Sigma said, He feels and worries deeper than other reploids. Rockman himself followed his Justice circuit, which was why he was so dedicated to doing the right thing, but yet Wily was easily able to guilt trip him over destroying his robots. Which is where Light thought Robots should be able to decide whats right and wrong for themselves.

X also has limitless evolutionary potential and a near human soul. He himself was not afraid, he was afraid for X himself. the worry over him breaking the 1st rule is a natural fear with any robot, but he wasnt scared of X. he was scared that humans would not be able to accept his limitless evolutionary potential and would fear it. Thus, he sealed X for the future.

I could be wrong on 1 or 2 things. I'll let Zan, Hyper or any of the other experts elaborate.

[Hiryu]

"X" is the first robot to think, feel, and make his own decisions. Therefore, unlike Rock and the other robots, he is not limited to the 1st rule of robotics. Because of this, Light seals X for 30 years, in order to test his reliability.

Atleast, according to X1.

[Flame]

None of them were bound to the rules of robotics. They dont apply in the way you think they do.