[Senko]

In datatrails the Nixdorf Sekretar has an inbuilt personal assistant agent and I'm wondering is this solely limited to them or could you pay extra to have a similar agent installed on a better commlink e.g. a transys avalon or a fairlight caliban?

[Herr Brackhaus]

Debatable, thought the Nixdorf is unique in that it is the only commlink that comes stock with an Agent program.

You could theoretically modify the device with a Program Carrier module hardwired for Virtual Machine, and run an Agent program as well another program on the device.

[Rooks]

Gauntlet Narrator Voice> Data Trails/matrix needs an errata badly

[Senko]

That's pretty much my problem with this. Is the Nixdorf the only commlink that comes STOCK with an agent prgram as standard software or is it the only commlink that comes MODDED TO RUN an agent as standard software. Its an important difference and not one that's clearly indicated. In the former case you can use a better commlink and buy an agent to run on it, in the latter you need to use up a mod option to run an agent.

It wouldn't be so bad if the Nixdorf didn't have such a lousy firewall if it was a 4 equal to the device rating like the core comnlinks it'd be a fine choice as it is it just comes up unuseable in my opinion. Its close though, if it weren't for the 1 module limit it'd still be viable use modify attribute to lower dataprocessing to 5 and raise firewall to 3 then use another module to give it the ability to run encryption raising the firewall to 4 which would give you 5 data processing and 4 firewall which is borderline. Sadly with only one module its just to vulnerable to hacking.

[Xenon]

GM created non-standard form factors don't follow the same rules as players follow when they modify their commlinks and decks.

There are for example no way for a player to build a commlink with a 5 firewall for 2k, hardwire a stealth module with sleaze 5 or install an agent program.

You should probably be very careful about using GM created non-standard form factors as a base on what players legally can and cannot do with regular modifications.

It is clear that a program carrier can run one common cyberprogram or one hacker cyberprogram.

Agents and autopilots are not listed as common cyberprograms nor nor as a hacker cyberprograms. The assumption that a program carrier can run one might or might not be correct. I'd say that until we get clarification this is a gray zone. That each table need to decide for themselves.

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

Gauntlet Narrator Voice> Data Trails/matrix needs an errata badly

There needs to be Gauntlet Narrator Voice references on the Internet!!!

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

In datatrails the Nixdorf Sekretar has an inbuilt personal assistant agent and I'm wondering is this solely limited to them or could you pay extra to have a similar agent installed on a better commlink e.g. a transys avalon or a fairlight caliban?

Yes... only it can run an Agent. Consider it an integral program module (Agent R3) for that Commlink. A vastly better option is to install a Program Module with Virtual Machine into a Caliban or Avalon! Then you can run 2 Programs at once... Agent R3 that can be swapped with other nice programs like Wrapper or Smoke n Mirrors.

[Senko]

The core book section on agents says they run like a program on your deck so more ambiguity. . .

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

The core book section on agents says they run like a program on your deck so more ambiguity. . .

"Programs" means cyberprograms... but yes it can be confusing since they use words interchangeable with each other. If you think Shadowrun is bad, so should check out A Time for War... which is CGLs RPG for Battletech. They have multiple different editions with none labeled as different... me & the GM had separate copies that half the group built with his and the over half with mine. Caused some arguments about how we weren't following the rules and not building our characters right. Then we figured out what we had different editions and when we got on the computer to redownload the same one, it was different than the 2 ones we already had. It made for an aggravating night that was spent arguing & then rebuilding everyone's characters with the 3rd rulebook instead of playing.

[Xenon]

The core book section on agents says they run like a program on your deck so more ambiguity. . .

"Programs" means cyberprograms...

Since they don't use the key word cyberprogram in all places where applicable it cause confusion.
Same that the stealth module in the description of the Evotech in DT might or might not talk about a cyberdeck module.

[I_AM_ZHOUL!!!]

The core book section on agents says they run like a program on your deck so more ambiguity. . .

"Programs" means cyberprograms...

Since they don't use the key word cyberprogram in all places where applicable it cause confusion.
Same that the stealth module in the description of the Evotech in DT might or might not talk about a cyberdeck module.

I know, that's what I was trying to point out... I totally think the writers should be locked in a room with you & a taser for a day, so when you finally let them go it would all be perfectly clear. You seem to go a bit to far with the Rules Lawyer aspect of literal interpretation than I do, so I don't always agree with your points. But thats cause the wording is vague or confusing, so I just ignore it when it does that & go with whatever makes for the most streamlined play. But calling them Cyberprograms in one place & Programs for Cyberdecks in another is annoying... when they call them Apps in one place & Programs in another for Commlinks, they have failed to properly Proof the text before releasing it.

[Rooks]

To my understanding theres only 3 devices that can traditionally accept a persona those are RCC Commlinks and Cyberdecks
Agents are like programs but more and can only be incorporated into devices that are able to run persona firmware
Drones traditionally dont have agents but pilot programs that act like agents

A pilot program is specific to the device it’s in. You
can’t just copy a program from one device and move it
into a different one. After a week or so, the pilot is so
adapted to the specific vehicle, drone, or other device
that it’s useless in anything else, even other devices of
the same model.

[Xenon]

If you have a control rig then you can base your persona directly on a vehicle with a rigger interface by jumping into it directly from meat space (to enter VR you use the sim module of the control rig). Your persona will use the firewall and device rating of the vehicle.


With Program Carrier you can run an agent on pretty much any device....

[Rooks]

So then the add a persona firmware modification is pretty much useless since people will use add a program carrier over that

[Xenon]

So then the add a persona firmware modification is pretty much useless since people will use add a program carrier over that

you need persona firmware if you want to base your persona on it.
you need a program carrier if you want to run an agent on it.