[Top Dog]

Except you're not running a commlink cyberprogram on a commlink with a program carrier module; you're running a cyberdeck cyberprogram on the program carrier module, which has the dedicated hardware necessary for it. You still wouldn't be running the cyberdeck cyberprograms on your commlink if you got Virtual Machine in a program carrier, because the program carrier is the hardware that would be running the virtual machine (and thus the two extra programs).

Virtual Machine doesn't run two programs - it increases the program limit of the device (so, the commlink - the program carrier isn't a device upon itself) by 2. So while the argument is true for the program carrier itself, it is not the case for the Virtual Machine's programs - those still run on the commlink.

Question: in your view, if you mod in a Program Carrier with Virtual Machine to an RCC, does it run RCC programs or Cyberdeck programs? Can it run Autosofts?

As for your GMs argument; if the writers intended for Virtual Machine to be an exception to the rule about Program Carriers, don't you think they would have stated as much explicitly?

I'm not saying there is an exception. You can, absolutely, run Virtual Machine on a Program Carrier. If you do that in a Cyberdeck, it does exactly as you say. You can run it (via PC) on a commlink as well - it just doesn't do anything.

That's not unique to Virtual Machine, either. You can get a Configurator or Hammer Program Carrier as well. You could also install those in a commlink and run them - they just won't actually do anything, since you can't do the things they modify on a commlink.

Besides, there's already another commlink out there with an Agent program; the Nixdorf.

Yes. Special commlinks with build-in things can break the standard rules. You can't usually modify commlinks to have 5 Sleaze either, but you can if you buy the one with that buildin. That doesn't mean you can run a regular agent on a Commlink.

[Max Mustermann]

Hi,

Except you're not running a commlink cyberprogram on a commlink with a program carrier module; you're running a cyberdeck cyberprogram on the program carrier module, which has the dedicated hardware necessary for it. You still wouldn't be running the cyberdeck cyberprograms on your commlink if you got Virtual Machine in a program carrier, because the program carrier is the hardware that would be running the virtual machine (and thus the two extra programs).

Virtual Machine doesn't run two programs - it increases the program limit of the device (so, the commlink - the program carrier isn't a device upon itself) by 2. So while the argument is true for the program carrier itself, it is not the case for the Virtual Machine's programs - those still run on the commlink.

Question: in your view, if you mod in a Program Carrier with Virtual Machine to an RCC, does it run RCC programs or Cyberdeck programs? Can it run Autosofts?

As for your GMs argument; if the writers intended for Virtual Machine to be an exception to the rule about Program Carriers, don't you think they would have stated as much explicitly?

I'm not saying there is an exception. You can, absolutely, run Virtual Machine on a Program Carrier. If you do that in a Cyberdeck, it does exactly as you say. You can run it (via PC) on a commlink as well - it just doesn't do anything.

That's not unique to Virtual Machine, either. You can get a Configurator or Hammer Program Carrier as well. You could also install those in a commlink and run them - they just won't actually do anything, since you can't do the things they modify on a commlink.

Besides, there's already another commlink out there with an Agent program; the Nixdorf.

Yes. Special commlinks with build-in things can break the standard rules. You can't usually modify commlinks to have 5 Sleaze either, but you can if you buy the one with that buildin. That doesn't mean you can run a regular agent on a Commlink.

@Top Dog
i agree with you, that VM and Configurator won't work on an commlink, but Hammer would work, if you have an Attack-Dongle

best regards Max

[Herr Brackhaus]

Hammer would absolutely do something on a commlink with an Attack or Sleaze dongle... Your argument doesn't hold water.

[Top Dog]

Well ignore the Hammer then. How does it not hold water with Configurator?

[Herr Brackhaus]

You can still run Configurator just fine to load a program configuration (which would normally take two free actions or more if you had Virtual Machine for two program slots), you just don't get to switch around your Matrix attributes since they are all fixed.

[SichoPhiend]

Except you're not running a commlink cyberprogram on a commlink with a program carrier module; you're running a cyberdeck cyberprogram on the program carrier module, which has the dedicated hardware necessary for it. You still wouldn't be running the cyberdeck cyberprograms on your commlink if you got Virtual Machine in a program carrier, because the program carrier is the hardware that would be running the virtual machine (and thus the two extra programs).

Except it is not the program carrier that runs the program, p.65 of Data Trails "This module holds a program that your deck can run permanently" emphasis mine.

The program carrier merely provides the capacity for the program, it doesn't run it by itself.  This means one of two things, either Commlinks can run cyberprograms but just lacked the capacity to do so, or they can't run cyberprograms regardless of receiving a module with a program.

Personally I believe that they can run the programs once they have the hardware to do so, I highly doubt that their software capabilities differ greatly from a cyberdeck... If they did, then you wouldn't be able to just plug an attack/sleaze dongle into them as their operating system would just go wtf?
If I am correct (and only clarification by the authors will let us know if I am) and a commlink can run a cyberprogram, than virtual machine is fair game as it will provide the same advantage and drawback that a deck receives.

[Herr Brackhaus]

Semantics.

If the Program Carrier only allowed a deck to run a program, it would be useless as a modification, wouldn't it.

Apply Occam's Razor and it should (hopefully) be fairly evident that Program Carrier simply provides a Program Slot of 1 that cannot be changed. If you choose to use that slot for Virtual Machine, you can now run two programs.

This is the simplest, most straight forward answer and doesn't rely on twisting of grammar and RAW to make an argument. If you want to argue RAW, go right ahead. Since I've made my position clear on what I think this piece of gear does, I'm out.