[dougansf]

Commlinks and Cyberdecks have Active Program Slots. The Virutal Machine Program adds 2 more slots.
The Programs section says:

The Data Processing rating of your device limits how many programs you can have running, though more may be stored.

Which is the actual limit to gain the effects of Programs?

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

There's no limit on the number of programs/autosofts/etc a device may have.  There's only a limit on the number that can concurrently be in use.

In the case of programs/cyberprograms, there's little reason to NOT just buy each and every one of them in the book... and pick and choose which ones you need at any given moment.

The same is true for vehicles/drones... but since autosofts cost "real" money, you probably can't just buy ALL of them.  Especially true if you want really high ratings.

[Xenon]

There is no real limit on the amount of stored programs you can have on a commlink or cyberdeck.

The only limit at play here are the amount of programs you can run at the same time.

If you spend one of your active program slots to run Virtual Machine then you get two more active program slots (a net gain of 1 active program slot). The disadvantage is that your device take one extra box of matrix damage each time it take matrix damage for as long as you choose to run the VM program.


Edit: Slipped by SSDR.

In the case of programs/cyberprograms, there's little reason to NOT just buy each and every one of them in the book... and pick and choose which ones you need at any given moment.

Note that there is probably no real point in storing Biofeedback, Blackout, Exploit, Lockdown, Stealth and Trace on our device unless it is a cyberdeck.

[dougansf]

Thanks, folks.

So, what I'm hearing is that Active Program Slots is the key number for getting benefits from Programs.

I presume the section about DP as a limit is in the event that DP drops below Active Program Slots, then the device stops running some programs.

[dougansf]

To site a real example:

The Fairlight Excalibur provides 12 Active Program Slots.
Does the PC need to get Data Processing up to 12 as well in order to actually utilize all those slots?

[Banshee]

To site a real example:

The Fairlight Excalibur provides 12 Active Program Slots.
Does the PC need to get Data Processing up to 12 as well in order to actually utilize all those slots?

No, that was a tweak made along the way and fell through the cracks a bit. While DP is used in the calculations I ended up pushing that all to the back ground and gave devices active slots instead.
Just the active slots when the devhas one listed and DP when or if it doesn't.

[dougansf]

Thanks Banshee!

[Xenon]

Device rating act as the limit on number of active program slots a device have (general rule)
...unless it have an explicit active program slots rating (specific rule)