Program: Virtual Machine, Question about the program slot amount. Options

[TalonZorch]

Hi,

I am currently building a Decker for our first SR5 session, and I stumbled upon the "Virtual Machine" Program. This program allows it, to have two more programs running on the Deck.

If my Deck has 2 a program limit, and I run Virtual Machine - then I have at first only 1 program left, then, after it activates, I have 3 programs available. So in effect I only get one extra program by using Virtual Machine, correct?

Kind regards,

TalonZorch

[Jack VII]

Yeah, one more than you otherwise would have without VM. VM is subsumed in the action. So you could slot Armor and VM, and then slot two programs into VM (Hammer and Mugger for instance). Then you just have to eat the extra matrix damage.

I assume if someone were to use Crash Program, they could target VM and knock out both of the programs running through it.

[Isath]

I assume if someone were to use Crash Program, they could target VM and knock out both of the programs running through it.

Indeed, I would share that assumption.

[X-Kalibur]

Yeah, one more than you otherwise would have without VM. VM is subsumed in the action. So you could slot Armor and VM, and then slot two programs into VM (Hammer and Mugger for instance). Then you just have to eat the extra matrix damage.

I assume if someone were to use Crash Program, they could target VM and knock out both of the programs running through it.

Why bother crashing it? Your target running it takes extra, unresisted matrix damage for running it when hit.

[SpellBinder]

I agree. Go big or go home. Figure 2 Data Spike hits (remember, MARKs not required), +/- 1, and it's bricked.

[Jack VII]

Why bother crashing it? Your target running it takes extra, unresisted matrix damage for running it when hit.

I dunno. Their Hammer/Decryption combo is kicking your tail? That's like mitigating an average of 10 dice.

Here's a quesrtion: If you crash Virtual Machine, does it crash the two programs running on it for the purpose of the Crash Program action (i.e. all three programs down until the device is rebooted)?

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

I dunno. Their Hammer/Decryption combo is kicking your tail? That's like mitigating an average of 10 dice.

Here's a quesrtion: If you crash Virtual Machine, does it crash the two programs running on it for the purpose of the Crash Program action (i.e. all three programs down until the device is rebooted)?

I would say yes...

[SpellBinder]

By RAW... It doesn't say. Heck, it doesn't even specify that the two extra programs you can run are tied to Virtual Machine. So basically it means that you Crash Program the running Virtual machine, two random programs the deck is running are simply closed.

And if set right, a Sony CIY-720 running Hammer & Decryption is doing 10 Matrix Damage per Data Spike, before net hits & MARKs are calculated.

Also, Crash Program requires one MARK. Data Spike requires no MARKs. Both are the exact same opposed skill tests, both are Complex Actions, and if you do have a MARK then Data Spike does an extra 2 Matrix Damage per attack. At a base of 12 Matrix Damage it means that even something that's at Device Rating 8 will be bricked in a single hit if it fails to soak any damage, and at most you'll see Device Rating 4 through 6 (and remember, guns & drones are Device Rating 2; only 9 Matrix Damage to brick).

[Jack VII]

I agree that in most cases Data Spike will be a superior choice. Since RAW states you can take Full Matrix Defense at any point before you roll your defense, you can tell what Attack action was thrown against you. An enemy decker may be far less willing to take a FMD against a Crash Program than against a Data Spike, so you probably do risk doing damage to yourself more often with Data Spike than with Crash Program, given an equally talented opponent. Crash Program may also be a good option if the enemy decker persona has you link-locked through Lockdown and IC is coming online.

[SpellBinder]

Situational, yes. But both are Attack actions; fail and you take 1 Matrix Damage either way. All it takes is that one paranoid decker (shouldn't they all be paranoid?) to go Full Matrix Defense.

But then there's the side effect of going Full Matrix Defense. The other guy has just taken -10 to their Initiative Score for the Combat Turn and thus gets fewer things to do back at you. Yes it's a little harder to Data Spike them again, but even a turtle's shell will eventually break if you pound hard enough.

[Jack VII]

Situational, yes. But both are Attack actions; fail and you take 1 Matrix Damage either way. All it takes is that one paranoid decker (shouldn't they all be paranoid?) to go Full Matrix Defense.

But then there's the side effect of going Full Matrix Defense. The other guy has just taken -10 to their Initiative Score for the Combat Turn and thus gets fewer things to do back at you. Yes it's a little harder to Data Spike them again, but even a turtle's shell will eventually break if you pound hard enough.

Sure, but a security decker is there to mainly wait for the IC to spool up and possibly lock you down/trace you. If it becomes a protracted waiting game, you're probably going to lose.

It's fail and take 1 Matrix damage per net hit difference, isn't it?

[SpellBinder]

Guess you're right. Well, there's always Edge.

[Jack VII]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I think Data Spike is probably superior 95% of the time. I just think there are corner cases where Crash Program isn't a complete waste of a matrix action. I'm also of the opinion that the opposition shouldn't necessarily be equal in skill to our dear runners. So Data Spiking some rent-a-hacker with a DR2 deck and Intuition 3/Firewall 4 who is trying to keep you from your paydata makes absolute sense.

[Voran]

presumably its not something you run on a 'combat deck', just like running an agent on a combat deck while combat decking is a tradeoff. Extra action but added vulnerability from shared damage condition.