In the description of the command program and directly controlling it talks about being able to directly control agents. The problem is that I can't for the life of me figure out what the die pool would be for such an action. When directly controlling a device or drone, the Command program takes the place of the stat, so you roll Command+Skill (e.g. command+pilot for remote controlling a car.) When conducting a matrix hacking action, the appropriate hacking program takes the place of your stats and you roll skill+Program (E.G. Hacking+Expoit for breaking into a node.) When an agent conducts a matrix action on its own you use the agent's rating as the skill (E.G. Agent+Exploit for breaking into a node.) What then, is the die pool for conducting a matrix action through a remotely controlled agent? For example, if you were directly remotely controlling an agent (with an exploit program loaded) to break into a node, would you roll Command+Exploit (in which case the rating of the agent is meaningless, and your skill in hacking does no make any difference) Command+Skill (in which case both the agent's rating and the rating of your program is meaingless) Agent+Exploit (In which case there is no reason to directly control the agent because the die pool is the same as issuing a command,) or Agent+Skill (which would make it appear as though the agent can perform program specific matrix actions without the help of other programs, which it explicitly says it cannot.)

What would the die pool be? Please Help.

due to the fact that this would be so absurdly broken that i can't imagine any GM actually allowing it, i assumed that it was an accident they mentioned agents.

but, if for some crazy reason i was going to actually allow this, it really leaves you in a crappy place; either the command program replaces all skills, or it replaces all programs. as to which one is worse, well... that's a hard choice. since i wouldn't allow either of them, i really have no advice on how to handle this situation beyond just not allowing it.

I'm not sure that controlling an agent makes sense. Let's compare agents to drones. Drones have brains (pilot programs), and tools (programs or wheels or guns or robotic arms). When you control a drone, you override the brain, to use its tools. If agents are similar, you override the pilot to use the programs (analyze or whatever). Why would you do that? Why wouldn't you just use your own programs? And even if you wanted to, wouldn't you roll the same dice for the agent's programs as you would for your own?

Not that I would do this, but one reason could be to avoid the feedback damage of any IC encountered...

I don't know, I am grabbing at straws here... *shrug*

Keep the Faith

Ive been thinking about it, and since A gents are described as "matrix drones," and drone pilot rating doesn't matter when directly controlling them remotely, I'm okay with the agent rating not counting (though it would still limit the number o programs that it can have loaded.) Really it's the command program, the matrix skill, and the applicable program that NEED to apply. My idea is Command+(The lower of the skill o the program.) Sort of like how response limits systen, which in turn limits programs, the program could limit the skill. This might still be unbearably broken, idk. Thoughts, comments?

well, that's probably *less* broken. but it still means a fresh-out-of-chargen technomancer can remote control an agent with 18+ dice pretty easily for pretty much every task by threading only 1 CF (which they won't suffer the threading penalty to, because they're always using that threaded CF). it also means that TMs can just buy their needed programs and mostly ignore CFs.

so, while it is somewhat less broken (particularly for regular hackers), it does still require that you have an unspoken (or spoken) "you will get kicked in the nuts if you try anything 'clever' with this" rule for technomancers.

Lol, though merely the presence of a technomancer also has the "allright, everybody be gentle with Timmy, he's a late bloomer" caveat, so it all sort of balances out... unless you're starting out the game with non-starting-level characters of a very high callibur, in which case they are already broken (But that's like 80+ karma after the standard point buy, and who's ever got that far.)

Could you please cite where you read that? I checked both SR4A and Unwired and neither of them mentions agents.

SR4 pg 220:Controlling Devices
You can control all sorts of Matrix-enabled devices remotely
through the Matrix, from simple automatic security
doors and elevators to drones and agents to entire automated
factories full of robotic assemblers—virtually any device that
can be electronically accessed.

SR4 pg 226: Command (misc.)
Command programs allow the user to control a device
through the Matrix, whether it be a surveillance camera, a drone
(p. 238), an agent (p. 227), or an electronic system.

Maybe they fixed it in anniversary edition, idk, if they did, good for them, in hindsight, directly controlling agents would be sort of broken, and not make much sense.

Yup, they fixed it:

i'm not sure where this idea comes from, and i'll tell you now: technomancers are largely only a late bloomer in the sense that they need enough time to register a sprite or three to become extremely effective*. apart from that, they can be very effective as hackers right off the bat. they will most likely be pretty bad at everything else, mind you, but they also aren't likely to get very good at everything else any time in the near future, in my experience.

* this is, of course, dependant on them being well-designed, but that is true of more-or-less every character type.