Suppose a free sprite is running on (not merely subscribed to) a node, and that node crashes. Can anyone find a rule somewhere that explicitly states what happens?
The most likely possibilities seem to be that it is effectively trapped, since just like any other program, when the node it is on crashes, it can't run until that node comes back online, or that it gets booted to the resonance realms, which seems more inline with the way things tend to work otherwise for free sprites. But I can't find any statement anywhere in the rules about this.
Full Version: Sprites and Crashed Nodes
Sprites do not subscribe to nodes. They run independent of the Node they are in, same as Technomancers. But when node crashes/goes offline/reboots, the sprite derezzes and heads back to the Resonance Realm and from there pops back into existence in another node.
QUOTE (Magus @ May 23 2011, 08:22 AM) 
Sprites do not subscribe to nodes. They run independent of the Node they are in, same as Technomancers. But when node crashes/goes offline/reboots, the sprite derezzes and heads back to the Resonance Realm and from there pops back into existence in another node.
Can you direct me to where in the books you found that?
Can you "trap" a sprite on a node if you disable it's wifi capabilities somehow? After all, spirits dot get "dumpshocked." AFAIK...
Edited for double posting
QUOTE
SR4A pg. 240
Sprites
Technomancers also have the ability to create semi-autonomous entities out of the fabric of the Matrix, digital creatures that answer to the technomancer’s beck and call. These sprites are viewed as pets or unusual virtual friends by some technomancers, while others view them as spirits of the machine. Hackers and other Matrix specialists are at a loss to explain the true nature of these constructs; to most analyses they seem to be unusual and complex programs that form out of nothing. Sprite icons range from the cute and animated to bizarre and esoteric designs.
In game terms, sprites are very similar to agents (p. 234). Each sprite has a rating that is equivalent to the Pilot rating of an agent and determines its other Matrix attributes. A sprite’s Matrix attributes are independent of the attributes of any node in which it is running; it runs on other, inexplicable resources.
Unwired pg 154
Sprites And Node Access
As creatures of resonance, sprites may travel to and from
the resonance realms as they please. This allows them a kind of
shortcut, taking a path from one node to another via the resonance
realms, rather than through the Matrix.
This does not, however,
give them a free pass to bypass firewalls and system security. A
sprite may only use this shortcut to access a node in which the
technomancer to whom they are registered is present (i.e., the
technomancer calls them into the node), or in which they have
legitimate account or backdoor access. Otherwise, the sprite must
hack into the node, following the same rules as any other hacker
Crashing Sprites
If a sprite suffers enough Matrix damage to fill its damage
track, it crashes. A crashed sprite shuts down (or gets booted into
the resonance realms, whatever you want to believe) and is not
able to recompile on the Matrix for 16 days minus its rating, with
a minimum time of 32 hours.
Decompiling a Free Sprite pg 159
A free sprite can be decompiled like any other sprite (p. 236,
SR4), though their Denial power makes this more difficult. Since
a free sprite is normally unregistered to any technomancer, it lacks
tasks that can be reduced in this manner. Instead, its unspent Edge
is reduced for each net hit the decompiler achieves.
A free sprite whose available Edge is reduced to 0 this way
is temporarily disrupted to code fragments, but reforms when its
Edge replenishes.
Whether the free sprite just dissipates into code
or transfers to a resonance realm is currently unknown. To permanently
destroy a free sprite, it must be decompiled by someone
who knows its source code.
Sprites
Technomancers also have the ability to create semi-autonomous entities out of the fabric of the Matrix, digital creatures that answer to the technomancer’s beck and call. These sprites are viewed as pets or unusual virtual friends by some technomancers, while others view them as spirits of the machine. Hackers and other Matrix specialists are at a loss to explain the true nature of these constructs; to most analyses they seem to be unusual and complex programs that form out of nothing. Sprite icons range from the cute and animated to bizarre and esoteric designs.
In game terms, sprites are very similar to agents (p. 234). Each sprite has a rating that is equivalent to the Pilot rating of an agent and determines its other Matrix attributes. A sprite’s Matrix attributes are independent of the attributes of any node in which it is running; it runs on other, inexplicable resources.
Unwired pg 154
Sprites And Node Access
As creatures of resonance, sprites may travel to and from
the resonance realms as they please. This allows them a kind of
shortcut, taking a path from one node to another via the resonance
realms, rather than through the Matrix.
This does not, however,
give them a free pass to bypass firewalls and system security. A
sprite may only use this shortcut to access a node in which the
technomancer to whom they are registered is present (i.e., the
technomancer calls them into the node), or in which they have
legitimate account or backdoor access. Otherwise, the sprite must
hack into the node, following the same rules as any other hacker
Crashing Sprites
If a sprite suffers enough Matrix damage to fill its damage
track, it crashes. A crashed sprite shuts down (or gets booted into
the resonance realms, whatever you want to believe) and is not
able to recompile on the Matrix for 16 days minus its rating, with
a minimum time of 32 hours.
Decompiling a Free Sprite pg 159
A free sprite can be decompiled like any other sprite (p. 236,
SR4), though their Denial power makes this more difficult. Since
a free sprite is normally unregistered to any technomancer, it lacks
tasks that can be reduced in this manner. Instead, its unspent Edge
is reduced for each net hit the decompiler achieves.
A free sprite whose available Edge is reduced to 0 this way
is temporarily disrupted to code fragments, but reforms when its
Edge replenishes.
Whether the free sprite just dissipates into code
or transfers to a resonance realm is currently unknown. To permanently
destroy a free sprite, it must be decompiled by someone
who knows its source code.
Yep... Seems pretty cut and dried to me... Thanks Magus. 
Yeah, that says what happens if the sprite crashes. But what happens if the node it is running on crashes?
It's stats are independant of the node on which it is running, but it still has to run on a node. It can certainly leave the node at any time... but what are the consequences of the node crashing before the sprite leaves it?
It's stats are independant of the node on which it is running, but it still has to run on a node. It can certainly leave the node at any time... but what are the consequences of the node crashing before the sprite leaves it?
QUOTE (UmaroVI @ May 23 2011, 08:59 AM)
Yeah, that says what happens if the sprite crashes. But what happens if the node it is running on crashes?
It's stats are independant of the node on which it is running, but it still has to run on a node. It can certainly leave the node at any time... but what are the consequences of the node crashing before the sprite leaves it?
It's stats are independant of the node on which it is running, but it still has to run on a node. It can certainly leave the node at any time... but what are the consequences of the node crashing before the sprite leaves it?
Well, a program on a Crashed node becomes a Crashed program. It must be reloaded when the System is rebooted. They do not just come up automatically...
Deresolution...
QUOTE (Tymeaus Jalynsfein @ May 23 2011, 10:00 AM)
Well, a program on a Crashed node becomes a Crashed program. It must be reloaded when the System is rebooted. They do not just come up automatically...
Deresolution...
Deresolution...
I would agree that if all programs on a crashed node are crashed, then this conclusion would follow. Can you source "a program on a crashed node becomes a crashed program?" It looks to me like a program on a crashed node gets deactivated, not crashed, and there's nothing written that I can find about what "deactivation" means for a sprite.
QUOTE (UmaroVI @ May 23 2011, 08:08 AM)
I would agree that if all programs on a crashed node are crashed, then this conclusion would follow. Can you source "a program on a crashed node becomes a crashed program?" It looks to me like a program on a crashed node gets deactivated, not crashed, and there's nothing written that I can find about what "deactivation" means for a sprite.
At that point you are arguing semantics. Programs and Sprites cannot operate on a Node that is not active. I am pretty sure that we both agree on that point. Therefore, what happens is largely irelevant for Programs, they obviously must be reloaded. For a Sprite, you have 2 choices. The first is that they escaped to the resonance realms prior to node crash/deactivation/shutdown. The other is that they were trapped. Since a Sprite cannot operate on a node that is not active, it is shunted to the resonance realms as it is derezzed. After all, a Crashed node inflicts no damage on Sprites OR programs.
In either case, the Program/Sprite must either be reloaded to, or reaccess, the node in question once it comes back online.
Agreed TJ. At least that is the interpretation I get from the listed resources I found.
So, basically, "there's no rules but sending them to the resonance realms makes sense."
UmaroVI
That is the jist of it. Unlike AI and Agents, Sprites are not bound to the node they are on. If you tried to trap a Sprite in a Node it simply skips back to the Resonance. Remember all Nodes even if they are secured and not connected to the matrix are connected somehow to the Resonance.
That is why through a Resonance Quest a TM can uncover any and all Data in the Resonance Library. If it exists on a Node somewhere is exists in the Resonance Realms.
That is the jist of it. Unlike AI and Agents, Sprites are not bound to the node they are on. If you tried to trap a Sprite in a Node it simply skips back to the Resonance. Remember all Nodes even if they are secured and not connected to the matrix are connected somehow to the Resonance.
That is why through a Resonance Quest a TM can uncover any and all Data in the Resonance Library. If it exists on a Node somewhere is exists in the Resonance Realms.
QUOTE (UmaroVI @ May 23 2011, 05:18 AM)
The most likely possibilities seem to be that it is effectively trapped, since just like any other program, when the node it is on crashes, it can't run until that node comes back online, or that it gets booted to the resonance realms, which seems more inline with the way things tend to work otherwise for free sprites. But I can't find any statement anywhere in the rules about this.
Sprites have Resonance Shortcuts at their disposal(unwired). They may simply leave at any time. It is incredibly unlikely they will be trapped in any way.
I could see one choosing to remain in the node until it came back online, though, similiar to how AI's can be trapped within the memory.
Additionally, self-preservation is one area in which sprites and other NPC entities WILL spend their edge to avoid harm.
I'd also like to remind people that Crashing Nodes take a little bit. It doesn't come down instantly.
So... all a sprite has to do is take Free Action to Jack Out any time during the restart.
For some context on how this came up, there was a free sprite running on a technomancer's bionode. The technomancer was then possessed by a spirit on a remote service (so there was no warning for the sprite). Since possession cuts off a technomancer from resonance and therefore likely shuts off the bionode, we weren't sure what happened. Can the free sprite escape to resonance? Is it just suppressed as long as the possession lasts? We went with the latter question, but we weren't sure overall.
Roll Initiative.
If the sprite wins, and doesn't do anything, it can always interject with a Delayed Action in order to interrupt the pass.
Yes, its powerful, and thats how Recieving a Charge works.
If the sprite wins, it can realize what's happening, and do something about it (like hopping to its techno's smartlink, or commlink, or whatever) because its able to act.
If the spirit wins, and gets its possession off before the sprite can act, then either it gets booted/kicked/disconnected from the node (what happens when nodes crash, but sprites don't get dumpshocked), OR the node is taken offline so suddenly its stuck in limbo until the node comes back online. Which depends on how your TM's setup works
When dealing with agents and sprites, its important to remember that they have all the priviledges of a normal user: They can form connections and subscriptions with other nodes and networks. OR they can physically leave the node they're running on, transfering the program itself elsewhere, which means they take up resources on that node, and use its matrix stats. The only difference a sprite makes is it never takes up any space on the Processor Limit.
So if its only Connecting to the TM's bionode, its connection gets severed.
If its Physically Running on it, its either going to get kicked to resonance or limbo'd, depending on your gm.
If the sprite wins, and doesn't do anything, it can always interject with a Delayed Action in order to interrupt the pass.
Yes, its powerful, and thats how Recieving a Charge works.
If the sprite wins, it can realize what's happening, and do something about it (like hopping to its techno's smartlink, or commlink, or whatever) because its able to act.
If the spirit wins, and gets its possession off before the sprite can act, then either it gets booted/kicked/disconnected from the node (what happens when nodes crash, but sprites don't get dumpshocked), OR the node is taken offline so suddenly its stuck in limbo until the node comes back online. Which depends on how your TM's setup works
When dealing with agents and sprites, its important to remember that they have all the priviledges of a normal user: They can form connections and subscriptions with other nodes and networks. OR they can physically leave the node they're running on, transfering the program itself elsewhere, which means they take up resources on that node, and use its matrix stats. The only difference a sprite makes is it never takes up any space on the Processor Limit.
So if its only Connecting to the TM's bionode, its connection gets severed.
If its Physically Running on it, its either going to get kicked to resonance or limbo'd, depending on your gm.
QUOTE (Udoshi @ May 23 2011, 10:18 PM)
Roll Initiative.
If the sprite wins, and doesn't do anything, it can always interject with a Delayed Action in order to interrupt the pass.
Yes, its powerful, and thats how Recieving a Charge works.
If the sprite wins, it can realize what's happening, and do something about it (like hopping to its techno's smartlink, or commlink, or whatever) because its able to act.
If the spirit wins, and gets its possession off before the sprite can act, then either it gets booted/kicked/disconnected from the node (what happens when nodes crash, but sprites don't get dumpshocked), OR the node is taken offline so suddenly its stuck in limbo until the node comes back online. Which depends on how your TM's setup works
When dealing with agents and sprites, its important to remember that they have all the priviledges of a normal user: They can form connections and subscriptions with other nodes and networks. OR they can physically leave the node they're running on, transfering the program itself elsewhere, which means they take up resources on that node, and use its matrix stats. The only difference a sprite makes is it never takes up any space on the Processor Limit.
So if its only Connecting to the TM's bionode, its connection gets severed.
If its Physically Running on it, its either going to get kicked to resonance or limbo'd, depending on your gm.
If the sprite wins, and doesn't do anything, it can always interject with a Delayed Action in order to interrupt the pass.
Yes, its powerful, and thats how Recieving a Charge works.
If the sprite wins, it can realize what's happening, and do something about it (like hopping to its techno's smartlink, or commlink, or whatever) because its able to act.
If the spirit wins, and gets its possession off before the sprite can act, then either it gets booted/kicked/disconnected from the node (what happens when nodes crash, but sprites don't get dumpshocked), OR the node is taken offline so suddenly its stuck in limbo until the node comes back online. Which depends on how your TM's setup works
When dealing with agents and sprites, its important to remember that they have all the priviledges of a normal user: They can form connections and subscriptions with other nodes and networks. OR they can physically leave the node they're running on, transfering the program itself elsewhere, which means they take up resources on that node, and use its matrix stats. The only difference a sprite makes is it never takes up any space on the Processor Limit.
So if its only Connecting to the TM's bionode, its connection gets severed.
If its Physically Running on it, its either going to get kicked to resonance or limbo'd, depending on your gm.
I agree. If forewarned, the sprite could move to another node or back to the resonance realm. However that is not the case here.
How is the sprite suppose to notice the spirit to ready an action? By the time the sprite is capable of perceiving the spirit though any means available to it, the possession is done. However allowing that, it would at least be a surprise test with the spirit as the ambusher and then the normal initiative test. There's a very good chance that the sprite won't have time to escape and if it can't, what happens to it? The question can also come up if the sprite has already acted in that phase and we just shot the technomancer in the head and knocked her out or even killed her. What happens then?
Also sprites don't run on some sort of resonance super-node and then subscribe to the rest of the matrix when they appear. They have to run off a node just a normal agent or user. They just don't count towards the processor limit nor affected by system rating of the node. Just because you're subscribed to another node doesn't give you a free "jump" when your home node is taken out. A subscription is a type of connection to another node, not you running in multiple places at once. Thus what happens when the home node is taken out?
Yeah, that's where you get to "kicked to the resonance realms or limbo'd, depending on your GM."
I would suggest that you treat sprites like technomancers.
If a node crashes and a technomancer is still in it he gets hard dumped and ends up having to resist dump shock.
Now if a sprite is in a node when it crashes they get dumped to the resonance and have to resist dump shock.
If the technomancer calls the sprite back, give it healing based on the time passed since the dump and when it was called.
If a node crashes and a technomancer is still in it he gets hard dumped and ends up having to resist dump shock.
Now if a sprite is in a node when it crashes they get dumped to the resonance and have to resist dump shock.
If the technomancer calls the sprite back, give it healing based on the time passed since the dump and when it was called.
Thing is, sprites are like agents. They cannot suffer dumpshock. In looking through SR4a & Unwired I cannot find any reference to a sprite (or agent) being able to suffer dumpshock, while practically every reference to dumshock is to the matrix user.
I think what happens to a sprite that's in a node when it crashes was intentionally left vague to allow GMs greater flexibility in the matter. It's possible that rogue free sprite was actually permanently killed by crashing the node, or it really did manage to skip out to the Resonance realms and will come back to harass them (like a Hand Of God).
I think what happens to a sprite that's in a node when it crashes was intentionally left vague to allow GMs greater flexibility in the matter. It's possible that rogue free sprite was actually permanently killed by crashing the node, or it really did manage to skip out to the Resonance realms and will come back to harass them (like a Hand Of God).
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