DEMONOLOGY

Demons are basically a specialized program designed to manage several other programs. These subprograms are compacted by the Demon's compiler function so that they take up half the space they would normally need, allowing the Netrunner to carry more programs in the same amount of memory.

To build a Demon, you'll start by building a normal program, using the Compiler/Demon function. To this, you can add as many options as desired, as well as setting its Strength. The Strength of the Demon is somewhat modified by the number of programs it carries; for each program "on board", the Demon will lose one point of Strength. Example: Succubus II starts with a Strength of 7. But by carrying 3 programs, this Strength is reduced to 4.

Next, build all of your subprograms. Don't worry about their strengths; they'll fight at the strength level of the Demon, not their own. NOW, after you've created them, add all Difficulty numbers together and divide by 2. Add this result to the Difficulty of the Demon and you have the total Difficulty (and the amount of memory required) for your completed Demon.

Example: Eager builds a Demon to hold four programs. Nicknamed Pixie, the program is constructed like this:

Compiler (Demon) 10
Icon (Simple) 1
Strength 7 7
TOTAL 18

He then plugs in four programs, one at 30, one at 25, and two at 15 for a total of 70 Difficulty. But thanks to the Demon, the cost is only 35 points! The result is a final version of Pixie that has a value of only 53 points, a savings of 17 points.

A Demon sounds like a great idea at first; you get a lot of programs in a small space. But there are a couple of serious gliches:

First, the Demon is only able to control all these programs by linking it's programming with theirs. This means that whenever the Demon is destroyed, all the programs linked to it are also destroyed (sort of like a ship going down with all hands).

Second, all the programs fight at the same Strength level as the original Demon. Not a bad idea; load the Demon up with some cheap programs and if the Demon's Strength is high, they'll all fight like... well... demons. However, you won't have a very powerful Demon if you load up on a lot of subprograms.

Third, the Demon has to unpack each program before using it, then repack it when it's done. This means that there's a delay in Speed; a negative value equal to the number or programs currently loaded. For example, if you've got four programs loaded in a Demon, this will mean a corresponding -4 penalty to your deck Speed. When you have to get off the mark, this can be a disaster.

But if you're looking for a way to stash a lot of programming in a small space, a Demon is the way to go.