Hi; I just bought A:NR (core set) and am learning the game. I've played four games so far, and I have encountered several scenarios where I don't understand what the rules are meant to convey.

Case in point: the 'powers' written on agenda cards. When can these be used? I assume that, since they are installed facedown, you can't use them until they are scored. When you score the agenda, do the powers stay active for the rest of the game? Is there any way for the Runners to get rid of those abilities?

Also, can abilities on various cards be used in tandem? I was playing as the Criminal runner the other day, and I had a card that was an Event, telling me to make a run on HQ, with bonuses if I were to be successful. I had another program that allowed me to make a run on Archives, and treat a success as if it were a run on HQ. Can I use those two cards together on the same run? If not, what good are they?

I'm coming from a mindset where cards ought to be as interactive with each other as possible, a la Wiz War or Magic: the Gathering...it's so satisfying to put cards together that are more powerful in combination than they are individually.

Any thoughts/help? Thanks!

Agenda "powers" are indeed activated when the agenda is scored. Until the Runner can force the Corp. to forfeit an agenda these abilities will remain active until the end of the game (but the Corp. can choose to forfeit a scored agenda through things like Archer, at which point they will lose both the agenda points and any ongoing abilities).

Typically Netrunner differs from "traditional" CCGs in that there is fairly limited interaction between players when it is not their turn. There is no "stack" and the only "interrupt"-like effects are paid abilities that can be used within certain windows of the game. There is a useful FAQ document available from the Support section of the Netrunner website that has updated timing diagrams that details exactly when and where players can interact (I still find it a handy reference).

There are combinations of cards that work very well together but one thing to note is that whenever there is a <click> ability it cannot be activated while another is resolving. The same goes for events, each one is resolved independently so you can't make a run and also trigger an event during that run. So in the case of Core Criminal you can't Account Syphon through a Sneakdoor. Either the run is made using the Account Syphon event or a run is triggered using the Sneakdoor - one must complete before the other can begin. The point of Sneakdoor is that it gives you another way into the Corp's HQ/hand meaning that if they ICE HQ up 5 levels deep, you can still get in and possibly steal agendas. There are card combinations that do work very well together, for example beyond the core Sneakdoor can trigger the effects of Nerve Agent and Emergency Shutdown. (IMHO Account Syphon is already an annoying enough card as it is without having the added headache of it being able to trigger through a Sneakdoor Archive run!)

Having come from a Gathering based background myself I admit that the lack of "in response" stack based effects does feel a bit strange at first. But in the long run its absence doesn't detract from the complexity and fun of the game, and contributes to the game's unique feel.

Thanks for your thoughtful and complete response!

these [agenda] abilities will remain active until the end of the game

This is obviously not the case with agenda abilities that read "When this agenda is scored", as those are conditional abilities that trigger a single time (when the condition is met).

As for the issue of combining actions: Actions (i.e. game or card effects which you pay for with a click, such as gaining a credit or playing an event (as per the rules) or using the ability on Sneakdoor Beta (as per the card) cannot be combined. Think of clicks as your basic currency (credits are really a secondary currency). In magic, if you have a creature and a spell, and each cost one Mana, you cannot play both by tapping a single land. It's the same principle in Netrunner.