http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3432

Nice that FFG is putting our these articles now. I never played the earlier one so I am kind of lost in these conversations. Really motivates me to go read the rules and get some people together to play …

… um, wait, no rules yet. Anyone know when the rules will be posted here? Are they anywhere else yet?

If you wanna try the old Netrunner game you can. I wrote a nice little how-to. The rules are linked from it:

www.reddit.com/r/Netrunner/comments/wjr12/how_i_am_trying_netrunner_out_onlinelan_play_and/

Exciting to see they haven't changed any of the corp rules regarding actions. Makes me have a lot of hope for the integrity of the original rule set.

Man, I'm getting excited. I'm just as excited to play it myself, as I am for new people who get to see the epic awesomeness that was/is netrunner. Prepare for one of the best card games ever designed.

They've been fairly clear that the core rules of the game have remained pretty much unchanged, it's just the details that have been tidied up a bit. Not having played the original I'm not in a position to compare, and I don't want to go looking up the old version as I think it's going to be simpler to just learn one rules set. Not long to go now.

Seems the core will also include some cardboard tokens for the game.

BorisKarloff said:

It's FFG. Of course there are some cardboard tokens for the game.

I love the tokens. Much better than having to scrounge up a bunch of pennies or glass beads.

Each person is different, but I have to say, selling a game that requires trackers, markers, counters etc, and not including them, while okay for experienced card gamers, is an auto-fail with pretty much every other person, especially board gamers or non-gamers just getting into gaming. Experienced card gamers can and probably will find things they like to use all on their own, or probably own enough bits and stuff that they could field all their own things, but it is nice that I won't have to, if I don't want to.

Well, nobody could ever accuse FFG of being stingy with the game components.

Now here is something I am trying to figure out. Does the game require a corp to play against a runner similar to the old star wars ccg's or can corps face off against other corps and vice versa for hackers? The reason I ask is because tournament formating when you require a side to play a side can become complicated and take away from the overall experience. A lot of players will derive thier enjoyment of the game by picking a faction and supporting it and if they need a deck for both sides they might be less likely to buy or even play the game.

You need a deck for both sides. I actually think this is a strength of factioning, you can pick a faction on each side of the coin who plays in a fashion you like or whose fluff fits your own idealizations. But you need a deck of each side to participate in a tournament. You can do whatever you want when it comes to social games.

So how would the tournament as far as that go would it be similar to chess in that you round robin a number of games with attempt made to alternate sides?

In chess if you had enough players for 5 round of play then the program would randomly generate tables and depending on if you play white or black you go from there. Example: I get white in my first match so baring a normal day and no weird hiccups I should go rounds as follows:

1.White (Won - 1 point)

2.Black (Won - 1 point/2 total)

3.White (Draw - .5 point/2.5 total)

4.Black (Loss - 0 point/2.5 total)

5.White (Win - 1 point/3.5)

My total for the tournament is 3.5 points if that is the highst total i won with a tiebreaker being used off the strength of scheduling.

Or do they plan to bracket tournament after they use a round robin to determine top so many?

I know people would not have an answer for what FFG plans to do but was curious what they did with origninal.

The way the original was scored was on a per round basis where each player played each side and the winner of each game got 10 points and the loser got one point for each agenda they scored/stole. The match was decided in this fashion and contributed to the overall win/loss(and may have been used as a tiebreaker).

I also liked the old idea of playing games in sets of 2. Once as Corp then once as Runner. Since my non tounament games were usually all played with my decks, it became like duplicate Bridge with players swapping decks. As Edwin20er stated, the 10 point win and 'Agendas' scored for losses was an easy way to assess how well you did and even run leagues. I shall probably continue that even if FFG drop it.

So far, the only major change that I can see - apart from graphics - is the introduction of Factions and Identities. This should help with the Android setting and allow for themed decks. I look forward to these changes as long as overall balence is maintained and the old rules adhered to. It was too good a game to mess about with. Still one of my favourite 2 player, competative and totally unique card games. Be faithfull FFG!! Cheers!

Change is not something I mind too much tbh, as long as it's change for good and not change for the sake of change…. Trace/Links were one of the more confusing things to players I knew, if they've simplified or eliminated them I think it's all the better, depending of course on what they've been replaced by.

Edwin20er said:

We've already seen a couple of cards that involve tags and some vague references to simplifying Traces, so I think you're getting your wish. I wouldn't want them to eliminate Traces myself, because they were very thematic.

Rashley said:

There was one new addition to the Corp side, a way to remove Virus counters. That however, cost a Corp player 3 action (aka his entire turn) to do so.

I don't think Viruses and Virus removal is new. That was in the original and very thematic. It was also good to see the old 'Tags' still in it as this led to more actual direct contact with the Runner. One of the old ways of gaining 'Tags' was by 'Tracing' the Runner after it did something specific like make a run. Some ICE had Trace sub-routines that the Runner had to avoid, or risk a 'Tag'. I would be interested in seeing how this will be 'simplified'.

The old method was a quick 'In the hand' bidding mechanism using 'Bits' - the 'currency' in the game. The Corp usually had an upper limit, while the Runner didn't, but needed cards in play that gave that player 'Links'. It led to another great bluffing element to get/avoid 'Tags', and use up your opponents 'Bits'. Of course, both players needed 'Bits', but the game was usually about getting a steady supply of them. It was always a big advantage to have the biggest pool of 'Bits', so an alternative way to 'hurt' your opponent by removing their 'Bits' is fundamental to the theme.

We can speculate for years over these changes but it will all be revealed when the rules are published. Old players will instantly know what is different, but new players can't really know what the game is like until they play it. No doubt there will be hundreds of reviews and articles to help. I am still eagerly awaiting this arrival as my 4 old decks - 2xCorp/2xRunner - are getting worn. I havn't changed these decks for years and used a limit of 1 of each card. The decks were 60 card ones and still gave a great many different, but close and exciting games. Beat that if you can FFG! Cheers!

The virus removal got changed. Previously, it was "Forgo three actions at any time" to remove virus counters. Now it's "Take three consecutive actions".

I stand corrected. Any 3 Actions is different to consequetive ones. However, that is reducing 'choice' a bit, although I usually did it in one go once the Virus got too nasty. Probably wont make much difference overall. I was interested in the card mentioned that moved Advancements from card to card. Never saw that in the original. Boy, that's a doozy! I suppose that it is reason why ccg changed to lcg. Everyone gets the same and eliminates some cards becoming like printed money. Cheers!

ffaristocrat said:

before it was already 3 consecutive action but they could be paid and delayed from one turn to another .

the corp could use this ability during runner's turn and wipe out his virus to leave runner more weak .

Now as far as i can understand the wording "cost: effect" the action needs to be "in pool" in order to be paid as a cost so the ability can only be used during the corp turn .

the big difference is that runner viruses will be reinforced since runner will potentially have 3 more actions to load them …

I think that if they're trying to reduce the complexity of tracking and the like, they need to keep the corp's actions on a turn by turn basis, that is to say, skip your turn, remove all virus counters…

Also, I know there were resources that could be trashed to avoid a tag, but did the runner have any way to remove a tag inherently, say the same way a corp can remove virus counters?

The runner could spend an action and pay 2 bits to remove a tag.

Awesome, I thought there was something, just couldn't remember for the life of me what it was. Thanks.