Ok, I am a total noob when it comes to Netrunner. I never played the original and have very little idea what to expect.

Obviously the game is PvP, where 1 player plays the Netrunners, the other the corporation. Does this mean that 2 players cannot play netrunner decks? This is my main issue as I feel it would limit the options within the game.

Everyone who I have asked is a huge fan of the original so im very tempted to purchase this game.

Netrunner was always designed to be 1Pv1P where one plays the Corporation and the other plays the Runner. You cannot play Runner v Runner or Corp v Corp. Being assymetrical, there can be balence problems, but I always found the old games pretty even and there is nothing to suggest otherwise in the new version. The biggest change seems to be the addition of 'styles' of play with concept of 'Identities' for Runners and Corp types. This should add more to the deck building aspect by adding 'themes'. The Android setting has given the designers a 'background' to work from which should add more 'flavour' to the game.

Most people agree the new version is at least 95% the old game and the changes good, but we can't really tell until it is released. However, I believe it will be a great game, but you can't get away from 2 player Runner v Corp. Enjoy. Cheers!

Rashley said:

There was a setting in the original Netrunner game based on the Cyberpunk 2020 RPG. So far the Android setting looks to me less serious and more self-conscious than CP2020, which is not bad for a card game.

Rashley said:

Having never played the original, this is merely speculation, but I think a lot of the "balance problems' a game like this can have can be more apparent not in the cards themselves, but in two opponents' ability to "out game" each other with misdirection and bluffing.

It will be interesting to see how all these Identities match up against each other once the game is released and sessions reports from experienced players come out for discussion. I'm sure certain matchups will be less favorable than others, from both points of view, but then again, there's nothing more satisfying than pulling a win out of your butt when nobody expected it to be possible.

Mikko Leho said:

I presume you're getting the 'less serious' impression from that art. The board game actually leans pretty strongly to the darker side as gaming experiences go. It's a murder mystery and very noir in its design and feel. I suppose that can come across as 'self-conscious,' though that's not the word I'd use.

In any event, I heartily encourage anyone who's interested in NR to play Android. It's a very, very good game. Based on what I've seen so far, I don't think that knowing the board game would make much, if any, difference to one's ability to play NR (no more than being familiar with CP2020 did the original), but it would most certainly give one a better feel for the setting.

If it helps: Think of this like a traditional wargame, in that there are two sides, each side has their own strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly, each player has to play one side. You can't have the Axis fighting the Axis or the Allies fighting the Allies.

The asymmetry in Netrunner is its greatest strength, and you really have to learn how to play the game from both sides (Corp and Runner).

Amuk said:

I am only familiar with the preview cards for Android: Netrunner, which contain fair share of humor, so my point of view might be skewed. Also Richard Garfield commented in his interview that he is glad that the humor still remains a part of Netrunner, which could mean that this game just focuses on certain aspect of the setting. I am not familiar with Android the boardgame and because a friend of mine, with whom I share a similar taste for games, hated it I doubt I will try it out soon. Infiltration has also gotten some bad reviews, but I have bought the novel Free Fall. I have had not the time to read it yet, but I am planning to do it before A:N launches.

Also, should you get to check them out, I found both Golem and what I've read of Freefall to be fairly good books that give a pretty solid interpretation of what I would expect from life in New Angeles. I'm a bit of a fan and I'll admit it, but these sucked me in and I think may give some insight into the flavor of Android.

Richard Skelton said:

No has specifically said this because to all of them it is readily apparent, but each player is intended to play both sides. A match would be two players playing each other, first one as runner and the other as corp and then switching roles. The winner of the match is whomever had the most points between the two games (usually agenda points but because of the ability to deck the corp or flat-line the runner this is not always going to be how the points are decided).

Thanks for the detailed responses. I have been doing a little reading on the game now and I think I understand it a little more.

I will be buying a copy along with some friends.