I'm trying to find out what the theoretical relative value is of each resource in the game. So far I haven't played much of it, so I will have a very limited perspective on things. Knowing this would help a great deal in assessing the various cards in the data packs so I'll know which one could complement my decks. Obviously it's all dependant on your deck (combined cost), the matchup, etc, but in general, what would be worth more?

Am I correct in assuming that in this game, you've got three types of resources: clicks, cards and credits ?

Clicks are hard to manipulate but, in theory, are seemingly equal to the other resources. A click can be spend to get either a credit or a card through the game's base mechanics. Other cardgame players (I'm looking at MtG) will normally come into the game with the firm believe that cards are worth much more than 'money' resources. A card has the potential to result in much more value but also presupposes the use of a another click (for playing or installing), where credits get spend incidentally. Clicks can be converted to cards or credits at will, though, while cards are inscribed with fixed effects. Credits are worthless on their own but their use is general. It's therefore safe to assume clicks are worth much more than the other two, but how much? Is a click worth 2 cards? Because if it is, the default corp ability to trade one for the other would make for a bad deal.

Jackson Howard, for a Magic-player, would seem totally bonkers, and it probably is. But is a card truly worth that much? You spend a click to get two clicks' value out of it, in the form of cards. Given that you've spend two theoretical clicks playing it (card + install click) you can get value out of the play as quickly as the second use: 1 card + 1 install + 2 usage clicks = 4 cards in hand, and don't forget Jackson's still on your board so there's your value already. The only 'downside' seems to be that your resources aren't infinite (yet ), so drawing a load of cards will eventually get undesirable late-game.

So, what has more value intrinsically? Little use to reply that "all are valuable in their own way", because they aren't . There are enough economy-producing cards to make those more valuable to the player than credits. And clicks, because of their flexibilty, are most valuable. But can you guys give me general relative values? How much credits should a click be worth? 2? 2.5? To get those values - who are only true in the current cardpool - we'll have to examine every card that actually results in extra clicks (does it even exist? ). How much credits is a card worth? 1.25? 1.5? Or is this just a futile attempt at monetizing resources?

I generally look at it in terms of veratility. A click is the most verastile, hence (usually) the most valuable. It's also important to note, that while you can always exchange a click for a credit/card, you can't exchange a single credit or card for a click.

Credits are also versatile - they can be paid for program use, or to play events or install cards. For that reason I usually rate them higher than cards.

Cards do only two things - thething printed on them, or soak damage for you. They also often require clicks and credits to be useful.

However, all of this changes according to the boardstate. Sometimes credits will be more useful than clicks, sometimes you need cards to safely facecheck what could be a damaging ICE or Ambush. What I've given above is a very loose generalisation.

For runners, the most important resources are Clicks. Next are either Credits and Cards. It depends on the type of deck and match-up.

For corporations, the most important resources are Credits. And the comparative value of Clicks and Cards similarly depend on the situation.

Why?

For Runners, Money does not float (exception being cards like Personal Workshop). You have to spend a Click to use Credits. This is less "you need Clicks to gain/lose Money," and more about threat projection and force multiplication.

When you are looking at Credits, it's value is very mathematical to the Corp, i.e. it costs X amount of Credits to successfully run against Y server. But it's a very limited threat. You know they can run, or you know that they can't, and you know what it will cost them. It's projected value is it's actual value.

On the other hand, if you still have remaining Clicks, that fact creates a higher value than it's actual value. The Corporation has to address what they will do with the remaining Clicks in addition to the primary Click. Is he going to run again? That's going to cost me more resources, if I have to rez Ice on that server as well as the first server. He can make it through, but he would bankrupt himself to do it. Will he be able to play econ cards and run again, or does he have to Click for a Credit?

Now, obviously all those possibilities rely on Cards and Credits, but standing on their own, Cards and Credits are only worth what they are worth, when they are worth it. A Corroder in hand means nothing until you play it. Credits mean nothing until they are used or have an Ice Breaker that utilizes them. And when they are worth something, they are worth *exactly* that.

Clicks, on the other hand can be any of those things and makes those things better. It's why there's the saying "Run early, and run often." It's not *just* because running is really good, it's because running while you still have Clicks makes something that's really good even better.

Consider also how the cheapest end the run Ice are much more valuable than the more expensive end the run ice. Over the course of a game, in terms of credits, the more expensive Ice has a higher value, but cheap Ice is heavily favored. This is because the most important value to Ice is not the credit tax of breaking it, but rather the Click cost in finding and playing the Ice Breaker. If one ice does this cheaper than another ice, then it becomes much more favored regardless of the overall credit balance effect.

For Cards and Credits, it depends on how you are set-up to use Clicks. If your deck is versatile, (like Criminals due to Special Order) you generally favor money. You'll have useful cards more frequently than you'll need useful cards. If your deck is less versatile, (like Anarchs) you'll need cards. Shapers can go either way.

For the Corporation, Credits are most valuable because that's where they project threat and multiply their force. Simply put, a Corporation with a lot of money can do something, from rezzing Ice to playing Sea Source, Scorched Earth, Scorched Earth on the next turn.

Sure, you might have garbage in your hand, but Credits makes any set-up look terrifying, whereas a poor corporation ripe for the taking. And again, Credits for the Runner are mathematical, and a Runner can just look at it, get enough money to do the run, and then do it with no worries, if the Corporation doesn't have money to do anything.

For the Corporation, Cards and Clicks, it's really depends on the situation. While for the Runner drawing Cards or gaining Credits are generally objectively good, the Corporation is under stresses that complicate things. While playing Quality Time or Sure Game are objectively strong (though not always the best play in any given situation), I wouldn't define Biotic Labor or Anonymous Tip as objectively strong. They are only strong given certain situations, and without them are not strong plays.

Wow, thanks a lot for this