Netrunner
Encyclopedia
Netrunner is a collectible card game
designed by Richard Garfield
, the creator of Magic: The Gathering
. It was published by Wizards of the Coast
and introduced in 1996. The game is based heavily on the Cyberpunk 2020
role-playing game
published by R. Talsorian Games
, but also draws additional flavor from the broader cyberpunk
genre. Netrunner was lauded by critics, such as InQuest
magazine, for its balanced game play and impressive artwork. In 1999 Pyramid
magazine named Netrunner as one of The Millennium's Most Underrated Games. According to editor Scott Haring, "among the connoisseurs of the card game design art, Netrunner is considered to be one of the best-designed games ever."
combat between a global mega-corporation (the Corp) and a hacker (the Runner). The Corp's goal is to complete their secret agendas before the Runner can hack in and spoil their secret plans for world domination.
It isn't easy, though, as the Corp has strong defensive data forts protected by malevolent computer programs known as ICE (short for Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics
). The Runner must use special programs of their own (called Icebreakers) to break through and steal the hidden plans - to keep the Corp from taking over completely. All this is paid for in the game by a system of resources called bits (representing currency), which are earned and spent during the course of play.
An interesting feature of Netrunner is that each side has different abilities and uses completely different cards distinguished by alternate card backs.
This contrasts with most other CCG's
, which usually depict a "battle between peers" where each opponent draws upon the same card pool. While a player does not have to play both sides except in tournament play, it is commonly held that a firm understanding of both leads to better overall player ability.
called Webrunner: The Hidden Agenda, which cast players as hackers against the evil Futukora corporation. Players broke through seven puzzle-themed "gates" to get the secret data ("agenda"). The popular game was the first online game tied in to a product release, making the front page of the New York Times technology section.
A sequel, Webrunner II: The Forbidden Code, followed on release of the Proteus expansion. In this, players were cast as security chiefs beset by hackers.
or Gccg, which allows players to build and share plugins for different card games and play the games online.
, a well-known Magic: The Gathering
Pro Tour
player, attempted to purchase the license for Netrunner from Wizards of the Coast
after the company stopped producing the game. Negotiations, however, fell apart without any revival of the game or transfer of ownership.
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
designed by Richard Garfield
Richard Garfield
Richard Channing Garfield is a mathematics professor and game designer who created the card games Magic: The Gathering, Netrunner, BattleTech CCG, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle , The Great Dalmuti, Star Wars Trading Card Game, and the board game RoboRally...
, the creator of Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
. It was published by Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
and introduced in 1996. The game is based heavily on the Cyberpunk 2020
Cyberpunk 2020
Cyberpunk 2020 is a cyberpunk role-playing game written by Mike Pondsmith and published by R. Talsorian Games.- Overview :This role-playing game is based on the works of William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, and other authors of the "Mirrorshades group"...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
published by R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games
R. Talsorian Games, based in Renton, WA , is a publisher of role-playing game books and accessories. Their titles include the Cyberpunk 2020 series and for anime-related titles such as Dragonball Z. Their major product line today is the Fuzion system.The company's chairman is Mike Pondsmith,...
, but also draws additional flavor from the broader cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
genre. Netrunner was lauded by critics, such as InQuest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
magazine, for its balanced game play and impressive artwork. In 1999 Pyramid
Pyramid (magazine)
Pyramid is a gaming magazine, publishing articles primarily on role-playing games, but including board games, card games, and other sorts of games. It began life in 1993 as a print publication of Steve Jackson Games for its first 30 issues, though it has been published on the Internet since March...
magazine named Netrunner as one of The Millennium's Most Underrated Games. According to editor Scott Haring, "among the connoisseurs of the card game design art, Netrunner is considered to be one of the best-designed games ever."
Gameplay
Netrunner depicts cyberspaceCyberspace
Cyberspace is the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.The term "cyberspace" was first used by the cyberpunk science fiction author William Gibson, though the concept was described somewhat earlier, for example in the Vernor Vinge short story "True...
combat between a global mega-corporation (the Corp) and a hacker (the Runner). The Corp's goal is to complete their secret agendas before the Runner can hack in and spoil their secret plans for world domination.
It isn't easy, though, as the Corp has strong defensive data forts protected by malevolent computer programs known as ICE (short for Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics
Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics
Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics is a term used in cyberpunk literature to refer to security programs which protect computerized data from being accessed by hackers.-Origin of term:...
). The Runner must use special programs of their own (called Icebreakers) to break through and steal the hidden plans - to keep the Corp from taking over completely. All this is paid for in the game by a system of resources called bits (representing currency), which are earned and spent during the course of play.
An interesting feature of Netrunner is that each side has different abilities and uses completely different cards distinguished by alternate card backs.
This contrasts with most other CCG's
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
, which usually depict a "battle between peers" where each opponent draws upon the same card pool. While a player does not have to play both sides except in tournament play, it is commonly held that a firm understanding of both leads to better overall player ability.
Expansion sets
- Netrunner base set (aka Limited, v1.0) - 374 cards - Release Date: April 26, 1996
- Netrunner Proteus (v2.1) - 154 cards - Release Date: September 1996
- Netrunner Silent Impact - Never released, development halted by WotC. However, a series of six cards labelled 'v2.0' were issued as promotional cards for a planned, but never released, Netrunner 2.0 core set. Even though originally appearing in Netrunner 1.0, these six cards have been revised for 2.0 and feature new artwork as well as revised game text. The six cards in question are Forged Activation Orders, misc.for-sale, The Shell Traders, Pacifica Regional AI, Bizarre Encryption Scheme, and New Galveston City Grid. Extremely rare and very hard to find.
- Netrunner Classic (v2.2) - 52 cards from the Silent Impact set- Release Date: November 1999
- Netrunner Open War (v2.3A) - 126 cards redrawn with new game mechanics - It is a virtual expansion release on the 7th September 2010 @ www.Netrunneronline.com
- The Cyberpunk 2020 supplement Rache Bartmoss' Brainware Blowout featured rules on using Netrunner cards instead of the RPG's existing system to simulate netrunning during game sessions. It also gave conversions to the RPG of some of the cards in the base set (the rest having been mentioned in one book or another).
Webrunner
Netrunner launched with a proto-alternate reality gameAlternate reality game
An alternate reality game is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions....
called Webrunner: The Hidden Agenda, which cast players as hackers against the evil Futukora corporation. Players broke through seven puzzle-themed "gates" to get the secret data ("agenda"). The popular game was the first online game tied in to a product release, making the front page of the New York Times technology section.
A sequel, Webrunner II: The Forbidden Code, followed on release of the Proteus expansion. In this, players were cast as security chiefs beset by hackers.
Online gameplay
NetRunner was playable online through CCG Workshop in the past, but it was shut down by Wizards of the Coast. It is now possible to play NetRunner online using Magic Workstation on Runners' Net, a site which also holds IRC chats and forums to discuss the game. Players may also use other CCG engines such as LackeyCCGLackeyCCG
LackeyCCG is a computer program used to play virtually any collectible card game against online opponents or for building and testing of CCG decks offline in a solitaire mode. It also allows for the searching of cards within each CCG. LackeyCCG currently has Mac and Windows versions but it has...
or Gccg, which allows players to build and share plugins for different card games and play the games online.
Product ownership
Zvi MowshowitzZvi Mowshowitz
-External links:*...
, a well-known Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
Pro Tour
Pro Tour (Magic: The Gathering)
The Pro Tour is the highest form of competitive play for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game. It consists of a series of payout tournaments held throughout the world, each requiring an invitation to participate. Every PT awards a total of $230,000 in cash prizes, with $40,000 going to...
player, attempted to purchase the license for Netrunner from Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
after the company stopped producing the game. Negotiations, however, fell apart without any revival of the game or transfer of ownership.
External links
- Netrunner Online - Netrunner Resource for Collectors, Traders and Gamers.
- Top Runners' Conference - The Official Netrunner Player Organization
- The Netrunner Weekly - Online magazine
- The Short Circuit
- Runners' Net - Play NetRunner online with MWS and discuss about the game.
- Runners' Net Forums - Discussion forum for Netrunner and online play.