karzac
(he/him)
I know several people in this forum were fans of Fantasy Flight Games' fantastic living card game, Android: Netrunner. Marrying MtG-style deck construction with asymmetry and hidden information, wrapped in a crunchy and delicious layer of cyberpunk storytelling, the game was unlike any other.
I'm sure most of you also know that in 2018, after being unable to come to terms to extend the license with Wizards of the Coast (who published the original 90s trading card game), Fantasy Flight unceremoniously stopped supporting the game. The hopes of runners everywhere were crushed again by the megacorps of the world.
What you may not know, though, is that a group of fans decided that the weren't going to let a silly thing like capitalism get between them and their favourite game. Dubbing themselves Project NISEI (a backcronym alluding to one of the game's iconic cards), they run on an entirely non-profit, volunteer basis, publishing new cards, supporting tournaments, running community events and generally just being an astonishing (and rare) example of the good things fandom can create.
They published four major sets of cards so far: Downfall and Uprising, comprising the Ashes Cycle; System Gateway, a new "Core Set" serving as an entry point to the game; and System Update 2021, which is reprints of FFG cards with new art and rules templating.
To be clear: this is not a new game. The NISEI cards are perfectly compatible with FFG cards, and the "Standard" format still includes several cycles of FFG cards. The quality is a bit up-and-down, but really found it's footing with System Gateway, which is far and away the best new player experience the game has ever had, and has plenty of cards that are very strong for more competitive players. And there's a new set coming in July, Midnight Sun, which has some really good buzz around it.
There has never been a better time to get into the game, or to get back into if you've spent some time away. I myself just came back in January, and have been having a heck of a good time. NISEI sells their cards through print-on-demand services like DriveThruCards and MakePlayingCards, and while FFG cards can only be found on the secondary mark, homemade proxies are allowed and even encouraged at competitive events, so the barrier to entry is quite low. You can play for free online through the web client Jinteki.net, which has a learning curve but is quite robust. And like I said, System Gateway is the best set to learn the game with, better than the FFG core sets.
Also, the community is super friendly and welcoming to new players. There's a list of community resources for anybody interested here. Two I'd like to shout out: the Green Level Clearance Discord, which is focused on new players, although it's kinda become the de facto Netrunner Discord. Also, Metropole Grid, whose videos/streams were a big part of me getting back to the game - he streams every Thursday.
Also, Shut Up and Sit Down recently made a video about NISEI's work, which has resulted in a huge influx of new players:
So yeah, I love Netrunner and think it is beyond cool that it's been so well supported by people who love it as much as I do, after being ostensibly killed. I hope you all find it cool too and are eager to jump (back) in!
I'm sure most of you also know that in 2018, after being unable to come to terms to extend the license with Wizards of the Coast (who published the original 90s trading card game), Fantasy Flight unceremoniously stopped supporting the game. The hopes of runners everywhere were crushed again by the megacorps of the world.
What you may not know, though, is that a group of fans decided that the weren't going to let a silly thing like capitalism get between them and their favourite game. Dubbing themselves Project NISEI (a backcronym alluding to one of the game's iconic cards), they run on an entirely non-profit, volunteer basis, publishing new cards, supporting tournaments, running community events and generally just being an astonishing (and rare) example of the good things fandom can create.
They published four major sets of cards so far: Downfall and Uprising, comprising the Ashes Cycle; System Gateway, a new "Core Set" serving as an entry point to the game; and System Update 2021, which is reprints of FFG cards with new art and rules templating.
To be clear: this is not a new game. The NISEI cards are perfectly compatible with FFG cards, and the "Standard" format still includes several cycles of FFG cards. The quality is a bit up-and-down, but really found it's footing with System Gateway, which is far and away the best new player experience the game has ever had, and has plenty of cards that are very strong for more competitive players. And there's a new set coming in July, Midnight Sun, which has some really good buzz around it.
There has never been a better time to get into the game, or to get back into if you've spent some time away. I myself just came back in January, and have been having a heck of a good time. NISEI sells their cards through print-on-demand services like DriveThruCards and MakePlayingCards, and while FFG cards can only be found on the secondary mark, homemade proxies are allowed and even encouraged at competitive events, so the barrier to entry is quite low. You can play for free online through the web client Jinteki.net, which has a learning curve but is quite robust. And like I said, System Gateway is the best set to learn the game with, better than the FFG core sets.
Also, the community is super friendly and welcoming to new players. There's a list of community resources for anybody interested here. Two I'd like to shout out: the Green Level Clearance Discord, which is focused on new players, although it's kinda become the de facto Netrunner Discord. Also, Metropole Grid, whose videos/streams were a big part of me getting back to the game - he streams every Thursday.
Also, Shut Up and Sit Down recently made a video about NISEI's work, which has resulted in a huge influx of new players:
So yeah, I love Netrunner and think it is beyond cool that it's been so well supported by people who love it as much as I do, after being ostensibly killed. I hope you all find it cool too and are eager to jump (back) in!
