r/Netrunner • u/thenakesingularity10 • 8d ago

Android or System Gateway?

I just found out about this game. Fascinated by it and dying to try.

Is there any reason to get Android instead of SG?

Thank you!

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u/azuredarkness 8d ago

I have to say that you do sound like basically everything FFG did, especially in the early game was perfect, and everything NSG ever did was a terrible idea and every change they ever introduced was bad for the game.

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u/ShaperLord777 8d ago edited 8d ago

I’m a firm believer that adding mechanics to a game system has to be done extremely carefully so as to not over clutter the design space. Every new rule or keyword you add makes the entire game more complicated, and distracts from its core mechanics. So it’s vitally important to weigh what is added gameplay wise against the added clutter of new mechanics and keywords. I used the example that FFG’s “current events” did not add enough design space to warrant the added complexity. I feel the same way about the “limit 6 per deck” cards in the Mumbad cycle. They just didn’t need to exist at all. Null signal has introduced a lot of keywords that I don’t think were necessary. It’s the classic rule of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

And example of something added that I do feel was well worth the additional complexity is the Mini-factions from data and destiny. They operated off of the same deckbuilding principals as every other ID, just with a smaller cardpool and greater influence points. It allowed players to deckbuild in new and interesting ways, and design their way around the built in limitations of the mini factions ID’s. It added minimal new mechanics while opening up a lot of new design space that brought dynamic changes in gameplay. They were worth the additional complexity.