Looking for a place to start? Green Level Clearance [ discord.gg/glc ] is NISEI's hub for new players! Check out their discord for new player resources, teaching games, and weekly matches.
As NISEI's Community Manager, I want to clarify that GLC is a wonderful server, but it's actually not ours-it's part of the community outside of NISEI. We don't run it. You'll find plenty of great NISEI and Netrunner discussion there, though!
Thanks for clarifying, Spencer! NISEI does not own GLC, but our community shares a lot of NISEI's values, particularly in regards to inclusion and diversity. We want to build the best Netrunner community possible, and GLC is the best place for a new player to learn more!
Having spent no small part of my own time as a volunteer for NISEI in previous years as one of the game design team members, I love to see the positive responses... and, have to somewhat disappointedly agree with all of the criticisms of what we achieved, and note that NISEI has been very aware of a lot of these issues as it's been finding it's feet and learning how to do it's best. I am excited for the future of this game, despite the very real flaws, and am hopeful that with time, NISEI will manage to at least get close to the incredible potential for this game.
As they all pointed out, it IS a indie studio and the best way to play netrunner is to learn it alongside someone else. It just appears that someone else... is the publisher.
Thank you for everything you do! I have just gotten back into Netrunner after learning it isn't dead. It was my favorite tabletop game and now seeing Nisei pick it back up I will be buying every product!!!
The fact that the artwork is not as nice as the original, is the only thing that anyone can comment on, shows you are doing a fantastic job. Your art is a lot better than some products out there right now!
I worked on the development of System Gateway, and seeing this video is so very special. We tried our very best to make it the perfect intro to Netrunner and your description is exactly what we were going for. Much Love
Tom this is such a good video and I love it so much. John Netrunner might be my halloween costume this year! It's so good. So I'm a member of NISEI's product team and much of your grips are right on the nose. Early on we didn't have the funds or resources to commission artist so we had to "hack" our way through getting those cards out. Much of the art you didn't like was from our early sets. I still cringe at some of the things we put out... eek! Now that we have a few years under our belt and the resources to commission professional artist, we've been able to make some really nice cards. System Gateway was just the start of improving our art skills. We have a new set coming out in July and I think you are going to love the art and overall theme. I'm excited for you to see it. Anyways, I enjoyed this video a lot. Thanks for your effort in putting it together.
I also really like the video - However, I have to say that even the art of your early sets are good (to my opinion at least) - I not agree with the criticism of the art, and actually think NISEI have done very well in getting a similar art-style as in the old Netrunner, while still adding another unique personality to it.
@@johanvittrup1834 there is some good stuff in Ashes for sure. We just had to cut corners and that shows on several cards. System Update is where it is the most obvious.
I feel like having the strongest "negative" commentary in a video like this, being "hey, these independent people who are not professionals, are producing work that is really good but not as professional as the professionals what did it before"... that feels like "yeah they're doing really good" and just need to keep going further. It's like the opposite of damnation through faint praise; elevation, consecration, excitement-generation through faint complaints? The video is genuinely exciting, and a game that I'd written off as too complicated (because online discourse...) way back when, I now feel like is worth a look and a go. Thank you SU+SD for the video, and NISEI for keeping a game alive. I have some reading to do. :)
I just commented in our NISEI internal chat that this video is so deeply loving, and I appreciate it so much for this. NISEI exists because Netrunner is so uniquely captivating that we just couldn't let it die. It means a lot to me that you were able to not only experience that magic yourself, but convey it as well. Thanks for this video, Tom. I hope I can square off against you in Netspace someday. (SHUX, perhaps?) Oh, and I noticed Zahya got a lot of attention in the B-roll, so I have to ask: Which are your favorite IDs to play currently?
His points about the cardpools sounds like a big red (yellow?) flag for someone looking to get into it. NISEI sounds great, but if there's one thing I've learned about competitive gams and their long-term fanbase is that it can be quite daunting for newcomers. Is there any appetite within the NISEI community to encourage newer players by playing with the simpler card pools, or once you make that cross going back is torture, like a board game with an essential expansion? (IE: Evolution Climate, Spirit Island Branch and Calw, or Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion?)
@@Dyskresiac I know I have a clear bias on this front as a NISEI member, but I don't agree with Tom here that Startup is a lesser experience. I know plenty of people who enjoy deckbuilding and playing only in Startup, myself included! In fact, our Organized Play team has got a _lot_ of requests for broader support of Startup. So, I'm just one biased guy, but I actually think you can have a great time playing with a limited cardpool. We intend to keep supporting Startup precisely because we want there to be a simpler format with a lower barrier to entry. I don't think it's a matter of crossing the Rubicon-if you want to stick with a smaller cardpool, you can definitely do so, and you won't be alone.
@@Dyskresiac Similar to Spencer, I'm also clearly biased as a NISEI member in my role as team lead of the Standard Balance Team. But even if my main focus always has been the Standard format and trying to be as competitive in it as I can, I have had tons of fun in the Startup format since its release. While some players do enjoy the tools available to them in Standard more, Startup to me never felt like a step backwards. If anything, exploring the options that are unviable in the larger card pool was a main pull towards the format for me personally and I was surprised, how many strategies are actually viable even competitively.
This is imo Tom's best video yet. The camera and editing work is outstanding, especially in the "Poker chips" section of the video. The amount of work to make a 30 minute video like this, jesus, it must be enormous. Great job, seriously.
I adore Netrunner, but I literally can't find anyone local to play it with. My buddy who's into Magic with me wasn't really taken by Netrunner. If I could stop playing M:TG altogether and switch to Netrunner, I would. I did play it on OCTGN for awhile, but it just wasn't the same as actually playing with the cards. Looking back, I really wish I had completed my entire set. I fell off...shoot, I don't know when. Only one FLGS in the valley sold the new packs when they came out. I went on an Amazon buying spree at one point, but I'd say I only have 75% of the official cards.
@@chrisreeves3991hey Chris I spent a year trying to get into it having known and loved MTG having been successful playing it competitively. I wish I could get away from MTG too but I just never understood Netrunner even after a year of playing on Jinteki. Tell me what I’m missing that you see in it please. The theme is so cool but I’m feeling like people are glorifying a game that… isn’t that good.
This video has changed my gaming life. After selling my entire collection many years ago, I thought Netrunner was dead for good. This has got me collecting again. Thanks guys!
how thematically appropriate is it that netrunner got fucked around by corporate intrigue and is now being run not-for-profit by an online community of weirdos?
Lovely to see SUSD shine a light on this game again. We are still going over here and you are all so very welcome back. And don't worry about the funky art, the upcoming expansion is going to continue to see improvements on that front. It was mainly that first set (which NISEI pushed out in an unbelievably short time right after the game was cancelled by FFG) that had that problem.
This game was the game for me and my college roommates. When it was announced that it was being discontinued I regretted not running out and buying everything for it (I had lapsed in my purchasing as I had been hard up for cash) and it taught me the lesson of buy everything if I love a game, which is why I have an unhealthily large collection of Arkham Horror the card game. It sounds like I have to start a new collection of Nisei cards.
I wish I had the guts to play more netrunner. I love everything about the game, and I think it's perfect, but everytime I go into jinteki, I'm like "Good god. This game is emotional and scary"
I agree. This game is so freaking intense, playing as either side. So much hidden information and bluffing. Clicking to start a run...and praying everything doesn't go haywire...or, I remember a game once where I left a high point agenda in a completely open server as a double-bluff like "I dare you to run that server...c'mon...do it." and the runner didn't...ran another server, so I scored the agenda my next turn around and won the game. Heart was pounding.
I have the same feeling about it, it's my favorite card game ever but I'm not up to the emotional investment and the emotional ride that I go through every time I play.
I’m glad you’re covering this game to show that the community is still keeping it alive. There’s nothing quite like it and I hope more people will play it now
There is some introductory content that is produced more recently. On RU-vid, YsengrinSC has a couple great videos that break down some key concepts in the game like ICE and Win Conditions. The Metropole Grid is a good place to watch some full gameplay where everything is thoroughly explained, which helps develop a good understanding of how the game plays. And then my own content focuses a bit more on competitive play and an explanation of strategy, although I do fun things as well 😉 Awesome video!
The best part about NISEI is also its greatest weakness: It's entirely community driven. If more people get involved, it will just make the game better. Also, it's very fitting that the people Running the game now are passionate individuals rather than some Corporation.
I got in to Android: Netrunner just after Mumbad scared off many of the older players. My learning experience, because no one was really interested in kitchen-tabling with me, was to read and watch tournament videos for a good two months before playing my first game at a local meet up. It very quickly became my all-time favourite physical game. You'll have the issue of "you can't get these cards", but Trace 5, Peachhack, Metropole Grid, and Sneakdoor have some great tournament videos with commentary. The FFG channel still has all their old tournament videos up too. Even if you never play outside of your kitchen, you'll learn a lot about the mechanics and what makes a card viable in your deck this way. Hack the planet!
I have a bunch of friends who play commander together and have been trying to get me to join, but I don't really want to collect infinite magic cards. How can I convince them to try/switch to netrunner?
@@gorddude bring your decks and try to get some games in between matches. Ngl, you're probably gonna have to supply the decks for a while. Converting from Magic isn't very difficult. A lot of the mechanics transfer over easy. Creds are like mana, Ice and Agendas work like Morph, making a run is near identical to the combat phase, etc...
It's crazy that you've put this video up when you did - we've just gotten back in to Nisei after letting our Netrunner cards sit in the dark for years. We're LOVING the new cards, and are limiting ourselves to the Nisei-only cardpool. It's also fascinating to discover how the corps and runners have evolved over time. Tom, I wish you weren't an ocean away - we'd love to throw some cards around together!
This video couldn't come at a better time, thanks Tom! Like Quinns I'm a recovering tournament player who burned out at some point during FFG's run. A friend recently "gifted" me a spare Nisei expansion - and I'm currently awaiting my System Gateway. Maybe this time I remain in the Startup pool and enjoy the kitchen table games, rather than going all-in on tournament-meta optimized bollocks.
Looking at the corps and runners they feel like MTG colors rather than singular entities. for the runners Anarchs are about direct rebellion and feel like Red in MTG. Their cards are some of the most efficient but are loud and often cause collateral damage. Criminals want to make a profit. They are sneaky and have the best economy and tricks but don’t have the tech skills to deal with problems like ICE directly. Shapers are their to have fun and prove they can. They’re combos and engine builders that have strong niche cards but need to put tools together to work. The corporations mirror this mindset and each fill the role of a core entity in the cyberpunk genre. HB is the replicant/ cyborg manufacturer. They are well rounded with good defenses but their tech tends to have glaring weaknesses and back doors Weyland is the big faceless corporation with swarms of nameless people in suits. They have the best economy but their agendas and plans tend to be big and obvious. Jinteki is biotech. They’re often the best at directly and consistently hurting the runner along with subtle manipulation. NBN is media and surveillance. They’ve best at manipulating the runner’s cards and make great use of tags.
John Netrunner was later killed in a building fire, officially caused by an electrical fault. When asked about fire regulations in their properties, Weyland representatives declined to comment.
Loved the video and it's great to see Netrunner and NISEI getting exposure like this - I hope it brings in even more new players as this game is simply fantastic. One minor thing I wanted to mention with regards to some of the early NISEI card art - there are some totally legitimate criticisms there and much of the early art was community sourced at high velocity as there were far more cards than there were artworks. However, more recently NISEI has absolutely upped their art game and even engaged many of the same professional artists who did artwork on the FFG incarnation of the game (Liiga Smilshkalne, Emilio Rodriguez, Galen Dara, BalanceSheet, Bruno Balixa and Martin de Diego Sādaba just to name those in SG/SU), so I'd personally push back slightly against the idea that the relatively small subset of cards which look a bit "homemade" has any significant bearing on the quality of the overall game and product, or the amount of fun you can have playing it. Personally I feel the majority of artwork on NISEI cards is at least to the same standard as FFG's was, if not better in some cases.
Netrunner. The card game that cheated death. Twice! I remember being extremely shocked when the cancellation was announced. A huge expansion was just about to release, and then it just... stopped. The thing that made me fall in love with the game, was how they handled the cyberpunk setting. This is a place ruled by massive corps, where technology is slowly taking over the workforce. Yet, it's shown in an optimistic way. It's colourful, rebellion is working and the future seems optimistic. It kind of reminds me of the future in Ghost of the Shell. A series where technology isn't the cause of triumphs or atrocities, but where those are caused by people being fundamentally people. I love this game. It's still my favourite (sorry TI4). And I'm so incredibly thankful to NISEI for keeping this game alive
IIRC, it was cancelled because Wizards pulled the plug. I remember speculation being because Wizards might be revving up their own version, but in retrospect, since Asmode has been buying everything under the sun, it was probably more Wizards deciding not to ally with their enemy.
I struggled back and forth whether I should start with NISEI as I've heard great things about Netrunner. Thankfully I found friendly people on a Discord (Green Level Clearance) to help me get started with some rules and I bought it. I unpacked it with a flat mate just to try it out - and then FOUR HOURS were suddenly gone. Damn this game can be intense! As a Runner you wonder what the Corporation is hiding. As Corp you are in the constant fear of getting attacked in your weak spot. I didn't even build a deck yet and are looking to test out some beginner decks to learn further. -> Definitely worth getting if you're into asymmetric games.
My kids and I have been digging into the old Core Set for a couple of years now. It's so good. The lines and decisions you have to make are unlike any other CCG. It's the GOAT for sure.
As someone who got into netrunner in the post-FFG era, I can wholeheartedly say that the experience NISEI delivers is phenomenal. And they do it for free. FREE. You can download the starter pack, get it printed for as cheap as the cards come, and play it with a friend. No restrictions. I'm hoping for a Netrunner revival and this video is a great way to get the ball rolling.
Felt physical shock to hit play on this video and to NOT see immediately see Quinns? Even though Netrunner's in the title and everything? What's going on? I am confused and scared!
I purchased FFG starter set a year ago, full Genesys cycle and Creation & Control expansion and I love it! It's the best card game EVER!!! You should really make Quinns vs SUSD tournament hahahahaha I'd buy that for a dollar xD
Hi guys, since there are many experts here I wanted to ask if the starter pack From nisei is the best way to start or should i try to get some ffg stuff instead?
Just played my first two games! Lost game one right away falling for a Net Damage trap. Game Two was down to the absolute wire. Stole the winning objective with my last credit while it already had two advancement counters + 3 deep Ice!
I just got the System Gateway and Update last week. Going to be teaching it to my wife to see if she gets into it. If not, then I may be able to coax a couple of other people into trying it. Planning to make some tokens for it as well, using some free designs someone posted and label paper.
I think the design critisism is invalid now with the new sets. The cards look gorgous and on par with FFG's as well being playable and better balanced for once. ;) Look out for Midnight Sun!
the new sets, for me are far far far FAR more beautiful and thematic than FFG era. old era was often cliche, where NSGs theming is amazingly plugged into the hivemind of cyber culture and future
I knew from the sense of humor SU&SD was a perfect match for me. This was solidified by two things. Quin's Netrunner tattoo and both volumes of Elfquest in his bookshelf. A true gentleman of impeccable taste.
By a wide margin, yeah. It's better learning experience (it has built-in, proper learning decks that start off with just the basics, and then instructs you to add in more complex cards once you're comfortable), it's a more consumer-friendly product (with the Deckbuilding Pack, you get a full playset of every card, thus making it far more customizable than either of FFG's offerings)
While I haven't played as much Netrunner in the Nisei era, I'm happy that Netrunner has continued in some form even if I am concerned about the direction the game is going. The moving direction to leaner deck sizes with larger influence pools, the removal of trace due to its "complexity", and the aggressive rotation leading to a smaller and smaller card pool for standard makes it difficult for me have continued hope for the future. Part of the reason I loved FFGs Netrunner was it's large standard card pool giving large options for every deck, I could bring a strange IDs, splash eccentric cards, and while focusing on the completive scene is great, it does make me sad that I don't have as much terrible, awful, beautiful, flavorful jank to jump into. I'll be trying to jump into the game again soon with a local group, and while I have these mechanical critiques for Nisei, Im glad its alive. Thanks Nisei, keep on keeping on.
I've been speed clicking on susd videos for years but never before have I helped upon seeing a susd video title I loved Netrunner and I'm so excited about the work that NISEI is doing for the game, great video as always Tom, I'm gonna go build a deck
I had a serious Netrunner problem back in the day. I have all the FF cards. ALL OF THEM. I won't get rid of them in case of something. Something like this video that will just make me relapse. Oh no it's haPPENINGGGGGGGG. *starts frantically building and sleeving decks*
This is gonna sound dumb, but you hit it on the head with "is this a bit ... cringe?". That is why I never managed to make the jump to Nisei when FF left the game. The new cards are just ... fanfictiony, you said it.
Considering I'm plowing through every podcast from the beginning and right now I'm in Quinns early Netrunner-craze, this video couldn't have come in a better time :D
Is this version card compatible with the FFG version? Can we cross the Netrunner streams, or would that cause a mega corporate virtual implosion to end the virtual matrix and all cyber life as we know it? An inquiring mind wants to know.
Yup! The card backs are different, as well as some formatting, but with opaque sleeves you won't have an issue. Standard Format is still mostly FFG cards + what Nisei has released.
My reaction to the thumbnail "whhhhhaaaaat!" i haven't even watched BUT have a large collection of cards/decks in my libary I LOVE NETRUNNER so hard to find players in here in Ontario, Canada though...
You totally convinced me! Found a copy of Android Netrunner at my FLGS and we love it! (I know what luck eh?) We have now printed NISEI, bought sleeves, etc. What a sweet game! Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
At 8 mins “this video needs to be a reasonable length, so I will try and sum up what this game is as succinctly as possible” Looks at 31 min run time. Thank you for introducing me to this. I am buying the starter set now!
You should do a update about Netrunner! Null Signal Games (former NISEI) addressed all the problems that you identified about narrative, immersion and thematic cohesion on the last cicle and is amazing!
I probably shouldn't watch this review, I've wanted to get into Netrunner for a while, but thought it was past its prime. This might be what finally convinces me 😀
Honestly the "bad art" just makes me think of old Magic (or Pokemon, or any CCG in the good ol' days tbh) cards, in a good way. Lots of different art styles and "levels" of art in a really charming way
And also! For all the "coherence" of fantasy flight (and lorewise it may be true), I know they've paired Cosmic Encounter aliens with bizarre art that wasn't even made to match, just cause it's what they had to hand. (Their rulebooks are also consistently terrible but that's an entirely separate thing)
When the news broke that the game was being cancelled I was at my LGS with the local netrunner playgroup. The feeling in the air was like someone had just died. We were in disbelief, the revised core set had come out not too long ago and we were getting into reign and reverie. People slowly stopped turning up to weeklies and even though NISEI existed, the group just never got together to play the new cards released by them. The magic had died for us, and as much as NISEI is doing some amazing work, their cards just don’t have the same virtuosity that FFG’s did. Sure FFG were printing some insanely overpowered stuff, but crazy cards have always been a defining part of netrunner. My highest hopes for netrunner is another rebirth, just like how this version of netrunner came from the original TCG all those years ago. The LCG format has its own set of problems and maybe in our hypothetical third rising, we’ll get closer to the best version of the game that netrunner can be. Because till this day, it’s still the very best card game I’ve ever played.
i still think it's bonkers that no one, either FFG or WotC, during FFG's time with Netrunner, or now, has made a digital version of of the game. Given the theme of the game, I'm annoyed at how difficult it is to play it with someone over the internet.
I just wanted to wholeheartedly disagree with the main bit of criticism in this video when it comes to System Gateway and System Update. There is a huge difference in quality of both the artwork and world building between these two sets and the previous one - Ashes. The first set Nisei produced indeed feels like a trial run, a beta. But the follow-up System 'core set' is a true new beginning with many professional artists employed. The world-building got better too. As is, the System release should be judged alone. Also, it feels unfair to compare years worth of theme-focused expansion packs of world building from FFG to a single 'proper' release of the base set of cards that's actually meant to have a general Netrunner'y theme and a slightly undercooked initial expansion that was more of a Test Run than a Deep Dive. Maybe take a single box of Android Netrunner: the Card Game off the shelf and review the Nisei stuff against that alone? Other than that - an awesome review, as usual! Thanks for keeping Netrunner alive!
I agree, there's a lot of comparing Gateway/Update against the entirety of Netrunner as opposed to just the OG core which is more of an apples to apples. NISEI has had only a few releases to build lore and they're getting up to speed on that. Then there's the mixed signal about complaining that a bit of the theming on some of the cards being lacking but also then ham-fisted, particularly showing Game Over and Ganked!, which are very on brand because they're meant as flavour support for the MMO division of NBN.
It also happens to happily skip over all the jank that existed in FFG's Netrunner. In general FFG hat good to great art (which I think applies too NISEI, at least in Gateway), but also its fair share of questionable art, specially in the core set (either due to low quality or just feeling out of place). For example I'd say the original "Biotic Labor" is as bad if not worse as the worst NISEI card shown in this video.
Hey great video I ordered the whole NISEI collection due to your great review. I was wondering at 21:03 you show a black deck box with red trim, which one is that and do you recommend it as a storage solution for the whole NISEI collection? I'm currently looking for one, thanks in advance!
So... I have watched this video Sept 2023. That is 1yr 3mth after release AND... I bought the game. What a great video. Would you consider doing a "how-to-play" video using Nisei only stuff?
I liked the original and played it quite a bit as well. I still think the graphical presentation of the cards is much nicer and colourful in the original cards (I mean the 1996 wotc version). I heard the Android version did fix some some rule stuff (traces and tags, for example), but I haven't played this new version. Is this much better than the original?
I've played only a handful of games of the OG versus maybe a thousand or more of the modern incarnation. I certainly like this one better, aside from some basic improvements like no more randomized boosters or card rarities, and factions that make for more nuanced and interesting deckbuilding decisions.
Ooof... you should try loving V:tES or or CoC:LCG ... or really any of the FF LCGs. V:tES though is a harsh one. That was such a unique, incredible game that hasn't been emulated or even attempted since. It's still around, there are still fans producing content... but finding players and keeping it alive is such hard work. I think what makes LCG's tick is the social community aspect of it and honestly the community is small enough that there may be only room for one game... *cough* MtG *cough*. I love Netrunner. I still have my collection. I bought multiple core boxes, I subscribed to Team Convenant's service to get every expansion as they were released, bought all the unique tokens and sleeves... but finding players was tough and then FF killed it. And the killed CoC LCG. And GoT LCG. It's... hard to like these games. I keep my collections around because they're still fun as heck to play.... but the living part is the hardest part to keep going.
