Cracking the Code - solo variant for Android: Netrunner

INTRO

DESIGN GOALS:

The focus of this design is to automate the corporation and keep their information secret while giving the runner
an added challenge and a ticking clock that keeps increasing the pressure.

ADDED COMPONENTS:

The game uses scrabble tiles and special game boards to define the corporations actions for each mission. These
missions create unique events to increase the storytelling aspect of the game.

THEME:

The theme takes the ingame element of stealing Agendas and uses it to drive a scrabble-like word building
mechanic to crack the scenarios code.

Each mission has a unique story and a unique code. The intro mission is called HIRO and is about breaking into the
Jinteki database to find some delicate information about the chairman...

you must crack his personal code to beat the mission!

SECTION A: CORE CONCEPTS

SETUP

Select all the scrabble tiles listed on the Mission board and put them in a cup.
Next sort all the Corp's cards by type and then place them in the correct section of the R&D card holder. all the
operation cards are shuffled and placed in the OPS tab. All the ICE cards are shuffled and placed in the ICE tab. All
the Upgrades are shuffled and placed in the UPGRADE tab. Finally combine all the Asset and Agenda cards into one
deck, shuffle them, and place them in the SERVER tab.

STARTING

The corp goes first. The corp will do these four things in order each turn.

1. Draw a tile from the cup

2. Collect credits equal to the # on the tile drawn.

3. Place the tile on his CODE GROUP section of the board. If the matching tile position is available you must place it
there otherwise the runner chooses which open tile position to place it on.

4. Perform the action listed under the tile position in the order listed. (see section B)

END CONDITIONS

A- The runner wins by stealing enough tiles (from the Corp) to fill in all his DECRYPTER tiles, thus cracking the code.

B- The Corp wins by filling in all the spaces on his CODE GROUPS tiles, thus unscrambling the runners signal and
locating is transmission point. Once located he has run out of time because they will immediately send security
forces to capture him.

STEALING TILES

"Android: Netrunner is all about stealing agendas to win, how does stealing tiles relate to that gameplay?"

In 'Cracking the Code', the runner still wins by stealing agendas but the corp doesn't need to score agendas to win.
The corp has time on their side and will win by default once enough tiles have been drawn.

Runners steal agendas normally but the results are different. In 'Cracking the Code' after stealing an agenda the
runner must steal and place a number of tiles equal to the agenda value of the agenda card stolen.

- The runner must move 1 tile from the CODE GROUPS section to the DECODER section for each agenda point
stolen.
Power surge -

If a stolen tile doesn't match the decrypter spot it's placed on the runner takes net damage equal to the combined
value of the decrypter spot and the placed tile.

Ex. An 'A' tile (value 1) is placed on the 'I' decrypter space (value 1). The runner takes 2 net damage when placing
this stolen tile. If it had been a 'D' tile (value 2) then the total would have been 3 net damage.

- Missing Data -

When you steal an agenda and it's points are greater than the number of tiles available you take 1 brain damage for
each agenda point greater than tiles available.

Ex. 1 tile is available and you steal a 3 point agenda. You steal and score the 1 tile (taking net damage if it's not a
match) and then take 2 brain damage (1 for each tile you are not able to score)!

SECTION B: CORP ACTIONS

ICE

To decide where ICE will be placed draw a tile and compare its number to the placement chart. Return the tile to
the cup when done. ICE placement follows all the normal rules.

1 = least protected server -> (starting left and moving right)

2 = most protected server -> (starting left and moving right)

3 = R&D server

4 = least protected server

The Corporation doesn't have an HQ (because the AI doesn't have a hand) and the Corporations Archives are not
usually protected (because they don't discard agendas).

-early game tip- If there are no remote servers yet then the first ICE is always installed on R&D.
ADVANCEMENTS

Advancements are not placed on specific servers but are instead placed on the corporation card. When a server is
accessed (revealed) the Advancements will be triggered automatically by the AI if appropriate. If an agenda is
accessed on a remote server and the AI can afford to score it (grabbing it before the runner) they will, the used
advancements are discarded. If an Asset is accessed that can use Advancements then they will be used
automatically, these advancements remain on the corp card and can be used over and over again for assets or
expended to be used for agendas.

When the Corporation scores agenda points they get to draw and place a tile for each agenda point. The don't get
the credits or actions from that tile space but it does get them closer to victory.

OPERATIONS

Draw and reveal the top OPS card. Operations act as normal with one exception, the KISS rule (see section D)

UPGRADES

Draw the top Upgrade card and place it next to the corp card. Upgrades act as normal but they are installed on the
corp card and affect all servers!

SERVERS

Draw the top card from the server deck and place it it start a new remote server.

SECTION C: MAKING RUNS

THE ENCOUNTER

When the runner approaches UnRezed ice, the runner looks at the ice to see if the corp can afford to REZ it. If the
answer is yes discard the appropriate credits from the corp and flip the ICE over... the runner must now encounter
that ICE. If the corp cannot afford to REZ the ice then it is returned face down and the runner moves past it.

This continues till the runner reaches the server. When a remote server is accessed the runner will look at it and
decide if the corp can activate it. When the R&D server is accessed you will draw a tile from the bag, look at its
number, and then place it back in the bag. The number tells you which stack to pull cards from.
-If its an agenda and the corp has enough advancements then they score the agenda before the runner can steal it.

-If its an asset the corp gets a chance to trigger its affects before the runner gets a chance to trash it.

SECTION D: BALANCE AND SPECIAL RULES

THE KISS RULE

If the corp draws a card that appears to be useless, discard it and draw again. This could happen because the rule
text refers to something this variant doesn't support (like the corp having cards in their hand) or it might be
something that just doesn't have any relevance in the current situation. Instead of having a dozen special rules to
handle every card in every expansion I's simply decided to keep it simple and have the corp draw again.

BALANCE

Its impossible to balance the missions for all the different deck combinations so I encourage you to rebalanced both
your runner and corp decks after each play to keep things as challenging as possible.

DECKBUILDING TIPS

- low value agendas are easier for the corp to score but safer for the runner to steal

- high value agendas may be impossible for the corp to score but are very deadly for the runner

- the corp has trouble paying for ICE that costs more than 8

EVOLVING AI

The AI is designed to be simple and easy to run but it should also be able to react to its own weaknesses and
evolve. An example of this is the rules for placing ICE.

If the runner makes runs against the archive then the corp AI will begin considering the archive as an acceptable
location for placing ice. The archive is considered to be a remote server to the LEFT of the R&D board (all normal
remote servers are to the RIGHT of R&D).

AI DISCARDS
If the corp ever needs to discard a card from their R&D, instead place a tile facedown on the archives. When a run
is successfully made on the archives, for each tile: look at its number, place it back in the bag, and place a card from
the section it's number represents into the discard. Afterward, access the archive as normal.