The TRC FAQ v1.0

by David Morgan-Mar
Other contributors: Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Damian O'Dea, Rob Konitzer, Doug Caspian-Kaufman, Stephen Holodinsky

What is the Top Runners' Conference?
The Top Runners' Conference (TRC) is a fan club for the game Netrunner, supported and officially recognized by the game's publisher, Wizards of the Coast (WotC). The TRC is made up of Netrunner fans from around the world - not merely players, but people who wish to help spread interest and participation in the game. The TRC is named after the card of the same name from Netrunner.

What are the goals of the TRC?
Play Netrunner. Encourage other people to play Netrunner. That's it.

How do we achieve those goals?
Ah! Organize and/or run demonstrations of Netrunner, run tournaments, publicize, promote. The more Netrunner is seen, the more interest we will see in the game. With more interest, more Netrunner product will be sold. With a consistent demand for the product, WotC might move Netrunner back into production.

Is the TRC a group of WotC salespeople then?
No!! All we want to do is get people to play Netrunner. We like the game, and we want other people to like it too, so we have more people to play with. Everything else is incidental.

Why do you all like Netrunner so much anyway?
Many aspects of Netrunner attract us to it. These include the aspects of bluff and counterbluff, the large number of competitive deck design strategies, the general straightforward game play, the excellent artwork, and the overall feel of the Netrunner world.

What is the status of Netrunner?
Netrunner is officially on Wizards of the Coast's "maintenance list." This means that the game is being supported at a minor level, but there is no active research and development work, production, or advertising of the game. Netrunner may be moved to the "active list" at any time in the future, meaning further production, but probably only if sales improve.

Why is Netrunner on the maintenance list?
This was a decision made by WotC when it became clear that Netrunner was not living up to sales expectations. Netrunner is currently not profitable enough to justify continued production. With active promotion by the TRC, however, this decision could be reviewed at any time.

What support for Netrunner is available?
A WotC staff member, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, is involved in promoting Netrunner. She helps the Netrunner community by providing product for demos and tournaments, answering questions about Netrunner, and bouncing around ideas for the further promotion and spread of the game.

I'm running a tournament. Can I get some Netrunner product for prizes?
Yes! Just send Jennifer the details of the tournament, well in advance. There is a standard prize package consisting of a rare Netrunner card signed by Richard Garfield, starters, and boosters. Check out Jennifer's article on the next page.

Will there be sanctioned Netrunner tournaments?
Not in the near future. For now, TRC plans on having its own form of "sanctioning" which is still being worked out. Plan for it to include Matthias Nagy's Netrunner rankings.

Are there any new expansions on the way?
We know that WotC is (nearly) done with an expansion called Silent Impact but is not planning on releasing it unless sales improve. We also have heard rumors of two or three other expansions which are nearly complete. One of these, "Rogues," was designed by and sold to WotC by Netrunner guru Byron Massey.

Can we distribute new card ideas?
Members of the TRC are free to invent and distribute new Netrunner cards via personal channels. However, for legal reasons, neither Jennifer nor any other WotC employee may inspect card ideas. Therefore, card ideas may not be distributed on any official TRC publication.

(C) 1997 The Top Runners' Conference