Fria Ligans forum

I am setting up the game for the first time.
It's taken quite a bit of page-flipping to figure things out.
I immediately got stuck on the very first step.

Rulebook, p11:
1. School Phase
1.1 Preparations
Check Diary Cards

I pulled the ERRATIC BEHAVIOR card first.
The last paragraph on the card has me stumped:

Put a Machine Token on the base of the Paarhufer. It will not move as long as the token remain[sic] on the base.

What is a Machine Token?
Am I missing a description from somewhere else in the book?


Possible typo: should "remain" be spelled "remains"?

On page two you can see the 84 scenario tokens and what they are called. The token names are listed in the same order as the icon, so the image of the machine token is the top right-most of the seven token images. In this case, it doesn't matter that much since the token, in this scenario is just there as a reminder to you that this machine will not move. It will most likely be removed day one or day two.

Rulebook, p7
Step 4b - placing Response Cards on Machine Sheets.

Take the corresponding Machine Sheets and place them near the board and place each Machine's standard Response Card on the designated space on the sheet. If the Machine starts Nearby an Open Location (white border), place the Response Card with the Routine side up, otherwise with the Alert side up.

The Game Setup illustrated on p6 is demonstrating the Bot Amok! scenario — and the Watchdogs are on A4, which is Nearby the Daven Factory which is a Restricted Area. In the picture on p6, the orange side of the Watchdogs' Response Card is facing up. The other two Machine Sheets show the yellow side up...
So, I can infer that the Routine side of the card has a yellow background, while the Alert side is orange with black hashmarks.

But, it is not immediately obvious which side of the Response Card is ROUTINE and which is ALERT.

But what about the description of a "standard" Response Card? Is there a "non-standard" Response Card for a Machine? I see that there are two cards per Machine - with one being labeled "Erratic"... I think I have it all setup correctly, but there are several cards that have two sides and the sides aren't immediately obvious which is which. (e.g. Rumor Cards - which is the "front" of the card?" Because one side of the card is illustrated to blend in with the map... it's not readily apparent in the illustration on p6 that the cards are on the game board, image side up — which would indicate THIS is the front side of the Rumor Cards. If I was terrible at the compare these two pictures and see if you can spot 6 differences game, I'd be really stuck)

On page two you can see the 84 scenario tokens and what they are called. The token names are listed in the same order as the icon, so the image of the machine token is the top right-most of the seven token images. In this case, it doesn't matter that much since the token, in this scenario is just there as a reminder to you that this machine will not move. It will most likely be removed day one or day two.

Oh! Okay, so Machine Tokens = Scenario Tokens? I suppose I'll run into references to Grown-Up tokens and Agent tokens, etc., in which case, I now know what to do. Thanks!

*****UPDATE*****
The Summary Sheet actual lists the Scenario Tokens individually — identifying the Machine Tokens as such, etc. — so, it is referenced somewhere!

Perhaps that could be more clear, but Response Cards has two sides. The yellow side is called Routine and the side with warning colours (orange-black) is called Alert. In the various pictures it is shown, but it could have been more clear I guess.

Response cards comes in two types, standard Response card and the cards that have the word erratic on them.

*****UPDATE*****
The Summary Sheet actual lists the Scenario Tokens individually — identifying the Machine Tokens as such, etc. — so, it is referenced somewhere!

Good, I didn't thought of that. Then they are listed by numbers in the rulebook and a little bit more clear what is what on the summery sheet. You want more referencing or ...?

Hacking Machines Clarification
In a 2-player game, with both players Nearby the Paarhufer—which is in the Routine condition—they attempt to hack it.
Player 1 = Jonas
Player 2 = Veronica

The Paarhufer has 2 Firewalls.
So, they need to spend at least 2-time to initiate the first hack. (Can they spend more time to get more dice?)
Both Jonas and Veronica spend 1-time each to initiate a Hack on the Machine.

The first firewall is Green Lightning Bolt over Yellow Fist. Green is Veronica's strength...
So, if they each spent 1-time, plus Veronica's Strength, the total dice being rolled = 3, right? (1 dice for each time + 1 for Veronica's strength)
So, if they each spent 2-time, plus Veronica's Strength, the total dice being rolled = 5.

Veronica rolls her dice and turns up a 6.
Jonas rolls his and gets a 3, but it's still a group success.

Now, they attack the 2nd/Last Firewall.
Do they need to spend 1-time again to hack? Or do they need to spend 2-time for every Firewall? And, thus, hacking the Watchdogs would require 3-time for every hack attempt?

Is that how this works?

*****UPDATE*****
Looking at the Summary Sheet — there are actually TWO actions that need to be taken to Hack a Firewall:

Hacking Machines
2.1 = First resolve the Firewall effect, then roll to Hack it.

What is the difference?
Maybe the first action requires Veronica to roll 5 dice (the first firewall is green, and that's her strength) and Jonas rolls 3.
Then, if either of them rolls a 6, they now have the option to Hack??
So, what do they roll to hack — is it as I described above? One dice for each Time spent ?? Or is Hacking simply moving the Hack token to the next Firewall or...?

*****UPDATE*****
The Summary Sheet actual lists the Scenario Tokens individually — identifying the Machine Tokens as such, etc. — so, it is referenced somewhere!

Good, I didn't thought of that. Then they are listed by numbers in the rulebook and a little bit more clear what is what on the summery sheet. You want more referencing or ...?

I don't mean to take up your day — I'm just slowly working through a first play of this game. I'm just posting obstacles in my understanding as I confront them. I'll continue to put them in this thread just to give some insight in to how my brain is interpreting the rules as written.

Hacking Machines Clarification
In a 2-player game, with both players Nearby the Paarhufer—which is in the Routine condition—they attempt to hack it.
Player 1 = Jonas
Player 2 = Veronica

The Paarhufer has 2 Firewalls.
So, they need to spend at least 2-time.
Both Jonas and Veronica spend 1-time each to initiate a Hack on the Machine.

The first firewall is Green Lightning Bolt over Yellow Fist. Green is Veronica's strength...
So, if they each spent 1-time, plus Veronica's Strength, the total dice being rolled = 3, right? (1 dice for each time + 1 for Veronica's strength)
So, if they each spent 2-time, plus Veronica's Strength, the total dice being rolled = 5.

Is that how this works?

Hacking is a series of test. Every kid that participate (spent a time cube) in the can make the roll or help.
In each test, the rolling kid rolls a number of dice, 2 (if the test is for the rollers weakness), 3 or 5 (if the test is for the rollers strength) dice +1 for each helping kid (can be just +1 in a two kid game) +1 for each item that matches the test.

So if the first Firewall token shows a Lightning Bolt + Yellow Fist, that means in order to hack that token, you need to do two tests, one for the green trait (Quick-Slow) and then after that one for the yellow trait (Tough-Weak). Veronica will most likely do the first since that is her strength (5 dice in a two-player game). If Jonas can help in green tests (he is not allowed to help in tests that is his weakness), Veronica will have +1 to the roll. She will also have +1 for each Green item card that she possess.
If this test succeeds, then anyone of the participant hackers can roll for the second test and if both succeeds, that firewall token is hacked and you can go on hacking the next.

A hacking cost only one time cube per firewall, at least one per participant kid and you make all the rolls in necessary until you either fails the hack or succeeds with it.

There are some good youtube videos out there with playthroughs (not so many yet, but still). They can show the game quite well. It is usually easier to learn a game by watching. At least playthroughs have always helped me.