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In the Netrunner games, "rezzing" a card is the act of revealing and paying for it when you're playing as the Corporation (in the new LCG anyway; I'm not familiar with the original CCG, but I believe it's the same).

The games take a great deal of inspiration from real computing terms for all of their "keywords" but this isn't one I'm familiar with. It must be short for something: "resurrect" is the best I can come up with, but doesn't really make literal sense since you're playing something for the first time. What's the origin of the term?

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  • I just played for the first time yesterday and wondered the same thing! Dec 31, 2012 at 17:20

2 Answers 2

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It is short for "resolve", and derez is short for "deresolve". I have seen the terms several times in cyberpunk fiction; the earliest use I can find is Tron (1982).

Here are some quotes from IMDB. Note that the MCP uses the term "deresolution" when being formal, and the anthropomorphic programs use "de-rezzed" to mean the same thing.

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It comes from the movie Tron (1982). "Rez" is a shorthand slang for the opposite of "deresolution."

Sark: Everything you do or learn will be imprinted on this disc. If you lose your disc, or fail to follow commands, you will be subject to immediate deresolution. That will be all.

Rez - To call into being.

Kevin Flynn: I'm gonna jump! It's the only way to help Tron.

Yori: Don't. You'll be de-rezzed.

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