Ready vs Exert vs Exerted Clarification

[GodricTheWell]

Rulebook, p5 says:
Ready ( ) and Exerted ( ) are two game states indicating a card's availability for further use. Only cards currently in play may be or , and only a ready card may while only an exerted card may .

Uh... is there a better way to explain this? How does this manifest in actual game play?

Example
Connection Card: Crazy Eddy's Discount Depot
Card text reads: "Procurement Phase - - : Reduce the cost of an by "

How do I read this? Reaction minus exertion : Reduce the cost of an upgrade by two credits.
What doesn't make sense to me is the first part.
Once a card is exerted, is it done for that round, and then put back in to ready position on the next round if it hasn't been discarded?

[Horizon Jeff]

Only cards currently in play may be or , and only a ready card may while only an exerted card may .

This is important to understand so you don't attempt to a card that's already exerted. In essence, it's a limit on the number of times you can use an ability that requires . Unless you can find a way to the card (and there are ways), you'll have to wait for next round.

Example
Connection Card: Crazy Eddy's Discount Depot
Card text reads: "Procurement Phase - - : Reduce the cost of an by "

How do I read this? Reaction minus exertion : Reduce the cost of an upgrade by two credits.
What doesn't make sense to me is the first part.
Once a card is exerted, is it done for that round, and then put back in to ready position on the next round if it hasn't been discarded?

First, the symbol preceding the dash is a timing indicator (rulebook page 25). They help inform you when you can use the card. In this case, the ability has , which is a very permissive timing -- it allows you to generate effects in response to other effects. Namely, you generate the ability to reduce the cost to play an .

[GodricTheWell]

Thanks, okay - I'll look again at page 25.
It makes sense to have a way to show that a card has been "exerted" during a turn. Do they all reset at the end/start of a turn? (I believe I read that somewhere as part of the last phase of a round. I don't have my rulebook in front of me right now.)

I suppose the reason that there is a symbol is because some cards can be revived after they've been exerted within the same turn?

[Horizon Jeff]

Thanks, okay - I'll look again at page 25.
It makes sense to have a way to show that a card has been "exerted" during a turn. Do they all reset at the end/start of a turn? (I believe I read that somewhere as part of the last phase of a round. I don't have my rulebook in front of me right now.)

I suppose the reason that there is a symbol is because some cards can be revived after they've been exerted within the same turn?

The standard convention in card games to show this kind of effect is to rotate the card 90-degrees sideways. There's an example picture on page 5 of the rulebook. You may hear other card game players calling this "tap" or "tapping," which is a term from Magic: The Gathering.

All cards during Stage 1 of the Ready Phase (rulebook page 10). Though remember, only exerted cards can .

You're correct, some cards allow you to an exerted card. One example is the Glitch, which allows you to either or an . So you could an opponent's card to deny them use of it, or you could your own to use it twice.

[GodricTheWell]

Got it. Thanks.
I think the thing I was overthinking was the last statement regarding ready/exertion saying "only exerted cards can be made ready, and only ready cards can be exerted...". I was looking for something deeper, beyond the way obvious and confusing myself.

[Horizon Jeff]

Got it. Thanks.
I think the thing I was overthinking was the last statement regarding ready/exertion saying "only exerted cards can be made ready, and only ready cards can be exerted...". I was looking for something deeper, beyond the way obvious and confusing myself.

The amusing thing about that is while writing the rules, it took a bit of effort to come up with the phrasing. In my mind, what I want to communicate is simple: If you need to , you the card, but you can only do so if it's not exerted. But even though the concept is easily understood, explaining it as a rule is more involved.

[GodricTheWell]

Yeah, I think this is the drawing equivalent of adding more detail to compensate for drawing a thing you're not very good at... like, the added detail will somehow make it easier to see/understand. But, the net effect is that you have a nice, simple drawing with a small area that is more heavily treated than the rest of the drawing. People do this all the time with eyes and hands.