I'm pretty much completely baffled about what the 'degree' setting on NURBS curves actually does. Here's what teh VW help guide says:
Here's what happens when I try various things:
(when I write "created with" I mean the number I put in the "curve degree" box of the NURBS tool settings)
Each of those shapes is created by clicking on the same 4 points in the same sequence.
Here are some questions for starters: