On 5/26/2014 5:32 AM, Orchid Win7 v1 wrote:
> After spending about an hour trying to hack one terminal, I was
> eventually reduced to looking up the code on the Internet. (It's 1080.)
> It's only rated at level 3, but I just couldn't click all the buttons
> fast enough. Is there something I'm missing?
>
> When you hack a device, you get to look around at the network and plan
> your route. But once you capture the first node, you then only have a
> few seconds to get all the way to your goal. (In this particular case,
> it seems the timer starts at 13 seconds.)
>
> Complicating matters is the fact that this particular device has two
> registries to capture, each of which is only accessible via a single
> one-way route. So you have to take TWO paths simultaneously. Fortunately
> you can capture multiple nodes at once. Unfortunately, it's very hard to
> watch the progress of both nodes and click the next node on the correct
> path near-instantly as soon as the current one finishes capturing. My
> brain just can't react fast enough.
>
> I have (or had) a STOP! virus. But given that I've never even got CLOSE
> to the end of either path before being booted out, adding a few more
> seconds to the clock seems unlikely to help much. I need to DOUBLE the
> available time or something!
>
> Also: Lots of these networks have extra bonus nodes that you can capture
> for extra points or whatever. But given that it's usually extremely hard
> to complete a successful hack at all, why would you ever go after the
> optional stuff? That doesn't make sense to me.
>
> The whole thing screams that I'm missing something obvious - something
> that makes things drastically easier somehow. Who designs a game where
> 90% of the content is impossible to access? Nobody. So I must be missing
> something here...
>
Hacking is... tricky. Each node actually has a detection odds. If you 
are detected, you are screwed, period. There is no way in hell, unless 
you already have most of the nodes captured, and are just running for 
the end, that you can get it done *after* being detected. So, the only 
solution is to save just before you are going to hack, then, if you do 
get detected, reload and try again. Stop viruses and I think, slow, and 
the like are useful, and even a few seconds can be really important, 
since sometimes there is no way, at all, you won't be detected, but, 
delaying the security just enough can get you through.

Those "optional" nodes, sometimes have money in them, but often have 
more viruses, that can be used later on. Also - Depending on how good 
your hacking is, i.e., the upgrades for that, your detection chance goes 
down. Its a bad idea to hack a node that has a higher level than your 
current upgrade. The odds of detection approach 100% in such cases, and 
you are thus totally hosed. You can still manage it, but its pure luck, 
and may require a "lot" of reloading of the game, to get lucky and not 
get spotted by the security in the process.

Note also - often the security is on a one way node - i.e., it can hunt 
you, but not the other way around. However, sometimes, in a few cases, 
the security node itself is capturable. And that, if you can take it 
out, makes things vastly simpler. But, I think there where only a tiny 
number of them that had that, and then only 1-2 where the detection risk 
+ delay to pound that node into submission was good enough that I 
managed to shut it down that way.

-- 
Commander Vimes: "You take a bunch of people who don't seem any 
different from you and me, but when you add them all together you get 
this sort of huge raving maniac with national borders and an anthem."

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