Need Hacking / Matrix Help?

[Trese Brothers]

The hacking specific tutorial is now life -
https://steamcommunity.com/games/1021210/announcements/detail/6992487606087801602?snr=2___

Or, if you'd rather watch a video, we posted a short piece to the matrix on YouTube recently:
https://youtu.be/HXn6OSRzvIQ

Ahab's Guide to Hacking:
https://cyberknightswiki.tresebrothers.com/Ahab's_Guide_to_Hacking

The wiki page on Hacking has a lot of great content:
https://cyberknightswiki.tresebrothers.com/Matrix

[Gravedancer]

I will probably release an updated version of the video as the game progresses in development. If anyone has suggestions on additional things to cover let me know.

[Zarquon]

In my opinion hacking is too complicated and shouldn't take more than a single turn.

I mean this in the best possible way but if what is effectively a mini-game, requires a 3000 word document to fully explain, then it is too complicated.

Keep most of what is already done, but remove loading ICs, remove 70% of the nodes, remove traps etc etc. Make it be something that is an interesting short puzzle that has a few well signposted benefits that the player can then choose which to pursue. They can achieve one thing of their choice by hacking a terminal. Perhaps have a late game skill that allows agent to hack the same terminal twice (go again the next turn) to pick a different path and reward.

[davea]

There's a spectrum of complexity. On the high end, the shadowrun games by harebrained studios have a great hacking mode. It's literally another tactical map, but the enemies are countermeasures, and the hacker moves around to reach a goal destination on the map. On the low end, there is a tiny mini-game like lockpicking by juggling a couple of tumblers on one screen.

I feel that this game is aiming at the high side, and your suggestion is to move it way to the lower end. The experience is a little rough now, but I think it has the potential to be very interesting.

[Trese Brothers]

Our goal has always been that hacking is one of three major pillars in the game -- stealth + hack + combat. We don't consider Hacking to be a mini-game and we are not planning to gut it. The multi-turn hacks at major objectives while the rest of the crazy RL sneak and fight are going produce some very cool moments in the game and wonderful tension between hacking and RL teamwork.

[GloriousRuse]

I rather like the hacking portion, and once I realized that spiking a CPU did not mean downloading a file, that ONE mission got much easier.

My only recommendation would be allowing "hack leverage" via favors, money, legwork, etc. If someone wants to have an easier time in the hacking pillar, then let them pay for it the same way you can pay for easier stealth and combat.

[Trese Brothers]

Originally posted by GloriousRuse:

I rather like the hacking portion, and once I realized that spiking a CPU did not mean downloading a file, that ONE mission got much easier.

My only recommendation would be allowing "hack leverage" via favors, money, legwork, etc. If someone wants to have an easier time in the hacking pillar, then let them pay for it the same way you can pay for easier stealth and combat.

Some of the exiting Hacking leverage that is available today in the game, but not for every mission are to:

1) start with the hosts completely pre-Scanned. This is big, and could reveal the path to the CPU right away. This is also something we've considered as a tick box in custom difficulty so that players who want to move through it quickly can.

2) Reset Matrix Host Security levels - this active Leverage nukes the quantum Sec Level of the Matrix hosts back to 0 and gives you basically a fresh start to try it again before all its high level security responses are online.

[GloriousRuse]

I like the pre-scan as major leverage. It fits narrative (someone has given you the inside scoop on the network architecture) and play wise lets you dial it down at a cost....or becomes essential when you're in Ironman and can't afford to load back up if you bolo it.

At the easier end, maybe just highlight the target node rather than whole net as the box tick? If just because the explore, scan and load is the main part of hacking.

[Tchey]

In french, i explain the Matrix a bit in my video :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBtgh4rDOk

[Mystery]

I dont fully understand how hacking works yet, but I like it so far. I ESPECIALLY like that it can take more than a turn. It's what I love in the Shadowrun Tabletop: Your hacker (called decker there but whatever) has to disable security while the rest of the time sneaks about. They stand in front of a locked door and the bad guys charge at them and the decker needs to override door lock SOON. If he cant do it this turn, the rest of the party needs to exchange bullets. And it gets worse if he cant do it next turn. Or the contrary: The teams needs to keeps the bad guys away from the hacker, because he's helpless while in the matrix.

This is exactly what I hope this game aims at.

Problem so far: I dont think the data recovered from matrix runs is worth it. I found some personnel files and they're only worth like 2k. Not sure if hanging around to get them is worth it compared to the additional heat you get from taking more turns. But that's a simple balancing issue.

[Trese Brothers]

That is *exactly* what we are aiming for. The tension of the hack vs. the RL situation, be it incoming patrols, the squad needing that door open or just battling off enemies storming the control room so they don't gun you hacker down. These scenarios were on our inspiration list for the design of the hacking system.

We're fixing prices of looted digital things of all types. They got nerfed and it's not working.

[Omega]

I'll be honest - I think the hacking game is AMAZING! I'm just learning it, and it's taking me a moment (doing it right now), but man, it feels cyber sci fi-epic :) I completely get what Trese Brothers are aiming for, and I think it's perfect - Hacker getting to this final node, while whole team covers him and screams "we need to evac now, speed it up!", while hacker is like "Just give me few seconds, I know how to circumvent those last nodes, we are nearly there!".

I even super like the flavour of x10 AP in Matrix, plugging in, having all those input speeds - it really feels like hacker is entering a whole new world that isn't achievable for other mortals - doing some cyber magic for the rest of the team - hacker feels like a god in this cyberworld. I think this is exactly as intended, can't wait to see more:)

For disclaimer, I was with Trese Bros for a long long time in gaming, I bought first star trader on mobile, this was first paid mobile game I ever bought :) It was like 2$ then, and since then played star traders 2 for hundreds of hours I think. I bought Cyber Knights as I trust those guys to deliver, and I'm really amazed of what they are going for - this will be another epic game for years to play! (please add sandbox stuff so we can play forever ;).

I hope hacking won't be reduced, I think it's great overall and has this cinematic, epic, sci-fi vibe which game is going for (sucessfully)

[Trese Brothers]

Just posted Ahab's (AWESOME!) Guide to Hacking - https://cyberknightswiki.tresebrothers.com/Ahab's_Guide_to_Hacking

It will be coming to Steam soon, also more images added soon.

[Mystery]

That's an excellent guide. Great job.

[Pogobear]

Love the game. Have read hacking guides. Did a mission where I spiked the CPU. I don't know what that accomplished. What does spiking the CPU do?

[Trese Brothers]

Originally posted by Pogobear:

Love the game. Have read hacking guides. Did a mission where I spiked the CPU. I don't know what that accomplished. What does spiking the CPU do?

Spiking the CPU has a few effects today. It runs a scan on about 50% of the nodes in the host, so if you're looking for something like an RCU this can be helpful. Today, it also resets the Sec Level, but effect isn't going to stick around, you'll need to find and spike the home of the Sec AI for that, the APU.

Outside of mission objectives, spiking the CPU is okay but it isn't of outsized importance on a host if it isn't your goal. Finding SCU to disable security, downloading files from Data Warehouses, etc.

We're going to keep working on this as we add more node and IC types.