Am I doing something wrong or is hacking useless?

[InfinitePigeon]

I decided to give a stealth netrunner build a try for the very first time and it's just impossible to get anything done before I get traced, at least in the early game. I wanted to do something like illusion/sneak mage in Skyrim, where I'm using hacks to manipulate and kill enemies for me but tracing happens way too fast for stealth netrunner to feel viable. If a combat-focused netrunner is good I'll happily try that but I was really looking forward to stealth

[alation13]

There are quite a few threads on this.

[arti_llery]

Check thru the various threads, a lot of the issues for stealthing that way, require specific setups that aren't available early on.

Anyways, even going full netrunner, it's always good to be ready to fight. I usually pair tech weapons with mine. Nothing like popping skulls thru walls.

[Zylo the Wolfbane]

I found that Body is a weirdly good stat to pair with Intelligence. One of the big things with hacking is the ability to 'Overclock' later on in levels, spending HP as if it's RAM. Add in the Body skills for amping up your healing/health regen and you can get a LOT of mileage out of effectively burning your brain out hacking dudes while huffing drugs to keep from dying.

[alation13]

Nah, mix tech with intelligence, I am at level 40+ and have only just started to use Overclock. By mixing tech with hacking you can get the perks that allow more cyberware. Then invest in cyberware for ram and ram regeneration buffs.

EDIT: In case you missed it in the literal hundreds of pages on this topic, the biggest gripe is the tracing that the enemies do. This is easily eliminated by first uploading a level 3 or higher sonic shock quickhack onto the target.

[Bishop-Six]

You are doing something wrong.

[kripcision]

do memory wipe first which will prevent being traced. it gets much easier once you get overclock tho.

[Actalo]

So stealth is very important for Hacking insomuch as you need to remain unseen as long as possible. The downside is that you can no longer just hack enemies with a network since most offensive hacks are traceable.

The trick is to time them right by using covert hacks to locate, call, or push enemies into position near explosives or in large groups to cycle hacks. Or, isolate them with covert hacks then attack with traceable or weapons..

[alation13]

Originally posted by kripcision:

do memory wipe first which will prevent being traced. it gets much easier once you get overclock tho.

Sonic shock not memory wipe.
T5 Sonic shock is 6 ram.
T5 Memory wipe is 32 ram.
Same effect at 20% cost.

[alation13]

Originally posted by Actalo:

So stealth is very important for Hacking insomuch as you need to remain unseen as long as possible. The downside is that you can no longer just hack enemies with a network since most offensive hacks are traceable.

The trick is to time them right by using covert hacks to locate, call, or push enemies into position near explosives or in large groups to cycle hacks. Or, isolate them with covert hacks then attack with traceable or weapons..

None of that is required with sonic shock. Try and see.

[kripcision]

Originally posted by alation13:

Originally posted by kripcision:

do memory wipe first which will prevent being traced. it gets much easier once you get overclock tho.

Sonic shock not memory wipe.
T5 Sonic shock is 6 ram.
T5 Memory wipe is 32 ram.
Same effect at 20% cost.

T4 memory wipe is 10 ram or less. T5 memory wipe is only viable when you have overclock, and at that point you basically have unlimited ram so it doesnt matter how much ram you use.

besides memory wipe's a garantee to prevent traces of other hacks, so its good to pair, and yes sonic shock is good too, but it wont stop from other hacks from being traced.

[alation13]

I have never had any hacks traced after sonic shock. I got the ram cost for memory wipe straight from my in game character, I have never used it. After someone on a different thread said about sonic shock, I have just gone around with sonic shock then overheat on organic enemies or sonic shock then short circuit on mechs.

In all reality ram regeneration and max ram are only for quality of life. When you are able to easily kill with untraceable combat hacks, time is on your side. Higher level sonic shock even cloaks the target from their allies, so you don't even have to worry about the "spotted corpse" issue.

EDIT: I don't mean to say that overclock is not an S tier skill or that it is not powerful, just that when you learn how to make your combat quickhacks untraceable, hacking is very powerful.
It doesn't matter if a quest calls for stealth, combat ability, living enemies or dead, your character has the tools to deal with it.

[kripcision]

Originally posted by alation13:

I have never had any hacks traced after sonic shock. I got the ram cost for memory wipe straight from my in game character, I have never used it. After someone on a different thread said about sonic shock, I have just gone around with sonic shock then overheat on organic enemies or sonic shock then short circuit on mechs.

In all reality ram regeneration and max ram are only for quality of life. When you are able to easily kill with untraceable combat hacks, time is on your side. Higher level sonic shock even cloaks the target from their allies, so you don't even have to worry about the "spotted corpse" issue.

EDIT: I don't mean to say that overclock is not an S tier skill or that it is not powerful, just that when you learn how to make your combat quickhacks untraceable, hacking is very powerful.
It doesn't matter if a quest calls for stealth, combat ability, living enemies or dead, your character has the tools to deal with it.

what i do is overclock, then memory wipe then synapse each enemy, literally kill an entire squad before they even know you are there. if you are fast enough you can do it with sonic shock too but its not a garantee, and chances are at least one of hacks will get traced, or in the process of getting traced. dont get me wrong, sonic shock , short curcuit, and overheat are basically the go to when you dont have much ram, i used them plenty, but they arent OP.

[Seizure Storm]

Basically they nerfed the stealth hacker however the combat hacker is disgustingly good

[alation13]

Originally posted by kripcision:

Originally posted by alation13:

I have never had any hacks traced after sonic shock. I got the ram cost for memory wipe straight from my in game character, I have never used it. After someone on a different thread said about sonic shock, I have just gone around with sonic shock then overheat on organic enemies or sonic shock then short circuit on mechs.

In all reality ram regeneration and max ram are only for quality of life. When you are able to easily kill with untraceable combat hacks, time is on your side. Higher level sonic shock even cloaks the target from their allies, so you don't even have to worry about the "spotted corpse" issue.

EDIT: I don't mean to say that overclock is not an S tier skill or that it is not powerful, just that when you learn how to make your combat quickhacks untraceable, hacking is very powerful.
It doesn't matter if a quest calls for stealth, combat ability, living enemies or dead, your character has the tools to deal with it.

what i do is overclock, then memory wipe then synapse each enemy, literally kill an entire squad before they even know you are there. if you are fast enough you can do it with sonic shock too but its not a garantee, and chances are at least one of hacks will get traced, or in the process of getting traced. dont get me wrong, sonic shock , short curcuit, and overheat are basically the go to when you dont have much ram, i used them plenty, but they arent OP.

I have just been doing some testing and found we were BOTH right.
In hostile areas overclock starts the "tracing" effect. I am guessing that memory wipe is required to over ride this effect.
Since I only just started using overclock, sonic shock was all I ever needed to make myself untraceable.