Dataview Help

[Blandman Bob]

https://www.reddit.com/r/darkcom/comments/4jk5b8/using_the_hexpad_reliably/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd4B64a0fp4
Neither of these posts have helped me understand a single thing about figuring out the Node ID.

The post simply confuses me, because people both say that the ID does matter, but then others say it doesn't matter, et cetera.. I need a clear answer.

And the video doesn't do a good job at being a 'Tutorial'. Around the 0:34 mark, text appears below saying '9...3?(firewall)'. No where in the data stream do I see a 9, separated from a 3. I do not understand the format of the data view. Do I read from top to bottom? Left to right? Or is it a sequence, like each wash-over is the next 'page'? I don't get it.

You may disregard me as a fool, incapable of comprehending this system, but in that case, why not teach me how to? Please, I ask, how do I understand this system? How do I read the Data view, and in what particular way? Does the code order matter or not?

I've already tried my best in making it work. I kept track of datapackets, I've hacked the neighboring nodes of the one I plan to hack through hexpad - particularly, the ones that are feeding their packets into it - and while I manage to get one or two digits correct, the very next ends up failing, even though I swear I knew that third ID.


TL;DR: You're playing a game about hacking and need a TL;DR? Jesus. Chances are you're just simply about as clueless as me... Anyhow; how do i use hexpad & datee vew

[Hotshot]

Did you ever find out how to do that?
I'm "stuck" in this game... >75% hacks are full with ICEs, no (available) money and with that even less time then I need.
The only thing left for me to do is playing the easier levels to get more BC

This game gives you no ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ info on how to even use the stuff it offers (like the "for-advanced-users-only" pad).
This is why I hate those ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ indigames from devs that no nothing about gradually evolving the difficulty level.

Or maybe it's just the VR version that sucks. I dunno

[PokeMageTech - ProNetNeutrality]

Hm? It's had a gradually increasing difficulty level. See a thing inside a node and don't know what it does? Get a virus to spread to it and see what happens.

[LupisLight]

Hmm, that reddit post is a little...lacking in basics, but between reading it and watching the video, I think I have an understanding of what is going on. I'll try and explain. Please note I haven't unlocked the data view in my own game quite yet, so the reddit and video are all I have to go on. that said, here goes.

The data view shows a matrix-like falling random digit projection over the nodes. The digits can be from 0 to F, they are hexadecimal digits, not decimal.

Now, you aren't trying to 'read' the digits in any order, what you want to take note of, are WHICH digits you see over the node. The game makes a pool of digits to randomly choose from, as follows:

0 and 1 are always present in the pool.

The next digit in the pool is the number of firewalls.

If the node is a Sentinel node (or currently ICE), the digit 9 is added to the pool

If the node contains one of those green money cores in it, it will have a digit from A to E added to the pool. (A for small nodes, B or C for medium nodes, and D or E for large nodes)

If the node is the root, F will be added to the pool.

And finally, each node has a a unique, randomly selected ID digit from 0 to F assigned to it. (When you capture a node, this digit will be the one lit up on the keypad behind you). This ID digit is added to the pool.

Oh, and if the node is ICE, the digit for the firewalls and the ID digit will be omitted until the ICE is broken.

Now the game has it's pool of digits which will randomly appear over the node in data view. EXCEPT for one very important rule: If a digit appears more than once in this pool, it will be dropped from the pool entirely.

Now, knowing all this, what you are trying to figure out first in data view, is what is the ID digit of each node. You are therefore looking either for a digit that doesn't fit the node, or one that the node should be showing but isn't.

For instance the first node that the video looks at in data view is showing 0, 1, and 9 on it in the data view, since it is a sentinel with no money. However, it also has three firewalls, so the digit 3 SHOULD be present. Since it isn't, 3 must also be the ID digit for that node.

Now look at the second node the video look at in data view. It is identical to the first, a sentinel with three firewalls, so the digits we expect to see over that node are 0,1,3,and 9, which are all present. But we can also see the digit 8 amongst them. Because there is no other reason for this node to have an 8, it can be deduced that 8 is this node's ID.

In this manner the ID digits for each node can be deduced. Now, how to use the keypads to quick-hack a node?

First notice in the normal view the packets that are being exchanged between nodes. For the node you want to hack, you need to find the ID digits of every node that is A) no more than two nodes away from it in the network, and B) is sending packets to it. (one post on the reddit notes that it may be tricky to determine which nodes are sending packets and which ones are just relaying packets from a different node). Also note that the ID of the node you are trying to hack is irrelevant.

When you have this list of IDs, you go to the keypad of the node you are hacking, and press all the digits in your list. The order you press them in doesn't matter, and each button can be pressed only once, so don't worry if digits are repeated in your list. If you got it right, the node will be instantly hacked.

This will be easier for nodes on the edge of the network, with fewer connections, since there will be fewer nodes to find. The recommended method is to do this before the timer starts, and focus on one node with a lot of money, which will give you a big boost in cash right off the bat if you do it right, saving a lot of time you would have spent making that money the normal way.

Finally note that the Root node does NOT have a keypad, so no shortcut there. It DOES still have an ID, though.

Hopefully that makes a bit of sense for you guys. Again, I haven't unlocked the Data View in my game yet, so I have yet to test this all out myself, but apparently it works.

[Blandman Bob]

LupisLight, you sir, are a saint.

A bit of a late one, since this post is about 3 years old now, but nonetheless, your explanation seems to make a lot of sense with everything considered, and I am glad you took your time to explain things in careful detail.

Thank you for your help.