Computing References in Transistor

Transistor is loaded with references to computing and programming. This guide describes them.

Access Point

An access point is a device which permits other devices access to a network. In the game, an Access Point is a place where you can save your game and Red can reconfigure the Transistor.

Administrator

An administrator is a user that has permissions to manage other users and perform maintenance functions on a system. In Cloudbank, government leaders are referred to as administrators.

Authenticator

A mechanism which determines whether a user is who they claim to be, usually by challenging them to produce some sort of credential. In the game, the Authenticator Permission allows Red to find and use Backdoors.

Backdoor

A hidden mechanism to grant access to a system to unauthorized individuals. Backdoors in Cloudbank allow Red to visit the Sandbox, an area she previously had no way to access.

Bounce()

To mask your origins when performing an attack by passing through several proxies (servers that act on your behalf) first. The Bounce() function moves from target to target in a similar way, although the Process never seem to think that the attack originated from another target.

Bracket

A bracket (or brace) is a symbol, typically used in pairs, that is used to mark the start and end of a section of code. Common types of brackets used in programming include angle brackets (<>), curly brackets ({}), and square brackets ([]). Royce Bracket is the name of a character in Transistor. There is also an important location in the game named Bracket Towers.

Branch

A branch is created when a programmer makes a copy of code in order to perform work on it, which is later reviewed and "merged" back into the main copy of the code (often called the "trunk"). This practice allows developers to try their work in isolation, without affecting other developers, until it has been perfected and is ready to be merged. In the Sandbox, Red encounters a tree with multiple branches, where she can try out Functions. The highest one is labeled "Current Branch: Under Review."

Breach()

To gain unauthorized access to a computer system, often remotely. The Breach() function penetrates Process entities from a distance.

Break Point

A breakpoint is a marker set in a program that will cause it to halt for debugging, so that the programmer can inspect its state at that moment. Sometimes Red will encounter a door called a break point that halts her progress until she terminates any Process in the area and unlocks it with the Transistor.

Bye()

Often the name of a message sent to a remote system to inform it that you intend to disconnect. The Bye() achievement is awarded upon completing the standard story.

Cache

If a program has to get some data which may be slow to retrieve, it may store the result in a cache, a temporary location which is much quicker to access. Then it can get it rapidly if it needs it again. The Cache permission in the game opens a passive slot where you can "store" a function.

Cloudbank

"The Cloud" is a term for networked systems that perform work on behalf of customers who rent out memory, storage, and processing power. Cloudbank is where the people in Transistor live, which is implied to be a virtual reality. There's also a location in Goldwalk named Cloud Alley, and another called DeBesis Pier. (The word debesis is Lithuanian for "cloud.")

Crash()

A process crashes when it encounters an error and cannot continue. The Crash() function in the game disrupts and damages the Process.

Drive()

A drive is a storage device for a computing system. Drive() is an achievement given when you reach Goldwalk District, after riding the motorcycle.

Eight

As mentioned in the description for "Two," values are represented as sequences of "bits" (0s and 1s). Eight bits makes a "byte," a fundamental unit of computer storage. Thus, when working with the internals of computer systems, one will often deal with values which are multiples of eight. The Align(), Focus(), and One() achievements are awarded for reaching User Levels 8, 16, and 24, respectively. Also, the Memory() achievement is granted for unlocking 32 MeM. There are a total of 16 Function slots on the Transistor, and Red can obtain 16 Functions to slot into them. All of these numbers are multiples of eight.

Empty Set

In mathematics and programming, a set is a collection of distinct values. An empty set refers to a set which contains no values at all. "Set" may also refer to a "set list," a list of songs to be performed. The Empty Set is a performance venue in Cloudbank. When it is first encountered in the game, it is empty. It's also a reference to the Camerata stealing Red's voice; because she is mute, her set is empty.

Fetch

Similar to "get:" the act of retrieving data and bringing it back, as if the data were a stick being thrown and the computer was being asked to go get it and bring it back. Fetch enemies in the game resemble dogs.

Find()

A synonym for "search:" to find and return data that meets certain criteria. Find() is an achievement awarded upon finishing 10 Function files.

Firewall

A firewall is a security mechanism that is part of an operating system or network which monitors and blocks traffic according to configured security rules. This prevents malicious activities from harming systems protected by the firewall. It is named for the physical counterpart that helps inhibit the spread of fire in a building. A similar wall is used in the mid-game to prevent the Process from getting to Grant and Asher, and Red has to access two separate terminals to open it. Near the end of the game, Royce Bracket lowers several barriers one at a time to allow Red to access the Cradle. They shimmer in a way that makes them appear to be burning, implying that they are "firewalls."

Floating Point

A floating point number is a way to represent a number in computer memory. The Floating Point is a romantic overlook in Goldwalk.

Flood()

Flooding is the process of sending so many requests to a server or process that it cannot keep up with the workload and slows to a crawl. Until the source of the flood is stopped, the effects of the attack will persist. The Flood() function in the game causes lingering damage to targeted enemies.

Function

A block of instructions that can be executed with a single command, optionally accepting input and emitting output. A set of parentheses at the end of a term is a common notation to indicate that the term is the name of a function. (Input values, if any, are placed between them.) The various functions you bind to slots in the game are essentially commands for the Transistor to carry out.

Get()

The HTTP GET command asks a remote server to return a web page for a given address. Additionally, functions which retrieve a value often start with the word "get" by convention. The Get() function pulls the targeted Process towards Red.

Goodbye()

An alternate form of "bye," a message frequently transmitted to indicate the intention to disconnect from a remote system. Goodbye() is an achievement awarded when completing a recursed story.

"Hello world!"

When a developer is learning a new programming language, the canonical first program to write is one that prints out "Hello world!" The Transistor says "Hello world!" early in the game upon reaching a skybridge offering a view of Cloudbank. He says it again when you return there later in the game, where you can see that almost all of Cloudbank has been processed.

Help()

Programs with a help feature allow you to ask for assistance, usually in the form of documentation. The Help() function in the game calls up a friendly Fetch() that will attack your enemies.

Install

Software is installed on a computer to permit it to be executed. Similarly, installing Functions on the Transistor allow Red to use them.

Junction Jan's

A junction is a point where multiple conductors or semiconductors make contact. Junction Jan's is flatbread establishment which seems to have been a point of social contact for citizens of Cloudbank.

Kill()

Killing a process causes it to immediately stop running, interrupting whatever it might be doing at the time. Killing any process at will is typically an action that is only available to superusers. Kill() is a function that Red can only use while she is a SuperUser that deals 500 damage to a Process, which for most of them is enough to destroy it.

Load()

Loading is the process of copying instructions or data from storage into memory before executing or working with it. The Load() function in the game prepares a packet that can subsequently be detonated. (The term "load" in this case could be considered short for "payload.")

Mask()

A mask is a mechanism for suppressing bits of data or network ranges so that they won't be present for consideration in later operations. The Mask() function obscures you from view so that the Process don’t know you’re there.

Memory

Memory is a computer’s "work area:" the more memory it has, the more things it can do at once. Memory (MeM) in Transistor controls how many Functions you can bind at once. It is also the name of an achievement ("Memory()") awarded for unlocking 32 MeM.

NAN

The term "NAN" (often rendered "NaN") stands for "Not a Number," and is used when a mathematical operation is attempted with a value that is not a number (and is therefore invalid). Late in the game, when Fairview is falling apart from the Process's actions, Red can encounter an abyss with the depth reported as "NAN."

Operator

In computing, an operator may refer to 1) a person using a system, or 2) an action that can take one or more values and compute a new value from them. In Transistor, Operators are Processes that spawn other Processes.

Permissions

Permissions are rights that are assigned to individual users; they dictate what a user is allowed to do on a system. In the game, permissions expand Red’s capabilities in a similar way.

Ping()

A small message sent over a network in order to test the speed of the connection between the sender and the receiver. The Ping() function in-game sends a small, quick projectile towards a target.

Port 37 Archway

A port number is part of a network address that is used to connect to a remote system. Port numbers are associated with specific protocols to accomplish particular functions. Port 37 is reserved for the Time Protocol, used to read the date and time from a remote system. Port 37 Archway is also a location in the game.

Priority

Priority is a property of a process that determines how much of a share of a system's computing resources it gets. In the game, Priority is a limiter which causes more than one Function to overload when her health is depleted; essentially, giving her less access to resources (lower priority).

Process

An instance of a computer program during execution. It is through running processes that a computer performs any action. Stopping a process before it completes its task is referred to as terminating it. The Process in the game are following the instructions in their program to turn the world into a blank canvas. It is also the name of an achievement ("Process()") awarded for completing all the Process files. When Red eliminates Process in combat, they are listed under the heading "Process Terminated."

Purge()

Purging a memory structure (such as a cache) causes all data in it to be erased. The Purge() function in the game causes the targeted to Process to be destroyed from within, as if it were being erased.

Recursion

Recursion is when a function is capable of running itself over again, typically in order to break a large problem down into smaller chunks. Recursion is Transistor's term for what is often called New Game+, where you start the game over, retaining your abilities but facing tougher challenges.

Sandbox

A sandbox is a protected area of a computer system that has been isolated from critical system functionality. In a sandbox, users can experiment with potentially destructive actions without having to worry about misuse impacting important parts of the system. In the game, the Sandbox is a place where you can practice your skills in challenge arenas. Death in the Sandbox only restarts the challenge rather than sending you back to the last Access Point. It is also the name of an achievement ("Sandbox()") for completing at least one of every test in the Sandbox.

Search()

To find and return data that meets certain criteria, most familiar to the general public as "search engines" such as Google. Search() is an achievement awarded upon finishing 5 Function files.

Self()

The term "self" is used in some programming languages within a block of code to refer to itself, although "this" is more common. Self() is an achievement given for augmenting a Function with a copy of itself.

Snapshot

The technology term and the enemy both derive their names from the act of taking a picture with a camera. In the game, Snapshots are Process with actual flash cameras, which are used to distract Red and obscure the area around her. In computing, a snapshot is a record of the state of a running system or data store at a particular moment in time for later reference, as if taking a picture of it.

Stack()

A stack is a memory structure that stores multiple values, where the first one stored is the last one removed. Think of it like a stack of plates at a buffet restaurant: plates are put onto the stack and taken from it at the top, so the first plate put in the stack is the last removed. This has little relevance to its use in Transistor, where it is the name of an achievement awarded for creating a Function that uses 12 MeM.

SuperUser

A superuser is a user that has unlimited permissions on a machine, as opposed to regular users who are restricted from performing some (usually potentially destructive) actions. Red can sometimes become a SuperUser if Help() is bound to a passive slot; this allows her to use the Kill() function.

Switch()

A switch is a device that is analogous to an old-time telephone switchboard operator for a computer network: it routes data to where it wants to go. It's also a programming command in which a value is used to select one of several blocks of code to run. The Switch() function temporarily changes the allegiance of an enemy Process; in a sense, "rerouting" it.

System

A construct which can run processes. The game's System permission opens up an upgrade slot where functions can be bound to affect the Process.

Tap()

A tap is a mechanism for observing a data stream, usually without the knowledge of the intended recipient. Tap() allows Red to draw life points from an enemy and take them for herself.

Trace

A trace is a debugging record showing the execution path to reach a particular location in a program. Red encounters killed Cloudbank citizens and absorbs their "traces" into the Transistor to gain several new abilities. These traces are later seen in storage in the final boss arena within the Transistor.

Transistor

An electronic component that allows current applied to one pair of terminals to switch or amplify current on another pair. It is the fundamental component that makes modern electronics possible. In game, the Transistor effects changes in the world and is the fundamental device that makes it possible to control the Process.

Two

Computers are binary systems, meaning that values are expressed internally in base 2, sequences of "bits" (0s and 1s). The number of bits in a memory space determines how many different values it can store, and these maximum values increase by powers of two: 1 bit can store 2 different values, 2 can store 4, 3 bits can store 8, and so on. Transistor includes some references to powers of two, most notably with the Anything() and Everything() achievements, which award you for inflicting 1024 and 2048 damage, respectively, in the Practice Test in the Sandbox. Also, terminals early in the game say the petition to build a bridge to Fairview needs 65,536 more signatures, and there are 16,384 responses to the Fashion Week event invitation. All these values are powers of two.

Once in Fairview, flavor text will occasionally give "addresses" as strings of digits and letters. These are actually hexadecimal values: instead of 10 digits, you have sixteen. (After 9, the values continue with the letters A through F.) Base 16 is sometimes used to represent values in computing, because 16 is a power of two. (For example, the 65,536 needed signatures is 10000 in hexadecimal.)

User()

A user is a person who accesses a computer system, often with an associated account, credentials, and permissions. The User() achievement is awarded for unlocking all the Transistor's slots.

Void()

Void is a programming concept that means "nothing," "no data," or "do nothing." It is most frequently used to state that a particular function will not return any data when it is called. There doesn’t seem to be any analogy to the Void() function in the game, which greatly reduces its attack and defense, while boosting your own attack strength.

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[Lunira]

every time I look at something related to Transistor it just makes me realize even more how genius Supergiant are

[dogmai]

helpful

[Alevser]

Really interesting to read. Thanks a lot!

[H.G]

this is amazing, thank you

[countlessCritters]

Spoiler for Recursion/NG+:
In addition to the Bracket references, when you Recurse, the first line the Transistor says is instead said by Royce, making Bracket's lines be the first and last to be spoken in the playthrough.