Hacking 101

This quick guide will explain how you can hack/breach to gain credits as the game doesn't really explain how this mechanic works.

Updates

14/12/2020 - Added Video version of guide in Section 4.
13/12/2020 - Minor edits.

Step 1 - Access Points

Breaching allows you to Jack In to certain machines and terminals classified as Access Points and this opens up a mini game that gives you the opportunity to gain euro dollars and crafting materials. You are first introduced to this from a mission from T-Bug in the Prologue where you pick up a Daemon, however the game doesn't really explain how this works.

So first you need to find an Access Point to Jack Into (see screenshot below for an example). These are scattered throughout the world and can be consoles on walls, vending machines etc, they will have a symbol on them once you discover them. With Intelligence 7 you can select a Perk called Extended Network Interface in the Breach Protocol Branch that automatically highlights these Access Points for you.

Step 1 - Approach an Access Point and Jack in

Step 2 - Hacking Overview

Right so once you Jack In you are taken to this screen, lets go through all the important things.

1.) Code Matrix (Note I go into this in more detail next section)
This is where you select your input. What you want to do is select the the symbols required by the Datamine V1 -V3 in the sequence required to upload section. If you select the same symbols in the same order as one (or all) of these you will be granted cash and component rewards. See next section on how you do this.


2.) Sequence Required to Upload
These show the sequence available to you and if you correctly pick a sequence of symbols it will grant you a cash and crafting material reward.

There are three sequences you can aim for.
Datamine V1 - If you complete this sequence you will get a small cash reward of around 100 Euro Dollars and some components.
Datamine V2 - If you complete this sequence you will get a moderate cash reward of around 200 Euro Dollars and some components. Chance to get better components than V1.
Datamine V3 - If you complete this sequence you will get a large cash reward of around 300 Euro Dollars and some components. Chance to gain epic and legendary components.

Note: With intelligence 5, in Breach Protocol, you can select a perk called Advanced Datamine that increases your rewards by 50%/100%.

You can aim for any one of these, check out the code matrix and see what sequence is possible to get. The code Matrix is randomized everytime you attempt it, so sometimes it's only possible to get 1 of these, while other times, with luck, it's possible to complete all three sequences and get a much larger reward as each reward is added to the other if you complete multiple Datamine sets.

ProTip: There is no penalty for exiting the Access Point and jacking in again, this will reset the Code Matrix and Sequence Required. If you are patient you can do this until you get the ability to hit 2 or 3 sequences for a larger reward. Hitting all three sets with Advance Datamine maxed nets you over 1,200 Euro Dollars plus components so this is a very good way to make money and there is no limit to how many times you can reset the matrix as long as you don't pick anything.

3.) Buffer
This shows the symbols (4 initially but increases later) that you pick and what order you have picked them.

4.) Breach Time Remaining
Once you select your first symbol on the Code Matrix this timer starts, so you need to pick the remaining three symbols before the timer runs out otherwise you will fail. Note: This only starts once you pick the first symbol so you are in no rush until then. I recommend you plan your moves ahead of time.

Step 3 - How to use the Code Matrix

So the Code Matrix is broken up into Rows ( - ) and Columns ( I ). You need to pick symbols in the correct order as show by the Sequence Input Required Section. There are 5 Rows and 5 Columns, I will refer to them by number, Rows 1, 2 3, 4 and 5 and columns 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. So if I say symbol on row 3, column 5, it means as it says, third row, 5th symbol.

You always start being able to select 1 symbol from Row 1 only, then the next pick will be limited to the column assosiated with the symbol you picked. Once you pick your second symbol you will be limited to picking a symbol on the same row as your last pick, and finally your final pick will be limited to the same column as your last pick.

So your choices are as follows
Pick 1 - Row 1
Pick 2 - Column as previous symbol picked
Pick 3 - Row as previous symbol picked
Pick 4 - Column as previous symbol picked.

Note: As the game progress you will be able to get more than 4 picks, but it follows the same logic.

So you can pick any symbol along the row or column you are allowed to use, so you need to plan in advance which symbols to pick as they will determine what symbols are available next. You cannot pick a symbol you have previously picked.



So here I have to have a look at what my options are.

The sequence I need to get are

Datamine V1
Symbol 1: 1C
Symbol 2: 1C

Datamine V2
Symbol 1: BD
Symbol 2: 1C

Datamine V3
Symbol 1: 1C
Symbol 2: 1C
Symbol 3: BD

Now luckily, there are actually only 2 different symbols that we need to get, 1C and BD, the trick is to get them in the correct sequence.

How to complete each data set

Datamine V1 only
1st Pick: I would need to pick 1C on Row 1, Column 4
2nd Pick: Next pick I would be limited to any symbol on column 4, rows 2, 3, 4 and 5. In this example you can see I actually have two options to complete the sequence, I can pick 1C on Row 3, Column 4 or 1C on Row 5, Column 4. Picking either of these will complete Datamine V1.

Datamine V2 only
I have two options here.

Option 1
1st Pick: I select BD in Row 1, Column 1.
2nd Pick: I can choose either 1C on Row 3, Column 1 or Row 4 Column 1.

Option 2
1st Pick: I select BD in Row 1, Column 2
2nd Pick: I can choose either 1C on Row 2, Column 2, Row 3, Column 2 or Row 4, Column 2.

Datamine V3 only
1st Pick: 1C on Row 1, Column 4
2nd Pick: 1C on Row 5, Column 4
3rd Pick: BD on Row 5, Column 3

However, if you have looked at the screenshot you may have noticed it's actually possible to complete all three datasets. Remember that you have 4 picks in total, so if you can match all three sequences in 4 picks then you are golden, in this case, we can.

So here we can get all three by selecting the sequence BD 1C 1C BD
(BD 1C) will complete V2
(1C 1C) will complete V1
(1C 1C BD) will complete V3

Pick 1


First Pick: BD Row 1, Column 2. Pick this will limit us to any symbol on Column 2 for the next pick.

Pick 2


Second Pick: Here we pick 1C on Row 4, Column 2. We do this because we know our next pick will be limited by row but the pick after that will be limited by column. If we pick this symbol, our next pick, 1C will limited to row 4. That leaves us 2 options, 1C on Column 1 or 1C on Column 3. If we pick 1C on Column 4, that allows us to pick BD on Row 5, Column 4 as our last pick and complete the sequence.

Pick 3


Third Pick: Here we pick 1C on Row 4, Column 3. By Selecting this symbol, we will complete V1 and V2 because we will have the following sequence - BD 1C 1C. We pick 1C on column 4 because our next pick will be limited by the column of the symbol we pick, and we can see there is an unclaimed BD symbol on the same Column in Row 5.

Pick 4


4th Pick: Finally we pick BD on Row 5, Column 4, that gives us the sequence BD 1C 1C BD and allows us to complete all three datamine sets.

As mentioned, it is not always possible to complete all three, sometimes you can only complete 1 or 2. Remember you have a limited number of picks (See buffer to check how many you have) and you can pick a symbol you don't need if it will lead to a combo you can use in later picks. I.e sometimes you can pick a symbol you don't need in the 1st row that will allow you to pick 3 more symbols that could allow you to complete 2 datasets instead of 1.

I hope this was helpful and happy hacking!

Step 4 - Video Guide

As requested I have included a video version of this guide as well.

[Back Yard Gamer]

Thank you for the video, clear and concise.

[Flip]

Glad you found it useful Aslan225, I too struggled to understand how the hacking worked, the game really doesn't do a good job of explaining it.

[Aslan225]

Hello this is so well done and very informative. Helped me understand why I can't always get all three. Again wish they had explained this a little better. Great job Flip

[Flip]

You are very welcome Marbur.

It is an aspect of the game I do feel like they offer no real explanation over and kinda just rush through it, not explaining either how it works or what, really, you are trying to accomplish.

Glad I could be of some assistance.

[Marbur]

Great!

Your good explanation made a frustraiting mini game easy.

[Flip]

My pleasure :)

[WalkingDude68]

THANK YOU!!!

[jlh]

Thanks for the Video. Very helpful!

[Flip]

My pleasure Blue Llama, glad it was useful!

[The Blue Llama]

Very helpful video! Thank you!