Oldos Hacking
crashedprogram.jpg This page covers the way hacking worked from August 2009 to Early 2013. The hacking mechanics described here have been completely replaced by Novos. The Hacking page provides an overview of the current mechanics.

Hacking allows you to break into computer systems you find while while exploring certain locations, or into randomly generated website types you can find on the net.

In order to hack, you must have a computer or PDA capable of running programs equipped, and have at least one processor free.

Most sites are protected by defenders. To gain access to the functions on a site, you must overcome the site's defenders in Net combat.

Access to, or even complete control over, a site that you have gained by hacking is not permanent. Using the site will eventually drive up its alert level to the point where the system's automated defenses or human administrators notice your intrusions and kick you off.

Hacking Terms

Programs A set of tools that you can use in hacking combat. Some programs provide additional effects or buffs.
Tools Actions you can do in combat. Each tool uses a certain amount of memory.
Processor (Used) Each program equipped uses one or more processor.
Processor (Free) Leftover processors determine the number of tools available in each round of combat.
Memory Allows you run tools in combat.
Hardening Your first line of defense. Attacks will wear down your hardening first, and then hit your memory or processor.
Piercing Helps ignore enemies' Hardening in Net combat
Incognito A buff that reduces chance of detection.
Code Finesse A buff that increases the power of attacks (and allows some special abilities from some tools).
Coding Allows you to combine data and/or programs together to make more advanced programs.
Stored Data Miscellaneous data that can be combined into programs, or provide various other uses.
Alarm Used by defenders, this increases the alert level on a site, which in turn increases the chances of being kicked off.

Targets

There are two kinds of targets for hacking: fixed sites and random sites. Fixed sites can only be accessed from a given location by means of a choice encounter. You can access random sites from anywhere as long as you have access to the the net, but you must first find them with various search programs.

Fixed Sites

Unlike random targets, getting kicked off of a fixed site does not rule out making further attempts to hack it. Even smashing the terminal that gives access to the site only locks you out of access until the next game day. You generally need to have a computer with free processors to hack them.

Location Encounter Site Notes
Buried Lab Surveillance Room Buried Lab
Open Computer Lab Open Workstation Metroplex U Lab
Open Computer Lab Open Workstation Halloween Server Halloween 2010 only
Midgard Bioresearch Testing Lab MBR Lab
Midgard Laboratory Lab Terminal Slags Lab
Midgard Warehouse Catburgling On The Catwalk Warehouse Computer
Waterfront Pile of Crates Joytime Products

Random Sites

There are many programs and other items that are only available from random sites. For more detail, see Website types.

The only way to find a random site is by using a search program, most often Target Search or Intrusive Search. Each search takes 1 energy. In some cases, the search will turn up a site that was already on your target list. Each site has up to 6 levels of access, defended by one or more defenders (see hacking opponents for more details).

You can access a random site from anywhere, as long as you have access to the the Net. However, you must be in Southside in order to choose the "reroute shipment" or "misdirect supplies" options from applicable sites.

While they are randomly generated, random sites are public and shared between all players. The defenders, access level, and other attributes of a site with a given name will be the same for all players with access to it. Forcing that site out of business (see below) causes it to disappear from the target lists of all players who had access to it the next time the attempt to access it.

Net Combat

Attempting to elevate your privileges to a site requires defeating one or more hacking opponents in Net combat. Hardening, processor and memory takes the place of hit points in net combat. Free processor determines how many of your tools show up as possible moves in a given round. Each tool requires a certain amount of memory to run. With sufficient free processor and memory, you may deploy several tools in the same round. Hardening is your first line of defense. Once your hardening is gone, your processor and memory become vulnerable to damage.

For more detail, see Net combat.

Alert Level

A site's alert level increases from most actions you can perform on it. Most hacking opponents increase the alarm level each round of combat (either passively or actively), as do other out-of-combat actions (such as browsing files). The alert value is internally represented as a number between 0 and 100 - once the alert level reaches 100 or more, you are kicked off the site. For sites on the net, you lose the site completely, and for static sites you have to start from scratch again. Incognito can decrease the amount that the site alert increases by.

Other ways for you to lose access to a site include:

  • Cancelling alert will attract administrator attention; doing this too many times will result in you being kicked off (typically 1-2 times)
  • If you steal too much from a site, it may go out of business. This seems to remove the site from the target list of all characters who have found it, not just you.
  • If someone reformats or scrubs a site, other people will lose access to it as well.

For more detail, see Alert level.

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