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Author Topic: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots  (Read 9638 times)

Arseface

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Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« on: May 28, 2015, 11:34:26 AM »

This isn't a sure-fire win, or in a lot of cases even a good way of doing things. But it's fun. If you manage to get past the initial difficulty hump and fabricate your loadout things get very funny very fast.

The idea is to use only two weapon slots, Datajack and Remote Datajack. Once you get 3-4 Hacking suites you should be able to consistently reboot threats. Solo threats you can even try to assimilate! The Remote Datajack takes a hefty amount of matter to use, so overload non-hostiles when you get low.

Floor -11

Make darn sure you get a matter storage unit off the roaming ks. If possible, a regular storage unit off the rs.

Aside from that everything else is self explanatory.

Floor -10

This is probably the most important floor in getting set up.

Combat

Normal, kill every G, Y, s, o, and r you come across. If you can kill the ws, but they're annoying so don't feel it's necessary.

Every other unit you want to keep alive in case you get a datajack. When/if you do make sure to bump into them whenever they happen to be adjacent. Parse them for fun, the important bit is increasing familiarity.

Terminal Use

The important part of the level. Avoid getting locked out at all costs.

Commands should be input in this order.
Schematic(Hacking Suite) till success
Schematic(Remote Datajack) till success

These commands can take 2 floors to get. Don't sweat it if you don't get both by the end of the floor. If you happen to make it this far you can either try to fabricate on this floor or collect more useful schematics.

Useful commands in no particular order.

Schematic(Imp. Datajack) If you want to beef up your hacking game earlier
Schematic(Imp. Hacking Suite) Hard to download before you get hacking suites, but the upgrade is nice.
Schematic(Hcp. Matter Storage Unit) If you don't have one yet
Schematic(Hcp. Storage Unit) If you don't have at least a medium yet
Schematic(Insert propulsion here) If you want easy access to your preferred propulsion
Index(Fabricators) Getting the initial hacking suites helps a lot
Index(Scanalyzers) Scanning is easier than downloading schematics, if you have something you want on tap use these

Item Management

Until you get your bot army up to haul things for you, you'll need a storage unit.
Matter storage units are mandatory for any fabrication-based strategy. Thankfully everything you're making is cheap, Hcp. is ideal but you can make do with a med. More than one of anything but small is a waste.

When to ascend

Stay on this floor as long as possible hitting the terminals and non-hostiles as much as you can to increase familiarity. Get out when you hit double digit core integrity, not before.

Upgrades

If you feel like you'll get the remote jack by the end of -9
Utility x2
If you're a pansy
Power
Propulsion

Floor -9

The hard part. You won't have your hacking potential fully realized yet and ambushes can really mess you up.

Fabricating is the focus on this floor, make sure you find the fabbers fast and make sure you don't get locked out. You need at least 2 hacking suites by the end of this floor as well as a remote jack. If you've got those you should be set for the road ahead. A backup jack and spare matter are absurdly helpful as well

Avoid combat at this point, clearing the floor of hostiles is no longer a priority since you don't want to camp this floor. Reboot hostiles since the overload chances will be super slim, kill them with an off-weapon while they're down. Melee weapons tend to be the cheapest, but anything works. You have around 20 turns of them not hitting back.

Choke points are your friend. You can reboot something in a doorway to act as a roadblock for non-fliers if swarmed.

Upgrades

If you didn't take the power/propulsion before you can take it here. If you have enough hacking suites utility is better, but if you're running on empty go safe.

You should have either

Power 1
Propulsion 2
Utility 6
Weapon 2

or

Power 2
Propulsion 3
Utility 4
Weapon 2

Beyond Floor -9

At this point you can start branching out. 4 hacking/improved hacking suites are the goal, keep that in mind. If you have the hacking parts you can start building an army out of hijacked robots. Non-hostiles become walking matter storage and hostiles become your weapon slots. If you've got the 6 utility slots you can opt for power armor or a scanner.

I wouldn't delve into weapon upgrades/utilities unless you have to rebuild. 2 spare weapons is more than sufficient for most combat when your jacks are down, and the extra utility slots will save your like more often than a gauss rifle will.

You want a spare remote datajack in your inventory if possible. Matter storage units are helpful since it chews through matter. Make sure to overload non-hostiles when you run low.
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biomatter

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #1 on: May 28, 2015, 12:52:03 PM »

I totally have to try this at some point! For now, though, I am still perfecting stealth runs.

FYI, a 'Deep Network Scanner' boosts the strength of indirect hacks by 10%. I actually read the manual (gasp) and found out that 'indirect hacks' basically means any time you use a manual command to pull something not off the given list. I am not sure if Hacking Suites affect indirect hacks, given that knowledge. I really don't know, though they probably help.

Also, more Data Jacks = more better. If you fire off multiple jacks in a volley, you get a bonus to hacking. That's... that's in the manual too... It's pretty neat, actually.
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ironpotato

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #2 on: May 28, 2015, 02:23:06 PM »

I totally have to try this at some point! For now, though, I am still perfecting stealth runs.

FYI, a 'Deep Network Scanner' boosts the strength of indirect hacks by 10%. I actually read the manual (gasp) and found out that 'indirect hacks' basically means any time you use a manual command to pull something not off the given list. I am not sure if Hacking Suites affect indirect hacks, given that knowledge. I really don't know, though they probably help.

Also, more Data Jacks = more better. If you fire off multiple jacks in a volley, you get a bonus to hacking. That's... that's in the manual too... It's pretty neat, actually.
I became about 2x better at the game after reading the manual. There's a lot of nifty info in there, and reading between the lines, like on the indirect hacks thing, also helps fill in some holes.

I've been going terminal hacking heavy already I should really try this. I haven't had much luck with the gaining of minions, but maybe that's my next task.
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Arseface

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #3 on: May 28, 2015, 02:54:57 PM »

I've been going terminal hacking heavy already I should really try this. I haven't had much luck with the gaining of minions, but maybe that's my next task.
Assimilating is super risky. If you're below a 35% chance to do something to a robot, chances are you shouldn't do it. Rebooting is a lot safer and almost as good as an overload if you're carrying a spare weapon.

One of the benefits of hacking builds is later on you get to fabricate combat allies. Terminal hacks are for schematics, robot hacks are for reboots unless they're non-combatant. Then you can assimilate them to act as roaming spare parts.
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jpka

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #4 on: May 28, 2015, 03:21:23 PM »

I developed this same strategy on my own, actually. It's really fun. A tip: Playing it safe can make a single interactive machine (terms, fabs) last forever and give you all that your heart desires. If you disconnect before trace is complete and wait 50 turns you get another shot at it. After the first time you access a machine you can get a new trace going as soon as you reconnect, but you can always wait 50 more turns and try again if that happens. You still can't get the best stuff on -10 because the fabs won't let you make stuff with high rating (above 4 I think), but you can sure download pretty high tier schematics (don't know if there is a limit on this as well).

A burning doubt, tho: Footprint analyzers? What do they DO exactly??? From the description it will seem they do exactly the same thing you do on your own, but that is impossible, right????
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E.I.G.

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #5 on: May 28, 2015, 03:27:28 PM »

I developed this same strategy on my own, actually. It's really fun. A tip: Playing it safe can make a single interactive machine (terms, fabs) last forever and give you all that your heart desires. If you disconnect before trace is complete and wait 50 turns you get another shot at it. After the first time you access a machine you can get a new trace going as soon as you reconnect, but you can always wait 50 more turns and try again if that happens. You still can't get the best stuff on -10 because the fabs won't let you make stuff with high rating (above 4 I think), but you can sure download pretty high tier schematics (don't know if there is a limit on this as well).

A burning doubt, tho: Footprint analyzers? What do they DO exactly??? From the description it will seem they do exactly the same thing you do on your own, but that is impossible, right????
They make it so that the familiarity with a given machine layout increases by two instead of by one when you access a given machine for the first time. I do not know if they stack.

I haven't really gotten far, but the one time I have used one of these I managed to get one terminal type to 11. That was still listed as "low", which is currently making me think that you have no hope of anything past "low" for non-Terminal machines as you will probably not encounter even just 10 of the same layout.
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Arseface

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #6 on: May 28, 2015, 03:54:28 PM »

I developed this same strategy on my own, actually. It's really fun. A tip: Playing it safe can make a single interactive machine (terms, fabs) last forever and give you all that your heart desires. If you disconnect before trace is complete and wait 50 turns you get another shot at it.
I didn't know it was only 50 turns. That's super handy, I've been waiting 1-200.
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jpka

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2015, 04:20:55 PM »

They make it so that the familiarity with a given machine layout increases by two instead of by one when you access a given machine for the first time. I do not know if they stack.

I haven't really gotten far, but the one time I have used one of these I managed to get one terminal type to 11. That was still listed as "low", which is currently making me think that you have no hope of anything past "low" for non-Terminal machines as you will probably not encounter even just 10 of the same layout.

Hmm, It is still unclear how much does familiarity help, or if that "low" means anything at all. But it is good to know this only comes into play "when you access a given machine for the first time", so you don't need to have it on you every time you access the same terminal.
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Arseface

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2015, 06:31:13 PM »

I think I'm ready for the next floor. I accidentally overloaded the only fabricator before I got comfortable.
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jpka

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2015, 08:09:16 PM »

I think I'm ready for the next floor. I accidentally overloaded the only fabricator before I got comfortable.

Good god... I do not like the army approach so much myself, but it HAS to be effective, specially if you can churn out a new batch every floor with careful fab usage. Let us know how that goes.
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biomatter

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #10 on: May 28, 2015, 09:23:12 PM »

WOW. You guys are masters at this! You HAVE to let us know how that goes!
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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #11 on: May 28, 2015, 09:29:49 PM »

I think I'm ready for the next floor. I accidentally overloaded the only fabricator before I got comfortable.

Incredible!  I'm finally able to pump some more hours into the game, can't wait to try that out!
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Arseface

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2015, 12:34:42 AM »

Allies are idiots. Make sure they never get anywhere near a fabricator. The Y run didn't do too well. Allies are surprisingly squishy.

9 slayers from floor -10 carried me through 2 floors... and destroyed the fabricators on both of them. Find a surviving terminal, get a fix on the fabber locations, and make the allies wait outside.

I have more things that can be added to the list of first floor fabbings.

A level 1 fabricator can make

Angular Momentum Engine
Nuclear Pulse Thruster
H-66 Slayer(200 matter each batch)

Level 1 Fabbers cap at rank 5. Once we know the cap for Level 2 hacking will get a whole lot better. 3 should be able to do just about anything, so it's just the midsection we're missing.
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jpka

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2015, 04:31:00 AM »

I finally tried the army-builder approach, spent an ungodly amount of time on -10 setting everything up, crafting some items for the first time and testing different loadouts, and then... my -don't even know how many- slayers didn't went with me. Not a single one. "I  just need to get to the next fab", I thought. Found some stairs right away, took them, guess what. The freaking mines. Not a terminal or fab in sight. I lasted a bit but a cave-in robbed me of my best stuff and my will to live. I don't really understand why they didn't follow me, a bug? too many guys?
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biomatter

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2015, 04:37:40 AM »

That's really weird, and rather unfortunate. Kyzrati doesn't check this forum - you'll have to seek his word out elsewhere.
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jpka

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2015, 06:09:16 AM »

Apparently they have to be close to you when you actually take the stairs. They need to show in the allies section. I made a test just now with savescumming. Something to keep in mind.
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ironpotato

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #16 on: May 29, 2015, 07:53:48 AM »

I finally tried the army-builder approach, spent an ungodly amount of time on -10 setting everything up, crafting some items for the first time and testing different loadouts, and then... my -don't even know how many- slayers didn't went with me. Not a single one. "I  just need to get to the next fab", I thought. Found some stairs right away, took them, guess what. The freaking mines. Not a terminal or fab in sight. I lasted a bit but a cave-in robbed me of my best stuff and my will to live. I don't really understand why they didn't follow me, a bug? too many guys?
For avoiding the mines, I set auto-climb stairs on. If its a branch you won't go up automatically so you know you've got the wrong stairs. It makes life a lot easier.
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Kyzrati

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #17 on: May 30, 2015, 02:38:23 AM »

Apparently they have to be close to you when you actually take the stairs. They need to show in the allies section. I made a test just now with savescumming. Something to keep in mind.
This has been on the TODO list: When you have allies, as you approach the stairs it will glow the area around you in which all allies will be transported along with you. I hadn't added it yet because allies are currently a relatively small part of the game--they'll become more important later on. But apparently some of you are already trying to raise armies ;)

Sorry about that. They have to be within 5 spaces of the stairs.

I finally tried the army-builder approach, spent an ungodly amount of time on -10 setting everything up, crafting some items for the first time and testing different loadouts, and then... my -don't even know how many- slayers didn't went with me. Not a single one. "I  just need to get to the next fab", I thought. Found some stairs right away, took them, guess what. The freaking mines. Not a terminal or fab in sight. I lasted a bit but a cave-in robbed me of my best stuff and my will to live. I don't really understand why they didn't follow me, a bug? too many guys?
For avoiding the mines, I set auto-climb stairs on. If its a branch you won't go up automatically so you know you've got the wrong stairs. It makes life a lot easier.
Thank you for posting ironpotato! That's a bug/cheat and I'm going to fix that now. Mwuahaha :P

Kyzrati doesn't check this forum - you'll have to seek his word out elsewhere.
I'm starting to check all the boards/posts now that I have a little more time. Before I could only address the bare minimum posts (support/bugs), but I'm now making it everywhere else as well!
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ironpotato

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #18 on: May 31, 2015, 10:18:06 PM »

For avoiding the mines, I set auto-climb stairs on. If its a branch you won't go up automatically so you know you've got the wrong stairs. It makes life a lot easier.
Thank you for posting ironpotato! That's a bug/cheat and I'm going to fix that now. Mwuahaha :P
You monster!

I'm starting to check all the boards/posts now that I have a little more time. Before I could only address the bare minimum posts (support/bugs), but I'm now making it everywhere else as well!
That's good to hear! Hopefully enjoying a little less craziness for the time being?
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Kyzrati

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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #19 on: June 01, 2015, 08:44:11 AM »

Thank you for posting ironpotato! That's a bug/cheat and I'm going to fix that now. Mwuahaha :P
You monster!

I'm starting to check all the boards/posts now that I have a little more time. Before I could only address the bare minimum posts (support/bugs), but I'm now making it everywhere else as well!
That's good to hear! Hopefully enjoying a little less craziness for the time being?
Yep, no board is safe now!!!

I did finally as of a few days ago start getting a normal amount of sleep, and I'll soon be caught up on everything that is not working on the game itself. New version will begin this week, a little later than planned, but I never imagined there could be so many things to do... (it would've been easier if the game wasn't suddenly so popular, so my fault :P)
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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #20 on: September 26, 2015, 12:27:47 PM »

Is getting schematics for random items in Materials no longer valid tactic in Alpha 3c? Every name I've tried has resulted in "Data exceeds system authorization."

I can understand the intent of not having a "password to win the game" via an Exp. Energy Well or an Imp. KE Penetrator in floor -10, but not even the schematic for Flight Units? That seems... overly restrictive.
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Re: Super Hacking For Suicidal Robots
« Reply #21 on: September 26, 2015, 09:21:54 PM »

The earliest Alpha was bugged in that you could get anything from the beginning, so that was restricted later as originally intended.

Based on the formula used, there is only one terminal in the game that cannot access the Flight Unit schematic, a Security Level 1 terminal on the very first floor, -10/Materials. Any terminal outside that floor (i.e. -9/Materials and above), and even any Security Level 2 or 3 terminal in -10/Materials, all have access to it.
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