Path of the Vampire forum

The original question was whether Source Codes were provided in Daily Hacks. Not a single post on this page is discussing that.

Edit: Make that last page.

I think the point was actually that B&E can act as valuable support for hackers as it provides more source codes than might be found solely by hacking. At least, that's what I meant, speaking from my experience with a character who is statted primarily for hacking but then had to work out what to do once that skill was maxed out. She also doesn't get fed source codes, nor does she buy them.

Cassandra wrote:The original question was whether Source Codes were provided in Daily Hacks. Not a single post on this page is discussing that.

Edit: Make that last page.

Then maybe we should ALL stay on topic.
Or start a new one.

Macaria wrote:I think the point was actually that B&E can act as valuable support for hackers as it provides more source codes than might be found solely by hacking. At least, that's what I meant, speaking from my experience with a character who is statted primarily for hacking but then had to work out what to do once that skill was maxed out.

I guess my question is, once you figure in 15 EXP per Code per day that code knocks off of your scripting time, does that make the EXP/Energy higher for these low-level B&E attempts than it does for Evi hacks? If so, then most of your day would probably be spent doing B&E instead of Hacking, so that would be your primary activity - and either way, Sabo hacks aren't good for EXP in this scenario.

I've said over and over that I don't do B&E, so I genuinely wouldn't know this. All my replies have been strictly from a Hacking standpoint, which I think was obvious. If the OP had just said "this is to supplement my B&E, not Hacking" then it would have cleared that misunderstanding up right away, rather than getting insulting and derisive.

Cassandra wrote:I guess my question is, once you figure in 15 EXP per Code per day that code knocks off of your scripting time, does that make the EXP/Energy higher for these low-level B&E attempts than it does for Evi hacks?

Well the length of time it takes to program each script is, as you know, different for each one so there's not going to be a definitive 'this is how much energy is saved with a source code' for them, and I really don't feel like going through and working it out on a script by script basis in my current level of inebriation. That being said, using the the maximum number of codes will drop them all to one day meaning that you can get upwards of a thousand EXP for 24 energy. Which is... kinda awesome, really. Especially when you can get, if you're lucky, two or three source codes that take 72 hours off scripting time from one B&E - which, if flawless, will cost you 4 energy. In that scenario you'd be saving 48 energy which can then be used to program more scripts and keep the savings rolling.

Stay on topic Matt. The time for taking digs at the OP is over.

Macaria wrote:

Cassandra wrote:I guess my question is, once you figure in 15 EXP per Code per day that code knocks off of your scripting time, does that make the EXP/Energy higher for these low-level B&E attempts than it does for Evi hacks?

Well the length of time it takes to program each script is, as you know, different for each one so there's not going to be a definitive 'this is how much energy is saved with a source code' for them, and I really don't feel like going through and working it out on a script by script basis in my current level of inebriation. That being said, using the the maximum number of codes will drop them all to one day meaning that you can get upwards of a thousand EXP for 24 energy. Which is... kinda awesome, really. Especially when you can get, if you're lucky, two or three source codes that take 72 hours off scripting time from one B&E - which, if flawless, will cost you 4 energy. In that scenario you'd be saving 48 energy which can then be used to program more scripts and keep the savings rolling.

I had no idea people were getting three Codes per B&E. I wish people didn't play some of this info so close to the vest, that would probably help a lot of people decide on a build and how to level better. This thread is the first I've seen this info posted anywhere public - I don't think I'm alone in not intuitively thinking "B&E" when I see "Scripting" and "Source Codes".

It's probably worth working out if the number of Source Codes gotten from this low-level B&E makes it a more EXP-efficient activity than an Evi hack. If so, people aren't going to want to do Evi hacks at all once they have enough levels to craft that 1600-EXP script, they'll want to do B&E with all their energy - the Hacking will be supporting the B&E, effectively.

Pi dArtois wrote:Stay on topic Matt. The time for taking digs at the OP is over.

Sorry, Puawai.

In absolute fairness, you're not guaranteed to get three of them from a single B&E, it's down to luck and the RNG not being satan incarnate at the end of the day. You're not even guaranteed to get one. But you can, and I have. As for the efficiency of gaining exp, super-high level evidence hacks are more effective than low level B&E (level 3 buildings/7 stealing), but I am assuming that that will not be the case once Sev's stealing gets higher.

It's also worth noting that to be good at B&E, in my experience at least, you also need some mechanics for the lockpicking side of things - so it takes a little longer to be good at it than it does with hacking.

Macaria wrote:the RNG not being satan incarnate at the end of the day

This is my new pet peeve, tbqh.

It makes sense that the activity requiring more points in more things should probably generate better EXP. It'd probably be cool if someone figured out which was better on average - B&E to get source codes for scripting, vs straight Evi hacks - but the aforementioned RNG thing makes it take a lot of time to figure that out.

This is semi off topic, but anyone who really wants to level quickly is going to have hacking as a support skill to PvE. Nix is my level-crazy character and I have 20 Hacking on Nix and run her daily hack for ~200 EXP, but the rest of the time, I run her PvE as it's better EXP, and then script once I accumulate enough source codes to reduce the time of a Cauldron V6 (or other high EXP one) to 1 day, thus getting whatever EXP for 24 energy.

I haven't crunched the numbers on it, but I dislike B&E so I'm not going to do that with her much ever.

ETA: If people want a guide to leveling, I suppose I could do that, but I feel like it's more of a mod/developer job and I'm not incredibly inclined to donate my time to write up something in depth.