Path of the Vampire forum

Couple of Hacking questions that I sorta couldn't find answers to, or just need confirmation for. Thanks in advance!

1. Evaluate V5 vs Evaluate V6 - V5 automatically gives you the costs of the files when you get in the file node, while V6 allows you to do the whole system from anywhere. V5 costs nothing, while V6 would cost a move? (I haven't tried V6 yet, and it's unclear in the wiki) does V6 also show the costs in the node, like V5? If it doesn't, it does seem like V5's better, except when you're making sure the random you're getting for the day is worth it before you proceed.

2. Tracers - I read somewhere that it takes three "pings" from them to trace you. Then it happened while system was green for me, and I didn't know what counted as a "ping." So what counts as a ping? Or does it work this way?

Also, does a successful trace affect the hacker in some way? Does it affect differently depending on the system state? Can it lead to getting hit by a hunter? (got hit by hunters practically four in a row, just after the last wound healed. just trying to see if I did anything, or if those four were really just bad luck)

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Pretty much it, thanks again all!

- X

1) v6 does everything v5 does, it just also gives you a command line option for evaluating the entire system. Doing so costs an energy.

2) tracers ping at the beginning of any turn you're in a node with them. Without a mod monocle, this includes as soon as you enter. Without a mod monocle, if you even enter three nodes with a tracer, you're triangulated.

When you are triangulated, it raises your police notoriety and has a chance of summoning a cop to your location (or just outside of it)

Cassandra wrote:1) v6 does everything v5 does, it just also gives you a command line option for evaluating the entire system. Doing so costs an energy.

2) tracers ping at the beginning of any turn you're in a node with them. Without a mod monocle, this includes as soon as you enter. Without a mod monocle, if you even enter three nodes with a tracer, you're triangulated.

When you are triangulated, it raises your police notoriety and has a chance of summoning a cop to your location (or just outside of it)

Aye, added thing on Tracers.
I don't find them annoying per say as Mora doesn't leave the crypt & has a tome. If you don't want to risk getting shot (I play Lorde ) I'd suggest silencing it when you see it, yeah it wastes a move but better to be safer than sorry - if you rarely move Xian, and sit there and hack all day ignore the Tracers

<.<
>.>

V6 is useful if you're looking for a particularly high value system as it allows you to check from the first node, instead of having to wander through the file nodes.

If you hack with technokinesis, you're safe from the tracers regardless.

Mircea wrote:If you hack with technokinesis, you're safe from the tracers regardless.

Oh yeah! Forgot about that one xD
Thanks Cash

Mircea wrote:If you hack with technokinesis, you're safe from the tracers regardless.

Err...does it actually counteract the Tracers? It used to just cause the Cops to pop up on the entrance, and people would use someplace with multiple entrances. If the power completely counteracts the effects, then the Monocle is significantly less useful to most hackers.

Cassandra wrote: 2) tracers ping at the beginning of any turn you're in a node with them. Without a mod monocle, this includes as soon as you enter. Without a mod monocle, if you even enter three nodes with a tracer, you're triangulated.

When you are triangulated, it raises your police notoriety and has a chance of summoning a cop to your location (or just outside of it)

Does it always display the warning that you've been triangulated? Because I've done more than a few hacks lately where I've passed three nodes with tracers, without it giving the notice that my location has been triangulated. Or does it reduce the ping count if i Silence the Tracer? (And yea, no monocle here)

It does make sense that it raises Notoriety; I do vaguely recall that I was hit this last time after being Triangulated (with notice) perhaps twice. It'll be worse if the Triangulation can happen without even a notice. (but if it did, how would any of us know?!)

Mircea wrote: If you hack with technokinesis, you're safe from the tracers regardless.

I do have technokinesis on Xian, and had it when he was Triangulated the last two times. (The one I said I vaguely recall happening before being hit by a hunter) Or do you mean that the Triangulation hits, Notoriety goes up, but the Cop goes somewhere else? (This would make sense, save maybe the Notoriety. No IP addy for Techinetics I'd think)


And @Nishaa/Lorde: I do move Xian, or at least I planned to move him more than I have lately. But after the hunter hit, I moved him as little as possible and did just keep hacking. (Which is why Lorde kept seeing him where he was XD)

In a hack right now where there's a + branch with a Tracer in the center. Just had to cross it three times (It's the I-type system, and I had to get to the junction (1?) before getting into the Admin node. From the Admin back to the junction (2?) before getting into the File node, then back to the Junction (3?) so I can move "up" the I system.

No notice of Triangulation.

Or is it "a chance to get a ping" each time one steps into a node with a Tracer?

After this, moved into a Switch, then another node with a Tracer (4?) and still no Triangulation notice. Moved into File node that has a Tracer (5?) then downloaded a file (6?) still no ping or Triangulation notice. Downloaded a second file (7?) still no notice.

System empty now, still at green. Maybe it needs more pings at Green?

Just for the purpose of testing, started moving back "down". Security node with Tracer (8?) Security node at + {9?) Still nothing.

It can't just be because the system is green is it? Because I've had some runs where sys was green but I got Triangulated (surprised me, I think it was the first time it ever happened to me that time)

So... still confused here.

Edit: Will be sure to post here if Xian gets hit by a police mob or something later XD

triangulation has nothing to do with system color, is a separate mechanic, system color ejects you from system, triangulation calls the cops. sorta like a counter hacker tracing you down and sending the police

Xian wrote:Does it always display the warning that you've been triangulated? Because I've done more than a few hacks lately where I've passed three nodes with tracers, without it giving the notice that my location has been triangulated. Or does it reduce the ping count if i Silence the Tracer? (And yea, no monocle here)

Are these all Daily Hacks? Because to the best of my knowledge, Tracers don't actually triangulate in Evidence or Sabotage hacks. I'm actually not positive if Silencing the Tracer sets the ping count back to zero - I'm under the impression that it doesn't but flipping a Switcher would. I could be wrong on this.

I do have technokinesis on Xian, and had it when he was Triangulated the last two times. (The one I said I vaguely recall happening before being hit by a hunter) Or do you mean that the Triangulation hits, Notoriety goes up, but the Cop goes somewhere else? (This would make sense, save maybe the Notoriety. No IP addy for Techinetics I'd think)

I would imagine that your Notoriety still goes up even if a Cop isn't summoned. Again, I could be wrong.

Xian wrote:In a hack right now where there's a + branch with a Tracer in the center. Just had to cross it three times (It's the I-type system, and I had to get to the junction (1?) before getting into the Admin node. From the Admin back to the junction (2?) before getting into the File node, then back to the Junction (3?) so I can move "up" the I system.

No notice of Triangulation.

Again, I'm curious if this is a Daily hack, a Sabo, or an Evi. I can trip Tracers all day long in Sabo or Evi and it doesn't give notice of being Triangulated. I believe there's no repurcussions for it in those hacks.

Mordechai is right, it doesn't affect the system alert level. Basically, you're actually running into three countermeasure problems in a Daily Hack, and only one of them affects the Alert Level/color:

1) Failing to execute a command successfully, trying to exit a node with an active Sentinel program, or trying to do anything in a node with an active Authentication program (except nullify it) will raise the system alert, from Green, to Yellow, to Orange, and then to Red where you get kicked out.

2) The above stuff about Tracers - if you're in a node with an active one for three turns, it will display a message about your position having been Triangulated and the authorities being notified. THAT'S when you've failed it.

3) Trying to do anything in a node with an active Warrior program while you have a System Alert Level of anything except Green will cause it to "attempt to sever the connection" (or something to that effect). This doesn't affect the System Alert Level at all. If it attempts to sever this connection three times, it'll succeed and you'll get booted out of the system.