Hey there guys, first post here! 

Bought the game recently and I am IN LOVE with it. It's been so long since a strategy game had me hooked up so badly.

Concerning hacking, I haven't understood a certain defence program: "Track". It says in the tooltip that if I put it on a node, I can watch the enemy's progress on hacking through that node. 

So the Nakalim hack my system (I know because I had "encrypt" placed there) and my defensive trace is triggered. So I put the Track Program on my node, to see the enemy's hack progress. But it doesn't do anything. It appears to be enabled and eats bandwidth, but nowhere does it display the time it will take for the enemy to hack me. 

What am I doing wrong? I would appreciate some advice!! (Playing as United Empire)

Thanks!!

I remember it triggering like an Encrypt for me and I could actually see the trace of the hack.  Mb it actually needs to start a trace in order to work.

I could imagine you'd have to put the tracking defense program on the node at least one turn before the enemy hack does arrive this place. If I'm not wrong, all defensive programs have to be placed before a hack arrives.

Lamias wrote:

Thanks for replying guys!!

The defence programs should already be activated before the hack arrives? Damn, I don't think I have seen this info anywhere. That's helpful, thanks.

Even so, it doesn't appear to be working. I had already installed track in the Staderus system, and after two turns it detected an enemy hack. But the scan view doesn't show anything. Maybe I am just not seeing it? I waited two turns, I got hacked, and I still couldn't see their progress :(

Screenshot:

Also, follow-up question: How does the game determine if a hack is lvl 1 or lvl 2? I am referring to the firewall program, that says it blocks level 1 hack outcomes. Is it worth it? How can I be sure the enemy's hack actions are indeed lvl 1?

Thanks for the help!!

The hack hasn't hacked Staderus yet. The hack is detected once it reaches the system, then takes a few turns to hack the node/system. It usually takes at least 2-3 turns, moreso, the hack might not be going for other systems, it might be going for Staderus only, so you wouldn't see Track program actually working in that case.

When hacking a faction's homesystem (or faction's best system if it doesnt own its homesystem) the hack is considered lvl 2. On top of doing things from lvl 1, it can also do stuff like: stealing a tech, changing the government to another one, stopping the movement of fleets for a couple of turns, giving a "detrimental" ground battle tactic to the whole empire, or showing where their fleets currently are (or empire's vision, don't remember)

Wait, now I am confused.

The hack IS destined for Staderus. Staderus is my border system with the Nakalim, and in my game the AI always hacks bordering nodes. So the hack is indeed going there, not to pass through but to hack it.

But as I mentioned, I waited 3 turns and Staderus got hacked, I got the notification. Having applied the Track program before the hack reached, I was expecting to see the AI's progress there, that circle around the system that says for example "Progress: 35/240", right? I didn't get that.

Does Track only show the arrow thingie that represents the hack moving between starlanes? If so, It appears worthless because the AI never hacks my systems just to pass through and attack a deeper node in my empire. It will always attack my borders and complete his hack.