I can't really decide how to go about this, even while playing as the UC.
1. Backdoors is an option but seem pretty lackluster. Creating a backdoor doesn't seem to guarantee that you'll be able to hack through them unnoticed (not that it says anywhere that it will, but at least then you'd be able to build up some speed, right?), it takes up valuable bandwidth, you can't defend the node with defense programs, and if you're traced back to the backdoor both the backdoor and your hack is lost. That 5% hacking speed boost that it's supposed to provide on its neighbors (whatever that means) I don't feel makes up for all the downsides.
2. You can create new colonies or sanctuaries, but it's limited how many of those you can have before penalties start kicking in, and if you're playing as the UC and the sanctuary is on a colonized system, you're again not guaranteed to be able to build up some distance/speed before getting caught in the process.
3. You could try to maneuver around hostile nodes to get to what you want, but that can be really finicky, and if your target is inside a big cluster of hostile nodes, there's still no getting around that.
4. If you're playing as the UC there is the option of switching home systems, but then you have to hack your way to a fitting special node which can take time if where you want to go is far away, and then you still have to wait 15 turns for SOME (correct me if I'm wrong) of the penalties to go away so you can switch, not to mention losing all other existing beacons.
As a side note, those beacons are annoying. They take up bandwidth and don't even allow you to hack from them :<
So I don't know what to do :( Anyone got any hints or ideas, I'd appreciate it. If I'm wrong, tell me. I'm hopefully not the only one having trouble with this.
Help for hacking at greater ranges D:
6 years ago Jan 27, 2019, 11:55:19 PM
I will try trutfully answering, but I don't have 100%confidence
1. Backdoors are a "foot in the door of enemy" - you can use this hacked node as a foothold for next operation. Let's say you get traced - you feel you cant be faster than a tracer, yet you dont want to cancel the hack - you can rerout the hack into some other node (with a offensive program) and then setup a backdoor. Then you can avoid that node or - if it's within 2-3 turns away - attempt hack again, from a new, closer position.
2. Penalties dont kick in depending on number of santuaries WITHIN a system - so you can have 5 sanctuaries and theoretically embedd even 50 sleepers (or more) - depending on techs researched and planets available - without overextensing.
3. Then you brute force your way - 1 node a time - with short, 2 turn hacks. also experiment with click+ctrl (or mouse over +strl) that governs alternate routes
and shfit-click (queque)
4.this can be useful when you want to change position as your position (that should always be hidden is compromised). You are better off than unfortunate Unfallen, that if will get his system conquered - is basically done. Count your blessings where its due :)
You can, after some time, amass so much bandwith (after battling overextension away, getting many umbral shadows etc), that you can place beacons or sanctuaries everywhere with no effect on bandwith. Then you basically can literally start hacking the universe (and your enemies) away, but with only 4 active routes at a time :>
In my 214 (?) turns game - that I played for proofs and fun - I had like 700 normal choirmembers, around 50 active sleepers spread around 5 empires and maxed 45 umbral shadows, with over 1k bandwith overall - on my first game. Playing tall - being a steam roller in the mid long-long run or being a weakling early game - this is imho UC.
I noticed that backtracing takes about 2-3 turns per lane, so ur hacking must be done before.
To achieve this, I usually route through one backdoor before going for the target, because you can use 2 accelerators that way. This will in most cases reduce ur remaining Hacking time, even when traced, to 1 turn (except if he can get his defense up fast enough).
Nowadays you can get most of the relevant information by doing a mouseover on the icons/hacking operation:
Umbral Choir:
Empire Hacking Speed 100%
Faction 50%
Game Speed (Fastest) 25%
Twitch Operators (Hero?) 12,5%
Infiltration Engine (Loot?) 12,5%
Hacking Optimsation (story choice?) 12,5%
Fast and Furious (Tech?) 12,5%
-> 175 %
on Hacking operation:
target System has 2 Sanctuaries +29.9%
Accelerator +30%, routing through one backdoor: 1.6*175=105%
Backdoors ~+5%
So I hit with
314% Hacking speed, which usually kills a node in 1 turn.
(And i erred somewhere because i have a slightly lower value ingame)
u have to take into consideration: Target system population, defensive systems = reduce Hacking Speed.
Additionally:
Overload = +10% on defense bandwidth cost
Additionally spick the connected systems with backdoors and Accelerators so you can bump the signal around a bit if needed.
Better to make sure one Hack gets through than to try to make two work at the same time.
Chryz
Eyeless Lifter