Exploration: Difference between revisions

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*** Attacking a Subsystem is turn-based: your virus will attack the Subsystem, and then, ''if the Subsystem is still active'', it will attack your virus back.

*** Your virus’s Coherence and Strength are listed in the bottom left of the hacking window. '''When you attack a Subsystem, you will lower its Coherence by your Virus Strength.''' If you reduce its Coherence to 0, it is disabled and removed from the board.

*** '''If your Virus Coherence reaches 0, you fail the hack and the window is closed.''' Failing a hack once ~~will just make it less likely~~ for ~~you to get any valuable loot from the container (explained below)~~, but ~~attempting~~ a second hack ~~and failing again~~ will destroy the ~~container~~.

*** '''If your Virus Coherence reaches 0, you fail the hack and the window is closed.''' Failing a hack '''once''' does not matter for regular Data/Relic sites, but failing a second hack will destroy that container. (Note that for some special kinds of containers/sites, such as [[Ghost Site|Ghost Sites]], Sleeper Caches, etc., failing the first hack might cause an explosion, or have other negative effects.)

*** '''Interrupting a hack counts as a failure''', and that includes moving too far away from the can (out of range of your analyzer) while the hacking window is open. This is sometimes a problem for frigates with a MicroWarpDrive active, where you can overshoot the can when Approaching is too fast - so be careful.

** Defensive Subsystems come in a few different types.

*** '''Firewalls''' have high coherence, but low strength.

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** Utility Subsystems are extremely useful and come in a few different types.

*** '''Self Repair''' utilities increase your Virus Coherence by a variable amount. A single Self Repair has three “charges”: the first is consumed immediately after use, and the next two are automatically used after your next two actions in the system (i.e., exploring a node, attacking a subsystem). Always use a Self Repair as soon as you find it - there is no gain in waiting.

*** '''Kernel Rot''' utilities reduces a target subsystem’s Coherence by 50%. Great for use on the System Core.

*** '''Kernel Rot''' utilities reduces a target subsystem’s Coherence by 50%. Great for use on the System Core. Useful too on defensive subsystems with high Coherence.

*** '''Secondary Vector''' utilities reduces a target’s Coherence by a variable amount. Much like the Self Repair utility, the Secondary Vector has three charges: one used immediately, and two more that fire off after taking actions.

*** '''Polymorphic Shield''' utilities prevent the next two instances of damage done to your virus. Good for taking down subsystems with high Strength.

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** Additionally, more difficult hacks contain Data Caches that might expose particularly nasty Defensive Subsystems (Restoration Nodes), so sometimes, '''you may just want to leave opening Data Caches as a last resort.'''

* Because exposed Defensive Subsystems cut off access to adjacent nodes, '''you may want to explore nodes along the edges first before exploring inward'''. This is because if you happen to expose a Firewall or Anti-Virus along a “wall,” you will be a bit less likely to cut off all of your movement options in that direction.

* '''Use the 1-5 "minesweeper" numbers ~~in empty nodes~~ to guide your movement''' around the grid. For example, if you're approaching an edge or corner of the grid, and the number is a 5, then trying to explore anything towards that corner/edge is not useful, because you know that there cannot be anything good within 5 nodes. In general, you want to click in directions that make the numbers smaller. Because the numbers disappear as you move along, you need to remember where there were 5's, so you know which areas not to bother going back to later.

* '''Use the 1-5 "minesweeper" numbers to guide your movement''' around the grid. For example, if you're approaching an edge or corner of the grid, and the number is a 5, then trying to explore anything towards that corner/edge is not useful, because you know that there cannot be anything good within 5 nodes. In general, you want to click in directions that make the numbers smaller. Because the numbers disappear as you move along, you need to remember where there were 5's, so you know which areas not to bother going back to later.

== Item recovery ==

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 *** Attacking a Subsystem is turn-based: your virus will attack the Subsystem, and then, ''if the Subsystem is still active'', it will attack your virus back.
 *** Your virus’s Coherence and Strength are listed in the bottom left of the hacking window. '''When you attack a Subsystem, you will lower its Coherence by your Virus Strength.''' If you reduce its Coherence to 0, it is disabled and removed from the board.
-*** '''If your Virus Coherence reaches 0, you fail the hack and the window is closed.''' Failing a hack once will just make it less likely for you to get any valuable loot from the container (explained below), but attempting a second hack and failing again will destroy the container.
+*** '''If your Virus Coherence reaches 0, you fail the hack and the window is closed.''' Failing a hack '''once''' does not matter for regular Data/Relic sites, but failing a second hack will destroy that container.  (Note that for some special kinds of containers/sites, such as [[Ghost Site|Ghost Sites]], Sleeper Caches, etc., failing the first hack might cause an explosion, or have other negative effects.)
+*** '''Interrupting a hack counts as a failure''', and that includes moving too far away from the can (out of range of your analyzer) while the hacking window is open.   This is sometimes a problem for frigates with a MicroWarpDrive active, where you can overshoot the can when Approaching is too fast - so be careful.
 ** Defensive Subsystems come in a few different types.
 *** '''Firewalls''' have high coherence, but low strength.
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 ** Utility Subsystems are extremely useful and come in a few different types.
 *** '''Self Repair''' utilities increase your Virus Coherence by a variable amount. A single Self Repair has three “charges”: the first is consumed immediately after use, and the next two are automatically used after your next two actions in the system (i.e., exploring a node, attacking a subsystem).  Always use a Self Repair as soon as you find it - there is no gain in waiting.
-*** '''Kernel Rot''' utilities reduces a target subsystem’s Coherence by 50%. Great for use on the System Core.
+*** '''Kernel Rot''' utilities reduces a target subsystem’s Coherence by 50%. Great for use on the System Core. Useful too on defensive subsystems with high Coherence.
 *** '''Secondary Vector''' utilities reduces a target’s Coherence by a variable amount. Much like the Self Repair utility, the Secondary Vector has three charges: one used immediately, and two more that fire off after taking actions.
 *** '''Polymorphic Shield''' utilities prevent the next two instances of damage done to your virus. Good for taking down subsystems with high Strength.
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 ** Additionally, more difficult hacks contain Data Caches that might expose particularly nasty Defensive Subsystems (Restoration Nodes), so sometimes, '''you may just want to leave opening Data Caches as a last resort.'''
 * Because exposed Defensive Subsystems cut off access to adjacent nodes, '''you may want to explore nodes along the edges first before exploring inward'''. This is because if you happen to expose a Firewall or Anti-Virus along a “wall,” you will be a bit less likely to cut off all of your movement options in that direction.
-* '''Use the 1-5 "minesweeper" numbers in empty nodes to guide your movement''' around the grid.  For example, if you're approaching an edge or corner of the grid, and the number is a 5, then trying to explore anything towards that corner/edge is not useful, because you know that there cannot be anything good within 5 nodes.  In general, you want to click in directions that make the numbers smaller. Because the numbers disappear as you move along, you need to remember where there were 5's, so you know which areas not to bother going back to later.
+* '''Use the 1-5 "minesweeper" numbers to guide your movement''' around the grid.  For example, if you're approaching an edge or corner of the grid, and the number is a 5, then trying to explore anything towards that corner/edge is not useful, because you know that there cannot be anything good within 5 nodes.  In general, you want to click in directions that make the numbers smaller. Because the numbers disappear as you move along, you need to remember where there were 5's, so you know which areas not to bother going back to later.
 == Item recovery ==