Hacking in Three Layers
TEXT, HOLO and DIVE – three ways into the same networks.
Hacking is not a reaction mini-game but one solution among several – next to crowbars, fuse boxes and key cards. You need a computer (laptop, tablet, hacking kit or building PC), an access point and often programs or credentials you find in the world. Everything is a fictional game mechanic of nodes, time and consequences.
| TEXT (terminal) | HOLO (hologram) | DIVE (net space) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Requires | any computer + connection | laptop/tablet/building PC, Electronics ≥ 4, modern facility | neuro interface + computer, Electronics ≥ 8, high-tech facility or access point |
| Feel | calm, puzzles, passwords | overview, planning | action, movement, fighting with programs |
| Strengths | works everywhere, quiet, read logs | whole building network visible, action queue | fastest effect, every device in range |
| Weaknesses | slow, little overview | needs power and battery, more alarm on mistakes | body is helpless, ICE attacks, high signature |
TEXT – the command line
Commands such as scan, ls, cd, access, cat, pw, devices, loop, open, honk. You deduce passwords from notes, logs and calendars – failed attempts raise the facility's ALERT. It's quiet: ideal when nobody should notice you were there.
HOLO – the hologram
The building network as a 3D map: cameras, doors, elevators, power, pharmacy. Put several actions into a queue, isolate sub-networks, use flashing weak points – and dive straight into the DIVE from here.
What hacking does
Open doors, freeze cameras, switch off street lights, overload a generator, use car horns as lures, redirect drones, take over your own robots. The effect is real: a hacked horn really honks – and machines come running. But almost every external connection raises your signal heat.
More about the DIVE: Net space, programs & ICE.