Sorry for the double post, but I’m goign to add my two cents to this:
I: Joining Domain Knights
First, you have two choices avialable (as of current). Regular DK, which offers one cycle a minute, and Super DK, which offers ten. Super DK is essentially a test server, but lowering the cycle output to 5 a minute is being looked at. Also keep in mind that Super DK is a LOT faster paced that DK: The strategies in the long term aren’t much different, but the execution will be. IF you’re new, I suggest Regular DK. MAke sure you join the forums too, the game IS in Beta Testing, and AltF8 and Subcypher (the creators of the game) get peeved if they don’t get get feedback.)
Now that you’ve picked which game (or both) you want to go at, you must now pick an Archetype.
Standard: Overall, a decent start for beginners, balanced between offense and defense.
Starts with Relexes 1 and Security 1.
Starts with a Vicon Surfboard (3 Processor/3 Coprocessor/3 Connection maximum) and an Escargo 1024 loaded with the following programs:
Cracker Jack (Level 1/1/1 Cracker program)
Grunt (Level 1/1/1 Infiltration Program)
BaseWall (Level 1 Firewall)
Doberman (Level 1/1 Security Porgram)
Cash Sniffer (1/1 Cash Crawler)
Node Sniffer (Level 1/1 Node Crawler)
Janitor (Level 1 Defragger)
Aggressive: The Aggressive archetype is excellent for gathering experience in the beginning, but starts with a weak defense. An Aggressive among a horde of Farmers is a wold among sheep. I’ve never played it though, so I’m just assuming here.
Starts with Reflexes 2.
Starts with a Vicon Surfboard (3 Processor/3 Coprocessor/3 Connection maximum) and an Escargo 1024 loaded with the following programs:
Cracker Jack II (2/2 Cracker)
Splinter (2/2 Infiltratior)
BaseWall (Level 1 Firewall)
Cash Sniffer (1/1 Cash Crawler)
Node Sniffer (Level 1/1 Node Crawler)
Janitor (Level 1 Defragger)
Pacifist: Not a suggested archetype. Has a powerful defense in the beginning, but is hampered in all other areas, essentially. Again, I’ve never played this. Take it with a grain of salt.
Starts with Security 2.
Starts with a Vicon Surfboard (3 Processor/3 Coprocessor/3 Connection maximum) and an Escargo 1024 loaded with the following programs:
StoneWall (Level 2 Firewall)
Sentry (2/2 Security Program)
Cash Sniffer (1/1 Cash Crawler)
Node Sniffer (Level 1/1 Node Crawler)
Janitor (Level 1 Defragger)
Farmer: A very quick starter, due to the fact that they can amass resources at a rediculous rate in the beginning. Has trouble gaining experience, but a Cracker can be bought in short order to remedy that.
Starts with Focus 2.
Starts with a Vicon Surfboard (3 Processor/3 Coprocessor/3 Connection maximum) and an Escargo 1024 loaded with the following programs:
BaseWall (Level 1 Firewall)
Cash Burglar (2/2 Cash Crawler)
Node Burglar (Level 2/2 Node Crawler)
Janitor (Level 1 Defragger)
Scholar: A VERY slow starter, but has the ability to research right away. Is very capable of speeding ahead of the pack once they are entrenched. (My current archetype)
Starts with Intelligence 2.
Starts with a Vicon Professor (2 Processor/2 Coprocessor/2 Connection maximum, with a protocol chip socket), a Sunburst 128 and an Escargo 1024 loaded with the following programs:
StoneWall (Level 2 Firewall)
Sentry (2/2 Security Program)
Cash Sniffer (1/1 Cash Crawler)
Node Sniffer (Level 1/1 Node Crawler)
Janitor (Level 1 Defragger)
Once you complete the signup process, your domain will be created, the verification email sent, and you start with 3000 cycles and 1500 nodes.
II: Resources
Your three primary resources can be summed up as follows:
Cash: This should be obvious. You buy stuff with this. You start with no money.
Nodes: This is the “land” of the game. Each program you upload requires a certain amount of nodes to occupy. Weaker programs take up less nodes. When you gather nodes from a successful hack or crawler, they must be defragmented by a Defragmentation Program to be of use. If you have no useable nodes remaining (That is, all of your nodes are fragmented), you cannot run any programs and your domain is destroyed.
Cycles: These are the “turns” of the game. Most actions (save buying new programs/hardware, and installing/uninstalling hardware) require a certain amount of nodes to complete. IF you don’t have the nodes, you can’t do it. Simple as that.
III: Your Character
Your character has several attributes that help you in the game. They are as follows:
Level: Your character level. The higher your level, the better hardware and software you can buy from the store. For each level you gain, you can raise one attribute by one point.
Experience: You gain experience (usually) from hacking attempts (the hack need not be successful) and compiling your own programs. You’ll probably gain most of your experience through attacking. You can lose experience from a failed defense, but you cannot lose levels.
Next Level: How much experience you require to reach the next level. There’s a nice little bar that tells you how much also.
Intelligence: Lowers the node size of compiled programs.
Luck: A jack of all trades attribute that aids pretty much everything a little bit.
Reflexes: Your “attack” attribute. This aids hacking attempts.
Focus: This aids your crawlers in gathering resources.
Security: Your “defense” attribute. This aids in defending against hacking attempts.
Reputation: Only really affects score, it’s a measure of how strong you are offensively/defensively. Someone with a high Reputation has been very busy recently, most likely.
Offensive Programming: Lowers the node size of offensive programs (Crackers and Infiltrators)
Defensive Programming: Lowers the node size of defensive programs (Firewalls and Security Programs)
Support Programming: Lowers the node size of support programs (Crawlers and Maintainace Programs)
IV: Hardware
Your Hardware mainly consists of your Cyberdeck and the many modules you can attach to it. You MUST have a Cyberdeck, Processor, and Coprocessor installed to play, otherwise you are in Vacation Mode and you gain no cycles. You always start the game with a Level 1 Processor (Sevis), Coprocessor (MegaCop) and Connection Module (DSLip 128).
Cyberdeck: Your connection to your domain. Often will be refered to by it’s main statistics (3/3/3, meaning a Level 3 Processor, Level 3 Coprocessor and Level 3 Connection. If the statistics say 3/3/3/1, then it has one protocol chip socket. More on those later).
- Max Processor: This is your deck’s computing power. Affects how much time it takes to move programs between S3’s (Solid Storage Devices), upload times for protocols, and compiling times for your custom programs. This attribute is the highest level Processor you can install in your deck.
- Max Coprocessor: This augments your deck, lowering the node requirement of custom programs. I know little else outside of that. This attribute is the highest level Coprocessor you can install in your deck.
- Max Connection: One of THE MOST IMPORTANT parts of your deck. It affects the upload times of your programs. A higher connection can cut the upload time drastically, saving cycles for you. Also note that larger programs require more cycles to upload. You can do without one, but uploading is near impossible without one, so don’t give it up unless you’re sure you’re not going to need it soon(you probably will) or you’re upgrading. This attribute is the highest level Connection Module you can install in your deck.
- Max S3 Modules: The maximum Solid State Storage modules you can install on the deck. The size of the modules doesn’t matter in this statistic, but they cannot exceed this number. This includes spans.
- Max S3 Storage: This is the maximum total of S3 storage the deck can accomidate. You can have the maximum S3 modules allowed on the deck as long as the total storage does not exceed this.
- Max Memory Modules: Like Max S3 Modules, but for Memory Modules.
- Max Memory Units: Like Max S3 Storage, but for Memory Modules.
- Protocol Chip Sockets: The maximum Protocol Chips you can have installed in the deck at any one time. You must have a Protocol Chip to research and code your own programs.
Now, for the modules. Processor, Coprocessor and Connection has been explained.
Solid State Storage Module: Also refered to as an “S3 Module”, these store your programs offline so you can upload them. These are basically hard disks, and like hard disks, cannot store programs that exceed their storage limit. Programs on uninstalled S3s cannot be used, but the S3 can be reinstalled into the span to make use of its stored programs.
- Spans: Two or more S3s can be grouped together in a “Span”, which combines the two S3s. There are two types of spans: Deck-Reliant spans require the deck to provide the span data. These have the advantage of having the full storage limit of all member spans, but they CANNOT be uninstalled from your deck. Self-Reliant spans CAN be uninstalled and installed into other decks, but they lose approximately 15% of their total space for the span data. These are, naturally, affected by the Module and Storage Maximums of the deck. The act of creating or breaking a span deletes all stored programs, but adding a new S3 to the span does not.
Memory Module: This is basically RAM. They hold uploaded protocols into your cyberdeck for later compiling into functional programs. No protocol can exceed the total Memory Units (mU) installed into the deck.
Protocol Chip: These chips contain protocols for research and uploading. All Protocol Chips begin at Level 0, and must be researched until at least Level 1 to use the protocol. Protocol chips are automatically researched as you spend cycles (they gain experience), but this can be sped up by actively spending cycles to research them. The level limits the level of the protocol you may upload, and you require one to compile a program. To compile, however, the chip need not be related to the program you wish to create. The more Protocol Chips you have installed, the slower they research.
V: Software
Software is divided into six different types, each with thier own specific uses. You can upload multiple instances of a single program, or type of program, with the exception of Firewall Programs. Each program has a size, and it takes that much space on a Solid State Storage Module, as well as that many nodes when uploaded.
Uploaded programs can be deleted due to insufficent nodes from a failed defense on your domain. The default order in which they are deleted are: Infiltration Programs, Offensive Programs, Crawler Programs, Security Programs, Firewall Programs, and finally Maintainance Programs. The order can be configured in “User Preferences”.
Cracker Programs: Think of your opponent’s domain as a castle. These things break down the castle walls so you can get after your opponent’s treasure. Each Cracker Program has a Speed attribute (Spd), which is combined to determing the cycle cost of the hack. Speed, it should be noted, is NOT a protocol. You may only attempt to hack those above 50% of your score.
- Cracker Program: This is your catapult, and the ONLY program required to execute a hack. All other offensive programs are add-ons. Its’ protocols are: Intrusion (Itr - Which is the ability to break into your opponent’s domain) and Integrity (Int - The “Hit Points” of a Cracker Program, which determines how well it resists backlash.)
- Password Breaker: This aids the Cracker by attempting to decypher the administrative passwords. If this succees, the hack becomes easier. Its’ protcols are Matrix (Mtx - Allows the Password Breaker to decrypt more complex Password Matrices) and Decrypt (Dcr - The ability to decypher passwords).
- Port Scanner: This aids the Cracker by trying to find the ports the domain uses for crawlers, messaging and such. If it succeeds, the hack becomes easier. Its’ Protocol is Tenacity (Tnc - How hard the Scanner tries to find open ports).
- DLA Spoofer: These programs attempt to prevent retailitory strikes by confusing the opposing Firewall’s inherent tracing ability. It should be noted that these are very hard to work. Its’ protocol is Ability (Abi - The capability to defeat trace attempts).
- Backlash Shield: These programs protect your Cracker if your foe has a Backlash Program. Its’ protocol is Backlash Protection (Blp - The resistance a Shield has against Backlash)
Infiltration Programs: These are not nessecary in a hack, however, if you want to do some actual damage, you’ll quickly understand how useful these are. You can think of them as the little soldiers that invade and do the actual fighting. They have no cycle costs to use. You can place them in “Sleep” mode, which prevents them from partcipating in a hack.
- Standard Infiltration Program: When someone says “IP”, this is what they most likely mean. These programs attempt to break through an opponent’s Security Programs and damage their domain. There is a limit to how much damage you can inflict, dependant on your relative scores. Its protocols are Decypher (Dcy - The ability to bypass a Standard Security Program), Damage (Dmg - The ability to destroy enemy Standard Security Programs and damage their domain) and Integrity (Int - Its’ “Hit Points”, which determine the ability to resist Standard Security Program Attacks).
They can be put into one of threemodes: Hack, in which the Standard Infiltration Program will attempt to decypher Security Programs until it is defeated once; and Crack, in which the Infiltrator will attempt to decypher until it is destroyed. Hack is the default mode, but Crack allows you to do more damage with the possibility of higher program attrition.
- Intelligence Program: These programs attempt to gather information about the opponent’s domain, such as cash, nodes, and strength of offense and defense. They ignore Standard Security Programs, but are countered by Haze Programs. Its’ protocols are Probe (Prb - The ability to bypass Haze Programs) and Sniffing (Snf - The ability to gather information on an opponent’s domain)
Firewall Programs: These programs protect your domain by resisting a cracker’s attempt to enter it, and even by attempting to destroy the cracker and tracing it to it’s source. These are your castle walls. The Firewall Program is mandatory for defense. Firewalls cannot be destroyed unless you lose too many nodes.
- Firewall Program: This is the most basic protection you have. It provides two functions: It resists enemy Crackers and Port Scanners, and it traces an hack attempt back to the opponent’s domain, allowing you to make a retailitory strike regardless of thier score. This tracing is always successful unless a DLA Spoofer is used and successful. Its’ protocol is Cypher (Cyp - The ability to resist a Firewall’s attacks).
- Password Matrix: This suppliments the domain’s password system, by creating multi-level password encryption among other things. These resist Password Breakers. Its protocol is Matrix (Mtx - The ability to create stronger password encryption).
- Backlash Program: These programs take the fight back to the Cracker, attempting to destroy it if the hack fails. Its’ protocol is Backlash (Bck - The ability to damage and destroy an enemy Cracker)
Security Programs: If Infiltration Programs are your invades, Security Programs are your garrison. These attempt to block Infiltration Programs, if your Firewall fails. You can place these in “Sleep” mode, which prevents them from participating in a defense.
- Standard Security Programs: If someone is talking about “SPs”, they probably mean these programs. These attempt to block and destroy as many Standard Infiltration Programs as possible, limiting or completely preventing damage to your domain. Its’ protocols are Cypher (Cyp - The ability to successfully block an invading Standard Inflitration Program, so it can attempt to destroy it), Damage (Dmg - The ability to deal damage to a Standard Infiltration Program) and Integrity (Int - How well the program can withstand retailitory strikes from Standard Infiltration Programs)
Standard Security Programs can be set into three modes: Normal has no change in behaviour; Guard mode allows it to block a Standard Infiltration Program better, but loses some ability to destroy it (Raised Cypher, Lowered Damage); or Aggressive, where its’ ability to damage Standard Infiltration Programs is raised, but it cannot block as well (Raised Damage, Lowered Cypher)
- Haze Programs: These attempt to block invading Intelligence Programs, and reduce the ability to gather information on your domain. Its’ protocol is Haze (Hze - The ability to block incoming Intelligence Programs)
Crawler Programs: These programs attempt to gather resources for your domain. They are, however, illegal… in the game. Occasionally, a Crawler will be detected by the “Internet Law Force”, or ILF. When it is detected, it deletes itself so it cannot be traced back to you, meaning you lose the Crawler and must upload a new one. Thier protocols are: Bloodhound (Blh - The ability to successfully find and return resources) and Smoke (Smk - The ability to evade the ILF’s notice) They also have a special type of protocol: the Type (Typ) protocol, which determines what resource the Crawler searches for. The chips for this protocol comes pre-researched and read-only, so they cannot be raised beyond Level 1.
Crawler Programs can be put into three different modes: Passive is the default, and it a “quiet” mode, where it attempts not to be noticed as it works; Active searches for resources at a heightened level, but is more likely to be noticed by the ILF; and Sleep mode stops them from functioning completely. They can also be put into “Overdrive” mode, where you may spend cycles to make a crawler exceptionally agressive in finding reserouces. However, it is MUCH more likely to be detected, and does not return with the resources until the end of the overdirve period. If it is detected and deletes itself, you gain no resources from that particular crawler. Crawlers can be set to message you at the end of a resource run, but always notify you if it is detected.
- Node Crawler: These programs search for nodes from previously destroyed domains, forgotten parts of the net, and so on.
- Cash Crawler: These programs search for bits of cash left over from various sources.
Maintainance Programs: These programs see to the well-being of your domain, outside of hacking attempts. They currently encompass jsut one program.
- Defragmentation Program: Any nodes gathered from a Node Crawler or successful hacking attempt comes back to you in a damaged state. Maintainance Programs repair them so you can actually use them to upload programs into. These programs will save the life of your domain, as when all of your nodes are damages, your domain is destroyed and you are removed from the game. They can be forced into Overdrive mode, which spends cycles to more actively repair nodes. Fortunately, they are not illegal. Its’ protocol is Performance (Prf - The speed of which it repairs fragmented nodes).
Defragmentation Programscan be set to message you at the end of a defragmentation run.,
VI: Actions in the game
You have several things to do in your domain, ranging from attacking others to researching more powerful programs. This list is what you can do.
Hardware Magangement: The successful hacker knows how to manage his hardware effectively. Installing, uninstalling and selling hardware takes no cycles. Hardware depreciates at a steady and swift rate, as you spend cycles, but you can usually get a decent return for used hardware.
You can buy hardware from the store, however your character level limits what hardware you may buy.
Program Management: The successful hacker also knows how to manage his domain, and there are several ways to do so.
- Uploading Programs: This will most likely be your major cycle expense. For any program to be useful, it must be uploaded into your domain. The cycle cost to upload programs is dependant on the program size and your Connetion Module.
- Moving Programs: Sometimes you need to move programs around to optimize your S3 usage. The cycle cost of moving a program is dependant on program size and your Processor.
- Deleting Programs: Sometimes you need to make space for better programs. When you don’t need a program anymore, you can delete it for one cycle.
- Buying Programs: Sometimes you just need to buy a program form the store. Your character level limits what you can buy.
Hacking: Hacking is your primary source of experience, as well as a good way to get additional nodes and cash to supplement your domain, and of course, utterly destroy your enemies. The cycle costs for a hack attempt is dependant on the Speed attributes of the Cracker Program and any add-ons you wish to include. Whenever you attempt a hack, or have a hack attempted against you, you are sent a message notifying you with details.
Overdriving: You can spend cycles to Overdrive your Crawler and Maintainance programs, which forces them to perform at a greater rate. However, Crawlers are illegal in the game, and Overdriving makes them more noticable and thus more likely to delete themselves. An Overdriving Crawler returns no resources if it is detected, however, the longer you Overdrive, the more effective the Crawler becomes. The “Quick Overdrive” links allow you to Overdrive for a specific amount of cycles with one link. The number of cycles spent overdriving
Messaging: You can use messages to communicate with other players, along with receiving notifications of crawler deletions, Overdrive runs, hacking attempt against you, and the details of your own hacking attempts. Using the messaging system requires no cycles.
Custom Programming: Custom Programming allows you to create programs that are superior to store bought programs. Custom Programs are smaller, which allow you to use upload them faster and use more at one time. Custom Programs require you to buy the Protocol Chips of the programs you wish to create. In the long term, creating your own programs is both cheaper and more effective than buying your own, as custom programs are not limited by your character level (allowing you to field more advanced programs than you normally can) and are limited to Level 50 in any particular protocol, instead of Level 20 in store-bought programs. To create your own programs, your deck must at least one Protocol Chip Socket. You can reach the Programming and Research menus through the “Your Cyberdeck” page.
- Research: Researching your own programs requires Protocol Chips with the protocols of the program you desire to research. Protcol Chips gain experience, which raises thier level to a maximum of 50. The higher the Protocol Chip’s level is, the higher the level of the protocol you can use in custom programs. Higher level protocols are also larger in Memory Units. Note that if you have multiple Protocol Chips uploaded, they will gain experience at a reduced rate.
- Uploading: Uploading a protocol requires the chip of the protocol you wish to upload, and enough Memory Units (Provided by Memory Modules) to contain the program. The cycle cost is dependant on the level of the protocol (which increases in size as it raises in level) and the level of the Processor in your deck. You need not upload the highest level your chip can offer.
- Compiling: Once you have all the required protocols in memory, you may compile them into a functional program. You need not have to match the levels of the protocols involved in a program, nor do you need the Protocol Chips of the specfic program. All you have to do is select the type of program you wish to compile, then select the specific program. From there, you will be notified of the total size of your program after compiling, as well as the number of cycles required to complete the compile. Your Processor, Coprocessor, Programming Skills and Intelligence determine how much the size and cycle requirement of the program is lowered. Then you may choose a name and description of your program, as well as choosing which installed S3 to place the program. Click Compile, and you now have a functional program, that can be used as any other program. Compiling clears all protocols from memory. You also gain some experience dependant on your character level and the level of the protocols in the compiled program… although not to the extent of hacking others, unless there is a great difference between your character level and the level of the program.
VII: Terminology
“X/X” “X/X/X” “X/X/X/X”: Refers to the levels of hardware or software protocols. When someone speaks of a 3/3 Crawler, for example, they mean a Crawler with 3 Bloodhound and 3 Smoke. Hardware is not as often used in the same way, but it refers to its’ Processor Level, Coprocessor, Connection and Protocol Chip Sockets. Usually it is thier maximum levels, but it can refer to the level of hardware in a player’s deck (usually used as “X/X/X”)
Chip: Protocol Chip
CP: Crawler Program
Deck: Cyberdeck
DK: Domain Knights
FW: Firewall
IP: Infiltration Program. Used to refer mainly to Standard Intelligence Programs.
MP: Maintainance Program.
mU: Memory Unit. Refers to how much “RAM” a Memory Module adds to a deck, or how much “RAM” a player’s deck has.
Run: Used to refer to a repeated activity that costs a very high amount of cycles. Usually in reference to attacking, researching, or overdriving.
S3: Solid State Storage (Module)
SDK: Super Domain Knights. Refers to the server with a greater amount of cycles offered per minute.
SP: Security Program. Used to refer mainly to Standard Security Programs.
And there we go. Done. Long winded… sheex. It will be corrected and added to as required.