The Hacker Project - a free online game

As things stand, it's hard to argue that Virus Capture isn't broken. And since I'm the one doing it, I though I would start this.


As things stand, I could Capture a copy of Propaganda (a v3.368 Adware) with the basic .1 Virus Capture. It would take me a while, but probably less time than it would for me to AV, upload, decrypt, and install my own copy. It's even better when you consider that I had to get lucky to even download said virus in the first place: it's not like people leave big virii laying around (I got it as someone was hiding/encrypting), and that the download took a day or so.

Now, granted it will lose almost .2 in version from the capture. However, I'd argue that using 300 CPU and 11 500 Memory for 2-3 days in return for an income of 101.04 (v3.168)/hour is way better than uploading a 3.37Gb file, decrypting it, and installing it for an extra 6HPD/hour

Just for some numbers: it would take my 30 Bandwidth connection over 30 hours to upload that; decrypting would take another 10+ hours, for almost 2 days of work. The Decryption takes 2000 CPU and 50 000 memory: enough to run 4 virus captures and have CPU to spare. Assuming that the Virus Capture takes 40 hours, I could take over virii just as effectively as decrypting and installing them, and save my bandwidth for downloading new programs (which, BTW, is what I do).


And all this hasn't taken into account the cost of research. Propaganda costs 39 500 and 395 hours to research. If you just want to buy it, you can (It's there: v3.368 Adware Spam Deamon) for the price of 136 167 (Wish I could sell my copy for that much). It also costs about 1 000 HPD to store it (It's 3.37 Gb). The Virus Capture is less than 60 HPD to store (52.2 if 1Gb is 1000 Mb; less if it's 1024), and costs NOTHING to get: just get it anonymously at your favorite Free Light Repository.



All this serves is to provide a basis for the following changes I am requesting:

1) Make it either exponentially more difficult or outright impossible for a lower version Virus Capture to Capture a higher level Virus
2) make Virus Capture use up more resources. I suggest 20 000 Memory and 500 CPU, plus 300 Mb of HDD.
3) Cause Virus Captures to end when you change IPs (this is the one change that would not effect me: I play fair, and don't abuse the IP change).

Duly noted. 

I'm clear that you won, and that if I'm lucky, I've got one or two servers that are still "mine" and you don't know about. I'm pretty sure you can tell me who is supplying me with most of my backups. In fact, I'm even willing to bet that that if I asked that person, they lost most of their programs too, and just got out because that person is gold, and thus has a backup server.

The only "win" I can claim is learning: you just taught me quite a bit about how to survive in this game, and I don't think you learned much. More importantly for me, you've shown me how important it is to keep powerful people who play one's game happy/challenged enough that they don't get angry.

So I'll give you your victory. I got one that's far more valuable, in it's own way.

Now, would you mind not doing that again, and just taking out a little next time. Or leaving a message. I'm on your side as far as where this game is going.

Not to taunt, but I did say I have backups. The encrypted files are gone, and the backups on their way in.

And tell your friend I'm more than happy to negotiate. I would prefer to sit on my butt for two days rather than rebuild my computer for two days.

Oh. That was you.


In that case, I'm almost complemented. I thought it was the guy I hacked last night.

My only issue was that you took out my .5 Virus Capture: I had either stashed or noted where I could get a copy of the rest.

That said, it will be a day or two before I'm ready to come out of my shell.

Yes, but "No" = -1, so (No + 1) =0, and you divided by Zero.


FAIL.

Moen got it, though I'd like to know Neo's logic. My pattern was lowest prime factor

I manage to keep above 2000 AP most of the time: that's 6 IP changes in an emergency.


Perhaps increase the cost by 1000HPD and 300AP each time you change your IP, with it removing one IP change worth of cost increase every week. This would make it possible to do several IP changes in a hurry, but it would get prohibitive soon.

I will give you that. However, I am willing to bet that SGP are not your average gamers. I have no idea exactly how you work (And would love to learn), but there are a few telling things that make you a poor model for what is possible in general:

1) You have limited your number to 6
2) You are all likely in the top 25 most active players
3) You are the 6 most powerful players.
4) There appears to be a high level of trust between you

For those reasons, you are not a good model for what people can do. One of my allies and I have a hard time coordinating because of schedule issues: we are rarely on together. Trust is harder to build and maintain as groups grow: I trust (for the most part) the three hackers I've had contact with. I don't think I could keep track of, let alone trust, more than about 10, without some way of recognizing them, and having them recognize me (and my virii: with Virus Capture, you can't know who's virus is whose). Finally, your power level means each of you can operate independently (and from multiple servers). I often wait on certain attacks so that I can coordinate, just so that I know I can take advantage of any surprises there might be (like a decent program, given my bandwidth seems to be always in full use).


There are a lot of issues that need to be worked out. However, I think a lot of us are hoping for a new feature before we start losing options again.




And Araeus: I see your point. In light of that, I'd change it to:

Group size is limited by the Registry program. It runs on the Collective Server, and can be researched by any member of the group. for every .1, the group can have 1 member in addition to the leader. This program uses (10 000 CPU + 200 000 Memory + 5Gb)*Level. People who download the Membership ID program without permission will show up on the registry at random if there is space for them: they are not part of the group, and legitimate members of the group supersede them on the list.

I want some way to prevent myself from accidentally killing a process. There have been several times that I've killed a File Share Capture (6+ days to complete) about halfway due to a misclick or something similar.


Perhaps a "Lock Process" Program that eats up some CPU (enough to keep it from being worth locking everything), but takes 10 minutes/level (! minute normally) to stop before the locked process can be stopped. This wouldn't keep someone from stopping everything I'm doing, but it would slow them down. However, it would keep me from accidentally killing a task.

Given I've been playing Pardus for over a year, it's likely a few ideas slipped in. However, almost every game allows chatting with the entire alliance/guild/crew/whatever.



The big things I'd like to see for this game is the following:

1) Membership is secret to the outside. Unless you are in the group, the only person you can be certain of being in the group is the leader
2) Membership is program-oriented. Each group has the following associated programs:
2.1) a Membership ID program. This allows you to recognize the servers and processes of other group members
2.2) a Chat program. This allows you to participate in chat/group messages.
2.3) a Registry program, that lists the name and IP of every server with an ID program or Registry program
3) Groups can buy/upgrade a collective server. No one could use this as a Gateway.
3.1) the group has an Access program, that allows them access to the collective server.



The things I'm not sure about are group exclusivity (can you be in multiple groups) and group size (should it be limited). Given the above, what I suggest is:

Group size is limited by the Registry program. It runs on the Collective Server, and can be researched by any member of the group. for every .1, the group can have 1 member in addition to the leader. This program uses (10 000 CPU + 200 000 Memory + 5Gb)*Level. People who download the Membership ID program without permission show up on the list as soon as the Registry has space for them.

You can only have one Group ID program on a server. This program is small (10 Mb, 50 CPU, 500 Memory at .1), and as long as it is running, you recognize and are recognized as part of the group. It is treated as a Virus for stopping, and can only be stopped by someone who has bounced through the Collective Server.

The Chat and Access programs can be downloaded without permission, and do not result in you being part of the group. They do, however, allow you certain benefits of being part of the group (and likely the enmity of the group, should they find an unauthorized copy of their software floating around).




The Chat program being stealable makes it so that some level of espionage is possible, and a creative hacker might even be able to manipulate a large group into helping him without joining, or even starting a war between two groups from the outside.

Laziness and hackers don't mix. The same goes for game developers.

If we were playing Pardus, you'd be risking a Forum ban for not having thought out the idea enough.

How about the following rules for a group:

1) It costs 5000 HPD and 1000 AP to create a group (Numbers made up). The person who does so becomes the leader
2) The leader can invite people to join the group OR the leader can accept applications to join the group
3) All members of the group are aware of the following things:
3.1) The names of the other players in the group
3.2) If a process is owned by another member of the group
4) Members of the group (perhaps only a subset chosen by the leader) can send messages to the entire group
5) The Leader may spend 500 AP to hand leadership to another player in the group


This would allow a group to coordinate, without providing any major benefits.



If people want to give benefits to groups, some include:

1) The Leader may purchase/upgrade a Group Server. Every member of the group has Admin Access to it, but no member can use it as a Gateway.
2) Members of the group may trade control of Virii.



Some possible disadvantages of groups might include:

1) There is a file on the Leader's server. "Reading" it (a special action) gives the person the name and IP of every member of the group.
2) The group messaging feature requires a small (100 MB) program. If a person outside the group downloads it, they can "listen in" to the messages, without being a member of the group.

685, 691, 4146

+1,*1,+2,*2,...

How about:

1, 2, 3, 1, 5, 2, 7, 2, 3, 2, 11, 2, a, b, c

needed to be a little longer to start

You prefer us to pay 30 AP to change the name of a program?  I'm sorry, but I don't see the logic to that.

I'm going to have to agree with the dissenting opinion here: adding this would be an unnecessary slowdown to the game.

As things stand, it's not easy (though not difficult) to upgrade your server. Adding this would make things more difficult, and would not serve to slow down the Top Ten more than it would anyone else.


If anything is added that would slow down people, it needs to slow down people proportionally more based on their power. This isn't it.