The Hacker Project - a free online game

couple of suggestions really.

1> Add in a buyout option.  This could be a reoccuring fee but would keep your IP out of the store.

2> Add in additional catagories.  Since there are no software caps there should be more catagories for the software versions.

3> Add in a random chance that the IP Store is not able to locate any IPs

4> Add in an option for the IP Store to get hacked.  With options to copy IP Database (this would be for the IPs already bought or common), Mangle the IP Database (This would cause a complete reset of the IP database that the IP store uses), Modify the IP Database (this would allow you to change your IP or someone elses IP to a fake IP), Sniffer Daemon intrusion (would get a % chance of being removed based on the level. The higher the level the hard to disinfect with a cap on it to keep the big boys from controlling it), Sniffer Daemon cleansing (This would allow it to be cleansed so a new Sniffer Daemon could be introduced).  All of these would of course cost some sort of HPD fee which would help remove some HPD from the ever flowing HPD fountains that are Adware and File Share.

What do you think Sir Emi?

Most of these seem really cool, but with IP change the way it is, I don't much care for the buyout. I mean, right now, if I'm disinfecting someone's file share AV, then THEORETICALLY, with a HUGE amount of cash, they could buy high level IPs and hack them until they got mine and stopped me. With a buyout, then I'm not just functionally invincible, but really, completely invincible, even against an enemy with unlimited resources (excluding trying brute force on IP addresses, which would probably do bad things to the server.)

That's funny, I was about to suggest something similar...  There are about 100 NPC ips that currently fit the IP store's highest requirement, that seems a bit excessive.

To your number 1:

This price should be some value multiplied with how powerful your machine is..

Right now IP change = God Mode.  If these were implemented then it may give Sir Emi a reason to fix IP Change.

Could even adjust it so that when you use the Buyout it only lasts a short amount of time if you have any remote processes going.

This combined with fixing the current highly abusable God Mode(even with the AP system) would suck down HPD's and prevent anyone from being truly invincible.

I think it should be based on what you have on the server: If I have a very powerful server with nothing but Virii and an insane firewall, keeping it secret shouldn't cost much.

On the other hand, my non-premium Backup (High HDD and Bandwidth, and loads of valuable programs) should cost a lot more, even if it's technically worse.

"God Mode" topic again?
What changes will you suggest so that the top 20 players can hit the top 5 players?
Because if IP change is modified, then top 5 players = "God Mode"  :5:
How about a 20% chance that the IP change will fail?

Regarding the IP store, I would disagree with this because the backup servers which are not used to connect to other NPC servers will be compromised. I don't like IP store because the players who's got a lot of money will eventually be able to buy all the locations of other players.

I think this is already implemented ..... happened to me yesterday when i tried to buy an expert hackers IP.

This suggestion is potentially to my own disadvantage and it is also abusable but how about:
Randomizing the time it takes to perform an ip change (instead of the fixed 1 hour).
For example: min. 1 hour to max. 4 hours

Thanks for thinking up new ideas termul, but I don't think this would fix the issue - most players who abuse the way IP change is always have an IP change queued up, so the time it takes is somewhat irrelevant.

That is what is meant with abusable  :19:

Thing is with Overload you can crack anyone.  However understand if I base a PW Break Overload on SGP's current high with it maxing out then it will use up the following resources.
CPU 114,096
RAM 9,006,000
Protect busted 26.777840

Now keep in mind that this is how Sir Emi thinks the playing field is balanced.  But IP Change means you can do anything you want and be free from retribution.

If SGP was to use IP Change we could do every single Disinfect mission and our IPs would never be released to the public.  Because as soon as IP Change is ready, as it and PW Change is on my server right now, you could hit up all the stuff you wanted then click task complete and boom you are invulnerable.  Yes this tactic is listed on the legal exploits in the game as per Sir Emi's own words.

So with the above proposed changes it would do the following which would benifit groups and solo players.
1> prevent the buying of back up servers that never connect to the NPC servers.
2> Drain HPD from the player base, right now I think SGP combined has around 2-4 million HPD unspent.
3> It would add another aspect to the game for everyone.
4> Would provide additional catagories to buy from hence taking more HPD from the game.

  I only said it about a month ago,that research costs need to increase with the version number. Its sound,realistic,and curbs the ridiculous growth rate once you start doing disinfects in multiples. It would also make going after other peoples programs actually worth it,instead of sitting around farming new players and gaining power without ever needing to touch a busy server.

  "If SGP was to use IP Change we could do every single Disinfect mission and our IPs would never be released to the public."

  Your virii are the only ones worth disinfecting and you know it. And without IP CHANGE,your virii would be the only ones installed. "Setting aside" servers for other players to use is a noble idea,but a farce in the end. How long would it be before SGP gets bored with its own rules,and goes after the vassals it claimed would be safe? No IP CHANGE= The REAL GOD MODE. No one can touch your income for research-"right now I think SGP combined has around 2-4 million HPD unspent." So were to believe that removing or gimping IP CHANGE would be best for all,or best for those that can afford to have a higher UnDeleter?
 
  So lets see if I get this straight- You want to get rid of IP CHANGE,but make buying a target IP easier? Yeah,lets talk about "exploits".

  And attempting to belittle the idea the developer has for HIS game only shows how arrogant you have become.

Wow the dead has come back to life.  Glad to see you couldn't really quit this game.

I am not saying No IP change.  I have never said that.  In fact there is a 5+ page thread on trying to get IP Change fixed from it's current god mode.  A thread that several non-SGP members have endorsed.

Now I think the game has far progressed beyond what Sir Emi had intended originally.  There are even secret servers with 1.0 protects on them now.

Others are starting to reach the point of "Why spend the HPD there is nothing else to do".

Sir Emi has made it clear he has no intention of changing some things.  The problem is that those things are highly abusable.  Which is what I have stated.  That is not arrogance.  That is fact.  I am however showing Sir Emi how much things need to change.

Lets look at the abusable "features" in the game.
IP Change = never get caught and have zero risk involved with whatever you do.
Newbie Protection = a group of people get together and create gobs of dupe accounts, which is allowable per the ToS/EULA, don't log in for 7 days then infect each others dupe servers with a .166 adware (4.98 BW usage) and after that just log in once a week to prevent anyone else from taking the free money away.  Again zero risk involved.
Virus Breaker = Never ending loop of capturing virii.  Only good thing is that each capture now reduces the virii level by 1 research hour.  But that hurts the original owner more than the people hijacking the virus.

Now there are some things that are being worked on or have already been corrected.  For instance the old AP system.  It allowed for someone to disinfect 57 virii then IP Change.  Now it is much more restrictive on that as disinfect now costs 1/2 of the infect.

Gold FTP Server used to be a "You can never truly hurt me" feature.  It still is if you want to donate to increase it's size.  It still is for those who have already gotten all their software on it before the change to it's capacity was made.  This is a good step in the right direction.   I think you should be able to use HPD to increase it's size as I suggest, the suggestion was 10,000 HPD per 1GB increase.  And I think that all Gold FTP Servers should have forced deletions to drop them down to their actual limit.

The game is changing.  Is the game what it was once before?  No not really.  Are many of the changes made to curb the growth rate?  Well if you look at the timeline on the SGP forums you will see how many changes were made specifically because of SGP.

As for disinfect missions.  Really any of them are worth it.  I do small ones all the time when I have the time.

As for the Log Software issue.  There are many people out there who could compete with us if they focused on it instead of doing other things.  After all SGP is only 6 members strong.  Although that may change sooner or later.    And there are other groups out there now that if they would stop picking on new players, yes Night Watch I am aware of your actions, and focused on bettering themselves they could even reach a point where we could have an actual hacker war which would be awesome.

So far the groups I know about are.
SGP
Night Watch (Zand's Group)
EoD (still trying to find out who the leader is)
The Cabal (The Mages group)

Only problem is SGP is the only one to make themselves known and as such we are made out to be villians.  I will say this though.  SGP is starting to flex it's muscles as others are learning.

SGP Actually suggests that one of the best way to earn money is to install virii, prepare to delete them, and then look for missions. Delete all of your own virii you can get missions for, and restart.

So who cares who has the Virii worth deleting: they will be perfectly happy deleting and reinstalling their own virii



And by the way, once you can be certain of getting enough money to do the IP change exploit, it's hard to hurt you. It is a break in the game.




Getting back on topic, I don't see how keeping one's IP secret is worth it. Given the whole IP change thing, someone has to move quickly to take advantage of a purchased IP if it is any good. If you're going to be changing your IP anyway, why bother keeping it a secret. If it costs substantially more than changing your IP, more people will change their IP regularly.

This might bring money out of the game. On the other hand, it might backfire, and just result in fewer people buying IPs.

Except IP Change costs 300 AP + 1000 HPD now.

Ok. So let's assume 1AP=10 HPD; so a IP change costs 4000 HPD. Blocking my IP from being bought is perhaps worth 1/2 as much as changing IP, since there are other ways to get my IP.

Therefore, if the IP block costs more that 2000 HPD, it isn't as good, and no-one will use it. If it costs less, anyone who thinks that it's possible someone will buy their IP will do it, and not change IPs unless they feel they are at high-risk

AP's are worth closer to 200HPD per AP if you optimize them.

My point remains.

And so does mine.   Here I will explain it a bit more.

IP change does what 3-4 things.
Changes your IP
Changes your Password (remember it removes admin access)
Breaks connections of Virii installed on localhost
Makes it impossible to trace back

Using the Buyout option I suggested.
Allows you and or your group to create a "semi" secure server to be used for transferring of files without tieing up the BW on any main servers.

Does that paint a clearer picture as to it's uses vs IP Change?