After you finished the tutorial, just keep downloading the text files and uploaded them to make profits. Don’t forget to upgrade your Network node to increase download/upload bandwidth, allowing you to process files faster. Upgrading Premium Text will also increase their value.

You can start downloading the more valuable file type when you have enough download and upload bandwidth. (the next file type size is bigger than the previous type by 100x).

In most cases, the workflow will like this:

• download files and upload them for money
  
• upgrade to increase value for the current file type you’re downloading
  
• unlock next file type. when you have enough bandwidth you can start downloading the new file type
  
• keep doing the same loop to unlock more upgrades

Once you unlock the Processor, Virus Scan, and Quarantine nodes, use them to increase the value of the files you download, resulting in more profit when you upload them.

At the early-game stage use the text files for Data Lab node to gain research points because when you don’t have enough download speed, it’s too slow to download other types of file to convert to the research points.

When you unlocked the Hack Interface, Corporation Breaching and Government Breaching, use Corporation Data to increase your money gain speed and Government Intel to increase your research points gain speed to boost your income and research points.

In the meantime, don’t forget to use the Checksum Verifier and Enhancer to increase the file’s value.

After you unlock the Portal, once you have enough research points to level up your performance move to next round as soon as possible so you can gain money faster than the current round.

The +1 value indicates that you can level up 1 when you enter a new round

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From now on, you can focus on increasing the research points to move to next round instead of making more money. You only need the enough money to upgrade, gain more research points and move to the next round.

After you unlock the Coding and Optimizations, you can use the Optimization points to optimize your workflow. I’ll recommend to upgrade the Compressed Downloads and Uploads first so you can download and upload files faster. You can upgrade the rest of the optimizations based on your workflow.
A basic workflow for get Optimization points

Once you unlock Trojans, you can use them to earn money faster than by just downloading and uploading files. Here are the steps:

• create an Inject Trojan node and connect to the Hack Interface
  
• download files (any type is ok, just use the most valuable type) and connect to the Inject Trojan node
  
• connect the Inject Trojan output to the Uploader node (you can process files via Checksum Verifier, Antivirus Pro and Enhancer nodes first to increase the files’ value) to upload files
  
• the Uploader now will have 2 outputs, one is money (you can connect to the Auto collector) and another one is Infected Computer. Use the Drain node to convert the Infected Computer to the Component Boost

Earning profits with Trojan house

The Component Boost can boost your Network, CPU and GPU nodes. Feel free to connect to them while you see fit. The booster will be divided equally among the number of nodes you connected.

You can boost your CPU, GPU and Network speed based on Infected computers

After you unlock the Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Model, you will find out how fast you can make profits with it.

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At this stage, you should unlocked the Artificial Intelligence, Large Language Model and Applications.

Build up your money by the files that injected with Trojan horse. When you have enough money with upgraded Network, CPU and GPU, start to download text files and send them to AI Trainer node for Text Neuron, and use the Text Generator node to generate text files for upload. The generated text files are more valuable than the files you downloaded from Network so use those files to maximize your profits.

The Application points are to upgrade and acquire new CPU nodes that can decompose files from higher file types to lower file types or build files from lower file types to higher file types.

Decompose files generate more lower files than you download it from Network directly. So at the late-game stage I only download game files for profit. If I need other types of file for AI training I decompose from the higher value type of file.

When you earn enough of money you will able to unlock Server and Storage nodes at the Network nodes category. It will extremely boost your profits so you can unlock nearly everything that cost by money. At this stage the only limit for gain for profits are Network bandwidth and the value that in the Storage node.

Don’t forget to upgrade the Storage node capacity so you can store more files for profits. Keep the storage full so you can have the maximum profits that server upload to the Network.

You can unlock the Overclocking and Cooling when you have enough research points. The overlocker can multiply your Network, CPU, GPU nodes up to maximum 519%. But you need to keep the heat of those nodes under 100% to avoid underclocking to 50% of the original performance.

Eventually you will unlock the Artificial General Intelligence which can boost your Research, Hack and Code nodes power based on the AI power that AGI Core have.

AI power can convert to the booster of Research, Hack and Code node.

At this stage, just keep generate research points and move to the next round. You will keep doing this loop until you save the universe… I guess. 😆

Let’s talk about the perks first, The perks are unlock via Tokens (The orange coins appears on the screen at random times while you’re playing the game). Some of them you can unlock it at the late-game stage, but some of them you will want to unlock it ASAP and it will save you a lot of time or optimize your work flow so you can focus on clicks the upgrade button. 😄

Here is my points of view about all the perks in game

🥇 1st Rank (The perks you want to ASAP)

• Auto Collector
  A lifesaver👍 free you from click collector to collect stuff MANUALLY ‼️
  
• Thread Manager
  It helps you better manage the CPU resource for multiple nodes that needs CPU
  
• Antivirus Pro
  You don’t have to setup the Virus Scan and Quarantine nodes to add Scanned Tag to the files you downloaded anymore. And you don’t even need to unlock the Virus Scan and Quarantine nodes in the Upgrade page 😎
  
• IDE
  A helper so you don’t need to manage multiple code node for different data types 🧑‍💻
  
• Cheapskate
  Who doesn’t like to save money 😄
  
• Network Duality
  One more Network node. More profit 💵
  
• Extensive Research
  One more Research node. Double the research point 🔬

🥈 2nd Rank (The perks you want to have at the mid-game and late-game stages)

• Download Manager
  It’s a helpful perk at the mid-game and late-game stages because you won’t need to constantly replace your node when you unlock different file types downloader. I don’t really modify the download ratio because for the most of the time I only download one type of file at time same time. 😅
  
• Network Limiter
  Like I said in the Download Manager pers section. I only download one file type at the same time so I also upload one file type at time same time. So I don’t really need this node at the early-game stage. But at the late-game stage you can spilt some upload bandwidth for Uploader node to upload files that infected by Trojan Horse (because the output of Inject Trojan node has limited by the Hack Interface, so at the late-game stage when you have enough upload bandwidth you don’t need that much speeds to upload files) and Server node to gain more money.
  
• Tether Mining
  The easiest way to convert GPU resources to money. (Because I’m a lazy guy that don’t want to connect multiple nodes and keep an eye on the seller to sell the crypto at the highest price.) You can choose between this perk and Automated Crypto Seller. You don’t need to get those two perks at the same time. (unless you’re too rich to spend your token 😆)
  I want this perk in real life 💰
  
• Automated Crypto Seller
  Save you from keeping an eye on the Crypto Seller to sell your crypto at the price you want. Personally I like the Tether Mining perk because it can convert the GPU resource to money directly before I have unlocked the AI-related research.
  
• Idle Catalyst
  After unlock the Portal at the research tab you will get some rest time when you start a new round. You can use this perk to gain more rest time when you start a new round… or when you’re offline.

There’s a perk that I want to bring up here, which is the **Node Group.** It’s hard to it’s hard to determine which rank for this perk. Is the perk helpful? Yes, but you have an alternative way to do it, which is **Selection Tool** that you can select and move multiple nodes at the same time.

If your workflow is too tiny to be select by the Selection Tool or you have too many nodes you want to move at the same time. You’ll want to use the Node Group to move it easily. So I don’t think this is the perk you need to get it at the first place but it will help at the mid-game and late-game stage.

For the rest of the perks, spend your tokens whatever you like.

I chose the easiest way for hacking: only launch payload attack and connect 5 Critical Payload nodes to see if there’s any luck to get a critical attack. For the upgrade, you’ll need to upgrade the payload damage to increase the damage of your payload.

After a few rounds, you might be able to level up your hacker level pretty fast when you set up the hacking process. You can spend 5 Hack points for the Spoil to double your reward from the breach. And spend 25 Hack points at the Breach Speed to lower the Breach Speed to 0.5/s. Which means you’re able to attack 10 times in the 5s. Then invest the rest Hack points in Payload damage to increase your attack damage. I think this is the easiest build for a Hacking setup.

The upgrade I chose for the payload damage build are:

• 1 level Spoil
  
• 25 levels Breach Speed
  
• rest hack points for payload damage.

By the way, you don’t need to connect 3 breach nodes at the same time. It will only split the payload damage you sent. If you want to level up your hack level just connect to the Breach Anonymous node. Connect to the Breach Corporations and Government nodes for upgrade.


Feel free to try different builds and share your thoughts in the comments. 👍

The payload damage build for a Hacking setup


I tested out the hacking workflow that uses infection. I think the output is quite similar to what I used payload attack. If you use infection, the output is really stable, you won't have critical attacks by luck to breach target nodes.
I'll say the pros and cons of the infection build is that you can build it in the early game (with research unlock for hacking), and don't need to modify it anymore, but you're not able to use all hack skills (nodes for payload damage).
The Infection build for a Hacking setup

You don't really need the Ghost Attack node (the damage will bypass the firewall, but only 75% damage output). I put it there just for testing this build. 😆

The upgrade I chose for the infection build are:

• 1 level Spoil
  
• 1 level Infection Specialist
  
• 25 levels Breach Speed
  
• rest hack points for Infection damage.

The easiest way to level up your coding level is to do the Code Bug Fix and Commit to get the contribution.

The basic coding workflow for Contribution

This doesn’t help much because this workflow will only level up your coding level and coding speed. You need to turn the code speed into Optimization points to get upgrades. So you need to unlock Code and Optimization to access the Code Optimization node to get Optimization code. And build the Optimization code to get Optimization pints. You can also commit the Optimization code for Contribution.

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Optimization upgrade can reduce the CPU cost of a node by half so you can allocate the CPU resource more efficiently.

A workflow to commit and build the Optimization code for Optimization points and Contribution

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After you unlock the Application, you can build the Application code for Application points.

I think the useful application nodes are those nodes that can decompose file types from the higher type to the lower type, because they will generate more lower type files than if you download them directly from the Network node.

A workflow to commit and build the Application code for Application points and Contribution

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The final research for the coding section to unlock is Drivers. The Driver Code can build into Hardware Multiplier to multiple the speed of hardware nodes that you have. There’s no indicator in the hardware nodes to see how many times multiple by it, you can only see the final result.

A workflow to commit and build the Driver code for the Hardware Multiplier and Contribution

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Here are some ideas for the coding workflow.

• Use IDE node to optimize the coding ratio to better generate different data types.
  
• Don’t use the Debug node because it will share the Coding speed of the Code Interface.
  
• Use the Optimize Code node to improve the code value

About the Optimize Code node, by default it seems only allow the Optimization code for optimize the input code. But you can put Bug Fix Code (the easiest code you can generate) into the node to optimize the input code. Awesome‼️

So to maximize the output of coding, use the IDE to adjust the coding speed for different data types, and don’t share the coding speed with other nodes.

Here are 2 builds that you can get all outputs (Contribution, Optimization points, Application points, and the Driver code) in a single workflow.

The build that you can get everything for upgrade in the same workflow.

All in one coding build

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The same all in one build but add the Optimize Code node to improve the code value

All in one with optimize code build

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For the application upgrades, you only need total 11 Application points to upgrade everything. So once you finish all to upgrade in the Upgrade’s Application tab, you can remove the Application Code flow from your workflow to focus the rest upgrades.

And you need 49 Optimization points to get all upgrades for Optimization tab. Once you get all optimization upgrades you can remove the Optimization Code flow from your work flow. Only focus on the Driver Code to release the new version of Hardware Multiplier.

You don’t need to upgrade all the Optimization and Application upgrades every time. Only one time for get 2 Achievements: Front-end Dev and Back-end Dev(you will need to invest at least 1 level upgrade to all Optimization and Application upgrades). After that you can pick upgrades you need in your workflow and focus on release the new version of Hardware Multiplier

The late-game build when you don’t need any Optimization and Application points.

After you unlock the Overclock and Cooling research. You'll find those nodes at the Utility tab 🛠️: Overclocker and Heat sink. The Overclocker node is an easier tuner allow you to overclock your Network, CPU and GPU, so just connect it to those nodes and ready to overclock your devices.

At first you're not able to deploy any Heat Sink node after you unlocked the research. It requires your to upgrade the heat sink at the upgrade tab to allow you to deploy your first heat sink (up to maximum 5 heat sink total). The heat sink can absorb all the heat from every node you connected (and convert it to power?) so don't forget to connect it to all your CPU, GPU and Network nodes.

I wonder if the Thermal Field Generator can generate enough power to power up our nodes in game. 😅

You won't able to deploy any Heat sink node at the first time. You need to upgrade the node limit at the upgrade tab

When you're turning your Overclocker to overclock your nodes, beware that don't let the node's heat over 100% or it will reduce your nodes output by 50%, so always keep your nodes' heat below 100% to maximize its output. And the maximum overclock is 519%, after that you can only use the Hardware multiplier to boost your output.

The basic idea of this game is to gain profits, do research and save the universe. I guess AGI is the only way to save the universe. 😅

This article is my experience of playing this game in most easiest way possible, so I try to build everything in a single build, so I don’t have to optimize the details of that workflow, just enjoy the money and research points growing at light speed.

Thanks for read this article, and feel free to share your thoughts and experience playing this game. 🎉

The server and the storage nodes (at the Network tab after upgrading) are your ultimate tools for generating profits. Just like the server in the real world. The Server node allows you to share your contents that generate from AI. The AI tag in the file increase its quality by 2x and values by 10x. That means files generated by AI are much more valuable than the files your downloaded from the Network node.

Before you use the Server node to earn profits you will need to store those AI generated files into Storage node. It works just like storing the files you downloaded into a folder node, just connect the AI file generate to your Storage node to store them.

The Server tab is the new tab after you upgraded the server upgrade. It will show how much of your Storage node used and its value. It will only count the most valuable files you stored so don't bother to modify your input file type, just store everything you can.☺️
Server state that you can find at the Server tab

Once your Network nodes are fully upgraded, the only way to earn more profits from the files in your storage is to increase the Storage capacity. So keep upgrading it, and use the profits you earn to upgrade the research node to earn more research points to start the new round.

After 1.1 update you can use the Download and Upload Merger to merge your 2 Network nodes bandwidth into 1 output so you only need 1 Server node to uploading all your files for profits.👍️

To check how to better optimize your Storage node, please check this article "Late-Game" section
https://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3593302930

The AGI is the final research you can unlock in the research roadmap, it will give you several new nodes: AGI Core and Research, Hack and Code (boost) nodes.

The AGI Core node converts neurons from all file types into AI Power, which you can use to boost your Research, Hack, and Code nodes. The more AI Power you have, the faster you can accelerate these nodes.

At the late-game stage, the money won't grow fast enough for you to upgrade all your nodes (CPU, GPU and Research), especially the Storage capacity and the Research Lab nodes. So you can only rely on the Corporation Data and Government Data from your hack setting to increase your money and research points income, and the rest time to boost your output. That's why you need to set up the AGI workflow.

The easiest way (and the most effective way I think 😁) to build your AGI workflow is to only download game files, and use the game files to decompose them to the lower value file types. And before you send game files to decompose, add a Distillator node to add the neuron tag to the game files so you don't need to do the same step for the lower value file types.

Here is the workflow's first will looks like:
Network ➡️ download game files ➡️ Distillator node ➡️ Folder

After you store the game files to the folder, you can now process those game files. I split the game files output to 2 ways: one is to the Allocator for the Ripper (90%) and Scrapper (10%) nodes for program and video files, another one is to the AI Trainer node to generate game neuron (90%).

The second part of the workflow will like this:
Folder (game) ➡️ Allocator 1 (1:9) ➡️ Allocator 2 (1:9) ➡️ Scrapper (for video files) ➡️ Folder
------------------------------------↘️ AI Trainer --------↘️ Ripper (for program files) ↗️

Now, in the folder we have 3 types of file: game, program, and video. We already processed the game files, so now we need to process the program and video files. The program files are simpler, you only need to seed it to the Ai Trainer and Decompiler Node to get text files. And send the text files to the AI trainer for neurons. Why no Allocator here? You’ll see once the AGI workflow is complete. 😁

The third part of the workflow will be like this:
Folder (program) ➡️ AI Trainer
--------------------↘️ Decompiler node ➡️ AI Trainer

We're almost there, the final part of this workflow is the process video files, which we will send to AI trainer, Decomposer (for image files) and Demuxer (for sound files).

So fourth part of the workflow will like this
Folder (video) ➡️ AI Trainer
--------------- ↘️ Demuxer node (for sound files) ➡️ AI Trainer
--------------- ↘️ Decomposer node (for image files) ➡️ AI Trainer

The AGI workflow now will like this:

And you're able to convert your AI power to boost your output right now. 🎉
Some might ask: Why not connect your download manager to the AI Trainer directory and download all type of files at the same time.
Well, doing so splits your network bandwidth among all file types, reducing the download speed for game files.

As you can see (from the screenshot above), the main limitation on generating more AI Power is the game neuron. Since you need all neuron types at a 1:1 ratio to generate AI Power, boosting the production speed of game neurons becomes crucial. Therefore, I recommend downloading only game files and decomposing them into different file types—it’s easy to manage and ensures all your download bandwidth is used for game files.

The research setting is actually quite straightforward: use the Data Refiner and Pre-analyzer nodes (which need to be unlocked from the research page) before sending files to the Research nodes.

The main point of this section is: which types of files should you use as input for Research nodes? Based on my experience, I use text files when I don’t have enough Network bandwidth, and video files when I do have enough bandwidth.

Why do I choose these 2 file types for Research node input? Here’s the reason: High-research-value files (like program or game data) don’t download or get produced quickly enough to generate sufficient research points—especially if your Network bandwidth is limited.

I used half of the game files to be scrapped into video files for research points. You can download the video files from the Network directly for the input. The amount of output video files is the same (with enough speed if you're using Scrapper node). Since I'm already using the game files for AGI workflow, I just need to connect another Scrapper node for the research points. 😅

Node groups now can be exported using schematics or copy/paste. Which is nice. Save you from using the schematics and create a new node groups to control it.

No more random Bank branch 🎉. You can better track how many token you got from breach bank node.

IDE has the setting saved when exported. No need to update the setting every time when you start a new round 😆

IMPORTANT !!!!
You can’t use the not unlocked nodes even if you have already exported to the schematics and used them. You need to activate the nodes after using the schematic. And not unlocked nodes remain inactive after you unlock the upgrade from the upgrade tab. This will impact the trick that I mentioned in the Hacking Setting section. You won’t be able to have all critical payload nodes when you use the schematic. You'll need to reorient the connections between nodes, but it shouldn’t be a problem if you're already at the late-game stage.
The node that needs to be activated