First Suggestion , have you ever played Eve online ? The hacking system in the game is quite nice maybe you could use something similar. So we actualy have something to do while hacking. I mean so it does not hack everything while no one paying attention.

maybe, you could add some kind of UDH warning to the owner of the grid whitch is being hacked

i really like the idea of the hacking computer, to me it just seems the remote hacking is to powerfull (even if rly cool :D). maybe it would be a good nerf if u had to place them on the same grid u try to hack, like a laptop u plug into the enemy system.

the eve online hackinggame is quiet ok but i cant imagine it works for mp/pvp also i thought the hacking game is partly randomized, kind of like minesweeper. (also my opinion about the eve minihacking game is very unobjective cause i had to play it to often ;P)

warframe has a hacking game that just depends on hitting the buttons in the right moment. i think that would be a better solution.

anyway the hacking computer is a great idea since it also would be quiet helpfull if someone of your mates lost all ownership on a dedicated server.
good job!
i hope i see it in vanilla some day!

P.S.: great work also form TheTechnician! u doing the moderation job rly good! i am sure kage appreciates that!

fly smart! o/

Not sure if mini-games can really be done with mods at this time. I don't exactly hate the idea of a mini-game, but I think the core behavior should be nailed up tight first.

I made a small mention, in another thread, about using computer parts as "fuel" for hacking blocks, but now that I think about it I like the idea more and more. Ideally you want to destroy any hacking blocks placed on your station/ship but some players could be really crafty in how they're placed. So rather than absolutely having to destroy a hacking block to stop an attempt, if you resist hacking attempts long enough the hacking block will use all of its "fuel" and become inactive. Maybe at that point, once the "fuel" is used up, a friendly hacking block could change ownership of the enemy block.

My suggestion I would add here would be to maybe make this smaller scale so its harder to detect in the ship and more compact. A great example of what I mean is the micro programmable block in terms of size, assuming its light enough on the materials to weld up from player inventory. They are much smaller in profile just like the micro timer block and are perfect for small grid vehicles when adding scripts to them as well.

Originally posted by Cmdr. Turner:

My suggestion I would add here would be to maybe make this smaller scale so its harder to detect in the ship and more compact. A great example of what I mean is the micro programmable block in terms of size, assuming its light enough on the materials to weld up from player inventory. They are much smaller in profile just like the micro timer block and are perfect for small grid vehicles when adding scripts to them as well.

Kage has said he will be working on a seperate model, but for the alpha stage the programable model does the job, I imagine, a smaller profile would be desireable, but I also kind of like the big red block saying "Hey, I'm over here trying to hack your stuff" Kind of like a beacon to let players know that something has changed on their vessel.

Originally posted by TastyWheat:

Not sure if mini-games can really be done with mods at this time. I don't exactly hate the idea of a mini-game, but I think the core behavior should be nailed up tight first.

I made a small mention, in another thread, about using computer parts as "fuel" for hacking blocks, but now that I think about it I like the idea more and more. Ideally you want to destroy any hacking blocks placed on your station/ship but some players could be really crafty in how they're placed. So rather than absolutely having to destroy a hacking block to stop an attempt, if you resist hacking attempts long enough the hacking block will use all of its "fuel" and become inactive. Maybe at that point, once the "fuel" is used up, a friendly hacking block could change ownership of the enemy block.

Currently you're correct Tasty Wheat, if you're still reading this thread. The ability for modding is very..limited? at this time, so creating a whole extra interface might be out of the question. Then along with programming the "mini-game" AI would be exteremly difficult in the current state of the API, but I don't see it getting much better in the near future, I mean KSH has already put into the pipeline allowing people to create their own character models via mods, and the blocks, and not long ago the weapons system support, so I doubt this kind of flexibilty has even crossed their mind. But I do have a lot of faith in KSH they are really engaged with their playerbase.

In regards to the fuel suggestion, that seems like a interesting idea for balancing sake, that or as some one mentioned, the person who places the block for hacking, needs to stay within a few meters of the terminal itself. But Kage has his own ideas and plans for his mod.

I do have a suggestion if you ever get a working custom UI, minigame, etc.

Defensive:
1. Place hacking block on grid you own.
2. Select block to encode (protect).
3. Click Encode
4. Play a time challenge mini-game. Something basic like "simon says" with the arrow keys, with random patterns. Or answering a random math question anywhere from arithmetic to calculus (have a selectable difficulty). Or something else skill or knowledge-based (It has "Engineer" in the title, so many basic engineering, physics questions and principles would be good).
5. Your speed/time in completing the challenge is recorded on the block where "Encode" would appear before. You can now re-try the encoding process to score a better time, but at the risk of performing worse than before. The faster you complete the challenge, the more secure the block is.

Offensive:
1. Place hacking block on enemy grid.
2. Select enemy block to attempt to hack and take control of.
3. Click the "Hack" button.
4. Play minigame challenge as described above.
5. If you beat the recorded time that the original owner got when he did the "Encode" challenge, than you are successful and control of the block is switched to you, and your time becomes the new recorded 'time to beat'.

What do you think?

It would be rather difficult do implement some type of proper mini game. Currently even adding a simple "Hack" button is basically impossible.

Originally posted by Kage:

It would be rather difficult do implement some type of proper mini game. Currently even adding a simple "Hack" button is basically impossible.

Any kind of gui is physically impossible currently. As the Mod API does not grant us access to it, at least not one that is interactive.

Could there be a "stealth" system where the npc weapons such as turrets can't target you? Maybe this system could use lots of power, or launch flares maybe?

So, I have a suggestion/question. I was wondering if you could do as I had envisioned in my thread on the Keen forus, I mentioned this type of idea but I was thinking of a handheld device that did this. So basically point and click/hold click to hack the block. So you had to go to each door and such.

Do you think that's possible?

@{TEM}Kiranavara This is something planned for my up and coming up.

my suggestion would be a counter hacking block that fights the hacking block or jams it which requires more then 1 hacking computer so if i place like 10 counter hacking block you would need atleast 11 hacking blocks to even start hacking

Can you add a configurable option to make SPRT faction blocks unhackable? Otherwise it's too easy and cheaty, for example you may approach an Argentavis from behind (where it cannot fire), place hacker blocks and soon it's yours without much effort. Also, this mod essentially ruins the Exploration Enhancement Mod — trading stations here are made quasi-neutral by disabling turrets until any terminal block is damaged, thus, you simply fly to station, place hacking blocks, and station is yours with tons of goodies in it.

@Cheetah the argentavis will probably destroy at least a part of itself by shooting the owned blocks (sometime, the interiors turrets even destroy the reactor), and yes, it ruins the exploration mod, but well, it is not desined to work well with it.