Friday Discussion Topic: Does Hacknet punish runners for going Low (or no) Tech?

[Siygess]

Hacknet: A major part of NC2. Funky content for all levels if you have a hacktool and have TC, glorified travel system if don't.

Discuss.

EDIT: Oh yeah - keep it civil. I want a healthy debate, not a forest fire ;)

[eLcHi]

You only need TC for attack-software right ?

My Low-Tech Hacking-PE is fine with having only shelter & heal ... depends on what you want to do in hacknet ... in my case - get around cheap & fast ;)

[Necrosadistic]

You know, logically, Hacknet is a high tech environment.... So naturally high tech is important! Hacknet rewards the dedicated pure hackers, its not really something you can tack on as another skill...

[retr0n]

I think it's a good thing. That way "pure" hackers get something to do. People
who have dedicated their char totally to a life in hacknet should get something
out of it.

[AlphaGremlin]

My PPU can get into hacknet with a Spy 3 boost, and the base hack-tool. He moves blazingly fast, but I can't use anything like regen software, etc, and as soon as the buff drops away, I lose a lot of my health. I think it's pretty fair that those things are inaccessible to me, having specced no Hack, but it's interesting that PSI buffs last in hacknet, whilst implants don't ;) It does need some sort of medical stuff though, because even if I didn't have enough PSI to cast a heal, I still have medkits. I have no way of healing myself in hacknet, which makes it tough.
AlphaGremlin

[zii]

My tank is too stupid to spell, let alone plug a hacktool into a genrep. Toss-pad. So I don't use hacknet.

[Brammers]

Answering the question "Does Hacknet punish runners for going Low (or no) Tech?"

Yes I think it does, and it's toy for the spies. Let's take each class in turn, and the skills guide (http://forum.neocron.com/showthread.php?t=118196).

Monks - They have the INT for the Hack skill needed, but not enough DEX to spec for Tech Combat. And since Tech combat effects your energy pool, and the range, damage on your hack software, a monk will probably walk like an old man and attack a mob at a rate slower than a 1200 baud modem. Thats if there are enough DEX points available to use the first hacknet software item.

Tanks - This class has the DEX to spec up the for the Tech combat, but there are not enough INT for lots of hack points. So this class is probably a no. The only plus side for having a hacknet tank in, is you can scare the hell out of a spy for a moment. :lol:

PE - This class has decent INT and DEX levels, so that they can spec for hacknet. To be good you would have to be a pure hacker, where if you are going down this route you may as well have rolled a spy. The PE's who I know who have good hack, and good low tech rifle skills have no spare points for Tech combat, unless they want to start reducing the damage on their weapons.

Spies - Same arguments as a PE, but the spies have 100 INT and DEX to play with, which they can use the spare points for a tradeskill or for having a high tech combat skill. And they can have spare points to be decent with the high level weapons as well.

[naimex]

AFAIU tanks arent even allowed to enter hacknet, even IF they skill enough hack, and hack into a gr.

[Dribble Joy]

I deffinitly thing HN should be an 'exclusive' part of the ND worl.
Those people that spend thier time in this virtual space would probably be somewhat distrusted by the general populace. It's a wierd and strange place which requires specialist training.
A bit like today's CompSci experts.

When HN is fixed, those with no/little HCK (Ie., less than about 100, people who hack WBs and hunting, but are not 'hackers') should be very weak.

[Spoon]

Yes, it does punish low tech runners......

But the strange thing is, although HN software is influanced by TC, it's not a requirement to use it, go figure....

IE; Even if you have no TC, you can still use most or all HN software if you meet the INT and Hack requirements.... :confused:

[[VP]Orion]

Of coz it punishes those without T-C but I think thats ok. As someone said, hacknet is hightech (more than anything else) and should definately require a fair bit T-C to be any good. Besides, I like the extra bonus that I actually get all requirements for stealth "for free" coz since Im a pure hacknet I dont use armor, have resists for outside-fights. Now I can atleast try to stealth past everyone.

To Spoon, all attack software requires T-C so thats a fair bit that you cant use without T-C.

Ive stated it before and I can state it again. To be truly good in hacknet you must be pure hacker. No rifles, no anything. To the person claiming you could be in hacknet and still get good stats on rifles: Try it out, even the lower lvl mobs will eat you for breakfast.

Some people are against specialization and some like it. Personally, I like it where you can choose to be a jack-of-all-trades but you should never, ever be as good as someone specializing in something. If I choose to spec into hacknet I should be able to crush everyone that uses rifles and such too. And guess what? I am. People can have about 100-120 HCK and some T-C and take some of the easier mobs on (60/60) but they dont stand a chance to a 100/100 or a pure hacknet hacker. Just as it should be.

Its like a psi hybrid, they got midlvl apu and ppu. And they do really well in their segment of the game. But they are loads crappier at APU/PPUing than a pure. Just as it should be. (I admit, mentioning hybrids might have been a bad idea since now people might get off topic, but lets hope people dont for once)

[athon]

This is like saying 'do rifles punish those who don't spec weapon lore' or 'do psi spells punish those who don't spec any psi points' - of course it does. It's an integral part of the skill set. Being a hacknet hacker is just like being a pure rifleman or a pure apu/ppu/hybrid - it's another profession in the Neocron universe.

Athon Solo

[COLD]

I've always wondered why TC was classified under Dex anyways. Seems to me that something that was "High-Tech" would fall more under Int than Dex.

[Darth Slayer]

I've always wondered why TC was classified under Dex anyways. Seems to me that something that was "High-Tech" would fall more under Int than Dex.
Probaly because theres already too many subskills for Int.

Scorpius.

[BradSTL]

Private Eye hackers don't have to give up non-hacknet combat skills, they just are better off not using any DEX combat skills. A PE street samurai hacker will do just about as well as any other street samurai, should still be able to cap the damage on level 3 software, and will have a heck of a lot more hit points inside HackNet than any spy. A PE soldier hacker probably won't be able to do as well without sacking extra points into weapon lore, but could still make a perfectly adequate mid-level vehicle gunner outside of hacknet.

Spy hackers end up gimping themselves in combat, too. Because of the high levels of T-C and HCK, I suspect that it's impossible to cap damage with both hacknet and drones, and it's probably impossible to cap damge with both hacknet and rifles or pistols.

Granted, I don't expect to see any tanks or monks engaging in hacknet combat.