E3 2019: Neues zum Hacking - Quickhack, Daemons, Cyberdeck und Memory erklärt
Hi there, around E3 we at
NightCityLife.de had an interview with Senior Level Designer Miles Tost.
We discussed further details and connections between certain elements of hacking in Cyberpunk 2077. We shared parts of our soon to be released interview in this German article (please source to it when using information)
E3 2019: Neues zum Hacking - Quickhack, Daemons, Cyberdeck und Memory erklärt
On Reddit we like share some interesting details with every Cyberpunk fan translated into English.
Since the E3 demo included parts of the environment, which could be manipulated via a hack (training bot, vending machine, weight training bench), we asked Miles if this would be the case in other parts of the game world, too. We wanted to know if we could cause some chaos on the streets of Night City and e.g. hack telephones, billboards or an ATM.
Miles replied:
"Yes, indeed!...Such possibilities for every playstyle in every location are important to us in level design and it goes beyond quests, because the same hardware works in the open world, as well.
All the features of this robot are systematic, which means we could use them in other quests, too. We want to give you the tools to play in creative ways."
Because of the Blackwall the Net is not as accessible as it was before, so you need to gain access to smaller subnetworks instead.
Continuing with the example of the ATM, Tost went on saying:
"So if you want to hack an ATM, you first have to find the access point, which controls this machine. Certain hardware can be instantly hacked, but when it's connected to a network, you have to gain control over the network first."
Sometimes detective work is needed to find that access point. When talking about the surveillance camera in the E3 demo, Miles said that after a scan a connecting line leads to the camera's access point, which could be hidden behind a cupboard and needs to be cleared first.
We already learned that the hacking minigame grants control over a network and time slows down during it. The Senior Level Designer told us that usually you got all the time you need during a hack unless a certain time limit/countdown is added to increase difficulty.
"The fantasy behind this is that in the game world everything happens in a split second.
...To us quickhacking means hacking things from a distance, after you gained control over the hostile network"
After the hacking minigame was succesful, you can scan objects from a distance and look for (quick-)hacking options. For example you can turn a camera from hostile to friendly or switch it off. You can even take control over the camera and look around with it.
To perform a hack, you need to consume certain points. Let's say it costs one point to gain access to the camera, but more points to put it into friendly mode.
There is yet no final/fixed name for these "points". In our interview we jokingly suggested "Hacker mana".
Miles Tost explained it a bit further:
"The more powerful your Cyberdeck is, the more 'hacker mana' is available to you. I think we call it 'memory' for now, but that could change the week after.
So when you walk through the world as a Solo, you may not even use a Cyberdeck at all. Thus, you can't hack at all or just do basic hacks, because your skill won't allow it."
Since we were a bit disappointed by the fact that in the E3 demo all hacks of the enemies were lethal, we asked if there will be a wider selection of non-lethal hacks (let's say "Glue" from 2020) in the game.
"We actually have non-lethal hacks. Last year we showed, how you can jam the weapons, since the enemies got a Cyberlink, which links them to their guns and which gets blocked by a virus then.
That's when the Cyberdeck comes into play again: All these manipulations like 'enemy shoots himself in the head', 'enemy fires his own grenade' are software, so called Daemons, which you slot into your Cyberdeck.
According to the power of your Cyberdeck, you can install up to four of them (which could change during development, of course). You can use this software after you hacked the enemies or more precisely their network."
Miles continued with the possibilities and challenges of the Daemons:
"So that's a great strategic decision: You need to think about what kind of software you take to a mission, because you can't change it on the fly.
Personally I think that's pretty cool, because it fits to the fantasy of a hacker. You do your own preparations before heading out for a job and it's just like choosing the right weapons to take with you. Maybe they are your backup-plan if something goes wrong so you need to throw a grenade or you just want to be stealthy."
We will provide a full translation of the interview when it will be released very soon on Night City Life
More NEW info here too
:
New Cyberpunk 2077 details from new demo; inventory, mini-games, interactive discussions & more | DSOGaming | The Dark Side Of Gaming