Research and Tier 2 NPCs

spacecow -

Hey all,

A lot has happened, and I'd like to show you the next iteration of Hackero and what comes next.

Since the launch two months ago the game has received a lot of bug fixes thanks to your help!
Non-working missions were identified and you provided a lot of feedback about improvements and bugs, which have now been fixed.

Let’s take a look at what’s coming next.

Tier 2 NPCs

First: Tier 2 NPCs are joining the world.

They are similar to Tier 1 NPCs, but they run stronger processes and it’s no longer as straightforward to jump from one system to the next.

To get into them you will actually need to use the new mechanic coming to the game: Research.

Bigger dangers during attacks will start appearing with Tier 3 NPCs later.

Tier 2 NPCs also need to be discovered.
Look for hidden information in emails, files, and other data to find them.

Research

Research is a new game mechanic that allows you to improve existing software.

It lets you:

  • create a new binary with a higher version
  • patch vulnerabilities in software you already know about

This opens up new strategies for preparing attacks.

However Research isn’t free.

To run research tasks you rely on cloud infrastructure required to analyze and improve software. Their systems provide the computing power needed to run audits, generate new binaries, and develop feature releases.

Using these services costs money, so every research decision matters.

Improving software faster or taking riskier development tracks may cost less initially, but they can introduce new vulnerabilities that will become expensive to patch later.

Choosing when and how to invest in research will become an important part of your strategy.

Local Audit

Local Audit is similar to Deep Scan in the Cracker, but for software you have locally — and it’s much stronger.

When run on a local binary it:

  • provides a scan bonus
  • can identify more vulnerabilities than Deep Scan

Patch Release

A Patch Release allows you to remove a specific vulnerability from a binary.

However:

  • You can only patch vulnerabilities until two remain
  • The last two vulnerabilities cannot be removed until new vulnerabilities are added through Feature Releases

So choose carefully which ones you patch.

Feature Release

A Feature Release increases the version of your software
(for example 0.1 → 0.2).

You can choose between three development tracks:

Stable

  • slowest development
  • most expensive
  • lowest chance of introducing new vulnerabilities

Beta

  • faster and cheaper
  • higher chance of new vulnerabilities

Experimental

  • fastest and cheapest
  • highest chance of new vulnerabilities

Your choice depends on money, speed, and risk tolerance.
New vulnerabilities introduce risk — and patching them later can be expensive.

Current State of the update

The code implementation is mostly finished.

Right now I'm working on content and balancing, which still needs a bit more time before everything is ready.

Thanks again to everyone who has been playing, testing, and reporting issues.
Your feedback helps a lot in shaping the game.

More updates coming soon — and I’m excited to see how you tackle the new systems once they arrive.