Computer Hacking and Computing Improvements

[aft2001]

So, I've been playing SS13 on and off for about a month now, and I'm loving it! I've also noticed many intricate and complex systems, all of which are mind boggling at first. However, one system really caught my eye: Computers, packets, and networks. After digging through computer files and experimenting with network diagnostics, I realized how much potential for a game mechanic this has. Every single device should be able to be hacked, and not in the sense of wirecutting doors. Proper hacking, with programming and codebreaking. Passwords, firewalls, encryptions, and so much more. However, in turn for much better security, everything now has a vulnerability. Anyone can gain SU status, but, only if they have the knowledge, time, and correct data disks. It could take hours to break into certain parts of the network, but, this time and patience would yield great results. If one doesn't get caught by anti-virus or any sort of security software, one could theoretically take control of the entire station! From APCs to doors to even the AI! This sort of power, albeit incredibly hard and time consuming to achieve, could wreak havoc on the station once in the wrong hands. 

In the sense of game mechanics (not the ones that set gravity traps in the halls), hacking would definitely need to be balanced. Like I said previously, many ingame firewalls and other security methods would have to be in place. Also, every round passwords and encryption keys and file locations would have to change, so that people can't just paste in code and immediately be gods. 

Another thing that could be implemented would be computer viruses and malware attacks, and Syndie AI being uploaded to computer networks. These would wreak havoc and be near impossible to destroy, but, not impossible. Data disks, your local AI (presuming it hasn't been set to a murderous rampage yet), and built in anti-virus systems would help combat computer viruses and AI. Some of the things that viruses and Syndicate AI could do are:

• Electrify or bolt doors
  
• Mass spam PDAs and printers and E-Mail
  
• Corrupt, delete, and edit records
  
• Set Beepsky on an arresting spree
  
• Upload new AI laws
  
• Fuck with lights
  
• Edit APC settings
  
• Overload the engine
  
• Shutdown the engine
  
• Take control of any AI system, including shells, borgs, and the AI itself
  
• Interact directly with players in VR
  
• Overload circuits
  
• Remotely detonate certain explosives (any explosive with a signaler)
  
• (Re)call the shuttle
  
• Disable comms
  
• Embezzle the station budget to the Syndicate to gain more minions
  
• Remotely control any robot
  
• The equivalent of EMagging anything
  

As stated before, these viruses and AI would have to jump through MANY hoops to do what they want. It'll take time to get even into a single APC, nevermind trying to digitally emag something or take control of player AI.

Now, as with any idea, some of it is good, some of it is "meh", and some of it is fucking horrible. This is no different. Please, I'd love to hear feedback on this idea! I was going a bit overboard with the virus and rogue AI stuff, but, I'd love a significantly more complex computer system. It's potential power would draw people to computers more, and new game mechanics could be built on top of the new popular use of computers, if this all takes off. This is also my first post on this forum, so, if I've broken any rules or anything (forum rules are usually the same), please let me know and I'll try to fix that.

[amaranthineApocalypse]

-snip

Actually, a lot of this stuff is already in place. You can already get SU access with any ID, it isn't even that hard.

The hardest part about the networks is actually finding out how to do it.

In theory you should already be able to mess with APCs but the network interface doesn't quite work correctly, which results in sending the packet, getting and acknowledgment, and nothing happening.

And there's already a PDA program that lets you remote detonate signaller assemblies.

I believe that you can also mess with the security records too, not entirely sure how yet.

And setting the guardbuddies to purge is already a thing that exists. Messing with the AI laws via packets is something i'm against though. It has all the irritation of building a spare AI upload without any of the ability to track it down.

Edit: Being able to overload the lighting circuits using packets is however something i would like to see, i was incredibly disappointed when i found out that only borgs and the AI can do it.

[aft2001]

-snip

Messing with the AI laws via packets is something i'm against though.

Well, it'd be past a whole lotta stuff you'd have to get through, and one wrong move and security fucks your shit.

[Roomba]

Too sleepy for an effort post at the moment, but here's what I think:

When the game boils down to you vs a programmatically enforced antivirus/sec software thing, you've essentially turned SS13 into a single-player game. Regardless of how difficult/easy a task it is to accomplish, no single system should allow one guy holing up in an untouchable room to gain control of the entire station without ever having to look at or talk to another player. That takes away from the core gameplay of SS13, which always has been about the fun that comes from people interacting with each other.

I think some of the ideas would be fun, others less so, but I just feel like the spirit of the thing is generally misguided.

[aft2001]

Very good point... Hacking in general could be a fun thing to have, but, maybe instead of full control you could only have control over one thing at a time, and also other people can interact with you online and counter-hack, so you'd have to deal with people again. And maybe it couldn't be so powerful. Things that are connected to terminals should be allowed to be hacked and stuff, but not the AI or anything wireless (just use packet senders and sniffers). Also, maybe once you hack something the anti-virus goes off and immediately screams at security, telling them your exact location, terminal ID, user ID, as well as what you've been caught doing.

[Grek]

Things that I would actually be pleased to see become packet enabled:
1. APCs. We can open/close and bolt/unbolt doors. Why not toggle APC power?
2. Fire Alarms. We can receive fire alarm signals, but not send them. Why not?
3. ThinkDOS records editing. They're not actually stored on an ingame server anywhere. What if they were?
4. Sending emag/demag packets iif they require netpass_syndicate as authorization, AND detomatixes were revalued to compensate.

[Vitatroll]

I use to advocate networked apcs, but I can see the problems. Being able to turn off the stations power because you gained su status is just too strong. Unless su spoofing is made harder, or security stricter in general, which basically makes computers a game within a game.

People have a habit of running things so deep into the ground that they pop out on the other side. A good example of this is when some guy finds teleman and decides to be god of the station for a week until the admins shit on em'.

Basically, I like any computer addition that can't be run into the ground. Though I wouldn't hold my breath if it's complicated.

[Grek]

A very easy way to make networked APCs reasonable is to simply have it ping the AI that an APC has been toggled. The AI can then fix it and/or do something about the hacker, if they care to.

[Vitatroll]

If I were the asshole the first thing I'd think of as a counter-counter would be to hook up a regex-find to a signal builder to a PNN component or something like that. Maybe even just have a buffered repeater, but that's kinda brutish. Granted, the packets could be scrambled and randomized after every use, but we're getting kinda elaborate for something that maybe 10 people will use occasionally.

I do like the idea of more networking stuff. I love it, actually. I'm just a general downer. But hey, every party needs that somber 30 year old in the corner I guess.

[Grek]

I wasn't proposing that the AI be told what terminal the packets be coming from (after all, it could be coming from a mechanics device or a PDA). Just that the APC has been turned off. It'd be up to the AI to swoop around and look at open terminals, if they cared to investigate. Or someone with a packet sniffer set up.

[amaranthineApocalypse]

If I were the asshole the first thing I'd think of as a counter-counter would be to hook up a regex-find to a signal builder to a PNN component or something like that. Maybe even just have a buffered repeater, but that's kinda brutish. Granted, the packets could be scrambled and randomized after every use, but we're getting kinda elaborate for something that maybe 10 people will use occasionally.

I do like the idea of more networking stuff. I love it, actually. I'm just a general downer. But hey, every party needs that somber 30 year old in the corner I guess.

You could do that i suppose, but honestly your time would be better spent building something that just keeps turning off the APC. 

Just make liberal use of the ctrl+alt+shift+click menu, and build the entire thing under a potted plant.

[Vitatroll]

You could do that i suppose, but honestly your time would be better spent building something that just keeps turning off the APC. 

Just make liberal use of the ctrl+alt+shift+click menu, and build the entire thing under a potted plant.

Maybe even just have a buffered repeater, but that's kinda brutish.

I dislike using CUs too much. They tend to cause lag, or at least seem to. Though I'm getting outside the idea, I guess.

Another problem is how the addresses are stored. If you could ping the addresses then it'd be fairly trivial to set up a mechcomp system that used a regex-find component to push the addresses to a selection/signalbuilder/pnn/cu combo to repeatedly turn off every apc or, even worse, alternate between off and on. Granted they wouldn't all be set off at the same time unless you set up a tooon of components, but you could iterate through the list with just those.

Goodness I'm boring.