Override Ship Security - New Features And New Mission Type

[LegendaryNeurotoxin]

Tenno are advanced enough to reduce a highly complex security system to a tile rotating puzzle. Imagine what we can do if we intentionally hack the network. This could even lead to the creation of a new mission mode. 

 

Tenno operatives have begun training in understanding how to manipulate Corpus and Grineer security and network systems. This training has led to the development of new hacking techniques. While it may add an extra degree of risk to the mission, experienced Tenno can utilize the system to great advantage with little risk. Ciphers are unfortunately useless for anything beyond cancelling lockdowns and sealing damaged viewports during depressurization.

 

When a Tenno operative accesses a console, they must first hack the login to appear as an officer of that ship. From there, a list of tasks will be presented for the hacking operative to select. Each task has it's own timer, but the session doesn't time out or log out unless a failure or critical failure has been achieved, or a task has been cancelled in mid-hack. Each task also has a given number of moves to complete it, and that task must be completed within those moves for it to be successful.

 

There are many ways which Tenno might be able to affect the ship through its security system, in order to gain an advantage during the mission. Some of these could be:

0) Login (Hack the console so it thinks it is being accessed by an officer)

1) Clear Security Alert (Removes the state of ship-wide alert, but any enemies who access a console will go directly into lockdown instead of alert then lockdown)

2) Override Cameras (All cameras spot enemies on the minimap for players)

3) Disable Forcefields (Camera-detected forcefields will not activate)

4) Disable Local Gravity Pumps (Applies low gravity effect)

5) Seal All Viewports (Any area with breakable glass is sealed over to prevent depressurization upon glass breakage)

6) Cancel Reinforcements (Cause any enemy groups en-route to become stationary at their immediate position)

7a) Unlock Security Clearance 1 Lockers (Unlocks lockers that Unranked Master Thief would unlock)

7b) Unlock Security Clearance 2 Lockers (Same, but Rank 1 Master Thief lockers are also accessed)

7c) Unlock Security Clearance 3 Lockers (Same, but Rank 2 Master Thief lockers are also accessed)

7d) Unlock Security Clearance 4 Lockers (Same, but Rank 3 Master Thief lockers are also accessed)

8) Reduce Clearance Requirement (All two-person doors can be opened by one person)

9) Disable Moa constructors for a few minutes.

 (NOTE: The Security Clearance Lockers can only be unlocked once per mission, and are unlocked in sequential order with increasing difficulty)

 

Each of theses skills may not be available to all Tenno, and may be restricted to usage by Mastery levels. The levels would not necessarily correspond with the numbering of the above list. More difficult tasks also have more security nodes to position, as well as having less moves to complete the puzzle, so they require higher precision to complete them. 

 

Intruder mod can be used to aid this process. Intruder not only adds extra time, but each level also increases the number of moves which can be taken during the hack process. Ideally the best hacker in a group would use Intruder and handle all the group's hacking needs.

 

Failure occurs when the allotted number of moves has been expended, or time has elapsed. These may be increased by the Intruder mod to give the Tenno operative better chances. This doesn't cancel anything which has been successfully manipulated, but it does log out the session and require a fresh log in hack. 

 

Critical failures occur when there are 5 total group failures in a span of 3 minutes. This initiates security lockdown, as well as reinitializing security so any modifications made will be wiped (unlocked lockers remain open). 

 

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New Mission Type (or Mission Augmentation) - Vault Heist

 

Heavily-defended vaults have been located aboard enemy vessels. These vaults are heavily defended and reinforced enough to survive if the ship goes smashing into a planet at full speed. The only way to reach the core of these vaults is to hack through a tunnel of sealed gates, held shut by vault console. Most vaults contain 15, 20, or 25 gates.

 

One Tenno must hack the increasingly difficult vault console systems needed to get into the vault, where every failure closes a gate that was previously opened. As time elapses, and as more gates are opened, the number of enemies, frequency of waves, level of enemies, and number of heavies per group, will continue to increase.

 

The mission reaches a critical point when the vault is finally opened, as Tenno must fight through powerful waves of enemies in order to escape with the goods alive. Often between the gates are other types of hazards, such as forcefields, Moa constructors, and ambushes set up by defenders while the vault is being accessed. 

 

This could either be a mission of its own, or it could be included in certain mission types (particularly Capture) as a modifier to increase difficulty and rewards. As its own mission, it would essentially be like a shorter and more brutal version of a Defense mission, where the difficulty would ramp up based on progress, but wouldn't provide many (if any) breaks for the vault-busting team. 

 

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Clan Dojo Feature - Electronic Warfare Training Room

 

Clan Dojos can erect a new room to help Tenno operatives practice their hacking skills. There would be two sections to the EWT room, one for Vault Console training and one for Security Console usage and training. 

 

The Vault Console section simulates the gates leading to a vault. When the console is accessed, a secondary timer appears to demonstrate how long the operative has taken to complete the full task of hacking the vault. Once the vault is fully unlocked, the operative must run to the green teleporter in the Vault room to stop the timer and record to the leaderboard, as well as being teleported to the beginning with the vault sealing shut. Tenno may also step on the red circle near the Vault Console to cancel their attempt and reset the vault.

 

The Security Console section demonstrates the effects of each hacking feature from a high vantage point. A holographic representation of enemies is used to demonstrate how they are affected by these hacks. There is also a switch to reset all the features in the room (such as retracting the mechanism that seals up the demo viewports) so an operative can try things multiple times to see how it all gets affected.

 

The EWT room would be about as large as the obstacle course room and require a comparable sum of resources to complete.

[Kaian-a-coel]

That sounds quite awesome.

 

I would remove the "8)Reduce Clearance Requirement (All two-person doors can be opened by one person)", the dual-doors are here for a reason.

[LegendaryNeurotoxin]

That sounds quite awesome.

 

I would remove the "8)Reduce Clearance Requirement (All two-person doors can be opened by one person)", the dual-doors are here for a reason.

Thanks, I'm glad you like the idea!

 

I agree that some of them should require 2 players, especially revealing the cryo pod defense that follows after the objective in some Mobile Defense mission.

 

Other missions, like Spy missions where the two-person doors are really just there to prevent players from spreading out and getting all 4 datamass at once, would be improved by this functionality. Not every team will necessarily have a hacker with the skills (or even mastery) to complete this type of hack, but teams that do can benefit from it in missions where it makes sense.

 

Remember that solo missions don't require 2 players (that would be cruel and unplayable) so all it is really doing is removing a requirement that is applied in multiplayer. 

 

I'd like to hear more from the community on this point, whether it would potentially ruin the integrity of some missions, or possibly impact group cohesion, or if it would be an acceptable thing for players to be able to do.