AI War 2:Hacking

Hacking is a fairly useful mechanic, involving the use of a flagship to expend Hacking Points to perform various acts on neutral or AI-controlled planets and affect certain Factions, such as the Dyson Sphere or the Nanocaust, and here it's explained a bit more in depth.

Basics

Hacking consumes Hacking Points, which can only be gathered normally from player-controlled planets. Build a command station on the planet and it will rapidly gather the Hacking Points there. Each planet has 30 points by default, but planets that are adjacent to other player owned planets yield an extra 5 (Including retrospectively). A few units such as Astro Trains and the AI Overlord will also give hacking points when killed.

Hacking is performed by flagships. When viewing a particular planet, the relevant Hacks available will be shown in the Hacking sidebar to the left, with the effect and cost of each Hack is listed. Not all ships can perform all hacks; e.g. a Lone Wolf cannot hack an ARS.

While a Hack is in progress, the hacking flagship's speed is greatly reduced and it cannot leave the planet. The remaining time left is displayed on the top in a similar fashion to Wave Warnings. If the hacker is destroyed mid-way, the hack is cancelled and must be restarted. The hack can also be aborted by clicking on the notification, but hacking points will not be refunded. When multiple flagships are present on a planet, the one closest to the target is selected for the hack.

Hacking Response

Nearly every Hack causes some form of response against you - groups of units spawned from the target unit to try and stop the Hack. The faction that responds is usually the one that controls the thing you are hacking (i.e an AI Command Station will respond with AI units, but hacking the Nanocaust responds with a very scary response of entirely Nanocaust units). Outguard Beacons are an oddity, and will cause an AI response instead.

Generally, there are both small, frequent "pulses" of units spawned during a Hack, as well as less frequent and larger pulses. In addition, actually completing the Hack fully has an extra response at the end as well.

Spending Hacking on your own units

You can also spend hacking points on upgrading/changing your own units. There are several ways of doing this:

You can spend hacking to increase the vision range of your command stations. This is done via the Hacks tab at the planet with the command station you want to boost. It is quite situational due to it's cost, however.

You can spend hacking to increase a property of some officer fleet centrepieces, such as damage, shield strength, or hull strength. This can be very effective when stacked with Direct Science upgrades, but is otherwise not generally worth it. This can only be done when they are present on your own worlds, and is done via the Hacks tab while the centrepiece is on one of your planets. Exactly which property can be improved depends on the specific Centerpiece.

Finally, some Centerpieces can be transformed into different variants by using hacking points. This applies to transports and combat factories in the basegame, and some golems if The Zenith Onslaught is enabled. This is NOT done from the hacks tab, but from the fleet menu of the Centerpiece.

Deepstrike and Hacking

IF you are deepstriking into AI territory (entering an AI world a significant number of hops from your planets, which can be viewed using the Deepstrike Danger filter on the world map), then many hacks will take longer and be more expensive. This is in addition to the fact that AI reserves will be hunting you. This means that deepstrike hacks are very rarely a good idea.

Hack Options

Not all hacking options are listed here. Note that if a world is owned by the Wild Hives (DLC3) it counts as hostile for the cost and hacking time of some hacks.

Hack Name	Target Unit	Hacking Point Cost	Duration (Seconds)	Description
Weaken AI Turrets	Planet, Mk VI or lower	Variable	2	Hacking into the local AI network will reduce the range of AI turrets to 25% of their normal values, and their damage output to 50% of normal. Only works on planets of mark 6 or lower. Can be done remotely without a hacker present.
Weaken AI Guard Posts	Planet, Mk VI or lower	Variable	2	Hacking into the local AI network will reduce the range of AI guard posts to 50% of their normal values, and their damage output to 75% of normal. Only works on planets of mark 6 or lower. Can be done remotely without a hacker present.
Neutral Planet Science Extraction	Neutral Planet	30	60	This device scans the wreckage of the AI structures on the planet to obtain Science, up to the normal amount. Note that Neutral here refers only to you and the AI, this hack can be performed on minor faction owned planets. Note that this means you do not have to pay the AIP cost for the world if you can manipulate a non-allied minor faction such as marauders into killing the AI command station for you...
Explore Planet	Unexplored Planet	5	Instant	This hack deploys spy nanites that will scout this planet for you. Does not grant ongoing vision on the planet.
Watch Planet	Explored, Unwatched Planet	5	Instant	This hack deploys spy nanites that will grant you permanent vision on this planet. Can be done remotely without a hacker present.
Grant Ship Line	Advanced Research Station	Variable.	30, halved on non-hostile worlds.	Grants a new ship line to the hacking flagship. Each ARS has a choice of four ship lines to pick from, rerolled for each hack, and can be hacked up to three times, (though the third hack is often not cost effective) for a cost of 24 the first time, 36 the second, and 54 the third. However, this is halved if the planet is neutral or player owned. Note that this means you do not have to pay the AIP cost for the world if you can manipulate a non-allied minor faction such as marauders into killing the AI command station for you...
Grant Turret Line	Turret Schematic Server	Variable.	30, halved on non-hostile worlds.	Grants a new turret line to all command stations. Each TSS has a choice of four turret lines to pick from, rerolled for each hack, and can be hacked up to three times, (though the third hack is often not cost effective) for a cost of 48 the first time, 72 the second, and 108 the third. However, this is halved if the planet is neutral or player owned. Note that this means you do not have to pay the AIP cost for the world if you can manipulate a non-allied minor faction such as marauders into killing the AI command station for you... You can also do a variant of this hack that grants a turret line with 3x the numbers to a single hacking battlestation or citadel, for a slightly lower cost.
Grant Defense Line	Other Defense Schematic Server	Variable.	30, halved on non-hostile worlds.	Grants a new defence line to all command stations. Each ODSS has a choice of three defense lines to pick from, and can be hacked up to three times, (though the third hack is often not cost effective) for a cost of 18 the first time, 26 the second, and 36 the third. However, this is halved if the planet is neutral or player owned. Note that this means you do not have to pay the AIP cost for the world if you can manipulate a non-allied minor faction such as marauders into killing the AI command station for you... You can also do a variant of this hack that grants a defence line with 3x the numbers to a single hacking battlestation or citadel, for a slightly lower cost.
Grant Technology	Technology Vault	30	80	This will allow the player to unlock a new Tech, out of three possibilities. Unlocking a Tech this way does not increase the cost of doing it with Science.
Spire Archive Extraction	Spire Archive	60	300	Hacking this Spire Archive will grant you a large amount of Science (8000), but it takes a long time. Be prepared for an extreme AI response against your units. If this hack is cancelled or interrupted, AIP will go up by 80.
Subvert Super Terminal	Super Terminal	1 Per Second	Until Halted	The longer you hold on, the more you'll reduce (AIP), but you'll also cause a massive incursion of AI forces while doing it, some of which will head directly to your homeworld as an Exo-Galactic Strike. Careful not to kill yourself by holding on too long. You only get one shot at this hack before the AI adapts, so make it count.
Access Outguard Beacon	Mercenary Beacon	10 Hacking, Variable AIP	150	Hacking this beacon will allow you to contact some of the Outguard -- remnant anti-AI forces that can come to your aid. Since the Outguard are subverting the AI communication channels, expect some extremely heavy AI response to this. Upon completion, your AIP will increase by an amount dependent on which mercenary you contacted.
Reprogram an Enemy	Varies	Variable	2	Permanently take control of a certain AI structure on the planet. Hacking cost depends on the structure. Some structures hacked this way will die to remains if killed by the AI, but some will not.
Sabotage AI defenses	Varies	Variable	22	Kills a certain powerful AI structure on the planet. Works on things like Raid Engines, Eyes, Alarm Posts, and Orbital Mass Drivers. Does not trigger any AIP increase on death that the structure normally has.
Borrow Human Resistance Fighters (HRF) Ship Line	Research Center of HRF	Variable	10	"Hacking" the HRF Research Center will give you give you access to one of the HRF's ship designs from a choice of 4. Can be repeated for a total of three shiplines. All use the Expatriate tech catagory, which HRF themselves also benefit from. All hacks also give you 1000 science. Cost 12 Hacking for the first hack, 18 for the second, and 27 for the third.
Provoke Vengeance Strike	Dark Spire Vengeance Generator	5	10	Finishing this Hack will cause the Dark Spire to launch a Vengeance Strike, wherein every Vengeance Generator will simultaneously launch a fleet to attack, well, everything.
Download Dark Spire Ship Design	Dark Spire Vengeance Generator	24, halved on non-hostile worlds.	60, halved on non-hostile worlds.	Hacking this Vengeance Generator will give you access to one of the Dark Spire's ship designs. But it might have devastating consequences; are you willing to set a fire upon the deep? Also increases AIP by 3. It can be done up to three times per Generator.
Render Vengeance Generator Vulnerable	Dark Spire Vengeance Generator	35	360	Hacking this Vengeance Generator will make it vulnerable to conventional weaponry. This is likely to provoke an extremely strong Dark Spire response
Download Dyson Ship	Dyson Sphere	30, reduced to 20 if the planet is not AI owned.	20	Hacking the Dyson sphere will give you access to one of the Dyson Sphere's ship designs, but it will make the Dyson Sphere very unhappy with you. Also increases AIP by 3. It can be done up to three times per Sphere.
Increase Dyson Max Strength	Dyson Sphere	20	20	This Hack will triple this Dyson Sphere's max strength. It will definitely make the Dyson Sphere unhappy with you as well.
Increase Dyson Production	Dyson Sphere	20	20	This Hack will triple Dyson unit production rate. It will definitely make the Dyson Sphere unhappy with you as well.
Increase Dyson Range	Dyson Sphere	20	60	This Hack will increase the number of wormhole hops the Dyson sphere can send it's ships by 1. It will definitely make the Dyson Sphere unhappy with you as well.
Decode Nanobots	Nanobot Hive	20	600	Hack the core Nanobot Hive in order to subvert them into being your allies. From then on, the hive will devote all of its energy to destroying the AI.
Tame Macrophage Tellium	Macrophage Tellium	25	300	Hack the mindset of a Telium on this planet, converting it to your cause. Expect it to defend itself heavily during the hack.

Opinions And More Detail

Neutral Planet Science Extraction

This one is situationally useful, allowing you to gain the Science from a planet that is neutral or owned by some non-AI factions, without raising AI Progress for it. It costs more than most Hacks however, so overdoing it can limit your options elsewhere, but in general it has a universally useful reward.

Subvert Super Terminal

A very strange hack! This one only ends when either the Hacker dies, or you run out of Points to do it with. Each second you pay 1 Point to reduce the AI Progress by 0.5. Each time the AI sends a response pulse, the next pulse will be stronger, so this can get very scary if done long enough. This can only be done once, and it is very pricey, but in effect you are reducing the AIs power overall, which could be very well worth the expenditure. Knowing when to do this hack can be tough, since the response scales quite strongly with both AIP and the amount of hacking you have already done against the owning AI.

Make Contact with Outguard

This lets you hire the Outguard groups listed in the Beacon description, for the listed AIP cost. Outguard can be a handy temporary power boost, to help win a difficult fight, be a distraction elsewhere, or shore up your defences in a hurry. Different Outguard have different circumstances in which they can be deployed. While Outguard are not permanently present on the map, and most are not under your control, the number of them you have available does replenish over time. Group power scales with the current AI Progress, so this is something you can have prepared for later. This hack is best done early, since the response scales quite strongly with AIP.

Provoke Vengeance Strike

A very sneaky hack. As each spawn a Generator does causes it to get nastier, this lets you "feed" a particular Generator to absurd levels. The Dark Spire can be useful in defeating the AI, but can also cause you a lot of bother yourself, so be careful about poking them with this. If you intend to use them in that way, this can be a very useful Hack.

Download Dark Spire Ship Design

This gives you a line of Dark Spire Wraiths, Phantoms or Spectres (You choose) as fleetships. This hack slightly increases AIP if successful, and the response from the Dark Spire can be terrifying, and it has dire consequences for the galaxy. Once completed, this Dark Spire Generator will begin gaining energy over time, even with no combat near it. Like above, this can be useful in having the Dark Spire do your work for you, but it can get very much out of hand, and you can't stop the effect unless you spend the large quantity of hacking points to render the generator vulnerable.

The hack is cheaper in terms of Hacking Points if the planet is neutral (or owned by you). Neutrality is best achieved by the simple expedient of killing all AI forces, then allowing the Dark Spire to kill the command station for you without raising AIP.

Render Vengeance Generator Vulnerable

This allows you to destroy this Vengeance Generator. The response from the Dark Spire will be terrifying, and the hack has a fairly long duration, but this can allow you to remove a generator that is in a very bad position. However, it is quite expensive.

Download Dyson Ship

This will give you a line of Dyson Defenders, Dyson Sentinels or Dyson Bulwarks (You choose) as fleetships. This hack slightly increases AIP if successful, and the response from the Dyson can be terrifying. Even starting this causes every ship controlled by that Dyson Sphere to revert to hostile and attack you, anywhere in the galaxy. Completing it is even worse, as the Sphere will become Antagonised, and spawn ships at an incredible rate, all of whom are very very angry at you, for a few minutes. In terms of what you pay and what you get, this is pretty good...but it can easily be game ending. Sentient stars are not to be messed with. Can be done up to three times (per Sphere), but the more times you hack a Sphere, the angrier it will get.

This may all sound bad, but there are advantages: All the ships use the Alien tech, which can be a very potent source of power if there are more minor factions in the game that grant Alien ships. Further, the hacking response of the Dyson is independent of the AI, so if the AI's hacking response is already too high to effectively use your Hacking, this can be a good alternative.

Increase Dyson Strength

Simply put, this increases the total number of ships the Sphere can have at any one time, and increases their mark level, making each ship stronger. You can keep doing this to stack the effects, which can make the Sphere rather strong, especially when stacked with the Increase Dyson Production hack below, but the response to each Hack is the same as the Download hack, so it should be treated with caution. This is also a longer hack, making it even harder to hold on against the angry Dyson.

Increase Dyson Production

Simply put, this makes the Sphere start spawning ships at a faster rate overall. You can keep doing this to stack the effects, which can make the Sphere rather strong, but the response to each Hack is the same as above, and the Sphere usually spreads its ships out, and is capped by the current AI Progress, so unless it's in a useful area, and not for instance stuck in a corner of the galaxy, this won't be super worthwhile.

Decode Nanobots

The longest duration Hack in the game currently, other than a ludicrously long Super Terminal, taking 600 seconds to complete, with a terrifying response. In return though, that Nanocaust faction will immediately ally with you. You can now go through all the planets it has captured, hoover up all the Science and Hacking Points lying around (If you are willing to pay the AIP cost for the planet, or the hacking cost for a Science Extraction hack), and generally have a very safe area to operate in, not to mention all the firepower they can bring. This is usually *very* difficult, but the reward can be incredible. Should be noted, that while Factions that are allied to you in game setup increase your AI Progress instead of their own, a hacked Nanocaust will not, so you are not penalised for this Hack.