An Auto-hacking Tool is a reasonably sophisticated black market device loaded with a fairly simple low-level A.I. and a single hacking program. The device allows the user to perform similar duties as a hacker, but without the sophistication or the neural interfacing. Devices are often sold with programs pre-loaded to break specific assets and while they were not originally developed for criminal use, they have become very popular among the triads as they are almost untraceable and require no training to use. The device comes pre-loaded with one hacking program and allows the user to declare this hacking program's Special Skill with a WIP of 12, overriding the WIP written on the profile. The device does not grant the Hacker skill and does not make the user count as a specialist nor gain the Hackable trait if they didn't already have it.
That could certainly add some new options into the army, but what units would you put it on. Also, if using the tool doesn't make the user a hacker, i.e they're immune to counter hacking, I think it needs to be disposable like jammers.
I would put it on units "where appropriate". It could be a way to expand some limited hacking into Ariadna or simply make it slightly more common and without taxing the SWC budget too much, meanwhile loading a program like Zero Pain into such a device could be a way to give some bespoke hacking protection to specific load outs for cheap without increasing vulnerabilities. Meaning, hacking factions with good ability to spread a network should have real hackers doing this job, not a 2-bit script kiddy who doesn't even know what the code does. For argument's sake let's say a Carbonite device on the Rifle Zouaves and Zero Pain on the Hsien Specialist Operative.
12 WIP isn't that bad tbh for a cheap risk free attempt. Everyone would take a BS12 shot that the enemy couldn't respond to outside of a dodge. Load me up with this, it's risk free and no doubt super cheap. You can't get better.
They could be disposable, making them risk free but finite. Or they could not work through repeaters, making them ZoC only. The idea is interesting. It would be a decent way of expanding Ariadna's access to hacking while keeping the low tech feel. It would also be a way to give certain units very specific, thematically relevant programs without making everybody a full blown hacker.
Symbiobomb are pretty popular with the Triad too. Non specialist, Non-hackable, comm attack on WIP. Actually, is even more like PT as you talk about having a single program and unlimited use; like some profile that have unlimited uses of their PT:xxxx "program". (rather than the bomb which is single use but any program)
I don't see any lore reason you wouldn't hand these out to ever single midfield skirmisher. Throw them on Morans, throw them on Sombras, throw them everywhere. Put them on remotes so they have point defense against hackers. Put them on everybody!
Well, in the same way that all Fusiliers have MSV, and not bad MSV at that. Yeah. Being burn devices with single use like 'bombs could also be quite an interesting implementation and limitation. In which case Jammers are basically an Oblivion device.
I'm a little confused, maybe because I still refuse to engage in the hacking game in a meaningful way lol. It says they gain hacker skill, but everyone is saying they cannot be hacked. Isn't it the hacker skill that makes typically nonhackable models vulnerable to stuff like trinity? For me it makes sense that this device should not make the wearer vulnerable like that. However, I also think that hackers should be able to respond using a program rather than just reset, and that it should have limited burst use. Making more no-LoF attacks available to the game is something that I generally think will make the game worse over time not better, but this is an interesting enough idea that I'd be for it if the power was scaled back. Maybe it should also be 'automatic' in the same way as a perimeter weapon. Either deployable or as a 'built in' one use crazy koala that attacks their brain. There's a bunch of stuff like this, ie smoke grenades, repeaters, arguably medikits (how much medical skill is involved in shooting one of these at someone?), perimeter weapons, chain rifles... Infinity would be a fucked up place if we used either lore or a unit constructer to make the profiles lol.
There's supposed to be three negations in there, I missed one of them. No Hacker skill is gained, just like how Auto-Medikit doesn't give you Paramedic skill, it only grants the hacking program skill it is loaded with.
Yeah, definitely sounds like the hacking version of pheroware - not necessary, but not unreasonable, either.
This sounds an awful lot like the Cybermines should act IMO. Cybermines should just be deployable single use "Hackers" who still auto hit with their installed B1 Hacking program. The installed program would be one of the currently available ones that could be further modified e.g. Cybermines (Oblivion (-3)). Furthermore they could even be upgraded with / added to other stuff like: Cybermines (Trinity; UPGRADE: Throwing Weapon Mode) or Mine Dispenser (Cybermines [Carbonite (AP)]).
I don´t like this because I think Infinity doesn´t need more game elements that are nearly risk-free or can not be reacted to (here: lim. to reset, even for hackers). Bad enough Tohaa are able to use their alien pheromons vs everything human. If you want hacking - take the consequences.
It's even worse: it is versus everything alive. As much as I love Pheroware, this current iteration is probably way too powerful while simultaneously less interesting than late N3, when we had access to White Noise and Healing (the only time we where capable of attempting to fix the Gorgos, still the only unrepairable TAG).