Hacking objectives too difficult?

(solidus) #1

I’ve noticed that unless I’m playing with or against an asbolutely crappy team, the hacking objectives are very difficult to complete. The defending team almost always wins these because hacking takes a good while to do and the hacking progress is almost immediately wiped away by engineers. What is everybody’s general thoughts on this and potential solutions for it?

(Singh400) #2

I think everyone here agrees. That a) hacking is too difficult and b) it is too easily undone.

(Shotgun Surgeon) #3

A good defensive team will defeat a good offensive team ALMOST every time, especially during hacking objectives. Hacking takes a while and it is very very easy to clear a room with grenades. Also, if the defensive team throws down a few large turrents and mines, it will be hell for the offensive team. One of the most effective ways for an offensive team to counter this is to just be fast enough to get to the objective, throw down some defenses, and dig in.

(solidus) #4

Is there any consensus for a solution? Faster hacking progress and slower engineer defuse progress. Or hacking progress done in stages where once it hits certain levels, it can be rolled back. I’d like to see Splash Damage comment on this issue.

(Petrolbomb_Tom) #5

The only reason I can see why SD made the hacking objectives SO imbalanced was to flesh out the time it takes to complete the single player side of the game so you would not compete all the levels on the first attempt.

(Stormchild) #6

I for one don’t know why they allowed engies to “de-hack”. If it should be there at all, it should be another operative’s job.

If they removed the de-hack, and let a timer with reset like it was in ETQW, maybe it would make things a bit easier, without having to tweak the hack time. The offense wold only need to do it in several strikes, without starting from scratch each time because of engineers.

Engineers already have a lot of importance…

So I suggest that engies shouldn’t be able to un-hack, and defending operatives should be able to firewall the objective to make hacking longer (like actual time). Otherwise hacking time should be a bit shorter, and there should be a timer of like 2 mins after which the hacking progress would reset.

Something like that…

(BomBaKlaK) #7

On our server the rules is to never remove the hackbox by engies ! like ESL rules
make the game really more balance !

  • 1 000 000 to remove de-hack of the engies !
    or engies need double the time of the operator to de-hack
    but it’s much more tricky to balance
(shadyadi) #8

Managed to stop a group hack at 99% in a game earlier, clear the room and get rid of it, now that was some teamwork!
And, they are not too hard at all, as long as the op’s protectors are in posistion it is perfectly doable.

(Iramaj) #9

I just think it is too fast, but the inability to remove it… DUMB. But that is just me.

(Je T´aime) #10

I think it should take the same time for the engy to remove the hack as the spy takes.

(xBluntxForce) #11

I think the time it takes for the engineer to remove the hack box be doible the time it takes to hack the objective. And operatives should be able to lay down destroyable hack transmitters, that allow you not to have to stay by the hackbox.

(tokamak) #12

Wow that’s a cool! A wireless hub between you and the hacking objective.

(InfiniteStates) #13

It’s a similar problem with carrying data too - it’s way too easy for the defence (which have the inherent advantage anyway, as any defence does) to undo all progress the attackers have fought hard for.

(Smokeskin) #14

Make engineers able to remove the hackbox, but not roll back the percentage.

Or make rehacking 4 times faster until the previously reached hack level, then normal speed from there.

(tokamak) #15

Yeah not rolling back the percentage but allowing to remove the box can give some tense situations.

(BioSnark) #16

Some ideas that may be mutually exclusive about hack objs although they aren’t as bad as they were, previously.

Ops able to aim at the box from anywhere including from behind walls to take out their hack tools. Same rules about distance hacking, naturally, and engie removal might be more balanced, then. Ops would be better able to defend themselves like bomb plants because they don’t have to relemming up to the box after switching to a gun to hold the obj.

Defending ops for dehack. Engineers could still remove the hack box for ~ half bomb defuse time but not dehack while doing so.

Engineer dehack time takes at least as long as op hack time. I like that offense has to take over the hack site to complete the objective but defense should also have to take over the site to dehack and not just adren disarm like charges.

(dazman76) #17

Nice, quite a few excellent ideas in this thread :slight_smile: It definitely is imbalanced at the moment - I appreciate people saying “if attack is coordinated it’s easy”, but that isn’t really the case is it? :slight_smile: Remember this is also played by completely random teams of people, not just regulars on their favourite servers or gatherings of team/club players. While it shouldn’t be “weclome newbs, press E to Win!”, there does need to be more balance - if nothing else, extending the hack box removal time would help a bit. I really like the other ideas in this thread though - such as Ops being able to firewall, Ops having to remove the hack box (slowly), and the remote/wireless hack “boosters” to allow the Op to work from a greater distance.

(Metal-Geo) #18

Exactly what I was thinking when I read the OP.

I mean, how is it possible to ‘dehack’ something anyway? That’s even too silly for the Looney Tunes.

Ah bl-bl-bl-bl-that’s all folks!

(Smokeskin) #19

[QUOTE=Metal-Geo;329188]

I mean, how is it possible to ‘dehack’ something anyway? [/QUOTE]

“Dude, what do you mean you forgot to hit save before the engineer pulled the box?!?”

(Metal-Geo) #20

So a magic spray can magically erases the data? :stuck_out_tongue:

“OH snap, it’s at 50%! spray spray spray Only at 15% now!”