What do you like and dislike about Hackers?

[Luminaar]

I WANT TO GET HACKED! I need to see if my network works etc.

The frequency of incoming hacks - specifically the lack of them - can sometimes be attributed to the strength of the defending network, especially at lower levels.

Early on in the game there are millions of weak networks that can be chosen as a target. Not only does this limit your chances of being selected as a target, but players additionally have plenty of other "easy" targets to attack! If you're not getting hacked early on, this is usually a good indication of a network being too strong/intimidating even to try!

At later levels, the lack of incoming hacks becomes less of an issue. Not only are you more likely to be attacked due to their being less available targets at that level, search costs also increase quite rapidly and players are much more proficient at attacking, meaning that networks are less likely to be ignored/passed up.

If you're desperate to try defending at lower levels though, consider connecting your network to Facebook and having some friends simulate an attack against you.

[ZeroVenom776]

I WANT TO GET HACKED! I need to see if my network works etc.

The frequency of incoming hacks - specifically the lack of them - can sometimes be attributed to the strength of the defending network, especially at lower levels.

Early on in the game there are millions of weak networks that can be chosen as a target. Not only does this limit your chances of being selected as a target, but players additionally have plenty of other "easy" targets to attack! If you're not getting hacked early on, this is usually a good indication of a network being too strong/intimidating even to try!

At later levels, the lack of incoming hacks becomes less of an issue. Not only are you more likely to be attacked due to their being less available targets at that level, search costs also increase quite rapidly and players are much more proficient at attacking, meaning that networks are less likely to be ignored/passed up.

If you're desperate to try defending at lower levels though, consider connecting your network to Facebook and having some friends simulate an attack against you.

Good indication?
How am I supposed to get this respect or reputation thing if I'm not going to sit down and buy worms every 5 minutes, then try to attack constantly where the risk of losing reputation or the money I spent is hovering above my head?

[Luminaar]

Good indication? How am I supposed to get this respect or reputation?

The majority of reputation points that are gained from a network usually come from successfully attacking other networks.

To increase your reputation gains, be sure to attack players that are of a higher reputation than yourself. Reputation gains (and losses) are relative to the reputation values of both the attacker and defender.

You gain a lot more reputation when you succeed against a higher reputation network, and similarly lose a lot less reputation if you happen to fail again that network. Likewise, you gain little reputation from beating a lower reputation network, and your reputation takes a big hit if you lose against such a network! Your potential gains and losses are displayed in the Summary bar before you connect to a target.

Reputation can be gained from defending of course. However, as players are only willing to attack networks that they believe they can beat - players will disconnect from a network if they don't believe they can win after all - an attack against a network is more likely to results in a reputation loss more often than not! Your own win/loss ratios found on your Network Information sheet is a good guide to how likely you are to gain/lose reputation when attacking/defending.

[SlickAl]

I'd personally like to see the system not offer up the same target for a specific length of time (at least 1 or 2 days in my opinion) if you've already hacked that target. Last night made the 3rd time the same person has hacked me twice in a single night (literally within 6 hours of each other with me never even logging on).