Understanding the different procedure types is probably the most difficult part of all. Not only has one to factor in how a procedure works, but also how it interacts with the environment and how the environment interacts with the procedure.
So one should take time and slowly read this document.
Attack
Naturally a system you try to invade simply tries to disconnect you. But just as well you can disconnect their security bots or even an other human.
One the technical side an attack works like this:
- The procedure has to target the enemy library.
- If the procedure hits, the target looses sockets. However the enemy is often shielded against attacks, reducing the original effect.
Restore
In defence against attack software there is reconnect software. It works similar, but different enough to have its own rules.
One the technical side a restore works like this:
- The procedure has to target the friendly library.
- If the procedure hits, it resores some sockets of the target. However libraries are often shielded against modifications. Unfortunately restoration is also a modification attempt.
Intrude
Alternatively to the rather brute disconnection attempts one also can go a
second way. Quickly intrude the core of the operating system. Then kick on its disconnection procedures.
One the technical side an intrusion works like this:
- The procedure does not have to target any library. The success ratio is the unmodified target accuracy of the procedure.
- If the procedure hits, it temporarily increases the intrusion ratio of the targetted lib. This effect cannot be avoided by any defensive means so unlike an Attack, an Infiltration procedure always hits with full force. This is however only true for an undamaged library. Intruding is very socket intensive.
Guard
A guard procedure can do a couple of different things. Prevent intrude procedures, generally slow down a lib and much more. In the end it all comes down to delaying an intrusion, however.
One the technical side a guard works like this:
- The procedure has to target the enemy library.
- If the procedure hits, it temporarily reduces the intrusion ratio of the target. This effect cannot be avoided by any defensive means so unlike an Attack, a Guard procedure always hits with full force.
Crashing
This is probably the most mean type of attack. It is aimed directly at the hardware involved. Such
attacks will directly damage the target deck/bot if successful.
One the technical side a crash works like this:
- The procedure has to target the enemy library.
- If a procedure hits it causes severe damage. This effect cannot be avoided by any defensive means so unlike an Attack a Crashing procedure always hits with full force. But... Crashing attacks can be easily diverted into a garbage directory or the like. They are very clumsy and easy to detect. The only chance is to reduce the Information ratio of the target to 5 or less. If this is menaged, a crash procedure directly damages the target's deck!
Target
As a part of their design all libraries got a certain stealth ratio. Target procedures are aimed at changing this natural stealthiness, exposing an enemy.
One the technical side target works like this:
- The procedure has to target the enemy library.
- When the procedure hits, it increases the target's visibility for some time. However libraries are often shielded against modifications. Targeting is of course also a modification attempt.
Evade
As a part of their design all libraries got a certain stealth ratio. Target procedures are aimed at changing this natural stealthiness, hiding one's library.
One the technical side an evade works like this:
- The procedure has to target the friendly library.
- When the procedure hits it reduces the target's visibility for some time. However libraries are often shielded against modifications. Unfortunately evading is also a modification attempt.
Shield
The shield procedures of a library are the last line of defence against an attack.
One the technical side a shielding procedure works like this:
- The procedure has to target the friendly library.
- If the procedure hits, it protects the target against attacks; unfortunately the effect does not last for long. Also libraries are often shielded against modifications. Unfortunately shielding is also a modification attempt.
Soften
A soften procedure weakens the shielding to bring a later attack to full effect.
One the technical side a soften procedure works like this:
- The procedure has to target the enemy library.
- When a soften procedure hits, it weakens the target for some time. However libraries are often shielded against modifications. Softening is of course also a modification attempt.
Protect
Protection concerns the self encryption rating of a library. The higher
something is protected the harder it is to influence.
One the technical side a protection procedure works like this:
- The procedure has to target the friendly library.
- When the procedure hits, it starts to encrypt the lib, effectively making it harder to modify - for a limited time. However libraries are often shielded against modifications. Unfortunately protection is also a modification attempt.
Unprotect
Unprotect tackles the self encryption ratio of a library. Thus it is easier to influence in the future.
One the technical side an unprotect procedure works like this:
- The procedure has to target the enemy library.
- An unprotecting procedure hitting a target immediately breaks through its encryption. This enables later modifications to be much easier for about 100 processor cycles. However libraries are often shielded against modifications. Unprotecting is of course also a modification attempt. So the unprotect migth be quite some weaker then expected.
Transmit
Transmissions are the natural connection of a library to its user. With a
transmission command a user can request additional updates of the current
system state, thus often providing a higher rate of success for later
procedures.
One the technical side a transmission works like this:
- The procedure has to target the friendly library.
- If a procedure hits it increases the Information level of the target. This effect is not reduced by any modifiers. It is directly added to the current information ratio of the targeted player. Information can never exceed 100, however.
Disturb
The adversaries of transmissions are disturbing signals. Sent at the
right time, they can block practically every action of the victim.
One the technical side a disturb works like this:
- The procedure has to target the enemy library.
- When a disturb hits, it reduces the Information ratio of the victim. This effect is not reduced by any modifiers. It is directly subtracted from the current information ratio of the targeted player. Information can never be less then 0, however.
Firewall
A Firewall is designed to trigger the systems defences - practically
rendering certain procedures unable to run for a certain amount of time.
One the technical side a firewall works like this:
- The procedure does not have to target any library. The success ratio is the unmodified target accuracy of the procedure.
- When the firewall is activated it causes traffic. This effect is not reduced by any modifiers. Instead the effect determines the degree of chaos caused in the surrounding operating environment. All procedures that contain the Counterstring of the firewall will fail at the firewall's effect percentage. However the effect of a firewall slowly decades as time passes.
Virus
A virus changes general system stability. A dedicated virus might for
example be able to close a couple of backdoors in the graphic subsystem, thus
making it harder for an attack to happen there. Or another software might open
some new exploits in the network layer making disconnects so much easier.
One the technical side a virus works like this:
- The procedure does not have to target any library. The success ratio is the unmodified target accuracy of the procedure.
- When a virus is activated it starts infecting the system. This effect is not reduced by any modifiers. Instead the effect determines the change in the targeted subsystem of the surrounding operating environment. A positive effect raises the subsystem's speed (and lowering its defences) by that number of levels. Similar a negative value lowers the system speed by adding defences. A subsystem can never go faster then Extreme or slower then None. One should note that most systems default back to their original state after a while.