GrandTour

Stuck in Uplink? Need Help?

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spacebug
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GrandTour

Postby spacebug » Wed Jan 26, 2011 3:45 am

:?

Seriously, how am I supposed to succeed with GrandTour?

I've done all the ARC missions and none of the Arunmor missions. When I start GrandTour, Revelation is at Version 3, Faith at 2.2.

I've prepared by highlighting every Internal Services machine and no others.

I have tried:

A) hacking into each server, first start the password breaker, disable proxy and firewall as the password is breaking, delete a file or 2 from File Server, copy Revelation 3 into the space I just made, go to admin, turn off security (because the E-Mail "Test run Revelation V1.0" says "The more security you disable, the better this product will operate"), console, type "cd usr", type "run revelation", disconnect, continue to next server. And not bothering to delete my logs at InterNIC.

B) the same as A but without the disable security option (does it help? I don't know)

C) Hacking into every single Internal Services machine beforehand and deleting files to make room for Revelation and then doing A but without having to waste time deleting files.

D) C but without disabling security.

I've seriously tried this mission about 15 times, D was the only one that actually got me infecting machines noticable faster than they were being cured, but it's still not working.

Help please?
Montyphy
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Postby Montyphy » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:09 am

Do you had the best hardware and is it maxed out? When running programs are you reassigning CPU resources so that things you want to complete faster have more priority, afterall, it's silly having a 50/50 divide of CPU rime between Trace Tracker and Password Breaker.
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spacebug
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Postby spacebug » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:59 am

Yes I have the best computer with 8 CPUs at the maximum speed.

I haven't found there's been time to adjust the priority of any program.

I run password breaker first. By the time I have dragged the proxy bypass and the firewall bypass to the right places the password is broken. I delete and copy the files almost instantaneously without adjusting the priority. It would take longer if I stopped to adjust the priority first.

Have you successfully completed this mission? How did you do it? Did you disable the security on each server? Did you need to go to each server in advance to do any preparation?

Seriously going flatout I can't keep more than 5 servers infected at once. I have about 34 servers in my list - all the Internal Services Machines, minus the ones without Proxy or Firewall because they seem to be uninfectable. I get to the point where most of them have been infected and then uninfected before I run out of time, and there aren't actually 20 servers left to be able to complete the mission.

I've tried prepping every server by deleting to make space, committing the password and turning off all the security in the time before the mission (I though I was supposed to use the news article that says "Revelation launch due soon" as a prompt to when to begin this, but the passwords and security always get reset just before the mission starts. I don't know whether this is just bad luck with the mission start time that seems to be randomly assigned and perhaps it is possible, or if the passwords and security always get reset at the beginning of this mission, but it seems like the game wasn't designed for it to be that difficult.

Still none the wiser.

Also: does it matter which order I infect computers in geographically? ie will the virus spread to nearby systems on the map, therefore it's better for me to infect all over the place rather than starting in one corner and working my way across the map?
orillian
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Postby orillian » Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:40 pm

servers tend to infect lower security neighbours, there really isnt too much of a pattern, mainly aim for the higher security ones. as for preperation, I never tried it myself but wouldnt doing a silent (breaking in using secondary account with moniter bypass etc running) install of revelation then activating it in the normal way when the mission start help? or at least reduce the time spent.
spacebug
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Postby spacebug » Wed Jan 26, 2011 9:24 pm

You don't get Revelation version 3 until the mission begins, and the mission timer starts from when the mission begins too, not from when you first infect a machine.

I saw a video on youtube where someone installs Revelation 1 on all the target machines and then does just that, but it feels like cheating. I'm sure that's not how the mission is supposed to be done. I just can't figure out what I'm missing.

Have you guys completed this mission? If so, how did you do it?

And are you supposed to turn off security on a machine before you run revelation?
orillian
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Postby orillian » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:00 pm

yes, you are supposed to turn the security off before you run it, the less security the faster the virus works and spreads. And as for that youtube vid, its not cheating if its within the rules of the game, nothing to say you cant.
spacebug
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Postby spacebug » Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:59 pm

So can you confirm this?

You're _supposed_ to:

connect
run password breaker
bypass proxy
bypass firewall
Go to File Server
Delete files to make room for Revelation if necessary
Copy Revelation
Go to Admin
Go to Security
Turn off proxy, firewall, monitor
Go to Console
Type "cd usr"
Type "run revelation"
Disconnect
repeat.

Have you successfully completed this mission with this method? And by successfully, I mean that you have the GrandTour badge afterwards, not just getting disavowed and game over.
XttyCTL9
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Postby XttyCTL9 » Sat Feb 26, 2011 1:34 pm

If Revelation run long time then can't see it. Because it is Cleared. Then Hurry!
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Postby Daejin » Mon Mar 21, 2011 6:38 am

*EDIT*
Alright, I figured it out. I got it to work twice in a row.

First of all, remove ALL links EXCEPT the uplink and interNIC links. You're goin' to bounce your connection through those while spreadin' the virus. Then, do a filtered search in interNIC for "Internal." Add every Link. *NOTE* I've noticed that, for me anyway, some of the Internal Service Systems that you'll be hacking won't start flashing red, even after you've run Revelation 3.0 (Or even 1.0) on them and they shutdown. I went trough and removed them from my list, so I wouldn't accidently waste my time on them. I did that by backing up my save to before I ever recieved the last mission, fast forwarding time and testing each server with the Revelation v3.0. Pain in the *** but, it has to be done, otherwise you'll most likely run out of time from failed virus infections.

Second of all, after the first initial failure, I did "cheat" and use pre-planted Revelation v1.0 on a total of 6 machines. Though after my initial success, I realized it was unnecassary. My third attempt and second success did not include those 6 pre-set viruses.

Once you have a list of the working links you're goin' to be hackin', study the enlarged map screen and plot a route. I had 2 links in Austrailia and in the middle of South America that were basically isolated from the rest of my links, so I started there, knowing I could easily infect them all before the first spread.
After that, I had counted the number of links in North America vs Asia. My North America had 5 links (That worked) and my Asia had 17. Since Asia had so many links, I figured I would focus my main assualt there. So after I infected Austrailia and South America, I infected only ONE of the links in North America. The reason for that, was so when the virus spread, it spread to two other links in North America. I also didn't have to worry about accidently connecting the the already destroyed server since I was working in Asia.

For my main assualt, I attacked the links in an order that was easy for me to keep track of. Specifically, I infected the southern links first, then moved north. That way, when the virus spread, the destroyed links (Which return to their original color) were all on the bottom, and I knew not to connect to them.
After roughly 20 infections (I lost count... Both times.) I suddenly was hit with Revelation myself. Then when I accessed my Agent again, I had the trophy for Grand Tour. (Final score was only 5.7 million though. :/)

*NOTE 2* I don't think it's "required" but it helps to disable the security on each system you infect. (I did on every attempt.)

So, simply put:
1: Remove all but Uplink and interNIC links.
2: Add EVERY Internal Service link.
3: Back-Up save well before you recieve final mission.
4: Test each link with revelation 3.0 to make sure it will accurately infect and flash red on the map. Remove those that do not.
5: *OPTIONAL* Pre-plant Revelation v1.0 on up to 19 servers before you recieve final mission. Then use Revelation v3.0 on the 20th server after activating the other 19.
6: Study enlarged map and plot your attacking course. - I recommend infecting all isolated links first, followed by infecting only one system on the continent with the fewest links. Then moving on the the heavily populated continent for the main assault. For the main assault, start at one end, and move your way to the other end, so you can easily keep track of what systems were already infected. Do this to avoid accidently tryin' to connect to a destroyed system and wastin' time.

These steps I use durin' hacking to reduce the time I spend on each server: *NOTE 3* These are my personal methods, and are 100% optional to try to use. I'm jus' givin' out tips for what worked for me. My CPU was at 1600GHz (8 of the 200 speeds.)

1: Open data tab, and scroll down until the first open slot is at the very top. Then ready your file_deleter and file_copier. (I placed the copier near the area where the tabs are brough up, and the deleter near the middle bottom.)
2: The moment you get the emails and final mission, quickly delete the emails and open your date tab. Copy Revelation 3.0 to fill most of your data page. This way you won't have to worry about where you click to copy the virus from, since anywhere in the data tab you'll click on a Revelation 3.0 file. When finished, make sure your file_copier is already loaded with Revelation 3.0.
3: When connected to a link, open the connection analysis tab and go straight to your first bypass and place it. (My bottom listed bypass was firewall, so I did that first.)
4: Go to password_breaker and begin breaking the password.
5: While the password_breaker works, go to your second bypass and place it. (My top listed bypass was Proxy, so I did that second.)
6: The moment you place the bypass, click on your Data Tab, then file_deleter, then click "PROCEED" followed by Files. Delete any file 3Gq or larger. Replace file_deleter anywhere near the bottom.
7: Click the file_copier and place Revelation in the files list. Hit "ESC" on YOUR keyboard as you quickly copy Revelation 3.0 from your data tab. (If most of the tab is Revelation 3.0, you shouldn't have to worry where you click to copy, so you shouldn't need even a full second to re-copy Revelations.) Then place the file_copier just outside the tab.
8: Click Admin, then move your mouse up where the 2nd option was listed and click. (You do NOT need to wait for the options to fly in from the left of the screen. As long as you click the correct area, you can go straight to the next Area.) Since the 2nd listed option in the Admin tab is Security, you should find yourself there.
9: Disable all the security. Since escape won't work, click on close, then click where the 2nd security option was. You should be in the consol now. (Again, you don't need to wait for the option to come into the screen.)
10: Type in the consol commands. (cd usr / run revelation) *NOTE 4* If you start typin' run too quickly, the first letter or two won't register. You'll need to wait almost a full second before typing.
11: Hover cursor over map. Once the server disconnects from failure, click the map and move on to the next link. *NOTE 5* If you click the map BEFORE the system disconnects, the map will close when the system does finally disconnect. So wait for the disconnect message before clickin' the map. You can fully ignore the "ok" button.

With those steps, I was spendin' roughly 8-12 seconds on each link. Up to 15-18 if I messed up or mis-clicked. Some still took up to 25 or so seconds. I'm not perfect... :/

Whew... I'm sure most, if not all, of you knew 90% of that, but there it is. My detailed strategy for the mission. Hope it helps.

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