Missions and Tools

[thefrickenwalrus]

All right, for this first part of the post, I want to get what everyone liked about Uplink nailed down. Some friends of mine liked the music (not bad, that's for sure) and some liked the excitement of the Trace Tracker counting down to three seconds as they scrambled to disconnect (definitely me). So, to find the future of Uplink, I think we need to think about what we liked and did not like about the first Uplink (and/or second, I hear that another one might be out?). Anyway, the thing that I liked the most about Uplink was getting 10-15 "Academic Database" missions, going in and doing all of them before my time ran out. I also liked the whole console idea, although it was kind of hard to figure out, and they should probably have an add-on file that explains console commands and viruses. They didn't do too bad in that department, though. Also, I liked all the different kinds of bypassers and decrypters and stuff. The tools of Uplink are awesome, and they can become better. A couple of things that I didn't like about Uplink, though, were things like the "being caught" act (I know that the agent back-up was created to make up for this, but ARRRGGHHHH! It's so annoying!) or the self-destruct mechanisms (I rarely used them or the camera's, since by the time you can afford all of this stuff your Gateway is so cool that you can't bare losing it, so you go back to your last agent back-up from two days ago). They need something like . . . I don't know, bodyguards. Wall-guns, something like that. Something that actually PREVENTS your Gateway from being found. Well, that's all I'm going to say for now. Waiting for some feedback/opinions.

[Corruptation]

Your Gateway can't be found if you have deleted the logs.

[thefrickenwalrus]

That's true . . . Hmmmm. Don't suppose I can really argue with that. Although I rarely do that. I usually just go in, do the job and wipe out the traces, but since on most high-level systems that's impossible, I usually just go after missions that don't require you to erase logs on other servers. Kind of a handicap, though. But don't you think that in future Uplink games (if any) they should either cut down the punishment for getting caught? I mean, the way they're doing it does make the game more realistic, but it also makes the game slightly more annoying. Especially when I have to go back and do hours of work. I think, personally, that they should stick to fines and convictions, at least until you go broke (which they do) or you get 3-5 convictions. They might already do it that way, I've never had five convictions stock-piled up before. SINCE I GET CAUGHT AND IMPRISONED SO FAST!!! Really, though, there comes a point in the game where either you're so good that you don't get caught (hence no convictions) or you're so bad you get caught immediately (hence no convictions). But! I suppose that Ambrosia did Uplink their own way. Which is a good way, all in all. Could use a little work, not necessarily what I suggest either. Anyway, on a completely different note, don't you guys think that newer Uplinks should have more of a connection to the outside world? Like, I don't know, being able to hire assassins to take out other hackers, or thugs to take out corparate bussinessmen? Ya know, real-world stuff. Hitmen and gangsters. I did hear that newer Uplinks are planning on having guilds and groups; I'm hyped about that!
Anyway, waiting for more input!

P.S. Corruptation, how the heck do you get your hands on Virus'? I've been playing for a while, and I know where the Faith/Revelation screen is . . . Heck, I think I even know how to use them! I just don't know where to GET them. Help wanted ; )

[Corruptation]

Few points to make here.

No mission is impossible except for the buggy ones.

There will not be any future games related to Uplink. I think the punishment is already enough. Have you ever heard of a hacker not being arrested? There are already some servers that will only give you fines and convictions if you are traced.

When you receive the dead agent's email, go to ARC Central Mainframe and try the agent's username and password. Do this right after receiving the email. Then ARC should send you a mail. You will receive the "Virus" and then after a while, Arunmor will contact you and you will have to choose one of the sides.

[thefrickenwalrus]

Okay, a few points for me to make.

First off, when I said impossible, I wasn't really talking about impossible jobs, I was talking about the jobs where you bounce the connection on 20 different places and still only have 20 seconds to destroy the system and delete your logs (or break one of the links).

Secondly, with the punishments, I thought that the whole point of having a Gateway was that you couldn't GET caught. It seems like it says somewhere in the games explanation that that was the whole reason for getting a Gateway . . . Well, I mean, you could get caught and all, but you wouldn't go to jail.

Third-ly, Um, are you sure there isn't going to be a sequel to Uplink? I've heard a lot of talk about Ambrosia/Introversion making more, and after the Escape Velocity games, you think they'd know how to do it right. It talks a lot about it over the net, but I believe future Uplink projects are mainly discussed in the Uplink Extra files on the bonus CD (You can download them at the AmbrosiaSW website, under the add-ons files).

And last but not least, thanks for the help on the virus/plot problem I was having. Makes me feel a little stupid.

Anyway, there are a number of new things that could be dealt out in a newer Uplink game, including versions that are, well, bugless. Not to mention completely awesome! I think that these guys have a lot of experience with making sequels (and their sequels and so-on and so-forth). So should they make more Uplink games, I think they'd appreciate ideas (or at least support) for their labor. I say we sock it to'em!

Open for Ideas, comments and, now that we've been on this topic for a couple of days, arguements. And lashings, and puttings-in-of-places-for-young-would-be-Uplink-gamers

[Corruptation]

If you have bounced through many systems and still haven't got enough trace time, you will need to get admin or other user access on the systems you are planning to bounce through.

Not getting caught would be too easy. That's what makes a high replayable rating.

Introversion said so themselves that <the next game> will not be Uplink. Partly because they didn't want a squeal and partly because they have already released the source code for it.

If you are willing to change the game yourself, teach yourself C++ and buy the DevCD.

[Superpig]

IV haven't said there won't be an Uplink 2. They've said it's not what they're going to release next - ok - but they've not said it'll never happen. Unless they have, in which case I'm wrong.

And FYI, Ambrosia only ported it to Mac, they had no involvement in the original game.

[thefrickenwalrus]

All right, Corruptation, you win.

I'm not sure if they will/will not make more Uplink's, but I'd never heard that they'd given out the source code. Hmmm. I know C++ a little (Enough to know a loop from an file statement, and not much more) so how do I: A, get a copy of the sourcecode and B, get the Dev CD? And I'm sure that by now over a hundred different people have made other versions of the game. Is there a spot where you find them, or are they strewn all over the net?

[Corruptation]

There aren't many big mods but most of them can be downloaded from Modlink.

To buy the DevCD which contains the source code, go to the offical site of Introversion. But you really need a good knowledge of C++ in order to make a good mod out of it. (not me)

[Superpig]

Quote: from Corruptation on 5:09 pm on Mar. 26, 2004[br]
To buy the DevCD which contains the source code, go to the offical site of Introversion. But you really need a good knowledge of C++ in order to make a good mod out of it. (not me)

The problem is that if you *do* have a good knowledtge of C++, then you also need the strength of stomach to read through certain parts of Chris's code.

[Darksun]

Actually, ambrosia didn't port the game, contraband did. Ambrosia just publish it

[Andromeda]

A mod and/or sequal to Uplink should include more things to do with extra time.  In Uplink they are:

1. Get someone arrested
2. Crash computers
3. Steal money from banks

And they could be:

1. Change the news at will
2. Actually have an effect when someone is reported as dead
3. Get someone arrested
4. Break into gov. computer
5. Use more viruses
6. Crash more computers
7. Steal money from banks
8. Get people fired from there jobs by getting rid of degrees
9. Cut Power
10. Do anything else you can think of

Basicly have the things you do to people records actually affect things in the game and/or have new things to do

[ScareyedHawk]

You DID note that you said "Get someone arrested" in things that should be, right?