I think that with all the additions that there is ALOT of software you need to buy thus making it ALOT harder.

Well, the vanilla uplink is way too easy after robbing a bank... There just isn't any challenge in it.

I think the whole point was to make it that much harder.

Also, there's not that much more software, currently... really, the only thing you need to buy that's also new is the VDPin viewer.

In fact, the Killer programs make the game easier - instead of having to buy ConnectionAnalyzer, you can save a buttload of cash and purchase the Killer programs, which are guaranteed to take down a security program of any version. Bypassers are just "quieter", and/but they need constant updating.

Other than that, I can't think of how the game is any "harder".

-- Griffinhart

When I tried the killer programs it took like 50 out of 70 secs(say that out loud ) and it still was only one third, TOO LONG!! Oh, and the trace a recent balance transfer, and find financial details missions are now impossible at the time you get them, because of the high bank security which I think is a good idea.

Uh yeah, the Killer programs are supposed to take a long time (around 5 minutes, I believe).

That's why there's an International Telephone Database. I just use every single phone in the game as part of my bounce path, and I easily have enough time to run a killer program (if I need to) and hack a system.

-- Griffinhart

So you manually bounce through the links and then save?

Pretty much, until an AutoBouncer program is added to the game (if ever).

It's really not that hard... add all the phone links, disconnect, highlight four (or five, or six, or however many you can handle) links, open your map, bounce through them. Save, exit the map, hide the links you just bounced through, and then repeat. It takes maybe five minutes, ten if you're tired, lazy, and are foregetful from lack of sleep.

Or maybe that's just me.

-- Griffinhart

I usually just add everything to the bounce... missions, random servers, everything. once its added, i delete it from ly list... it will show up anyway...

Yeah, same here. As I acquire new links from missions, I just add 'em onto the bounce path. I can hack a mainframe and my trace time'll be around 10 minutes.

Which means I need to add all of the InterNIC links to my bounce path as well...

-- Griffinhart

You have to remember that veteran players of vanilla Uplink can pull off a bank hack in their sleep without even a milligram of adrenaline being secreted into their bloodstream. I tried to do a bank hack yesterday and had to psych myself up to do it, because of how hard it becomes after the game has progressed for a few in-game weeks.

My method is simple though - hack lots of machines using the "crack and dc" method; mainly mainframes and government machines (Soc Sec DB, Criminal DB, Academic DB, etc). Get accounts at all of the banks. Create a nice bounce list through the lot and you'll have an insanse trace time. I've seen trace times of 2000s+ on low end systems (e.g. Uplink Test Machine).

Only 2k+ on the UTS, Burningmace? I usually hit around twice that.

Learn to love the International Telephone Database.

-- Griffinhart

>2k, hence the +

Most I've seen is about 4200 seconds though.