Hacking (Fallout 3)

Hacking is a gameplay mechanic used to gain access to terminals in Fallout 3.
==Characteristics==
A list of words will be presented, all of the same character lengths, interposed with random characters. The length of the words is determined by the difficulty of the terminal. The number of words is determined by how high one's Science skill is. One of the words is the correct password, and the goal is to guess it by clicking on it.
If incorrect, the terminal will display "x/y correct" where x is the number of correct letters, and y is the word length. There will be four attempts to select the correct password, at which point the player character will be permanently locked out. With the Computer Whiz perk, an additional try is available. 
===Symbols===
Aside from the words on the screen, the player will also be presented with several symbols. If the player can find groups of symbols in between sets of brackets, such as []. {}. (). and <>, selecting them will remove duds, or incorrect passwords, and replenish the number of attempts the player has before being locked out. 
When selecting a bracketed text string when there is only one selectable word left it will have no effect and say "Entry Denied." Previous choices are displayed on the right-hand side of the terminal. To get to the hacking mini-game quickly, click the startup screen on the terminal to skip to the next screen. Click once more to load the hack screen instantly. 
==Requirements==
Terminal level	Science skillrequirement	Password length	XP reward
Very Easy 	15 	4-5 	20
Easy 	25 	6-8 	30
Average 	50 	9-10 	40
Hard 	75 	11-12 	50
Very Hard 	100 	13-15 	60
==Locations==
Place (or closest map marker) 	Location in place 	Skill level	Purpose 	How Many	Bad Karma?
Alexandria Arms 	Second floor 	Average 	Unlocks door to Storeroom 	1 	No
Arlington Library 	Library lobby 	Easy 	Information 	4 	No
Arlington Library 	Arlington Library Media Archive middle floor 	Average 	Turret control 	4 	No
Arlington Library 	Arlington Library Media Archive top floor 	Average 	Turret control 	4 	No
Arlington Library 	Arlington Library Media Archive top floor 	Average 	Unlocks safe 	4 	No
Anacostia Crossing Station 	near Seward Square exit 	Average 	Protectron 	1 	
Anchorage War Memorial 	At the top of the steps leading to the Anchorage Memorial Facility Bay 	Average 	Unlock Door 	1 	
Bethesda ruins 	Bethesda Offices East 	Average 	Turret control 	2 	
Bethesda ruins 	Bethesda Offices West 	Average 	Turret control 	2 	
Capital Wasteland 	Southeast of the Arlington Library at a Talon Company checkpoint 	Average 	Turret Control 	1 	
Capital Wasteland 	Southeast of flooded metro on a bridge near a raider encampment 	Average 	Turret Control 	1 	
Citadel 	In the Clinic, Ring B 	Very Hard 	Information 	3 	Yes
Citadel 	Squire Maxon's Room, Ring B 	Very Easy 	Information 	3 	
Citadel 	Elder Lyons' room, Ring B 	Very Hard 	Information 	3 	
Dunwich Building 	Forsaken Dunwich ruins 	Easy 	Story Infos 	1 	
Dunwich Building 	Forsaken Dunwich ruins, second level, behind Average locked door 	Easy 	Story of a scavenger who holed himself up in the room waiting for a 'Billy'. His corpse and gear can be found at your feet.	1 	
Dupont Circle station 	In the room before the cavern, behind a door 	Average 	Turret Control 	2 	
Dupont Circle station 	South of the collapsed car tunnel exit. 	Very Easy 	Protecton robot control 	2 	
Crater Camp 	Just west of Fort Bannister 	Average 	Information 	1 	
Fairfax ruins 	Southeast of, halfway to Andale 	Average 	Turret control 	1 	
Franklin Station 	Near the entrance of Franklin Metro utility 	Easy 	Unlocks Door 	1 	
Farragut West station 	Office near entrance 	Very Easy 	Protector Robot control 	1 	
Foggy Bottom station 	Near the entrance of Dupont Circle 	Average 	Protectron Robot control 	1 	
Fort Bannister 	Fort Bannister Bunker 	Easy 	Turret Control System 	3 	
Fort Bannister 	Commanding Officer's Quarters 	Average 	Unlocks door 	3 	
Fort Bannister 	Commanding Officer's Quarters 	Average 	Turret Control System 	3 	
Fort Independence 	Fort Independence Lower Level 	Average 	Turret Control System 	2 	
Fort Independence 	Fort Independence Lower Level 	Hard 	Unlocks Door 	2 	
Franklin Metro utility 	Right after entering 	Hard 	Unlocks safe 	2 	
Franklin Metro utility 	Below of first room 	Hard 	Turret Control 	2 	
Germantown police HQ 	Ground Floor 	Very Hard 	Unlocks jail cell doors 	4 	
Germantown police HQ 	Ground Floor 	Very Hard 	Unlocks contraband closet 	4 	
Germantown police HQ 	Top Floor 	Very Hard 	Information 	4 	
Germantown police HQ 	Top Floor 	Easy 	Unlocks safe 	4 	
Grayditch 	Doctor Lesko's Shack 	Average 	Information related to Those! 	2 	
Grayditch 	Brandice's House 	Easy 	Information 	2 	
Greener Pastures disposal site 	Offices 	Average 	Unlocks safe 	1 	
Jefferson Memorial 	Jefferson Museum and gift shop 	Average 	Turret Control System 	1 	
Jefferson Memorial 	Jefferson Museum and gift shop 	Very Easy 	Scribe Bigsley's terminal, Only in Broken Steel 	1 	
Jury Street Metro station 	Jury St. tunnels 	Very Easy 	Unlocks safe 	1 	
Little Lamplight 	The Great Chamber, northwest corner 	Average 	Opens Vault 87 Reactor Door (see Joseph) 	1 	
L.O.B. Enterprises 	East Wing, northwest corner 	Very Hard 	Info on unique pistol 	1 	
Lucky's 	Inside, on a counter 	Hard 	Unlocks scavenger's safe 	1 	
Marigold station 	Left of behind subway car near flashing light 	Easy 	Unlocks door 	2 	
Marigold station 	Dr. Lesko's Office 	Average 	Unlocks access door and notes 	2 	
MDPL mass relay station 	Inside Power Station 	Very Hard 	Unlocks safe 	1 	
MDPL-13 power station 	Derelict Power Plant, inside upper office 	Average 	Unlocks safe 	3 	
MDPL-13 power station 	Derelict Power Plant, inside lower office 	Hard 	Turret Control 	3 	
MDPL-13 power station 	Inside power substation, on desk 	Hard 	Unlocks safe 	3 	
MDPL-16 power station 	Power Substation 	Average 	Unlocks safe 	1 	
MDPL-21 power station 	Power Substation 	Hard 	Unlocks safe 	1 	
Megaton 	Children of Atom 	Very Easy 	Information 	5 	Yes
Megaton 	Craterside Supply 	Very Easy 	Information 	5 	Yes
Megaton 	Megaton armory 	Hard 	Deactivating Deputy Steel and Weld 	5 	Yes
Megaton 	Moriarty's Saloon 	Average 	Information (Finding out where dad went) 	5 	Yes
Megaton 	The Brass Lantern 	Very Easy 	Information and unlocks safe 	5 	Yes
Meresti service tunnel 	Meresti Trainyard Station Entry terminal 	Very Hard 	Information 	1 	
Meresti Metro station 	The Family's terminal 	Very Hard 	Information 	3 	
Meresti Metro station 	The Family's terminal #2 	Very Hard 	Information 	3 	
Meresti Metro station 	Vance's terminal 	Very Hard 	Information and Unlock safe 	3 	
Museum of History 	Lower Hall - Top of Staircase on right 	Average 	Turret Control 	2 	No
Museum of History 	Offices - Go left at the top of the stairs, then go left after the Very Hard door 	Average 	Turret Control 	2 	No
Museum of Technology 	Atrium, In the Security Station 	Average 	Turret Control 	4 	
Museum of Technology 	West Wing, In the Security Station 	Average 	Turret Control 	4 	
Museum of Technology 	West Wing, In the Security Station 	Average 	Information 	4 	
Museum of Technology 	West Wing, in the Planetarium Control Room 	Easy 	Unlocks planetarium exit door (if you have less than 50 lockpick and cant unlock it) 	4 	
National Archives 	Next to archives sub-basement door 	Easy 	Unlocks door 	1 	
National Guard depot 	Offices Wing, behind a locked door (average) on the other side of the wall (go up the stars and down the other side) there is an unlocked door that goes to the same room.	Average 	Disable turrets 	4 	No
National Guard depot 	Training Wing 	Average 	Disable turrets 	4 	No
National Guard depot 	National Guard depot 	Average 	Disable turrets (#1) 	4 	No
National Guard depot 	National Guard depot 	Average 	Disable turrets (#2) 	4 	No
Northwest Seneca Station 	Inside Grocer, on counter 	Easy 	Unlocks safe 	1 	
Nuka-Cola plant 	South East of Wasteland 	Very Easy 	Activating Convoy Belt for Nuka-Cola Quantum's 	2 	
Nuka-Cola plant 	Storage and Mixing V.A.T.S. 	Very Easy 	Activating security Protectron 	2 	
Olney Powerworks (Broken Steel Add-on)	Olney Powerworks 	Very Hard 	Unlocks Door to Tesla Coil 	2 	No
Olney Powerworks (Broken Steel Add-on)	Olney Powerworks 	Hard 	Machine Fail safe for Electrical Field around Tesla Coil 	2 	No
Our Lady of Hope Hospital 	First floor 	Average 	Information (Nurse Station 01) 	4 	
Our Lady of Hope Hospital 	First floor, north 	Average 	Information (Nurse Station 02) 	4 	
Our Lady of Hope Hospital 	Inside entrance, near reception 	Average 	Turret Control System 	4 	
Our Lady of Hope Hospital 	Second floor, dead end to the east 	Average 	Information (Nurse Station 03) 	4 	
Outcast outpost 	In Protector McGraw's chamber. (Operation: Anchorage) 	Very Easy 	Information 	1 	
Paradise Falls 	In Eulogy's Pad, on the table with the Speech bobblehead near the heart bed 	Average 	Use in quest Rescue from Paradise 	1 	
Queen ant's hatchery 	Accessed from Marigold station 	Average 	Use in quest Those! 	1 	
Raven Rock 	Level 1B, Delivery terminal 	Average 	Unlocks Cage #364 	3 	
Raven Rock 	Level 1B 	Average 	Disables Force Field 	3 	
Raven Rock 	Level 2C, same room as Bobblehead - Energy Weapons 	Average 	Disables Force Field 	3 	
Red Racer factory 	CEO Offices 	Average 	Disable chip broadcast 	3 	
Red Racer factory 	CEO Offices 	Average 	Surgeon's Notes 	3 	
Red Racer factory 	CEO Offices 	Average 	Surgeon's Notes & disable chip broadcast 	3 	
Rivet City 	Midship Deck, Abraham Washington's room 	Average 	Information 	8 	Yes
Rivet City 	Midship Deck, Seagrave Holmes's room 	Average 	Information 	8 	No
Rivet City 	Tower (2 terminals) 	Very Easy 	Information 	8 	No
Rivet City 	Upper Deck, Clinic 	Average 	Information 	8 	Yes
Rivet City 	Upper Deck, Doctor Li's room 	Easy 	Information 	8 	Yes
Rivet City 	Upper Deck, Bannon's room 	Easy 	Information 	8 	Yes
Rivet City 	Upper Deck, hotel lobby 	Very Easy 	Information 	8 	Yes
RobCo facility 	Upper Level - Offices and Cafeteria 	Average 	Robot control 	1 	
Roosevelt Academy 	Ground Floor - Admin Office 	Very Easy 	Protectron 	2 	
Roosevelt Academy 	Ground Floor - Nurse Office 	Hard 	Open safe 	2 	
SatCom Array NN-03d 	Tower C 	Very Easy 	Open Door 	1 	
SatCom Array NW-05a 	Southeast of Raven Rock 	Average 	Turret Control 	1 	
Steelyard 	In front of a line of 4 Protectron's 	Hard 	4 Protectron's 	1 	
Super-Duper Mart 	In a storage area the back of the store, next to the Protectron. 	Very Easy 	Protectron 	2 	
Super-Duper Mart 	Office at the back of the store. 	Easy 	Opens door to the storage area to the right of the terminal. 	2 	
Taft Tunnel 	Before the flood door 	Very hard 	? 	1 	
Tenpenny Tower 	In Boutique Le Chic, 1st Floor 	Average 	Unlocks safe 	4 	Yes
Tenpenny Tower 	In New Urban Apparel, 1st Floor 	Average 	Unlocks safe 	4 	Yes
Tenpenny Tower 	In the Federalist Lounge, 1st Floor 	Easy 	Store Discount 	4 	
Tenpenny Tower 	Metro Access & Generator around back of the tower 	Easy 	Unlock containment door for Tenpenny Tower 	4 	
Tepid sewers 	To the left of the entrance 	Average 	Control automated turrets 	2 	
Tepid sewers 	Outside Rocksalt's storage room 	Easy 	Unlocks Rocksalt's storage room 	2 	
Underworld 	Winthrop's Room 	Average 	Information/Unlocks safe 	4 	Yes
Underworld 	The Chop Shop 	Very Easy 	Information 	4 	Yes
Underworld 	The Ninth Circle 	Very Easy 	Information/Unlocks safe 	4 	Yes
Underworld 	Underworld Outfitters 	Very Easy 	Information 	4 	Yes
VAPL-58 power station 	Inside building 	Very Hard 	Unlocks safe 	1 	
Vault 87 	Living Quarters 	Average 	Information/Unlocks safe 	8 	
Vault 87 	Test Labs, Isolation Room 01 	Hard 	Unlocks Door 	8 	
Vault 87 	Test Labs, Isolation Room 02 	Hard 	Unlocks Door 	8 	
Vault 87 	Test Labs, Isolation Room 03 	Hard 	Unlocks Door 	8 	
Vault 87 	Test Labs, Isolation Room 04 	Hard 	Unlocks Door 	8 	
Vault 87 	Test Labs, Isolation Room 05 	Hard 	Unlocks Door 	8 	
Vault 87 	Test Labs, Lab Tehnician 	Average 	Unlocks Door 	8 	
Vault 87 	Test Labs, Medical Wing Maintenance 	Average 	Unlocks Door(s) 	8 	
Vault 92 	Living Quarters 	Average 	Women's Dorm Security terminal 	5 	
Vault 92 	Living Quarters 	Average 	Men's Dorm Security terminal 	5 	
Vault 92 	Living Quarters 	Hard 	Data Storage Entry 	5 	
Vault 92 	Living Quarters 	Average 	Security terminal 	5 	
Vault 92 	Atrium 	Average 	Supply Shop 	5 	
Vault 101 	Interrogation room during Trouble on the Homefront 	Average 	Opens cell, Information (this terminal is unlocked during Escape!) 	3 	
Vault 101 	Overseer's office 	Very Easy 	Opens tunnel, Information 	3 	No
Vault 101 	Sub-Level 	Hard 	Information 	3 	
Vault 106 	Entrance, security room 	Very Easy 	Information 	2 	
Vault 106 	Living Quarters, Overseers office 	Very Hard 	Information 	2 	
Vault 112 	Tranquility Pod Floor 	Hard 	Unlocks door to Supply Room 	1 	
Vault-Tec headquarters 	Vault-Tec Administration, Lower Floor, northeast corner 	Average 	Disable turrets 	2 	
Vault-Tec headquarters 	Vault-Tec Administration, Upper Floor 	Average 	Disable turrets 	2 	
Wheaton Armory 	Bottom of missile silo 	Average 	Turret control 	2 	
Wheaton Armory 	Bottom of missile silo 	Very Hard 	Unlocks Door 	2 	
Greener Pastures disposal site 	In the offices of the disposal site on a table when you walk into the offices 	Average 	Unlocks safe 	2 	
==Notes==
To gain the Data Miner achievement/trophy, 50 terminals must be hacked.
Category:Fallout 3 gameplay