Hacking

While being a highly advanced coalition of alien races, ADVENT makes extensive use of technological components in their occupation of Earth.  Perhaps it was intentional on their part so as to better utilize our pre-existing infrastructure, or due to Human scientists cracking a code early in the invasion, or sheer luck, the resistance has access to protocols that can interface with ADVENT technologies.  Using handheld devices carried by all operatives, (or the Specialist Class’ Gremlin Drone) soldiers can attempt to use their Hacking skill against various mechanical targets such as lockboxes, terminals, scanning towers, and even some enemy units.

Most Hacking attempts will be presented with 3 possible outcomes: a Major Benefit, a Minor Benefit, and a Failure Penalty.  The nature of these varies depending on the target. For example, when hacking an enemy unit as a Specialist, they might be:

Major: Control Enemy Unit

Minor: Stun Enemy Unit

Penalty: Enemy unit gets aim and defense boost

Most benefits effect the current mission, though some can have a permanent effect on the game, such as a permanent hacking stat increase or acquisition of a new asset at the base (discovery of a new plot point, bonus intelligence, progress towards research, etc)

Broadly speaking, the Major Benefit will have a lower likelihood of success than the Minor Benefit, and in either case, failure results in the Penalty.  The soldier attempting the hack may scout the hack first, determining the various outcomes and their chances before attempting the hack for no action cost. When attempting the hack, they must select which benefit they are attempting to access.

Some targets, such as mission objective targets, may not have a Failure Penalty at all.  Instead, they have an automatic success condition (such as the door unlocking, the intel stash being dumped, etc) and then two additional bonuses, one with a significantly higher chance of success than the other.

The exact calculation for each success chance is based on comparing the soldier’s Hacking stat against the target Hack Defense stat, modified by each benefit’s base success chance. Another way of thinking about it is that the Base success chance of each type of benefit represents the % chance that the soldier will succeed provided that their hack offense stat and the target's hack defense stat are equal. Every point of disparity between the offense and defense stats then shifts the %chance of success on a 1-to-1 basis.

Example: Bob the Specialist is attempting to hack an ADVENT surveilance tower. The possible results are:

Major: All enemies are disoriented for 2 turns

Minor: The next attack against the soldier will automatically miss

Feedback: A squad of enemy reinforcements is summoned at the squad's position.

The Major benefit has a base success chance of 23, and the minor has a chance of 65. The hack defense of the tower is 50. So, if Bob's hack offense stat is 50, then if attempting to disorient the enemies, there's a 23% chance they will be disoriented, and a 77% chance of summoning reinforcements. If Bob is attempting the minor benefit, there's a 65% chance of negating the next attack, and a 35% chance of summoning reinforcements. If Bob's

Hacking must be done from within point blank range, unless attempted via a Gremlin.  Gremlin Hacking can be done within visual range of the target point, so long as their is line of sight to it.