Overview
This is a basic guide on the new Hacking system from the Advanced Edition update for the game, here are all the basics you need to know about it.
What is it.
Hacking is a system introduced in the FTL: Advanced Edition update . It can be found on some AI ships during the game, and is a starting system on the Lanius Cruiser, as well as several of the other ships’ unlockable C-type layouts. It initially starts with one power bar, and can be upgraded to a maximum of 3 bars .
Upgrading the system increases the length of hack it can perform . A hack generally either disables a system or causes it to malfunction.
Upon deploying a hacking drone (they are treated much the same as any other drone by the game, but do not require a schematic to build), if it is not hit by a stray shot or defense drone, it will latch onto the selected system room, giving you constant view of the affected room . While the hacking drone is active and there is power to the hacking system, the doors of the room become purple doors (locked) .
Effects on different systems
The hacked system will shut its doors to the crew of the affected ship , but will grant access to any crew from the same ship as the hacking drone. For as long as there is power to the hacking drone, the doors remain locked, but triggering the actual hacking process will cause different effects depending on the targeted system .
- Weapons : Provides information on the charge status of every active weapon ; when activated, reverses the charge-up process .
- Shields : Slowly discharges shields , taking ~1.5s to discharge each level of shielding.
- Bridge or Engines : Reduces the ship’s evasion to zero and stops FTL charging .
- Oxygen : Depletes oxygen rapidly instead of regenerating it.
- Medbay : Damages crew instead of healing them.
- Clone Bay : Shut down the cloning bay, killing potential clones permanently .
- Drone Control : Deactivate enemy drones , with a chance of destroying them .
- Hacking : Disable enemy hacking modules , potentially destroying them. The enemy can launch a new module when the system goes back online, if they have the parts.
- Mind Control : Disable enemy mind control and briefly mind controls one of the enemy crew at random .
- Teleporter : Enemy boarders are returned to their ship . Mind-controlled enemy on your ship are not treated as enemy boarders.
- Doors : Turn all enemy doors into friendly blast doors , effectively locking all enemy crew in their current rooms.
- Battery : Disable bonus energy and drains two more energy bars .
- Cloaking : Disable cloaking and decloaks ship .
Side-effects
Friend-or-foe identification of teleporter hacking will take into account temporary effects (mind control). Thus, the following situation may cause an unexpected outcome:
Ship A has teleporter and mind control systems installed and activates mind control successfully on a crew member of ship B;
Ship B has hacking system installed, hacks teleporter system of ship A and perform a hacking surge;
If mind control and hacking durations overlap, affected crew member of ship B will be teleported to ship A. If Ship B does not have teleporter system installed, that crew member will not be able to return to ship B at all.
-Taken from FTL Wiki.