It’s quite limited with the number of registers and logic available, but that’s half the fun of solving complex problems with it. The EXAs are programmed with a small set of instructions of their assembly-like language AXIOM. I would have liked to know how much code was needed to get to optimal cycles. One of my few gripes with the interface is that it does not show the relationship between the metrics. The opposite is also true with smaller algorithms that take up more cycles. There are algorithms that take up more space to process data at a much faster rate. This scoring is based on the space-time tradeoff concept from computer science. It’s basically competitive programming against everyone. Results are compared with the rest of the hackers in the cloud in a nice bell graph to see if you’re performing above or below the average. You need to design robust code that survives the testing phase.Īt the end of the hack your solution is scored in three metrics: process cycles, code size, and EXA activity. The game has its own built-in quality-assurance suite that tests each of your solutions against a hundred different test cases. This doesn’t mean that you are only required to solve a very specific problem. Though, the early ones are not that reactive to your EXA’s presence. The board-state of the network is the enemy that needs to be conquered. You will take on increasingly difficult puzzles for traversal, file access, messaging, and the like. They teach new instructions, concepts, and algorithms to use for the next levels. Cracking the problems in this new less-complex world gets your gears turning and rewards you with the same satisfaction.Įach hack builds up in complexity, designed to build your skillset along the way. Your little friends are called the EXA (Execution Agents). The primary task is to program your bots to hack a system and get what you want. It’s not only a manual, the articles are also written with flavor that adds to the story. For that authentic tangible experience of searching for pieces of information to complete puzzles. The final touches are the ‘zines that you are encouraged to print. Creating a trail of breadcrumbs that form a larger narrative. From emails and conversations in chat logs they build up their world. The presentation and delivery through the diegetic interface is what makes it quite engaging. It’s the type of story I have wished to make myself when I was thinking of my own hacker game. Exapunks checks off a lot of tropes in the cyberpunk genre: elite hackers, mysterious diseases, human augmentation, rogue AI, the metaverse, etc.
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