Adding Basic Gameplay to documentation

doc/source/basicgameplay/hacking.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+.. _gameplay_hacking:
+
+Hacking
+=======
+
+In the year 2077, currency has become digital and decentralized.
+People and corporations store their money on servers. By hacking
+these servers, you can steal their money and gain experience.
+
+Gaining Root Access
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+The first step to hacking a server is to gain root access to that server.
+This can be done using the NUKE virus (NUKE.exe). You start the
+game with a copy of the NUKE virus on your home computer. The
+NUKE virus attacks the target server's open ports using buffer
+overflow exploits. When successful, you are granted root
+administrative access to the machine.
+
+In order for the NUKE virus to succeed, the target server
+needs to have enough open ports. Some servers have no
+security and will not need any ports opened. Some will have very high
+security and will need many ports opened. In order to open ports on
+another server, you will need to run programs that attack the server
+to open specific ports. These programs can be coded once your hacking
+skill gets high enough, or they can be purchased if you can find a seller.
+
+**There are two ways to execute port-opening programs and the NUKE virus:**
+
+1. Connect to the target server through the :ref:`terminal` and use the
+   :ref:`run_terminal_command` Terminal command::
+
+    $ run [programName]
+2. Use a :ref:`Netscript Function <netscriptfunctions>`:
+
+* :js:func:`nuke`
+* :js:func:`brutessh`
+* :js:func:`ftpcrack`
+* :js:func:`relaysmtp`
+* :js:func:`httpworm`
+* :js:func:`sqlinject`
+
+**There are two ways to determine how many ports need to be opened
+on a server in order to successfully NUKE it:**
+
+1. Connect to that server through the :ref:`terminal` and use the
+   :ref:`analyze_terminal_command` command
+2. Use the :js:func:`getServerNumPortsRequired` Netscript function
+
+Once you have enough ports opened on a server and have ran the NUKE virus
+to gain root access, you will be able to hack it.
+
+General Hacking Mechanics
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+When you execute the hack command, either manually through the terminal
+or automatically through a script, you attempt to hack the server.
+This action takes time. The more advanced a server's security is,
+the more time it will take. Your hacking skill level also affects
+the hacking time, with a higher hacking skill leading to shorter
+hacking times. Also, running the hack command manually through terminal
+is faster than hacking from a script.
+
+Your attempt to hack a server will not always succeed. The chance you
+have to successfully hack a server is also determined by the server's
+security and your hacking skill level. Even if your hacking attempt
+is unsuccessful, you will still gain experience points.
+
+When you successfully hack a server. You steal a certain percentage
+of that server's total money. This percentage is, once again, determined by the
+server's security and your hacking skill level. The amount of money
+on a server is not limitless. So, if you constantly hack a server
+and deplete its money, then you will encounter diminishing returns
+in your hacking (since you are only hacking a certain percentage).
+You can increase the amount of money on a server using a script and
+the :js:func:`grow` function in Netscript.
+
+Server Security
+^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+Each server has a security level, typically between 1 and 100.
+A higher number means the server has stronger security. It is
+possible for a server to have a security of level 100 or higher, in
+which case hacking a server will become impossible (0% chance for
+hack to succeed).
+
+As mentioned above, a server's security level is an important factor
+to consider when hacking. You can check a server's security level
+using the :ref:`analyze_terminal_command` Terminal command. You can
+also check a server's security in
+a script, using the :js:func:`getServerSecurityLevel` Netscript
+Function. See the Netscript documentation for more details.
+
+Whenever a server is hacked manually or through a script, its security
+level increases by a small amount. Calling the :js:func:`grow` function in a
+script will also increase security level of the target server. These
+actions will make it harder for you to hack the server, and decrease
+the amount of money you can steal. You can lower a server's security
+level in a script using the :js:func:`weaken` function in Netscript. See
+the Netscript documentation for more details
+
+A server has a minimum security level that is equal to one third of its
+starting security, rounded to the nearest integer. To be more precise::
+
+    server.minSecurityLevel = Math.max(1, Math.round(server.startingSecurityLevel / 3))
+
+This means that a server's security level will not fall below this
+value if you are trying to weaken() it.