Are you struggling with online hacking in Watch_Dogs, or would you
like to simply have an edge over your opponent? Well, the following are
some tips on how you can gain the upper hand, hack your enemy, and get
away clean.
What is Online Hacking:
Before we go into the tips, just what is Online Hacking? To put it
simply, it is a mode where your goal is to hack someone without being
spotted. You track them down, plant a virus in their cell phone, and
them you have to avoid them until the upload is complete. If your
enemy spots you and profiles you with their phone (which is as simple
as pointing a phone at someone and tagging them), then you must escape
with your life by any means necessary. While it may seem like a simple
mode, it does require quite a lot of strategy, on both ends, and it
can be quite addicting. So, with that being said, let us move on.
Trail your enemy until you've found the perfect spot:
When you first enter an Online Hacking match you have around four
minutes to actually start the hack. Before you do this though, make
sure you are in an area which is "perfect" for you. The moment you
start the hack, the gameplay area will be set, and you will not be
able to leave that set radius. Large open areas, highways, open
fields, and wooded areas offer little to no cover and should be
avoided.
Use Waterways:
If you do find yourself stuck on a highway with
nothing around, head
for the water. While this is just one of your options, it may be your best
bet. Typically if you start hacking on a roadway, the other person
will start to search the other cars. Most people will think that you
are trying to hide in the traffic, and they won't even consider the
possibility that you might have risked your life by jumping over the
ledge. Most waterways have something you can grab onto to pull yourself
up, which can then be used for your advantage. Simply pull yourself up, be in a position where you can see your target, and begin the hack. (If you begin the hack before, the target will be alerted to you jumping in the water.) If you need to escape,
this is a great way to get away as well; as you are harder to see while
swimming (especially when its dark).
Act like an NPC while Driving:
Obey the laws of the road when you are hiding in a car. Don't drive on
the side walk, don't hit people, don't run things over, stop at stop
signs, and do whatever you can to make it appear like you are an NPC.
Just keep in mind that you do need to stay within the area, so when
possible, change cars as you drive around. If the guy you are hacking
notices the same car pass by, three, four, or ten times, there's a
higher he/she will spot you. You can also park your car and "hide,"
but even this comes with risks. If they do find you, and your car is
parked, it takes a few seconds to start it up and drive away. Within
that time, they can easily shoot you.
Use structural columns and other tall objects:
Sometimes you'll find yourself in a building, or in an area which
seems to have limited hiding places. While this may seem like a bad
thing, it really isn't. Both you and your enemy know there are only so
many places you can hide, and because of that your opponent is less
likely to search a place more than once. By hiding behind tall
objects, or structural columns in buildings, you can avoid enemy
contact. Simply press up against the object, wait for the enemy to
come close, and slowly circle around as they walk by you. If you time
it right, you will be un-seen, and your target most likely will not
return to the area again for quite some time. From their point of
view, it was a dead end area with nowhere to hide. Little did they
know you were just right around the corner. On top of that, if they do
see you, there's always the chance they'll just think you are some
scared NPC. Especially if someone had just caused chaos in the streets
and sent them running.
Lead enemies away from you:
Just because you are hiding in one spot, doesn't mean you can't
control what happens on the opposite side of the map. By using
cameras, and other devices, you can distract your target. If you hide
in one area, use cameras, and then disable street lights or cause
explosions, you will trick the target into thinking you are near by.
They will search the area, and most of the time not even consider that
it was a trick.
Use gunfire when needed:
In Online Hacking the hacker wants to avoid shooting, but sometimes it
can be very helpful. Shooting in the streets will cause panic which
will allow you to run without being noticed, shooting near your target
can cause confusion for them as long as you are a safe distance away,
and if you are spotted, shooting towards the enemy can help you get
away. Once again, the goal is to NOT kill your target, but if they
think you don't care, you could send them running for cover instead.
It isn't ideal, but sometimes you are left with no choice. If you do
hit them though, just make sure it's not in a vital area.
Hide on the outside of the area if possible:
This one comes down to luck, but it is very useful when it happens. At
times the hacking area will form with the boundary just past the
corner of a building, or some other object you can hide behind. If
this is the case, you can press up against that building, stay out of
sight, and be just inches away from the boundary. The other player
will realize the boundary is where that building is, and most of the
time they won't even bother checking around the corner. They'll just
assume there is no chance of you pressing up against it just within
the boundaries. Once again you can only do this if you're lucky
enough, but it does work with more than just buildings. Anything that
sticks up can be used.
Hide in something:
Allover the city you'll find things you can hide in, and often they
are the last place someone will look. Simply jump inside, for example,
something like a truck bed, press yourself up against the inside wall,
and circle around the inside along with your target as they run around
the outside. It is a simple trick, but it works amazingly well. Just
make sure you are ready to run if you do get spotted.
Plan your escape:
Before you even pick an area as your hiding place, look around and
plan your escape. Look for any ledges you can jump down, any parked
cars you can take, and any explosive objects you can hack. If someone
gets too close, try setting off anything that would distract the
target, and if you have to, make a run for it. Jump over that ledge,
get in that car, run behind that building, or do whatever else you can
think of to get away. The distraction may buy you time, but if your
target decides to turn around and continue heading your way, you have
to run. That is, unless you can use one of the tips above to stay
hidden; such as, circling around a tall object. If you do get spotted
though, and profiled, you have no choice.
Avoid bikes unless you are escaping:
While great for escaping, don't use a bike to trail your opponent. You
can easily be spotted, and easily shot. When escaping on the other
hand, that is a different story. Bikes are smaller, they can easily
dodge traffic, go where cars can't, and they are also much faster.
It's not hard to leave someone in the dust when on a bike.
Use cars for more than just driving:
Can't find something to hide behind? Hide and circle around a car!
Cars make great cover, and if you are spotted, you can instantly jump
inside. Now cars will be a bit more open areas than other possible
hiding spots, but they make a great alternative if there's nothing
else around.You could also cause a traffic jam and hide behind a group
of cars by jumping from car to car as your target searches each one.It
is a bit riskier, but very effective.
Use IEDs if you just don't care:
Want a distraction? Plant an IED and make a run for it. While it is
the evil way to do things, the explosion will draw attention away from
you. When you're safely across the map, someone will run over it, the
explosion will alert your target leading them to the wrong location,
and you can go into hiding. It'll hurt innocent people, or possibly
even kill your target, but sometimes it is a risk worth taking.
If you rather walk than wait, never stop:
You don't have to hide in one spot, you can move if you want. If you
get bored just waiting around, never stop moving. As mentioned above,
shoot a gun and run with the NPCs, walk with a group, or stand next to
someone for a bit and then move on. The trick is to always stay to
your target's back, and to walk where the target has already searched.
They will come back around for a second or third sweep, but not until
they've searched everywhere they haven't.
Hide high but stay low:
Being on top of a building can both be a good thing and a bad thing.
On the plus side, you can see almost everything. You can watch where
your target is, and you can duck behind objects to prevent them form
seeing you. It is a great place to be. However, you can be trapped up
there. If your target decides to search the roof, you will see them
coming, and you will need to make an escape. Before hiding on a roof
do a quick sweep of the area. Look for any ledges you could safely
jump down, and look for anything you can hide behind to use the circle
trick mentioned above. If there's nothing around, and you can't get
down, try to create a distraction on the streets below to lead your pursuer away. If this doesn't work, you may just have to take a stand,
and hope for the best.
Avoid the train:
The train isn't your friend in Online Hacking. If you stop the train,
your target will know you did it, if you get on the train you'll leave
the area, and if you get trapped on the train, you are a goner. In
this case, it is only good for escaping once you've been spotted, but
even that can be a risk. If your enemy sees you get on, they can just
as easily stop it, and take you down.
Well that's about it! Although there are many ways you can go about
hacking someone, a lot of the fun comes from you figuring out your own
strategies. Finding a hiding place, planning an escape route, and
using everything around you to your advantage can be quite the rush,
and nothing feels more rewarding than seeing your plan succeed.
Hopefully you'll be able to use the tips listed above to your
advantage, but also don't forget to do your own thing. Tips are meant
to help you, so don't be scared to play around with them, and have
fun. (As for you poor targets out there, well... Now you know our secrets.)
