Fallout players horrified to discover they’ve been hacking terminals wrong for years
Hacked off
Published 07:59 6 May 2024 GMT+1
Fallout players everywhere have been horrified to learn they’ve been making hacking much harder than it ever needed to be. And they’ve been doing so for years.
The Fallout franchise is enjoying a well-deserved bit of time in the sun right now. Fallout 76 is better than it’s ever been, Fallout 4 has had a massive new update, and Amazon’s Fallout series was the catalyst behind it all.
With so many people picking up a Fallout game for the first time, a lot of new discoveries have been made. And I have to say I, for one, was genuinely shook to realise this little hacking secret.
What’s the big deal?
For those that aren’t too familiar with the Fallout games, it’s possible to hack certain terminals to gain access to private documents, disable defences, or open doors and safes.
Hacking in Fallout involves a small logic game that is not for everyone. Essentially you have four guesses to crack the password, and you can work out how close to the password you were after every guess by working out which letters and their specific placement are consistent across each guess.
For example, an attempt at hacking in Fallout might go: Dead (1/4) – Dune (3/4) – Dude (success).
If you make four guesses and don’t succeed, the terminal locks. In some Fallout games this means you’re permanently locked out unless you manage to find a password written down somewhere, while in Fallout 4 you can just wait a while and try again.
But in all Fallout games, there’s an easier way. As pointed out by Jamie Moran on Twitter, not only can you remove “dud” words, you can also reset your attempts if you close the terminal after your third guess.
Okay, so I guess some people knew this, but judging by the replies on Twitter, a lot of us did not.
Wow
I had no idea that in Fallout 4
Highlighted closed brackets or equivalent of on Computer Terminals
Can reset your tries & take away words that don’t work.
From XboxSeriesX
Fallout, you son of a bitch.
So there you have it. The Fallout terminal hacking secret is out. Let’s just say I can’t believe how long I’ve been struggling with hacking when I could have been resetting my guesses all along.
Bethesda has never actually told us about this mechanic so it’s perfectly understandable that the majority of players had no idea about it. But I’m sure it’s going to make a huge difference to a lot of people and it’s pretty clear the internet agrees with me.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the existence of Fallout hacking tools, which will crack the password for you. If you’re really struggling, perhaps give it a try. I can’t promise anything, but they’re worth a look.
Anyway, be sure to let me know in the comments if you had any idea about this hacking time-saver. You’re not alone, I assure you, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Until next time!
Featured Image Credit: Bethesda
Topics: Fallout, Bethesda
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