Editing Hacking (section)

==System Core==

Your primary objective is to find and destroy the System Core, which always has a low Strength but increasing Coherence as the difficulty level increases from Very Easy and Easy (both green Cores), through Medium (yellow Core) to Hard (red Core). Higher difficulty System Cores possess greater levels of protection afforded by their more potent defensive subsystems. The name of the can will tell you the difficulty level of the hack.

{| class="wikitable"
|+System Core Difficulty and Location
|-
!System Core
!System Core Colour
!Difficulty
!Core Coherence
!Relic Site Can Name
!Data Site Can Name
!Location
|-
|https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/images/4/4d/Core_node_very_easy_green.png
|Green
|Very Easy
|50
|Debris
|Info Shard
|High/Low/Null/WH
|-
|https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/images/a/a1/Core_node_easy_green.png
|Green
|Easy
|70
|Rubble
|Com Tower
|High/Low/Null/WH
|-
|https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/images/f/fd/Core_node_medium_orange.png
|Yellow
|Medium
|70
|Remains
|Mainframe
|Low/Null/WH
|-
|https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/images/1/1c/Core_node_hard_red.png
|Red
|Hard
|90
|Ruins
|Databank
|Null/WH
|}

===Location===

The System Core can be found anywhere on the game board (including next to your start position), but is usually found on the opposite side to your initial node (see picture above for a typical Core placement). There are 2 theories which may help you to find the System Core faster: "rule of 6" and "before 8 it's bait".

===Rule of 6===

[[File:Rule of 6.png|thumb|right]]

The Rule of 6 states that if a node is completely surrounded by 6 other nodes, it will '''not''' contain a Defensive Subsystem, a Utility Sybsystem or a Data Cache. '''''But''''' if it contains a Defensive Subsystem then there is the System Core in one of the 6 adjacent nodes.

The practical use of this rule is that you can use such nodes to navigate across the map without triggering lots of Defensive Subsystems, and if you do trigger one you know that the System Core is adjacent. This is helpful on harder hacks which have lots of game board to cover and plenty of Defensive Subsystems to wear down your Coherence.

'''Resources'''
* [https://www.twitch.tv/videos/79089044 Johnny Splunk's Stream on the Rule of 6]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5uQC74VvVQ EVE EXPLORATION/HACKING TUTORIAL | RULE OF 6 | EVE ONLINE]
{{clear}}

===Before 8 It's Bait===

[[File:8 rule areas.png|thumb|right]]

The theory is that the game always tries to spawn the System Core at least 8 nodes away (by air) from the player if it is possible.

In practice it means that it doesn't make much sense to be looking for the System Core anywhere closer than 8 steps away from the spawn location. It may be better to identify the safest way to those distant nodes using [[#Rule of 6|The Rule of 6]] and start looking for the core there. Following this rule may significantly reduce the amount of nodes to explore on bigger fields.

However, note that there may be exceptions to this rule:

* If the field is small and there are no nodes which are 8 steps away from player spawn the game may generate the core at a random location.
* If a node that is 8 steps away from the player spawn is already occupied the game may generate the core 1 step closer.
* If the player was spawned in a node with more than 2 adjacent nodes, the game may spawn the system core at a random location.

'''Resources'''
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeEW0_3ksX0 Relic / data guide - Eve online - Before 8 it's bait]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UThezypQ3Ts Relic / data research - Eve Online - Mid spawns]
{{clear}}