A job that focuses on short, semi-offstation combat and puzzle solving to generate materials for the station. It emphasizes team play and can get considerably difficult depending on the domain chosen.
Bare minimum requirements: Load up domains in the server, drag yourself into a netpod, read the domain info, complete the task. When finished, exit via alert or hololadder, shut the domain down, and deliver the cache to cargo.
Your workplace
The Bitrunning Den is the home of all bitrunning equipment. Sweaty, dimly lit, and poorly decorated; you'll find an assortment of machines to link yourself to a virtual domain here. Bitrunning uses the following equipment:
- Quantum servers
- Quantum console
- Netpods
- Byteforge
Quantum Server
The driving force behind bitrunning is called a "quantum server", a hunk of metal crudely wired together inside the den. The quantum server loads domains in one at a time and must cool down between operation. These virtual domains generally tend to focus puzzle solving or combat elements where you find and deliver a sealed crate back to the safehouse where you loaded in. It is then materialized in its processed form on the station for redemption.
Upgrading the server can be beneficial, for instance:
- Capacitors: Reduce the amount of cooldown time required
- Scanners: Detect more information in the domain selection screen
- Servos: Reduce the injury taken from severing connections.
Virtual domains loaded in can be incredibly realistic - you are using your mind to pilot another person, after all. The damage you incur inside a virtual domain is often reflected back to your physical body. There are some forms of damage which do not directly translate, like toxin and suffocation. Netpods can attempt to sluggishly heal damage, but should you incur it too quickly to heal or if you die outright, you will be ejected from the netpod.
Quantum Consoles
The quantum console interfaces with server operations. Due to poor craftsmanship, it must be placed adjacent to a server in order to function. In the quantum console UI, you can see four key elements:
- The number of points in the top right, these are rewarded on domain completion. Domain rewards dictate the amount of materials awarded, NP awarded to your account, and the raw points are used to purchase new domains. You do not get points for stopping a domain before the cache is retrieved. You are never locked out of loading in new domains, as there are free and entry level ones to choose from. Choosing a random domain grants extra reward points, but is not available for entry level domains.
- The domain list. This iterates over every available domain, but without proper components, you will be limited to seeing simpler domain info while the rest are obscured. Expanding domain info can give you an overview of the task and the rewards it may present.
- Connection info. This section highlights the number of connections remaining (the radio towers), then the avatars connected. While not always accurate or up to date, it can give you a quick glance at the well-being of the hosted avatars within the domain, as well as a breakdown of the damage they may have received.
- The currently loaded domain. This is available if the domain selected is within scanner potential, otherwise is redacted. You can also halt the current domain here. If there are currently connected avatars, the system will attempt to alert them before their connection is severed.
Netpod
The devices which each bitrunner uses to connect into the virtual domain. Netpods are clunky, coffin-like contraptions which you must link into then submerge your body so that you don't overheat. To access one, drag your character into the unit while a domain is loaded. Some features of netpods:
- Simple security: Not impervious, but resistant to damage and external environmental threats. If the pod takes considerable damage or is being pried open by crowbar, the occupant is alerted to the event and is given a brief moment to respond.
- Rudimentary healing: Netpods slowly heal damage over time. This is done to prevent avatars from dying from mysterious causes while inside the domain. However, it is not equipped for full cycle healing, and will eject its occupant once it runs out of power.
- Disconnection & Severance: Using a netpod generates an object representative of the method to disconnect to your physical body. The hololadder it creates upon entry can be walked over or clicked to return. You are also offered the chance to disconnect safely when the cache is recovered. Should you, the server, or the netpod you're using sustain critical damage or lose power, you will be ejected unsafely from the machine, which can cause brain damage.
- Job selection. Right-clicking a pod allows you to set the Job of the avatar for that pod, while inside a domain. Different jobs have different starting gear - Bitrun as a clown for extra
style pointsridicule from your peers. Do note that some domains force your avatar's job to a specific choice.
Byteforge
This machine handles spawning the cache from the virtual domain. Be advised that materials inside the encrypted cache are not actually transferred, as the cache is merely a symbolic representation. You will not be able to transport items or people in the encrypted cache itself.
Virtual Domains
Virtual domains are the maps loaded in via console. They are intended to be short missions where you complete puzzles or battles in order to retrieve the cache. Each virtual domain loads in a safehouse, which serves as a gear room for the map ahead. Here, you can find marked tiles to extract the encrypted cache, hololadders to represent methods to disconnect, and sometimes gear if needed for the mission. The cache itself manifests as a secured crate, and using the domain info ability will help you retrieve it. Once found, drag the cache back to the circuit tiles in the safehouse. These are sometimes in different locations, but should be similar in appearance. You can confirm it is an extraction tile by examination.
Things to note while in domain:
- Avatar damage can be reflected onto the host's body. Healing is not. The host body slowly heals while inside a netpod, but if you sustain damage too quickly, or take damage which knocks you unconscious, you will be disconnected.
- Being forcibly disconnected from your domain, either by dying, having your pod destroyed or pried open, or having the server lose power, will cause you to take brain damage. Try to keep some Mannitol and Neurine on-hand, especially when going into more dangerous domains.
- Not all forms of damage are reflected onto the host's body.
- You may only generate a small number of avatars. This is dependent on the safehouse / domain chosen - The only limit to this is the number of hololadder landmarks spawned in the safehouse.
- You are rewarded for speed, difficulty, and handling threats.
- Threats can be benign or malignant. Ghosts are very capable of spawning in and thwarting your efforts. They can also appear and be helpful. There is no restriction on their behavior in the virtual domain - All Bitrunners are valid inside domains..
- You do not always need to reach the hololadder to disconnect. Completing a domain offers an alert which can be clicked to disconnect immediately. There are also other unsafe methods. Termination of your avatar will return you to your host body.
Space Police
Certain domains, when loaded and entered, send an alert to ghosts asking for volunteers to be temporary antagonists. The exact name varies depending on the domain, but will involve the player taking over a pre-existing enemy. Space Police have one goal - Kill those gamers!
Vendor Rewards
While bitrunning, you accrue rewards in the form of NexaPoints(TM) for the NexaCache vendor. The vendor works very similarly to mining vendors: Placing an order can either put it in the cargo shuttle orders, or deliver it immediately via an express pod. The vendor rewards range from cosmetic, to helpful, to abilities.
- Cosmetic items: Don the cringiest gear in the galaxy. Become the One. Stocked with items like borritos and space cola, you can use this category to achieve negative style points.
- Helpful tech: Buying items in this category grant technology designs which can be redeemed at the station's benefit - BEPIS tech. Long forgotten and barely used, it's found a home here for the benevolent Bitrunner.
- Bitrunning Tech: The last category constitutes the selfish path of bitrunning - Buffing one's own Bitrunning capability. You will find disks that grant items or abilities here. To use them, order them, activate them in hand to make a selection, then carry it on your person (ie: in your bag or pockets) when entering a virtual domain. Some of these disks can grant incredible power.
Bitrunning Tech
Bitrunning tech disks can be purchased from the NexaCache vendor for NexaPoints(TM), and give your bitrunning avatar additional items or abilities when entering a domain. Disks have multiple options for the item or ability received, which is selected by using the disk in-hand prior to entering a domain - This is a one-time choice, so be sure you want that pizza box! Disks are split into two types:
- Gear disks. These give a weapon or utility item. Items tend to be situational, with some being functionally useless and others trivializing specific domains.
- Program Disks. These give you magic powers, accessible through action buttons. Abilities tend to be generally useful in all domains, at the cost of having short cooldowns on use.
Each category is split into three tiers, with higher tiers giving theoretically stronger items and having higher NexaPoint(TM) costs. Disks can either be delivered through the cargo shuttle, or pod-dropped immediately for an additional cost.
Multiple disks can be brought into a domain - All disks in your backpack are loaded when you enter. Items spawn in your hands, or at your feet if you run out of hands. Importantly, multiple copies of the same disk and choice can be brought in - Equipment disks will bring extra copies of the equipment, while powers will give you an extra use of the power on a separate cooldown for each copy of the disk.
| Disk | Cost (NexaPoints(TM)) | Contents | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitrunning Gear: Basic | 650 | Medbeam Gun, Infinite Pizza Box, Single brick of C4 | Medbeam gun is good for domains with large amounts of weaker enemies, as it lets you avoid the war of attrition that having limited medical supplies would cause.
Infinite Pizza Box is surprisingly viable - The healing from eating is slow, but it's a source of healing you don't need outside help to apply. Don't get smart ideas with the C4 - Almost all walls in a domain are either indestructible, or only lead to more walls. |
| Bitrunning Gear: Complex | 974 | Chainsaw, Automatic Pistol, Hardlight Sword (E-sword) | E-sword is a good offhand weapon for domains with ranged combat - It can reflect lasers. |
| Bitrunning Gear: Elite | 1625 | Tesla Cannon, Double-bladed E-Sword, The Stinger | Tesla Cannon is largely a meme, with a high magazine but little-to-no damage.
D-sword makes any fight with enemies that use lasers free, as it always reflects. The Stinger is the sword from the 'Bees' Syndie-Kit Special bundle. It attacks faster than a normal sword and has low damage, but injects bee venom with each hit. |
| Bitrunning Program: Basic | 650 | Conjure Cheese, Basic Heal | As above, Basic Heal is good for domains with large amounts of weaker enemies.
Conjure Cheese is also an OK, if slow, source of healing from eating. You're better off not, though. |
| Bitrunning Program: Complex | 1170 | Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Forcewall | Fireball is, par-none, the best ability to get if you're worried about Space Police. On top of the damage, it knocks down and flashes anyone hit.
Forcewall is good for breaking chases if you need to heal - NPC enemies can and will stop chasing you if you break line of sight long enough. |
| Bitrunning Program: Elite | 2080 | Shapeshift: Dragon, Shapeshift: Polar Bear | Both are largely only good for fighting Space Police - NPCs will always land their melee hits on you when in range, so tanking isn't a great plan, and both forms are slow. |
Tips
- Upgrading the server can greatly increase efficiency and quality of life. You will be granted higher rewards, take less damage if you die, and the server will cool down faster.
- Upgrading other machines (currently) has no effect.
- Lost? Domains offer information as an ability upon entering a domain. Sometimes cryptic, but the clues to puzzles are often in the first paragraph of the domain information itself.
- Playing with more players increases server rewards. Team up!
- If you die or otherwise have your connection severed, wait inside the netpod until it ejects you itself. It will heal all damage except organ damage.
- If you're stuck inside of a domain, even as a shadow of your former self (say, a gondola), you're always capable of leaving the simulation... Unsafely. Death by any means is effective.
- Domains are hostile. Do not trust mobs, dead or alive, to not become sentient.
- If you have more Bitrunners than there are pods available (From an overenthusiastic HoP or, worse, a job overflow), build a surgery table and grab some tools to stash in the Bitrunning den. Whichever gamer is not currently in the simulation can play doctor on the brain damage received while running, as well as heal anyone who leaves their pod early. Remember to share your
video gamesimportant job equipment with yourlittle brotherextra coworkers! - If you don't have any extra Bitrunners, you can also ask chemistry for Mannitol to repair brain damage.
- Don't be afraid to ditch your starting gear - Not every item from Gear Disks will be useful in every domain. Every mission is theoretically completable with only the gear provided inside the mission.
