 |
For the contents of the terminals, see Fallout: New Vegas terminal entries. For locks in Fallout: New Vegas, see Lock (Fallout: New Vegas). |
|---|
Hacking is a gameplay mechanic used to gain access to terminals in Fallout: New Vegas.
Characteristics[]
A list of words will be presented, all of the same character lengths, interposed with random characters. The length of the words is determined by the difficulty of the terminal. The number of words is determined by how high one's Science skill is. One of the words is the correct password, and the goal is to guess it by clicking on it.
If incorrect, the terminal will display "x/y correct" where x is the number of correct letters, and y is the word length. There will be four attempts to select the correct password, at which point the player character will be permanently locked out. With the Computer Whiz perk, an additional try is available.
Symbols[]
Aside from the words on the screen, the player will also be presented with several symbols. If the player can find groups of symbols in between sets of brackets, such as []. {}. (). and <>, selecting them will remove duds, or incorrect passwords, and replenish the number of attempts the player has before being locked out. The number of usable symbols is randomized with each hacking attempt. While some attempts may provide enough usable brackets to reduce the word count to 1, others may not provide any usable bracket strings.
When selecting a bracketed text string when there is only one selectable word left it will have no effect and say "Entry Denied." Previous choices are displayed on the right-hand side of the terminal. To get to the hacking mini-game quickly, click the startup screen on the terminal to skip to the next screen. Click once more to load the hack screen instantly. If one backs out after the first hack attempt prior to "locking" the terminal, the wait for the initial key in prior to the mini-game is longer.
Requirements[]
| Terminal level | Science skill requirement |
Password length | XP reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very Easy | 15 | 4-5 | 20 |
| Easy | 25 | 6-8 | 30 |
| Average | 50 | 9-10 | 40 |
| Hard | 75 | 11-12 | 50 |
| Very Hard | 100 | 13-15 | 60 |
Locations[]
| Place (or closest map marker) | Location in place | Skill level | Purpose | How Many | Bad Karma? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ashton silo control station 
|
L1 | Average/Hard | Disengage lock | 2 | No |
| Black Mountain | Prison building | Very Hard | Password Disengage Lock |
1 | No |
| Black Mountain | Broadcast building 1st floor | Easy | Background info | 2 | No |
| Boulder City | Train station | Average | Disengage lock | 1 | No |
| Camp Golf | House Resort | Easy-Hard | Ranger info | 2 | Easy-No Hard-Yes |
| Camp McCarran | Inside a tent in front of Camp McCarran terminal building entrance | Very Easy | NCR Ranger mail | 1 | No |
| Camp McCarran | Camp McCarran supply shack | Average | Download weapons manifest used in Dealing with Contreras quest | 1 | Yes |
| Camp Searchlight | Around the turrets | Very Easy-Very Hard | Turret control | 5 | No |
| Camp Searchlight | NCR storage area (inside derelict church) | Average | Access safe Inventory |
1 | No |
Forbidden Zone 
|
X-42 Robo-Warfare Facility | Very Hard | Emergency shutdown of the X-42 giant robo-scorpion | 1 | No |
| The Fort | Weather monitoring station | Average-Hard | Quest-related | 2 | No |
| Gomorrah | Big Sal's office | Average | Disengage lock | 1 | No |
| Goodsprings | Goodsprings schoolhouse | Easy | Disengage lock | 1 | No |
| Goodsprings | Prospector Saloon | Easy | Disengage lock | 1 | Yes |
| H&H Tools factory | 2nd floor | Average | Background info | 1 | No |
| Hidden Valley bunker | L1 | Very Easy-Hard | Journal entries Turret access |
4 | Yes |
| HELIOS One | Mirror yard terminals | Hard | Reset mainframe connections | 2 | No |
| HELIOS One | Solar collection tower | Easy | Turret control | 1 | No |
| Hidden Valley bunker | L2 | Very Hard | Self-destruction | 1 | Yes |
Hopeville silo bunker entrance 
|
L1, L2, and L3 | Easy-Hard | Disengage lock Disable security |
3 | No |
| Lucky 38 | Casino | Hard | Quest-related | 1 | No |
| Lucky 38 | Penthouse | Hard | 1 | No | |
| NCR Embassy | Easy-Average | Information | 2 | Yes | |
| Primm | Bison Steve Hotel | Easy | Disengage lock | 1 | No |
Puesta del Sol switching station 
|
Very Easy-Hard | Turn off radio Turret control |
3 | No | |
| REPCONN headquarters | 3 FL1, 3 FL2, 2 FL3 | Very Easy-Very Hard | Disengage lock Background info Bypass security |
8 | No |
| Salida del Sol
|
On a desk in the south | Average | Turn speakers off | 1 | No |
| Sierra Madre Casino & Resort
|
Executive suites | Easy-Normal | Turn speakers off Download Recipe: Super-Heated Knife! Unlock security closet |
2 | No
|
| Sunset Sarsaparilla headquarters | Factory floor | Very Easy-Average | Background info Activate Mr. Janitor |
3 | No |
| Third Street Municipal Building
|
Outside the entrance on a desk | Easy | Background info | 1 | No |
Two Skies cave 
|
In front of the electric door | Average | Disengage lock | 1 | No |
| Ulysses' Temple
|
Maintenance and storage | Hard | Disengage lock | 1 | No |
| Vault 3 | Maintenance wing | Average | Disengage lock | 2 | No |
| Vault 3 | Living quarters | Average-Hard | Disengage lock | 3 | No |
| Vault 3 | Left of vault entrance | Very Easy | Close access panel | 1 | No |
| Vault 21 | Gift shop | Very Hard | Background info | 1 | Yes |
| Vault 21 | Sarah Weintraub's room | Easy | Sarah Weintraub's mail | 1 | Yes |
| Vault 11 | Hard | Disengage lock | 1 | No | |
| Villa clinic
|
2nd floor | Easy | Background info | 1 | No |
| Villa police station
|
On a desk next to the front entrance | Hard | Disengage lock | 1 | No |
X-8 research center 
|
X-8 institutional test facility, 1st floor | Average | Turret control | 2 | No |
| X-8 research center
|
X-8 institutional test facility, 2nd floor | Easy | Turret control | 2 | No |
| X-13 research facility
|
X-13 stealth testing lab, directly across the elevator | Hard | No function | 1 | No |
Notes[]
For the Hack the Mojave achievement/trophy, 25 terminals must be hacked.