Exploration is the name of the game in Fallout 4, and as you’re looting the environment, you’ll inevitably come across various computer terminals that you can hack.
Computers and terminals have been a part of the Fallout series since Fallout 3, and they’re back yet again in Fallout 4. On the surface, hacking a terminal doesn’t seem too complex, but it can get frustrating choosing the wrong word on multiple attempts and having to wait a few seconds before you can log back in again.
Each time you pick a password, the computer will give you a ‘Likeness’ rating, letting you know how many letters are in the actual password. It’s your job to make smart guesses about what the password is. However, you only have four attempts before the computer locks you out. Here’s how to hack terminals easily in Fallout 4.
Tips to Easily Hack Fallout 4 Terminals
- Remove random symbols.
First off, go through the options and look out for long strings of random symbols. Scroll through the layers of code until your cursor highlights a string of symbols enclosed within {}, [], or (). Tap the enter button while highlighting these to either remove a dud or restore the number of attempts you have.
- Pick a word without any duplicate letters.
For your first word, pick an option that doesn’t have any duplicate letters. For instance, you might want to pick “CLOSE” instead of “CLASS” so that even if you pick wrong, you have a higher number of letters you can rule out when looking for your next option.
- Pay attention to the Likeness rating.
Using the previous example, if you picked “CLOSE” and got a Likeness rating of 0, that’s actually good news. Now all you have to do is look through the rest of your options and pick words that don’t have the letters C, L, O, S, or E in them.
If you get a rating of 1 or 2, pick words with one or two identical letters and start a process of elimination from there, and make sure to pay attention to letter placement as well. - Back out after three attempts and repeat the process.
If you haven’t had any luck in your first three attempts, we recommend exiting the terminal and trying again. It’s more efficient than getting it wrong on your final attempt and having to wait 10 seconds for the terminal to refresh.
Hacking Difficulty and Rewards
There are quite a few benefits to hacking terminals in Fallout 4, as you’ll often be rewarded with experience and valuable resources or ammo that could aid you on your journey to save your son. One other thing to note is that just like lockpicking, hacking also comes in four difficulties: Novice, Advanced, Expert, and Master.
All players can hack Novice-level terminals right from the start, but you will need to unlock the Hacker perk in order to attempt the higher difficulty ones.
That’s all you need to know about how to hack terminals in Fallout 4. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more tips and information on the game.
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