Eve Online: Odyssey's hacking mechanic features 'permadeath' inspired by roguelikes

Developer CCP Games outlined new hacking mechanics coming to Eve Online in the game's upcoming expansion, Odyssey, an effort to make exploration gameplay in the hardcore space sim "much more immersive and interactive."

Eve's creators say the hacking mechanics were inspired by similar features in dungeon crawlers and roguelikes "and gives them a hacking twist."

"We like this because it furthers the feeling of exploring unknown, hazardous places in the computer system controlling the object you are hacking," CCP wrote on its official blog. This includes procedurally generated levels, turn-based combat mechanics and permadeath "on a scale that is suited to shorter games."

A longer explanation of how Eve Online players will actually interact with those system is explained thusly.

The player begins by activating their Hacking or Archaeology module on the appropriate target and is then presented with the UI window for their module. The gameplay remains the same between both Hacking and Archaeology with the latter being appropriately themed as an older computer system both visually and aurally. The window shows the user the computer system mapped out as a network of interconnected nodes. One of the node's contents is already visible as this was the penetration point of the activated module. Users hack a system by exploring the nodes adjacent to the nodes that they have already explored. Their goal is to find the core or cores in the system and taking them over by destroying them. Once the core is destroyed the system has been hacked and the module forces the site to scatter its contents from the cargo hold into the vacuum of space. The hacker, his friends and anyone else around can then collect the scattered contents.

For more on hacking and archaeology mechanics coming in Odyssey, as well as a look at the future of those systems, check out CCP's full post.

Eve Online: Odyssey, the space sim's 19th expansion, will be released June 4.