Apparatus/Bypass/Decryption/Slicer

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Sound19
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Apparatus/Bypass/Decryption/Slicer

Post by Sound19 » Tue, 21. Mar 23, 17:17

I've been intensely searching for an explanation of each of these items and cannot find one.

I understand that all engineering and security consoles on a station ask for the Security Decryption item(with the exception of turrets, which asks for the slicer for some bad reason). But I can't find an explanation of these four items' differences and applicability.
Why is there no explanation of these very similar-sounding, difficult-to-keep-track-of items? Why isn't anything useful about these items written in the wiki?

Going further: Since there's no discernable difference in how they're all interacted with, why do they each have different recipes, instead of just using the same three ingredients? On the more extreme end, why does the Decryption System need FIVE of it's own UNIQUE rare drops when the others need just one? Why can't they all just use different quantities of the AGI Heuristic Cores?
Heck, why aren't they collapsed into a single item name, with a Mk2 or mk3 variants? Honestly, why isn't all of this pointless, obtuse bloatware simply removed from the game in the very next patch? It could all be so incredibly clear, with little time spent on it - why is it retained? What is gained?

Every time I come back to the game, I re-experience the same exasperation around these silly items. I figured it was about time I should actually ask.

Alan Phipps
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Re: Apparatus/Bypass/Decryption/Slicer

Post by Alan Phipps » Tue, 21. Mar 23, 17:24

Have a look in this spoilers thread. You have to open some of the spoilered sections. I don't *think* things have changed much since.
A dog has a master; a cat has domestic staff.

Sound19
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Re: Apparatus/Bypass/Decryption/Slicer

Post by Sound19 » Tue, 21. Mar 23, 20:58

Thanks for the link. I searched this forum, but I couldn't get a good search result.

The linked thread has a post putting the details on the well known uses: Slicer for security stuff, Decryption for the trade/industry stuff.
It was helpful to see at least part of it written down together. But that's two out of four. I have no knowledge about the Bypass and the Apparatus.

One way or another, all of this ought to get steamrolled into no more than two items/recipes, IMO.

Alan Phipps
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Re: Apparatus/Bypass/Decryption/Slicer

Post by Alan Phipps » Tue, 21. Mar 23, 21:06

The thread says that there is currently no in-game function for the Security Bypass System (further link), but I have no idea what the 'apparatus' you mention is. I have never heard of it in vanilla, unless it is a cosmetic piece of equipment used in a plot mission to *simulate* a needed 'black box' for something.
A dog has a master; a cat has domestic staff.

Sound19
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon, 31. Dec 18, 01:14
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Re: Apparatus/Bypass/Decryption/Slicer

Post by Sound19 » Tue, 21. Mar 23, 21:38

Interesting. The Security Apparatus was clearly in my list of craftable security stuff. I'm running 6.0 beta, VRO mod, and Sector Satellites mod, but I don't think those do anything with items or hacking. Is it a new item?

Same problem though... Like the kyon crystal, or bypass, if it's here just for looks, just for clutter, I feel like that's a really frustrating experience and design choice.

Alan Phipps
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Re: Apparatus/Bypass/Decryption/Slicer

Post by Alan Phipps » Tue, 21. Mar 23, 22:01

Found it - A Security Apparatus is an in-game inventory item that is a modified Security Slicer developed by Axiom. It is built using Axiom's Security Apparatus Chips which themselves cannot be constructed in-game.

These items are cosmetic 'black box' items used only for TOA's Past a Prison plot mission.
A dog has a master; a cat has domestic staff.

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