The Doomsday Scenario Beam Hack Guide - All Puzzles Sovled (Act III Finale)

[Jimbatron]

The Doomsday Scenario Beam Hack Guide - with a video showing all puzzle solutions

 

This guide is designed to help players complete the hack puzzles in the Act III Doomsday Finale quickly. Below I have posted a video which I believe shows all the possible puzzles you can draw. There are 14 variants I have completed on video, plus a 15th in the game files that looks like it is never used (see more details below).

 

Why is this important?

 

Obviously you must pass the hack puzzles to complete the finale, but they aren't particularly difficult once you've got used to them. However, there is a very large time differential between an experienced hacker and someone who isn't really sure how to approach them yet. I have seen some players take over 2 minutes, but all of the puzzles should be do-able in 1 minute or less - and you have to complete four of them.

 

It doesn't matter what your team are trying to achieve, be it just getting to the finish, or scoring your personal best time - doing a good versus a bad job at the hack puzzles can easily save you 5 minutes in total. That's hugely significant. If you are just trying to complete the finale and have been struggling with it, that's 5 minutes less the team has to withstand constant re-spawns during the hack. If you are new to Act III and dying a lot in this section, you might be impressed by the difference efficient hacking makes. The time you spend under fire can easily be halved, which causes the likelihood of someone dying to drop substantially. And if you're going for the Elite Challenge, speed is obviously essential.

 

The Video Guide

 

[Youtube]

[/Youtube]

 

Click here to expand the spoiler to see the times where each hack puzzle starts:

 

 

Hack #01:

Hack #02:

Hack #03:

Hack #04:

Hack #05:

Hack #06:

Hack #07:

Hack #08:

Hack #09:

Hack #10:

Hack #11:

Hack #12:

Hack #13:

Hack #14:

Hack #15:

 

 

 

 

Important Principles:

• The rotatable mirrors are not perfectly analogue. In other words, they move in discrete (albeit relatively fine) notches. That means it might look theoretically possible to divert the beam at a certain angle, but in practice it isn't - you'll jump either side of the line you want to hit. If you are struggling to achieve the angle you want, don't persevere. More than likely you will need to bounce off one of the fixed corner mirrors instead - something I overlooked a few times when I first tried these puzzles.
• It is possible to complete every puzzle without hitting a single red node. However, providing you don't lose all your lives, you will not fail for doing so and can still even get the Elite. If you are really pushed for time and a red node is blocking your path to a blue one, sometimes taking it out may be the easiest option.
• When rotating you can brush past a red node without worrying about destroying it. It takes a couple of seconds of cumulative contact before it is triggered. Don't bother rotating around the long way to avoid all contact (a mistake I made earlier on) unless it is already vibrating heavily.
• In the same principle, when you have locked on to a blue node, it will also take a second or so before it is destroyed. During that time you should be considering setting up your next move, rotating the next mirror you need to where possible. You should look ahead though - sometimes the puzzle sets traps where after destroying a blue node the beam will bounce off a corner mirror and hit a red node.
• The spinner nodes will often have a red node in their fixed rotational path. You should break the connection by moving one of the rotatable mirrors until it is no longer pointing at the red node, and then re-establish it. This is important in hacks #07, #14 and #15. If you can turn a mirror that breaks the beams connection to the spinner node in a way that also takes out another blue node, so much the better.
• Some blue nodes can be hit by rotating the mirrors back and forth even though the beam will not permanently rest on them. I use this technique in puzzles #08 and #13.
• You should use the speed up key for the mirror rotation where possible - something I don't do often enough.
• There's a good point that's often made that it's advantageous for the CEO to hack because while they do so they are invulnerable, and the associates all get a proximity health bonus. That's generally true, but if your CEO isn't confident a hacking consider having someone else do it. The difference in time save may well make it worth it.

 

How which hack puzzle you get is determined:

 

Credit goes to Fun 2 for identifying in the game files there are 15 unique hack puzzle textures and how the script selects them. The first time you do the hacks, you will receive them all in the order shown in my video. I was able to verify this as I recorded my very first games of the finale.

 

However, there was, at least in my case, one exception. The hack puzzle for #05 did not appear at all. Instead, #13 appeared in it's place, and #14 followed on directly from #12. The texture for #05 looks very similar to #13, but it is not the same. Notably, #05 has only three microchips, but #13 has four.

 

My initial guesses around this were:

• Either a bug prevented #05 from loading for me - but I've done a bit of Youtube research and I've never seen anyone get it, so I assume so far it's the same for everyone.
• R* intentionally removed it from the script late on for some reason so it never runs.
• Perhaps it is replaced intentionally by #13 which looks like it might be a more complex version of #05. Maybe under some circumstances it will load - perhaps, and I'm theorising here, it will run if you fail a hack or die on your first play through, and then this will load after the 4th attempt, before continuing on to #06.

 

UPDATED - Fun 2 has kindly shared below the part of the game code pertaining to this. It looks like (in my video) #05 may have been intentionally edited out of the script late on and replaced with #13, but they did not remove the texture file. Note in the code the index numbers start with 0 rather than 1, so this pertains to 4 and 12 respectively.

 

After you have played all the hacks in order once, you will be given a random one, not necessarily different from the last one you did (albeit with a supposedly low probability of it being redrawn).

 

You can find the hack puzzle textures in the game files here, and view using a tool such as Open IV:

Grand Theft Auto V\update\update.rpf\x64\textures\script_txds.rpf\

 

Individual textures have file names with the structure mpbeamhack_lvl##.ytd where ## is the puzzle number.

 

An advanced consideration for Elite Challenge players

 

Note that while you are doing the hacks it is the only time that enemies continually re-spawn. Throughout the rest of the finale there are a fixed amount of bad guys to fight. So getting this bit done quickly can only be a good thing, right? In general yes, but there is one other consideration - you have to score 150 head shots to get the Elite. If you're super efficient at hacking, but not so hot at putting bullets in the NPC skulls, you might wish you'd had a few more of them to face. This can be a particular issue for the world record runners where they can get some amazing times but miss out on the Elite by a few head shots because they were so fast they didn't trigger as many spawns. That's a more difficult conundrum. But if you're going for a bog-standard Elite, you are completing the time comfortably, but missing the head shots, you might consider tactically taking a bit longer on the final hack to generate some extra spawns. Remember you are invulnerable whilst doing the hack, and if you are the CEO, everyone else gets the proximity health boost bonus.

 

I'm not sure if that will ever be much of a problem for anyone, but my crew blitzed the hack section and only scraped the head shot count by 8 on the PC in our first Elite run. I wouldn't have fancied my chances of being the right side of 150 if we'd being using control pads rather than a mouse and keyboard - but we had over 5 minutes to spare to beat the overall time, which would have allowed us a bit of trade off if we'd needed it.

Edited February 13, 2018 by Jimbatron

[Karrecod]

Great stuff! Very detailed and lots of info. Thanks!

[Ezekeil2Ofive17]

This is a great post

 

I've never struggled with the hack, it just clicked for me, but I can imagine how frustrating it must be, for all concerned, if you find it tricky

 

The fact that some will never line up is ridiculous

[please stop me]

Great work, I'm sure a lot of people will find this helpful.

[Verbal Soze]

Nice guide as always, thanks

[Rammer2k]

Not sure if this was a rare bug, but on one run, I got 3 of the same really simple hacks, and 1 moderate. Finished the server room in a little over 5mins.

 

Speaking of Server Room, does the spawn rate after the 2nd hack increase? My teammates were saying dudes were pouring in like crazy after I got done with the 2nd hack on our CMM run. They stayed in cover near me pretty much the whole time.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Rammer2k

[Jimbatron]

Not sure if this was a rare bug, but on one run, I got 3 of the same really simple hacks, and 1 moderate. Finished the server room in a little over 5mins.

 

Most likely, you just got some lucky draws. I've seen the same puzzle repeated out of the four quite a few times.

 

A few of the guys are saying it can't be random. Similarly, I remember back in IV everyone used to say the selection of the Boss in Cops 'n Crooks blatantly wasn't because quite often people remember the same player was being drawn boss three times in a row etc. However, I regard myself as something of an expert on the CnC script, and unless the native function GENERATE_RANDOM_INT_IN_RANGE doesn't do what it says on the tin, then it most definitely is random.

 

I think our brains have a natural tendency to remember odd occurrences which creates the misconception they happen more often, plus the probability often isn't actually as low as you might think. For instance, this was a bit back of the envelope, I might have it wrong, but I think the probability of you getting four unique puzzles when they are randomly drawn from the 14 is only ~63%, or there is a ~37% chance that in your 4 draws one or more of the puzzles will be repeated.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Jimbatron

[Lonely-Martin]

This is awesome, thanks for sharing. I never realised there were this many variants. I'd seen a few, but inly hacked 2 or 3 times so far. Came natural after a good few fails, lol. Great little puzzle that has me in 'crystal maze' mode. Classic times.

 

Hopefully this helps many guest visitors too and more randoms learn to get comfy on this part of the heist. Really is one to split opinion, and can see many zip through but many just trip up here, finding shooters isn't as hard as a reliable hacker, lol. The bugs/NPC strength doesn't help some either. But like you said, knowing you'll be there that few minutes less adds to easing the pressure some have a tougher time with when the hacking part comes up. Sweet video.

[aFinn]

I once had 4 same hacks when playing with randoms and many times same one repeating at least once.

[Jimbatron]

I once had 4 same hacks when playing with randoms and many times same one repeating at least once.

Getting the same one all 4 times seems unlikely - I make it 38,416 to 1 (if I'm right about there being 14 puzzles you can draw). I assume that's 4 completed hacks you mean, no backing out and none failed?

 

I haven't seen the Doomsday scripts themselves, but having seen how R* code this sort of thing in other applications, I'd guess there is an integer variable that gets assigned a random number between 1 and 14, and that will determine which puzzle you get. Perhaps if the random number native function fails to run the variable retains its previous value and therefore you get the same puzzle again - I'm totally speculating here though.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Jimbatron

[icefds]

If you get a puzzle, that you can't solve for some reason, press circle to back out of it and press right on the d pad, to start a new hack. You should get a different puzzle.

This does not screw up your elite challenge btw.

[Jimbatron]

If you get a puzzle, that you can't solve for some reason, press circle to back out of it and press right on the d pad, to start a new hack. You should get a different puzzle.

This does not screw up your elite challenge btw.

Am I right in thinking though that this only works if you have already done 14 hacks, and you are into the random draws? I think when you are doing them for the first time in sequence if you back out then you get the same one again. Not sure what happens if you fail a hack at this stage, e.g hit three red nodes.

[icefds]

 

Am I right in thinking though that this only works if you have already done 14 hacks, and you are into the random draws? I think when you are doing them for the first time in sequence if you back out then you get the same one again. Not sure what happens if you fail a hack at this stage, e.g hit three red nodes.

 

 

I played quite a few finales since the release of DD, so i can't confirm your theory to 100%

If i remember correctly though, then you need to complete the first 14 hacks, before you can do the "backing out and start a new one" method.

 

Thanks for the heads up, i didn't think about that.

Edited February 12, 2018 by icefds

[Jimbatron]

^ no probs. I think the back out option might be most worth while if you get #15 on the list and need to be quick, It's not difficult but time consuming because of the number of blue nodes and the way they are spread. It's the only one I think I didn't do in a minute or less. Although I've had it only once, I think this one probably has the longest theoretical minimum completion time - even if the solution is fairly obvious, there at just more mirrors to turn and packets to collect.

Edited February 12, 2018 by Jimbatron

[aFinn]

 

I once had 4 same hacks when playing with randoms

Getting the same one all 4 times seems unlikely - I make it 38,416 to 1 (if I'm right about there being 14 puzzles you can draw). I assume that's 4 completed hacks you mean, no backing out and none failed?

 

4 completed hacks, no backing out, no fails. I remember being annoyed as it was one of those that has many things to move. On the plus side I bettered my time on this by the last one as I got so much practise on it. I saved the clip too so I'm sure it was 4 of the same.

[Tez2]

I haven't seen the Doomsday scripts themselves, but having seen how R* code this sort of thing in other applications, I'd guess there is an integer variable that gets assigned a random number between 1 and 14, and that will determine which puzzle you get. Perhaps if the random number native function fails to run the variable retains its previous value and therefore you get the same puzzle again - I'm totally speculating here though.

Here:

 

 

iVar0 = func_992(6488, -1, 0); // Stat Requestingfunc_6467(&(Local_7237[iParam1 /*2*/]), iVar0);6488 = CR_BEAMHACKvoid func_6467(int iParam0, int iParam1){if (iParam1 < 14){	Local_478.f_3 = iParam1;}else{	MISC::SET_RANDOM_SEED(NETWORK::GET_NETWORK_TIME());	Local_478.f_3 = MISC::GET_RANDOM_INT_IN_RANGE(1, 14);}Var3 = { func_6506(Local_478.f_3) };GRAPHICS::REQUEST_STREAMED_TEXTURE_DICT(&Var3, false);}struct<6> func_6506(int iParam0){	struct<6> Var0;		StringCopy(&Var0, "MPBeamHack_lvl", 24);	StringIntConCat(&Var0, func_6473(iParam0), 24);	return Var0;}int func_6473(int iParam0){	switch (iParam0)	{		case 0:			return 0;				case 1:			return 1;				case 2:			return 2;				case 3:			return 3;				case 4:			return 12;				case 5:			return 5;				case 6:			return 6;				case 7:			return 7;				case 8:			return 8;				case 9:			return 9;				case 10:			return 10;				case 11:			return 11;				case 12:			return 13;				case 13:			return 14;				default:	}	return 0;}

 

 

This is the summary of how it works. Just as you have described "case 4" which is 5 return MPBeamHack_lvl12

CR_BEAMHACK is used for tracking how many times you have played this specific activity, CR refer to Criminal because the concept of GTA Online involved Cops n Crooks mode which had activities planned for CP (Cops) and CR (Criminals).

Edited February 12, 2018 by Fun 2

[Jimbatron]

 

I haven't seen the Doomsday scripts themselves, but having seen how R* code this sort of thing in other applications, I'd guess there is an integer variable that gets assigned a random number between 1 and 14, and that will determine which puzzle you get. Perhaps if the random number native function fails to run the variable retains its previous value and therefore you get the same puzzle again - I'm totally speculating here though.

Here:

 

 

iVar0 = func_992(6488, -1, 0); // Stat Requestingfunc_6467(&(Local_7237[iParam1 /*2*/]), iVar0);6488 = CR_BEAMHACKvoid func_6467(int iParam0, int iParam1){if (iParam1 < 14){	Local_478.f_3 = iParam1;}else{	MISC::SET_RANDOM_SEED(NETWORK::GET_NETWORK_TIME());	Local_478.f_3 = MISC::GET_RANDOM_INT_IN_RANGE(1, 14);}Var3 = { func_6506(Local_478.f_3) };GRAPHICS::REQUEST_STREAMED_TEXTURE_DICT(&Var3, false);}struct<6> func_6506(int iParam0){	struct<6> Var0;		StringCopy(&Var0, "MPBeamHack_lvl", 24);	StringIntConCat(&Var0, func_6473(iParam0), 24);	return Var0;}int func_6473(int iParam0){	switch (iParam0)	{		case 0:			return 0;				case 1:			return 1;				case 2:			return 2;				case 3:			return 3;				case 4:			return 12;				case 5:			return 5;				case 6:			return 6;				case 7:			return 7;				case 8:			return 8;				case 9:			return 9;				case 10:			return 10;				case 11:			return 11;				case 12:			return 13;				case 13:			return 14;				default:	}	return 0;}

 

This is the summary of how it works. Just as you have described "case 4" which is 5 return MPBeamHack_lvl12

CR_BEAMHACK is used for tracking how many times you have played this specific activity, CR refer to Criminal because the concept of GTA Online involved Cops n Crooks mode which had activities planned for CP (Cops) and CR (Criminals).

Awesome thanks for sharing. So it looks like MPBeamHack_lvl4 was edited out late on in development. Presumably they didn't like it in play testing an just changed the script but didn't bother to remove the texture file?

 

Where are the heist scripts stored btw? Apologies for my naivety around GTA V file structures - I was wondering if they are only downloaded when you play them? None of the scripts on my HDD seemed to obviously contain them.

 

On another digressional note:

 

 

Since you mention cops and crooks me and many other fans of the IV mode were obviously dissapoinent when the rumoured DLC never came. I gather R* though playing as a cop didn't fit the overall theme. However most of us who wanted it back though weren't interested in cop role playing - we just wanted the classic "All for One" gameplay in Los Santos. The Extraction adversary mode is the closest they've come, but it's more limited - and over if you get the VIP in one of the insurgents.

 

 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Jimbatron

[Tez2]

It's complicated.
This file with lots of variables is the JSON file for the Doomsday Scenario.
The script that handle all that stuff is called fm_mission_controller

[Jimbatron]

^ Yeah I've noticed variable (re-)assignments for GTA V tend to occur across different scripts more frequently than say in GTA IV where it was relatively more self contained and relatively easier to work out what was going on.

[Rykjeklut]

Nice thread, nice guide. I've never done the hack,so I had no idea what it even looked like. Feeling a lot more confident for future heisting now.

[pb-berto]

hey, very nice work

 

#06 and #01 look a bit diffrent but basically they are exactly the same!!!

the mirrors have exactly the same position

if you move them 100% the same you will get 100% the same time

cause the 3 bubbles in the middle are getting destroyed automatically

 

soo they are exactly the same but #06 looks more complicated but its not^^

maybe thats why you dont see #01 again

Edited February 13, 2018 by pb-berto

[Jimbatron]

About the very first puzzle. Looking at the script Fun shared, it's notable that the native GET_RANDOM_INT_IN_RANGE is based on values 1 to 14.

 

However the first puzzle corresponds to case 0, which initially made me think it couldn't be drawn randomly. But there isn't a case 14 either and the function appears to default to zero if a valid case isn't selected. But perhaps I'm reading it wrong. Currently not sure whether the first puzzle can appear again or not.

[Tez2]

About the very first puzzle. Looking at the script Fun shared, it's notable that the native GET_RANDOM_INT_IN_RANGE is based on values 1 to 14.

 

However the first puzzle corresponds to case 0, which initially made me think it couldn't be drawn randomly. But there isn't a case 14 either and the function appears to default to zero if a valid case isn't selected. But perhaps I'm reading it wrong. Currently not sure whether the first puzzle can appear again or not.

You're actually right. They might have forgot about it.

First puzzle is only available for new players (New to the Beam hack)

[Ezekeil2Ofive17]

So I got stuck on a hack the other day, it was number 9 and I just couldn't see how to get the top right, final, node. Was stuck for a good 4 minutes, then my defender died, came back to the hack, and it was the same f*cking one! Thankfully this time I saw the solution right away, and felt like an idiot

 

It must really suck the fun out of an already pretty not fun heist to always feel like that

[StangOne50]

So I got stuck on a hack the other day, it was number 9 and I just couldn't see how to get the top right, final, node. Was stuck for a good 4 minutes, then my defender died, came back to the hack, and it was the same f*cking one! Thankfully this time I saw the solution right away, and felt like an idiot

 

It must really suck the fun out of an already pretty not fun heist to always feel like that

I was a disaster at the hacks the first couple days. Now i do them all flawlessly. Everyone has to learn.

[Jimbatron]

So I got stuck on a hack the other day, it was number 9 and I just couldn't see how to get the top right, final, node. Was stuck for a good 4 minutes, then my defender died, came back to the hack, and it was the same f*cking one! Thankfully this time I saw the solution right away, and felt like an idiot

 

It must really suck the fun out of an already pretty not fun heist to always feel like that

 

The same thing happened to me on my first try with that one. I spent a good deal longer than I should have done trying to reach it with a mirror where the angle was in theory possible but the game wouldn't allow you to settle on in.

 

This for me is the biggest piece of advice in the OP: the first bullet under important principles. If you think an angle looks like it will work, but you can't seem to select it, don't persevere, because it's probably not possible - look for another mirror to achieve it instead.

[ṼirulenⱦEqừinox]

Playing Watch Dogs prepared me for the Beam Hacking as you have to do this kind of hacking a lot in the Watch Dog games

 

 

Edited February 25, 2018 by Ai®aCob®a

[pb-berto]

trying to get more decent with my hacks and brought out a video for "normal" players

 

i linked your tutorial in the description, i hope thats ok

[AlbertXiaohei]

I know this is 2 years old but can someone please confirm for me if you are vulnerable while you're getting "off" the hacking device? I know you are invulnerable during the hacks but what about when your POV changed back and see enemies shooting at  your butt? Do you take damage at that time? 

[Jimbatron]

3 hours ago, AlbertXiaohei said:

I know this is 2 years old but can someone please confirm for me if you are vulnerable while you're getting "off" the hacking device? I know you are invulnerable during the hacks but what about when your POV changed back and see enemies shooting at  your butt? Do you take damage at that time? 

I think you get a brief period of invulnerability  but it’s not long. I have always been able to get back to cover in time without dying though, and take snacks and body armour if needed before moving on to the next one.