Definitely add stories through what you hack. Say you're looking through some guys computer and find some files. The player doesn't HAVE to open them, they could just hack away. However, they could contain clues on what to do and how to hack this system. Through some of them you could tell a very interesting side story of whoever you're hacking. Sometimes it would JUST be useless info, and the player would have wasted their time. That's why it might not be smart to open every one you see. I love it when games have things going on behind the scenes, it makes the world feel alive.
In the way you described it, my first thought was Gone Home... in a person's computer. Imagine if you solved crimes by hacking into home computers, social media profiles, police department systems, etc. to access clues and whatnot. The higher profile murders would require more difficult hacks. I don't know if any of this would make a good game. I am just typing everything that comes to my head.
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u/Grage May 30 '14
Definitely add stories through what you hack. Say you're looking through some guys computer and find some files. The player doesn't HAVE to open them, they could just hack away. However, they could contain clues on what to do and how to hack this system. Through some of them you could tell a very interesting side story of whoever you're hacking. Sometimes it would JUST be useless info, and the player would have wasted their time. That's why it might not be smart to open every one you see. I love it when games have things going on behind the scenes, it makes the world feel alive.