At some point during the Breach intrusion, the Palisade upgrades their AI defense core with a learning module. This makes the Blade capable of learning from Avatar infiltrations and building up defenses to stop them.
This makes Breach more challenging and exciting in several ways.
AI Cores
Damage: Damage controls systems that can kill avatars faster
Defense: Defense controls systems that protect against avatar attacks
Delay: Delay controls systems that slow down avatar infiltrations
Scoring
Every time the player completes a server map (failures do not count), experience points for each of the three AI cores are secretly tallied. The overall gain for each core is shown on the Level Results, Progress tab.
Software Versions
If a core receives enough XP, it levels up to the next software version. Each version activates a new gameplay effect that applies to ALL levels within the Breach (for that player). At max level, the software version can no longer be increased, but difficulty is so substantially boosted at that point that players will feel strong pressure to downgrade when possible.
Score Bonus
Increasing the Software Version has the side effect of increasing the AI EVOLUTION MULTIPLIER, which can add up to a 2x score bonus per level. Players interested in high scores may want to increase Software Versions on purpose to raise this multiplier.
Downgrade
Through regular gameplay, Software Versions can only increase. To downgrade, players can use NUKE VIRUSES from the AI Evolution Details panel or VR Map. Each Virus will downgrade one or more cores by a specific number of levels. Nuke Viruses can be found in Booster Packs.
Challenges
When a player sends a challenge, their AI Core status is also sent. The receiving player has to not only play for the challenge time/score specified, but must also do so using the AI Core Versions the sender had. Playing a challenge will not affect the receiver’s AI Core levels. After playing, everything reverts to what it was before.