Beginners Guide

The Beginner's Guide is a primer for new runners entering The Lattice for the first time. This page covers essential knowledge, recommended early-game strategies, and common mistakes to avoid.

Getting Started

Terminal Descent is a text-driven cyberpunk adventure. You type commands at a terminal prompt to navigate, fight, hack, talk, and explore. There are no quest markers or waypoints — the game rewards curiosity, attention, and experimentation.

Choose your mode:

Classic Mode — Pure terminal experience. Full screen, no HUD. For purists.
Modern Mode — Terminal + sidebar HUD with live Cyberdeck stats, skill hexagons, HEAT gauge, and inventory. Recommended for new players.

Essential Commands

Learn these first:

Command	What It Does	When To Use It
LOOK	Describes your current location	Every time you enter a new area
EXAMINE [thing]	Inspects a specific object or NPC	When LOOK mentions something interesting
SEARCH	Searches for hidden items and passages	In every room — you will miss things otherwise
MOVE [direction]	Moves to an adjacent node	To navigate the Lattice
SCAN	Shows connections and security levels	Before deciding where to go
TALK [npc]	Starts a conversation	When you meet someone
STATUS	Shows your full stats	Regularly, to track your progress
HELP	Lists all commands	Whenever you are stuck
SAVE [name]	Saves your game	Before anything dangerous

Your First Hour

The Safehouse (Node 1)

You wake up in a basement. This is home base. Do this:

LOOK — Read the room description carefully
EXAMINE everything mentioned — the terminal, the cyberdeck, the surroundings
SEARCH — Find hidden items
Read Lyra's message — This gives you your first objective
SAVE — Create your first save before leaving

The Safehouse is always safe. No IC, no HEAT gain. Return here to rest and reduce HEAT.

Public Lattice (Node 2)

Your first encounter with IC (Intrusion Countermeasures) — hostile security programs. You will meet a Sentry.

Your options:

ATTACK — Fight it directly (generates HEAT)
EVADE — Try to dodge past (skill-based)
CLOAK — Turn invisible and sneak by (0 HEAT)
ANALYZE — Study it first to learn its weakness

Tip: ANALYZE first, then decide. Information is your best weapon.

Echo Ruins (Node 3)

A dead social media platform. Explore thoroughly — Lyra's dead-drop is hidden here. Use SEARCH to find the entrance to Lyra's Cache (hidden node H1).

Onyx Market (Node 5)

Meet FENCE — the market algorithm. TALK to FENCE. ASK FENCE about everything. Buy your first program upgrade. This relationship will be important throughout the entire game.

The Five Things New Players Miss

1. SEARCH Everything

LOOK shows you the room. SEARCH reveals what is hidden. Many critical items, passages, and secrets are only found through SEARCH. Do it in every single room.

2. EXAMINE Everything

If LOOK or SEARCH mentions an object, EXAMINE it. Examining things adds to your knowledge — and NPCs respond to what you know. The dialogue system tracks what you have witnessed and read.

3. HEAT Matters

Every aggressive action raises your HEAT level. Stay low (Ghost tier: 0-15) as long as possible. Once you are Hunted (36+), the game gets significantly harder. Stealth approaches generate zero HEAT.

4. Talk to Everyone About Everything

The dialogue system is deep. Use TALK and then ASK [npc] ABOUT [topic]. New topics unlock as you discover information. NPCs remember your conversations and react differently based on your history.

5. Save Often

Create named saves before boss fights, before entering new nodes, and before making story choices. Multiple save slots are available.

Understanding Your Cyberdeck

Your Cyberdeck has three core stats:

Stat	What It Does	Priority
Processor (PROC)	Determines action speed and program effectiveness	High — affects everything
Memory (MEM)	Number of program slots available	High — more slots = more options
Firewall (FW)	Defense rating and neural damage resistance	Medium early, High late

You start with limited memory slots. Every program you load costs memory. Choose your loadout carefully — you cannot load everything.

Understanding Skills

Your six skills level up through use. There are no skill points to allocate — just do the thing and you get better at it:

Skill	Leveled By	Why It Matters
Intrusion	Hacking locks, bypassing access	Opens doors, bypasses IC
Combat	Fighting IC	More damage in fights
Analysis	Using ANALYZE, SCAN, PROBE	Better intel, higher crit chance
Stealth	Using CLOAK, EVADE, SPOOF	Lower HEAT, longer cloak
Social	Talking to NPCs, persuading	Better dialogue, faction rep
Crypto	Decrypting files, solving ciphers	Better paydata, puzzle solving

Tip: You do not need to be good at everything. Specialize in 2-3 skills that match your playstyle.

Playstyle Archetypes

The Ghost

Focus: Stealth + Analysis

Avoid combat entirely. CLOAK through IC encounters, ANALYZE everything, and keep HEAT at Ghost level. This is the hardest but most rewarding path — the Ghost Protocol ending requires Ghost-level HEAT throughout Act III.

The Brute

Focus: Combat + Intrusion

Fight everything. Upgrade offensive programs. Learn protocol chains for maximum damage. Accept higher HEAT and deal with the consequences. Fast but loud.

The Diplomat

Focus: Social + Crypto

Talk your way through obstacles. Build NPC relationships. Use information and faction reputation to access areas others cannot reach. Decrypt everything for maximum intel.

The Balanced Runner

Focus: Intrusion + Analysis + one combat skill

The generalist approach. Hack when you can, fight when you must, analyze everything. Keeps all options open for late-game decisions.

Common Mistakes

Ignoring HEAT — It compounds. One bad fight can push you from Ghost to Hunted, attracting more IC, which generates more HEAT...
Not returning to the Safehouse — It is the best HEAT reduction location. Plan return trips.
Selling quest items to FENCE — Some items look like junk but are needed later. When in doubt, keep it.
Rushing through nodes — Every room has hidden content. SEARCH and EXAMINE everything.
Ignoring NPC relationships — FENCE, CONDUIT, and ORACLE all offer critical support if you invest in the relationship.

What To Do When Stuck

HELP — Review available commands
LOOK — Re-read the room description
SEARCH — Look for hidden items or passages
EXAMINE — Inspect specific objects mentioned in descriptions
ASK [npc] ABOUT [topic] — NPCs often have hints
ANALYZE — Study whatever is blocking you
Try different commands — The game rewards experimentation