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Skills Tree-WatchDogs

The Skills Tree in Watch Dogs.

Not to be confused with the Progression Tree.

The Skills Tree is the character progression system in Watch Dogs and Watch Dogs 2.

Description[]

The system works in tandem with the XP system in Watch Dogs and the RP system of Watch Dogs 2. It is how the player can upgrade their character to become more powerful in terms of their hacking abilities. The skills tree can also be used to upgrade the skills of the protagonists themselves, thus improving their efficiency in driving, combat or strategic situations.

In Watch Dogs, skills are unlocked with skill points, which are gained every level. This can be done by completing Gang Hideouts or stopping crime around the city (which will also boost your notoriety). In Watch Dogs 2, the player can use their RP, and their collected Key Data to upgrade the Skills Tree in the _/Research app.

At the beginning of the game, the player can only access "Tier 1" skills, which are the basic skills in the game. Once the player starts Open Your World, all the remaining advanced skills can be unlocked.

List of Skills and conditions[]

Watch Dogs[]

Skills
Category Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4
Combat
Focus (Point Cost 1)
Press R3/ALT to start (or stop) Combat Focus and slowdown the perception of time.

Focus can be used while driving to hack more effectively.

Stealth Sprint (Point Cost 4)
Sprinting has a reduced detection radius
Critical Focus (Point Cost 5) (Must complete one Criminal Convoy to unlock)
Replenishes Focus when health is critically low.
Improved Focus (Point Cost 5)
Increases Focus duration.
Slowed Focus (Point Cost 3)
Time moves slower when in Focus.
Maximized Focus (Point Cost 5) (Must complete 10 Chess Puzzles to unlock)
Greatly increases total Focus duration.
Quick Switch (Point Cost 1) (Must catch one criminal via CDS to unlock)
Increases weapons switch speed.
Pistol Expert (Point Cost 2)
Increases rate of fire with semi-automatic pistols.
Shotgun Expert (Point Cost 3)
Increases shotgun damage against vehicles.
Sniper Rifle Expert (Point Cost 4)
Increases scope steadiness for sniper rifles.
Auto Weapons Expert (Point Cost 5) (Must reach Level 5 in NVZN to unlock)
Increases burst precision with all automatic weapons.
Steady Aim (Point Cost 1)
Decreases weapon recoil when firing any weapon.
Demolitionist (Point Cost 3)
Increases the amount of carried explosives.
Expert Demolitionist (Point Cost 4)
Increases the amount of carried explosives.
Enforcer Combat Takedown (Point Cost 5)
Take down Enforcers in combat.
Bullet Resistance (Point Cost 2)
Reduces damage suffered from enemy bullets.
Blast Resistance (Point Cost 3)
Greatly reduces damage taken from explosions.
Rapid Reload (Point Cost 4) (Must complete 5 Gang Hideouts to unlock)
Improves reload speed of all weapons.
Crafted Items Lure (Free)
A simple electronic device that can be used to distract and draw in enemies. Non-lethal.
Jam Coms (Point Cost 1)
Very popular App! Interrupting phone calls is just the start. Guaranteed to scramble any cop scans too. Yes, very popular indeed.
Blackout (Point Cost 1)
Create chaos by plunging the city into darkness. Help all those whining citizens conserve power for the city. *Warning* may cause open sparks - which is also pretty awesome.
ctOS Scan (Point Cost 3)
Single use CtOS Scan to detect and tag non-player enemies.
Focus Boost (Point Cost 2)
Pill that provides massive instant recovery of Focus.
Frag Grenade (Point Cost 1)
The Frag (short for fragmentation) Grenade is an explosive that sprays a hail of shrapnel upon detonation.
IED (Point Cost 2)
IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) are high-powered explosives. Their heavy weight means they have a short throw range. Hack to detonate.
Proximity IED (Point Cost 3)
The Proximity IED is an improvised explosive that will detonate when it detects movement.
Driving Car Unlock (Point Cost 1)
Automatically disables vehicle alarms and unlocks doors.
Defensive Driver (Point Cost 2)
Reduces damage taken from collisions.
Precision Driver (Point Cost 3)
Tires have a lower chance of blowouts.
Escape Artist (Point Cost 5)
Improves the stealth capabilities of Hide-In-Car. Effective when evading choppers.
Off-Road Driver (Point Cost 3)
Improves off-road handling (grass and dirt).
Offensive Driver (Point Cost 5) (Must complete 5 Fixer Contracts to unlock)
Causes more collision damage to enemy vehicles.
Hacking Hacker's Tool Kit (Free)
Several hacking exploits that help in combat, stealth and surveillance. Included is the ability to ghost into the ctOS security cameras to scout any area.
Extra Battery (Point Cost 1)
Adds an additional battery slot.
Extra Battery II (Point Cost 3)
Adds an additional battery slot.
Extra Battery III (Point Cost 5)
Adds an additional battery slot.
ATM Hack Boost (Point Cost 3)
Increases the amount of money gained when hacking bank accounts at ATMs.
Profiler Optimization (Point Cost 4)
Automatically highlights (blue locater) civilians with high value rewards such as system keys, lucrative bank accounts, and high quality vehicle unlocks.

Press X/Square to activate the Profiler and learn more about the targeted civilian.

ATM Hack Boost Plus (Point Cost 5)
Further increases the amount of money gained when hacking bank accounts at ATMs.
Utilities (Free)
Hold X/Square to overload building utilities and create explosions.
Disrupt Enemy Comms (Point Cost 2)
Hack enemy to stun him by sending feedback into his helmet communication equipment.
Disable Reinforcement Calls (Point Cost 5)
Disable the enemy's ability to call reinforcements.
L-Train Control (Point Cost 1)
Press X/Square to stop or start L-Trains and escape your enemies.
Transformers (Point Cost 3)
Hold X/Square to overload transformers and create large electrical explosions. The resulting blackout will conceal you from enemies at night.
Traffic Lights (Free)
Hold X/Square to redirect traffic signals and cause accidents. Press X/Square while the blue diamond flashes (blue diamond) to take out vehicles.
Gates & Garages (Point Cost 1)
Hold X/Square to open or close gates and garage doors.
Bridges (Point Cost 1)
Hold X/Square to open or close the city bridges.
Steam Pipes (Point Cost 3)
Hold X/Square to overload steam pipes beneath the city streets and cause explosions.

Press X/Square while the blue diamond flashes (blue diamond) to take out vehicles.

Disable Helicopter (Point Cost 2)
Disable Helicopters for 5 seconds.
Improved Disable Helicopter (Point Cost 3)
Disable Helicopters for 10 seconds.
Blockers (Bollards) (Point Cost 1)
Hold X/Square to raise or lower the city blockers.

Press X/Square while the blue diamond flashes (blue diamond) to take out vehicles.

Road Spikes (Point Cost 2)
Hold X/Square to raise or lower city road spikes. Press X/Square while the blue diamond flashes (blue diamond) to take out vehicles.

Watch Dogs 2[]

Skills
Category Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 4
City Disruption
CTOS 2.0 Exploits
Auto Takedown (2 Research Points).
Trigger Gates and Steam Pipes when enemy vehicles pass nearby. Press X/Square with the indicated timing.

Costs 4 Botnet Resources.
Robot Exploits (4 Research Points).
Create a Distraction on robots by pressing LB/L1. Hold LB/L1 to get more options.

Costs 2 Botnet Resources per use.
Massive System Crash (6 Research Points & Key Data in Gates Houseboats).
Shut down all city infrastructure for 30 seconds.

Select it with the D-Pad, then use it with RB/R1.
System Crash Upgrade: Blackout (8 Research Points & Key Data in Jack London Square)
Upgrades the Mass System Crash hack.

Turns off all lights in area, reducing line-of-sight (in addition to shutting down all infrastructure).
Traffic Control Exploit
Upgrades the Auto Takedown with the ability to hack the traffic light system. Create accidents to stop pursuers by pressing X/Square with the indicated timing.

Costs 4 Botnet Resources.
Security System Shutdown (6 Research Points & Key Data in New Dawn Facility).
Enables shutting down security systems.

To do so, hold LB/L1 and press Y/Triangle.
Botnet Savings: City Hacking (8 Research Points & Key Data in Fort Point).
Reduces Botnet Resource costs when using any hack on city infrastructure or tech.
Marksmanship
Combat expertise
Sleight of Hand (2 Research Points)
Increases reload speed for pistols and the Stun Gun.
Advanced Sleight of Hand (4 Research Points)
Increases reload speed for two-handed weapons.
Steady Hands (6 Research Points & Key Data in Kirby Cove).
Reduce scope away on all scoped weapons.
Keen Eye (8 Research Points & Key Data in Nudle Park).
Increases damage dealt by sniper rifles.
Strong Grip (6 Research Points & Key Data in Coit Tower)
Increases the stability of two-handed weapons.
Target Weakness (8 research Points & Key Data in Cliff House)
Increases damage dealt by shotguns against vehicles and armored targets.
Steady Aim (4 Research Points)
Increases Stun Gun range.
Fast Trigger Finger (6 Research Points & Key Data in Prescott).
Upgrade pistol rate-of-fire to as fast as the trigger can be pulled.
Stun Amp Up (6 Research Points & Key Data in Stanford University).
Decreases the number of Stun Gun charges needed to stun armored enemies.
Remote CTRL
Hardware Hijack
Environmental RC (2 Research Points)
Remote control for forklifts, scissor lifts, and cranes. Use X/Square.
Proximity Scanner (4 Research Points)
Equip the Quadcopter with enhanced Scanning capacity.

NPC's are tagged through walls while controlling the Quadcopter in NetHack.
Expert RC Engineering (6 Research Points & Key Data in Sutro Tower).
Reduces Cooldown time for the Jumper and the Quadcopter.
Remote Gadgets (8 Research Points & Key Data in Ferry Building).
Equip the Jumper and Quadcopter to drop IEDs and Zappers.
Taunt (4 Research Points)
Equip the Jumper with an internal speaker.

Taunt NPS's into chasing your jumper. Press RT/R2.
Enhanced Spring (6 Research Points & Key Data in Palo Alto).
Improve the jump height of your Jumper. Hold A/X longer to reach higher ledges.
Speed Boost (6 Research Points & Key Data in Alcatraz Island).
Boost Speed for both the Jumper and the Quadcopter. Use Left Stick.
Social Engineering
People's data manipulation
Create Distraction (2 Research Points).
This hack sends a distraction to civilian phones or blasts feedback in enemy headsets. It also cancels 911 and reinforcement calls.

To Distract someone, press LB/L1, or hold LB/L1 then press Y/Triangle option. Costs 2 Botnet Resources.
Improved Profiler (4 Research Points).
Automatically flag profiles of nearby people with large bank accounts.
Massive Communication Disruption (6 Research Points).
Simultaneously create a Distraction on everyone around you. It also calls 911 and reinforcement calls.

Select it with the D-Pad, then use it with RB/R1.
Botnet Savings: Personal Devices (8 Research Points & Key Data in Swan Leavitt Observatory).
Reduces Botnet Resource costs when using any hack on individuals.
Gang Attack (4 Research Points)
Assign a target to one of the gangs of San Francisco.

To do so, hold LB/L1 then press B/Circle. Costs 8 Botnet Resources.
Gang Skirmish (6 Research Points)
Rally high level members of a gang to rough up your target.

This replaces the Gang Attack ability. Costs 8 Botnet Resources.
Gang War (8 Research Points & Key Data in Elmhurst).
Call the strongest member of a gang to attack your target.

This replaces the Gang Skirmish ability. Costs 8 Botnet Resources.
APB: Suspect Located (4 Research Points)
Place a false APB on your target and broadcast the location. The police will come to arrest the target.

To use this ability, hold LB/L1 then press X/Square. Costs 8 Botnet Resources.
APB: Wanted Criminal (6 Research Points)
Place a false APB on your target with a special "dangerous criminal" advisory.

This replaces the APB: Suspect Located ability. Costs 8 Botnet Resources.
Tinkering
Gadget Mastery
Electro Shock Device (2 Research Points).
Knocks people out temporarily.

Throw with RB/R1, then neutralize nearby NPCs with LB/L1. Hold LB/L1 for more options.

Simultaneously press LB/L1 and RB/R1 to remotely detonate all deployed Electro-Shock Devices.
Explosive Device (4 Research Points)
Explodes with a lethal blast.

Throw with RB/R1, then detonate with LB/L1. Hold LB/L1 for more options.

Simultaneously press LB/L1 and RB/R1 to remotely detonate all deployed Explosive Devices.
Expert Tinkering (6 Research Points & Key Data in Vista Point).
Reduces cooldown time for Explosive and Electro Shock Devices.
Electro Shock Optimization (8 Research Points & Key Data in Crystal Springs Dam).
Allows carrying and placing 5 Electro Shock Devices at once.
Tweaked Blast (6 Research Points & Key Data in Lombard Street).
Explosive and Electro Shock Devices have a larger area of effect.
Explosive Optimization (8 Research Points & Key Data in Galilei).
Allows carrying and placing 5 Explosive Devices at once.
Vehicle Hacking
Vehicle security bypass
Vehicle Directional Hack (2 Research Points).
Hack vehicles to move in specific directions.
Press or hold LB/L1 then press A, X, B, or Y/X, Square, Circle, or Triangle.

Costs 2 Botnet Resources.
Engine Override (4 Research Points & Key Data in Embarcadero Center).
Trigger a burst of speed in a vehicle with A/X.

Drains Botnet Resources over time.
Massive Vehicle Hack (6 Research Points & Key Data in Chinatown).
When on-foot, create mayhem by hacking all cars in the area at once.
While driving, hack vehicles to distract drivers and clear a path.

Lasts for 10 seconds.
Botnet Savings: Vehicle Hacks (8 Research Point & Key Data in Yerba Buena Island).
Reduce Botnet Resource cost for any vehicle hack.
Hijacker (4 Research Points).
Hack cars' electronic locks instead of lockpicking.

Stealing cars with Y/Triangle is no longer noticed by passersby.
Chopper Retreat Exploit (6 research Points & Key Data in SFMOMA).
Use LB/L1 to force choppers to retreat.

Costs 4 Botnet Resources.

In Watch Dogs 2, the skills tree has the following skill branches, with numerous upgrades within those branches:

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