The forum is now archived and available for reading only. To find older posts, you can use a search engine.
If you need assistance, you can contact our Support or use Steam discussions, Discord or Reddit. Thank you.

Post Reply 
Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
20-05-2014, 07:26 AM
Post: #11
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
I managed to beat Smallpox on Mega Brutal, just barely. I actually had the Cure hit 100% after the "Variola major about to wipe out humans" screen, but it still registered as a completed scenario, which shows how down to the wire it got.

For genetic code, I went Metabolic Jump, Genetic Mimic, Aerocyte, Urbophile, and Trans-Statis, and I started in India due to the hot climate bonus and easy access to both India and China's giant populations.

Don't even bother with White Pox, and I don't really see too much benefit in devolving any starting symptoms. The increased severity just helps with accruing DNA points and the game is going to cure the plague faster than most governments can close their ports, anyway.

The first things I did was evolve Droplets 2 and 3 and grab the 1st Vaccine shield. Then I evolve Drug Resistance 1 and grab Genetic Hardening 1 and 2, as well as Corneal Ulceration to slow the cure ASAP. Then I loaded on Transmitions, fully evolving Fomites to Extreme Bioaresol with Air and Water 2 for increased chance of infected boats and planes. After that, I added Blood 1 and 2 and Extreme Hematophagy for increased infectivity in poor countries as well as mutation chance. Then, I went ahead and grabbed all the resistances starting with Drug 2 and going all the way to Environmental Hardening to help make sure places like Greenland and Iceland go quickly. As the cure rate starts hitting the 90s, get the Genetic Reshuffles as needed. Once you run out of those, Symptoms will be the last line of defense against the cure, starting with Coma, and then the Black Pox line of symptoms. Hopefully, this is enough to keep the Cure at bay until most of the world's governments have fallen.

As far as the Experimental Vaccine shields go, I don't evolve them until they show up on the news ticker to keep the pace going fast. I recommend slowing the game down at about six months or so game time to keep an eye out for the release of the experimental vaccines and react to them more efficiently.

DNA shouldn't really be an issue, because Severity combined with Metabolic jump means that four or five red bubbles can yield up to 30 DNA. I just wish there were more cure stopping symptoms to spend them on.
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
21-05-2014, 07:24 PM (This post was last modified: 22-05-2014 04:38 AM by dragon841.)
Post: #12
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
^That sounds like a similar strategy to one someone posted on the TouchArcade forum. I'll try this, or maybe not, because it's going to overwrite my beautiful 3 bio on brutal Sad

I also wish that Smallpox had more cure-slowing things, like Black Death has hardened reshuffle, why doesn't it?

Edit: I tried your strategy and each time I got above 300 days and each time I ran out of DNA to evolve symptoms/reshuffles. Tried using Catalytic Switch once, failed miserably with only 3.1 bil dead. How many times did you try before you finally succeeded?
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
02-06-2014, 11:54 AM
Post: #13
Wink RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
I'm feeling rather pleased with myself today, as I have FINALLY got three biohazards while playing the Smallpox scenario on Mega-Brutal difficulty. (I was seriously beginning to wonder if it was even possible).

I have to admit, I was lucky with this - managed to mutate Necrosis at a very early stage.

I'm still experimenting with strategies, here, so I'm not sure of the best order to get things. The key elements (not necessarily in this order) are:

- For genes, use Metabolic Jump, Teracyte, Trans-Stasis, Hydrophile and Darwinist.
- Start in India.
- Get one cheap infection-boosting thing (e.g. Droplets 2 or Abcesses) then the first Vaccine shield.
- Get some transmissions, including mutation-increasing ones. Insect and Livestock are good; Droplets are cheap.
- Get Corneal Ulceration, Drug Resistance 1, and Genetic Hardening 1 & 2 to help keep the cure in check.
- More transmissions, including Fomites, Water 1 & 2 and other mutagenic ones.
- Necrosis, Vomiting, Diorrhea, Dysentry.
- Cold resistance 1 & 2, Drug Resistance 2, Heat Resistance 1 & 2, Enviromental Hardening.
- All remaining transmissions.
- Use any remaining points on Genetic Shuffles.
- While all of the above is going on you also need to keep a very careful eye on the news ticker. As soon as you start to see mentions of an "experimental vaccine programme" that means it's time to evolve the next level of Vaccine Shield (in the order Lamda, Delta, Omega).

Hopefully someone can refine this a bit and make it more reliable! It's easy to end up not getting into Iceland or Greenland, or getting cured too fast.


Attached File(s) Thumbnail(s)
   
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
02-06-2014, 01:45 PM
Post: #14
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
(02-06-2014 11:54 AM)Shasara Wrote:  For genes, use Metabolic Jump, Teracyte, Trans-Stasis, Hydrophile and Darwinist.
- Start in India.
- Get one cheap infection-boosting thing (e.g. Droplets 2 or Abcesses) then the first Vaccine shield.
- Get some transmissions, including mutation-increasing ones. Insect and Livestock are good; Droplets are cheap.
- Get Corneal Ulceration, Drug Resistance 1, and Genetic Hardening 1 & 2 to help keep the cure in check.
- More transmissions, including Fomites, Water 1 & 2 and other mutagenic ones.
- Necrosis, Vomiting, Diorrhea, Dysentry.
- Cold resistance 1 & 2, Drug Resistance 2, Heat Resistance 1 & 2, Enviromental Hardening.
- All remaining transmissions.
- Use any remaining points on Genetic Shuffles.
- While all of the above is going on you also need to keep a very careful eye on the news ticker. As soon as you start to see mentions of an "experimental vaccine programme" that means it's time to evolve the next level of Vaccine Shield (in the order Lamda, Delta, Omega).
Actually, on second thoughts, you might be better off taking Extremophile rather than Hydrophile and starting in China. That way you can get away with not purchasing Environmental Hardening, and maybe even with not getting Heat Resistance 2 (as Insect Transmission gives you a boost in hot countries).


Attached File(s) Thumbnail(s)
   
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
02-06-2014, 10:57 PM
Post: #15
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
Hmph. I tried the above strategy once and everyone died except for Canada and New Zealand. Stupid Canada, always ruining everything.
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
03-06-2014, 01:44 PM
Post: #16
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
Here's a possible Black Death strategy (and there is probably a better one, but this is the best I've found so far!). I can give you a precise order-of-events for this one, unlike for Smallpox:

- Genes: Catalytic Switch, Teracyte, Trans-Stasis, Extremophile, Genetic Mimic.
- Start in India.
- Skin Lesions.
- Flea 2, Rodent 1, Livestock 1 & 2, Bird 1 & 2.
- Flea 3 & 4.
- Cold Resistance 1 & 2.
- Drug Resistance 1 & 2, Genetic Reshuffle 1, Drug Resistance 3.
- Pneumonic Plague.
- Water 1 & 2, Air 1 & 2.
- Sneezing, Coughing, Pneumonia, Pulmonary Oedema.
- Septicaemic Plague.
- Diarrhoea, Dysentery.
- Wait till every island has been infected. (If it takes a while, you can get Hypotension while you're waiting).
- Total Organ Failure, Hypotension, Haemorrhagic Shock, Internal Haemorrhaging, Systemic Infection.
- Genetic Reshuffle 2 and (if you have the points) Genetic Reshuffle 3.

You need to keep an eye on what's going on at the end, and make sure there aren't any countries where the number of infected is staying low because everyone is dying before they pass on the disease. If that happens, try adding some other transmissions (Rodent 2 for urban countries like the US, Blood 1 & 2 for poor countries - many African countries are poor) or symptoms (e.g. Abscesses) instead of a reshuffle.

You could possibly also try Metabolic Jump instead of Catalytic Switch, and/or Hydrophile instead of Extremophile.


Attached File(s) Thumbnail(s)
   
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
04-06-2014, 12:49 AM
Post: #17
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
Here's mega smallpox.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxKeBEGwyUY
Not my work, I found it anonymously posted on another forum.
Worked on android for me on my third attempt. Its also confirmed working on pc.
You need to adapt to vaccine events.

Anyone got mega swine flu yet?
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
20-06-2014, 02:37 PM
Post: #18
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
(11-05-2014 11:57 PM)dragon5 Wrote:  Post your scenario strategies here...

I still need to complete Nipah, Swine, and Smallpox on M-B. However, I think Smallpox might be impossible on M-B. Can an admin confirm this?

Smallpox is very possible on mega-brutal.

http://icspicy.blogspot.com/2014/06/plag...utal3.html
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
20-06-2014, 11:39 PM
Post: #19
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
(20-06-2014 02:37 PM)PlagueIncF Wrote:  
(11-05-2014 11:57 PM)dragon5 Wrote:  Post your scenario strategies here...

I still need to complete Nipah, Swine, and Smallpox on M-B. However, I think Smallpox might be impossible on M-B. Can an admin confirm this?

Smallpox is very possible on mega-brutal.

http://icspicy.blogspot.com/2014/06/plag...utal3.html

I know. I've seen and tried the guide a few times, but unfortunately with no success. (Just pointing out something here, if you read through the thread you will see that other people have posted strategies and even an admin did. Not to offend you or anything, but often the OP doesn't reflect the latest information on the thread. Smile)
I got really close a few times but I couldn't infect the cold, rich countries fast enough.
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
21-06-2014, 01:44 AM
Post: #20
RE: Mega-Brutal Strategies for Scenarios (3 bio)
(20-06-2014 11:39 PM)dragon5 Wrote:  
(20-06-2014 02:37 PM)PlagueIncF Wrote:  
(11-05-2014 11:57 PM)dragon5 Wrote:  Post your scenario strategies here...

I still need to complete Nipah, Swine, and Smallpox on M-B. However, I think Smallpox might be impossible on M-B. Can an admin confirm this?

Smallpox is very possible on mega-brutal.

http://icspicy.blogspot.com/2014/06/plag...utal3.html

I know. I've seen and tried the guide a few times, but unfortunately with no success. (Just pointing out something here, if you read through the thread you will see that other people have posted strategies and even an admin did. Not to offend you or anything, but often the OP doesn't reflect the latest information on the thread. Smile)
I got really close a few times but I couldn't infect the cold, rich countries fast enough.

It should work eventually. The problem with mega-brutal is the significant genetic shifts and the fast research speed this compounds with the fast smallpox cure research speed which makes it even worse. Also genetic shields costs a ton on smallpox which means you have to hope that they didn't release the third vaccine. It mostly depends on mutations which is pseudo-random so it depends on 'luck'. It also means that a good guide will not work for every game but it should work 1 out of 5 to 1 out of 10 times. It is still worth a try again until you get it as there is no better solution to the smallpox scenario at the moment. I hope it helps you Wink
Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 


Forum Jump:


User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)