GrogHeads Forum

Digital Gaming => Computer Gaming => Topic started by: Gusington on February 08, 2017, 10:18:19 PM

Title: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 08, 2017, 10:18:19 PM
I know many of you have played Plague Inc. for a while. I just got started and completed the tutorial. What an awesome game! I know that it can be tough to win, so I wanted to know what you guys recommend as far as strategy.

Additionally The Wife, as an MPH, found the game 'creepy but intriguing,' much like me. Maybe we can actually play together. Hope springs eternal!

Below images show you exactly how my game went over the course of about 45 minutes on the main screen. I didn't take any shots of my disease's transmission, abilities or DNA which would probably make giving advice on which ones to pick a little easier, but at least I did become aware of the tipping point for my plague to become too deadly.

How do I balance it out and win? And are most games of Plague Inc. short (like an hour or two) or am I being misled by the tutorial?

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F169285486844899540%2FD2AA8AF26EDA1B3C9EB7AA1986E84D72BC1BE6F5%2F&hash=f06b4c4ae8cc8569d1aa3ae957eedfffc6f6b062)


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Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: solops on February 08, 2017, 11:21:55 PM
Yeah, I got this early on and had a lot of fun with it. I have not played it in months, though. I got up to the Simian Flu and got distracted by other games. I really need to go back and play some more.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 08, 2017, 11:26:30 PM
There are 100s of mods in the Steam Workshop too.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Barthheart on February 08, 2017, 11:31:29 PM
We talked about it back here when it first came out on iOS.

http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=1891.msg38213#msg38213

Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 09:50:24 AM
So I see your strategy was to work on transmission and strength against cures primarily, and then ramp up lethality as fast as possible. Does that same strategy work every time?
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Barthheart on February 09, 2017, 10:16:13 AM
Quote from: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 09:50:24 AM
So I see your strategy was to work on transmission and strength against cures primarily, and then ramp up lethality as fast as possible. Does that same strategy work every time?

No. The more advanced diseases need a more balanced set of tactics. It's hard to give specific ideas but you definitely get better at it the more you play. Generally though, try to stay off the radar as long as possible. When you get spotted, ramp up the lethality fast but not so fast you kill off all your hosts. Also do all you can to slow down research.

The specific disease types like Simian flu, the zombie plague, vampire plague are great fun and have very specific victory conditions that need very different ways to play.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 10:32:35 AM
Thanks Bart. How long did the longest game you've played last?
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Barthheart on February 09, 2017, 11:08:54 AM
Not long actually... maybe 40 minutes. You can always speed up time when things are slow at the start.... though I tend to play the entire game a normal speed so I can read all the news messages at the top. Some of those are very funny.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 11:17:55 AM
Yeah I noticed :)

I don't usually play campaign games that take such a short amount of time to complete, cool.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Barthheart on February 09, 2017, 11:19:53 AM
Yeah it's nice that you can play an entire scenario in a single short session. Nice filler stuff when you get home late from work or early morning waiting on the rest of the family to get moving.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 11:23:49 AM
Just what I was thinking...how novel! Good snow day game.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 12:12:23 PM
Played my second game...was looking really good as my infection rate was through the roof but I didn't get lethal enough quick enough. Game is addictive though, I will say that. Behold the Gusenpox.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F169285486847251048%2FD9DC9BD343D5BCA13D2C3CFD5213AEC95F457F55%2F&hash=0ddd618b852562bae15d4e8f6ba6d595000cc2eb)


More infectious than a cold! Mom would be proud.
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Killed more than the 1918 Spanish Flu  :buck2:
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...and smallpox  \m/
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But it wasn't enough. There should be some kind of achievement for changing the world forever, like "Good Old College Try" or something  :nerd:
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Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: mirth on February 09, 2017, 12:22:57 PM
You killed almost 613 million people. That's an achievement.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: glen55 on February 09, 2017, 12:35:28 PM
Is the PC version different from the IOS version? I play it on my iphone.

I like to play with a virus and an increased-mutation genome. You hardly have to spend any dna on symptoms. Go deep on transmission with a lesser amount on cure, especially genetic hardening. Throw in a little all-weather adaptability.

It's still hard to get the balance just right. I've only wiped out humanity a few times in probably 30 or so games.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Barthheart on February 09, 2017, 02:09:56 PM
Quote from: glen55 on February 09, 2017, 12:35:28 PM
Is the PC version different from the IOS version? I play it on my iphone.

I like to play with a virus and an increased-mutation genome. You hardly have to spend any dna on symptoms. Go deep on transmission with a lesser amount on cure, especially genetic hardening. Throw in a little all-weather adaptability.

It's still hard to get the balance just right. I've only wiped out humanity a few times in probably 30 or so games.

I have both and the only difference is the graphics quality and the  Steam Workshop ability of the PC version.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 03:30:29 PM
Yeah you would think that by killing off 613M people I would get a cookie or something.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Barthheart on February 09, 2017, 04:33:37 PM
I've had games end because the only people left are those in Greenland and none are infected... so only about 56,000 people left on the planet... and I still lose.... L:-)
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Nefaro on February 09, 2017, 10:18:14 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on February 09, 2017, 04:33:37 PM
I've had games end because the only people left are those in Greenland and none are infected... so only about 56,000 people left on the planet... and I still lose.... L:-)


My first and only game ended almost just like that.

I let it run... and run... and run.  The final few thousands of humanity just sat there, barely changing.

Finally just decided to kill the last bit off by adding an overkilling mutation and be done with it.   Otherwise I was just sitting there, watching the last little vestige for what seemed an indefinite amount of time.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 10:25:17 PM
That is unfair.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Nefaro on February 09, 2017, 10:33:44 PM
Quote from: Gusington on February 09, 2017, 10:25:17 PM
That is unfair.

Party time in Greenland...

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Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 10, 2017, 09:24:50 AM
There really should be different levels of victory conditions, one of them being Party Time in Greenland.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Nefaro on February 10, 2017, 10:06:22 AM
The lesson of the game:

If a deadly apocalyptic virus breaks out, killing the vast majority of humanity, your best bet for survival is moving to a fortress of solitude in Greenland. 
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 10, 2017, 08:57:21 PM
I would have no problem doing that.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 10, 2017, 09:37:47 PM
Third game...lost again. But I did earn this along the way  >:D

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Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 11, 2017, 03:21:50 PM
New day, new game. FYI I had Anthrax (Room for One More) playing in the background for this session  :notworthy:

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F169285679031693003%2F89A4AE38E9570548BFA1D3A801105A032F4CA602%2F&hash=38e9b8ca6af07831afc6b4acce0f590162aaece6)

Starting off in Egypt and getting to Greenland, I knew I had played this game better than the previous three.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F169285679031693250%2FE7F30B3F48BFB8B7217B89247D1E596C67562EF2%2F&hash=c6be06198a081dec3f1833f3e18d1743ca0bbe03)

Yes...YES...YES!!! Here I come.

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Dying in holes! ROT HUMANS. Wait...you fellers were right this game is kind of dark. Oh dear.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.akamai.steamusercontent.com%2Fugc%2F169285679031693446%2F893694D0DA6CD7355A3ED39E5C5B53A6458B3E8E%2F&hash=448d02eff636109cec872e80bc13ebe0c2fc07e9)

VICTORY, finally...after four tries...oh God...what have I done?

Won on 'Casual,' that's what. Time to move on to either 'Normal' difficulty or the Black Death scenario. Lot's of features, scenarios and variations left to unlock. But I do kind of feel a sense of guilt/dread.

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Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: mirth on February 11, 2017, 03:27:11 PM
Chlamydigus is not to be trifled with.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 11, 2017, 03:29:29 PM
^Spell it right in the papers, dammit.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: mirth on February 11, 2017, 03:36:56 PM
Quote from: Gusington on February 11, 2017, 03:29:29 PM
^Spell it right in the papers, dammit.

Sincere apologies.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 11, 2017, 05:00:22 PM
Thank you. Don't make me go viral.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: FarAway Sooner on February 12, 2017, 12:08:30 AM
That's sick, Gus.  Just sick.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 12, 2017, 01:55:56 AM
I could tell I would like this game a lot before I even bought it. I got it for 7.49 IIRC so it has basically already paid for itself in the couple of hours I have been playing.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: solops on February 12, 2017, 03:32:12 PM
Back in 1983 when I had an Apple IIe there was an SSI game called Epidemic!, I think, that was a lot of fun. Diseases came in periodically on meteors and you had to fight the outbreaks. You could also devote resources to shooting down the meteors prior to their entry into the atmosphere. I don't recall many details, but it was enjoyable.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 12, 2017, 04:31:55 PM
^I may have played that in school when I was in 3rd-4th grade.
Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 12, 2017, 08:38:11 PM
Tried my first game on normal difficulty. Lost, but not by much. And I do like the developers' sense of humor.

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Title: Re: Don't catch the vapors.
Post by: Gusington on February 13, 2017, 06:20:04 PM
And the anti-Plague Inc. is now on Steam, early access. Quarantine:

http://store.steampowered.com/app/489370/

http://playquarantine.com/