VS Mode

VS Mode is a game mode introduced in Evolution 15 for Plague Inc: Evolved released at the end of 2015, which consists of two players competing against each other to see which plague will dominate and end the world.

Gameplay

In VS. mode, players struggle for dominance over each other to win. Gameplay has been heavily altered with a lot of changes, such as the ability to force cure research to begin immediately. The player's plague will be colored red, and the opposing player will be colored yellow. There are several outcomes of a match.

There are different genes on Multiplayer games, however they also create a disadvantage, as opposed to regular genes which only provide benefits. For example the Pharmaphile gene will improve infectivity in rich countries but slow infection in poor countries.

Victory

• When a player manages to infect everyone in the world. This includes the population that is also infected by the opposing player. Successfully infecting everyone will result the player with the most infects to win and give both players a message that the winning plague has absorbed the losing plague.

• When there is only one plague left. This can be achieved by all host carriers of one plague to die off, one player being cured, or one of the player disconnects from the match once it begins. This will give the winning player a message the opposing player 'resigned'.

Draw

• When a server connection error occurred.

• When both plagues have been eradicated at the same time.

Starting location

The starting location mechanic differs slightly from the main game. In VS. Mode, the players' starting locations are hidden from each other, and provide bonus DNA as long as they remain undiscovered, each country also gives different starting DNA. If one player discovers the other's starting location (by having one person of the country infected with the other disease), this bonus is lost and the opponent gains additional DNA.

Plagues

Plagues have been altered in the game to change gameplay strategies. The following is a set of changes for each plague. Currently, 5 plague types are added to the VS mode. Players begin with only the bacteria plague unlocked and unlock one random locked plague for every five VS. Mode match wins achieved.

• Bacteria: Bacteria keeps its Bacterial Resilience ability to a limited extent, the bacterial resilience is basekit.
• Virus: The virus retains its ability to mutate and evolve, and gains the ability to mutate and devolve. It's also capable of devolving the transmission and ability trait even without Base Hydration (13% probability).
• Fungus: Struggles in Arid Countries. Does have Spore Burst, but Unscheduled Flights will cost more and escalate more. The spore bursts will happen randomly.
• Parasite: Still has Symbiosis and leaches corpse DNA from opponents, but Severity can increase when opponent's own Severity increases and is cured more easily.
• Bioweapon: Highly lethal, and doesn't have its special abilities. People who are infected with the opponent's disease are more likely to be killed and infected by the bioweapon.

Cure

The cure mechanics have been altered to a greater extent than just simply severeness or lethality reaching a point. The following is an added rule on how the cure is altered.

• Players can alter how easily your opponent can be cured.
• Benign Mimics can be used to kickstart a cure against your opponent.

Tips

• To win - you must infect everyone in the world or kill out your opponent using the cure or making it so their disease has a harder time infecting your hosts.
• This mode is super weird as it flips the whole game upside down. You now need to do alot more to win. hence these tips are only useful in this one mode
• For starters, getting unscheduled flights is critical as you can spread much faster using it. Getting lethality is also good so you can utilize corpse DNA.
  • However there is one important addition, using corpse transmission and corpse DNA. in this strategy you do want to have lethality, as necrosis gives corpse transmission, this can be quite effective as your opponent doesn't expect this, so they spread slowly while you spread fast. it is risky as cure will be heavy for you, even more so with the other player helping the cure against you.
• One issue you have to deal with is the cure, the cure will go fast, mainly because your opponent is making you easier to cure, so if you do want symptoms, going down the insomnia path is recommended as that path slows research speed, though getting genetic hardenings are more recommended.
• Countries with large populations such as India, China, USA, Indonesia, Brazil and large groups of nations such as West Africa, which includes Nigeria, which allow to generate a lot of DNA points, but unlike the Main Mode, the starting DNA is too low, so it is advisable to kill a large part of the population using abilities such as Corpse DNA, focusing on speed before the opponent can reach a good number of infections in those countries.
  • Although choosing aggressive lethality measures is a recommended course of action, it is necessary that the death rate not be so high to prevent the disease from killing its entire infected population before it can spread elsewhere and eradicate itself.

Trivia

• According to a Polygon article, the game's developers had considered adding this mode to the Xbox version of Plague Inc. Although for the moment, it is only available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.

External Resources

• Plague Inc. Multiplayer Guide (2017 - Evolution 20) by OverLordGoldDragon (107 Pages)