Bacteria vs Virus

[Zedny]

This might be too early to discuss because the versus mode just arrived, but I must ask:
Which one is better in multiplayer? Bacteria or Virus?

There are countless strategy guides for the actual game, so I would like to keep this thread multiplayer focused. I'm mostly curious about how you set up your plague, and the basic strategic decisions directly affected by that. Please give your thoughts:

Which disease type do you prefer? How do you react if you see your opponent going with one or the other?
Are gene modifiers worth it, or are the penalties too severe? What is the best combo?
How do you start and which way do you go?
Where do you think the meta will go?

[Zedny]

Personally, I can't seem to figure out a way to use the rapid mutation of the Virus to my advantage, so I stick with the Bacteria for now.

From the genes, I find Safe House to be a good one. I can't comment on the 'phobias' as they give just as much as they take, and I don't like Benign Infection.

So far, my strategy has been a cruel one. Start with a subtle spreading focused on international infection. After every region has been hit, go berserk with the symptoms to gain additional DNA from the killing. At the end cut back on the lethality to infect the rest of the population. If you are lucky, you can close borders before the enemy gets to every country.

In a previous run, I forgot to visit Madagascar and it completely slipped my mind. With most of the population dead and the cure being on 99% completion, only a last minute Unscheduled Flight from Canada saved the day. My friend was already laughing menacingly. When the game ended, he couldn't believe he lost. I do think, this game shines best when the unexpected happens and things start to go chaotic... And what a massacre that was...

[LAG]

Don't see a benefit with virus.
Slowly evolving random symptoms is just inviting to get cured.
I'd hoped that it would devolve some, but that seems rare.
From personal experience it evolves symptoms and devolves transmissions.

The very fact that it might take away air 2 that i spent 30+ DNA points on gettting gives me the creeps.

You also dont need to kill any1, only infect them. Only adv. with killing is possible extra DNA from corpses, crushing research and closing borders making it harder to spread.

[Clord]

So far this has worked every time.

1. Start from arid enviorment, third world. Ideally Egypt.
2. Focus on spreading.
3. Focus bit to enviormental resistance so that my bacteria survives.
4. Start protecting your bacteria from opponent's spreading and take its counterpart which focuses on better infecting other player's humans.
5. Go to symptons and focus getting your virus to kill.
6. Buy unplanned flight power and wipe out remaiming opponent's footholds (typically islands.)

[LAG]

Originally posted by Clord:

So far this has worked every time.

1. Start from arid enviorment, third world. Ideally Egypt.
2. Focus on spreading.
3. Focus bit to enviormental resistance so that my bacteria survives.
4. Start protecting your bacteria from opponent's spreading and take its counterpart which focuses on better infecting other player's humans.
5. Go to symptons and focus getting your virus to kill.
6. Buy unplanned flight power and wipe out remaiming opponent's footholds (typically islands.)

You try to wipe the enemy disease out?

Also

Start protecting your bacteria

focus getting your virus to kill.

Virus or bacteria?

Would work until you encounter someone not-retarded. Cure research should increase drasticly so you'd have to destroy large parts of the world. A usual strategy is to buy the DNA from corpses, infect the world, kill 99% of the population adn enjoy tons of DNA and no cure because all countries are in anarchy.

Also, offenseive and defensive symptoms would be reccomended(the right orange ones)

[Kotli]

Virus is iffy I tried playing it to have my transmittions devolved on me 3 times in a row, it luck if it helps or sinks you.

[Eccy]

I am wondering about the same thing? Is out there some specifications and difference between those two?

I am running blindly virus and got my early expensive transmissions devolved every time.

Also could I see somewhere all MP symptoms/transmissions/abilities? I mean, outside the game? During playing you hardly have enough time to read their descriptions as I found out. After 10+ games I still dont know what the most of "oranges", new transmissions and abilities do.

[Zedny]

Originally posted by Eccy:

Also could I see somewhere all MP symptoms/transmissions/abilities?

If you get a friend to play with, you could pause the game to read all the text. That's what we did. I don't think there are any guides on this yet.

[Eccy]

Originally posted by Zedny:

Originally posted by Eccy:

Also could I see somewhere all MP symptoms/transmissions/abilities?

If you get a friend to play with, you could pause the game to read all the text. That's what we did. I don't think there are any guides on this yet.

Alright, that's a way - thank you Zedny.

[LAG]

Originally posted by Eccy:

I am wondering about the same thing? Is out there some specifications and difference between those two?

I am running blindly virus and got my early expensive transmissions devolved every time.

Also could I see somewhere all MP symptoms/transmissions/abilities? I mean, outside the game? During playing you hardly have enough time to read their descriptions as I found out. After 10+ games I still dont know what the most of "oranges", new transmissions and abilities do.

I can give you the basics:
in transmission you have the rat-bird-sheep that gives urban/border/rural transmission and the ignore species barrier as the final upgrade(you know this one from singleplayer).
the syringe is the same as singleplayer too.
Water gives humid bonus and the ball gives arid bonus. Plane and water transmission ONLY give plane/water NOT the arid/humid bonus you get in singleplayer. The final is the same as in singleplayer and gives bonus for plane/water/humid/arid transmission.

On symptoms the reds are the same, but organized different. Lethal symptoms are in the middle though and the paralasys-seizure anti cure is on the left i think.

The BOTTOM orange symptoms REDUCE the OPPONENT's ability to KILL YOUR PEOPLE.
The TOPorange symptoms INCREASE YOUR ability to KILL the OPPONENTS people.
Basicly double ifections are more/less lethal.

On the abilities screen the hot/cold are the same as always, the cure/drug ressistance is the same too. The orange cure increases the speed that the opponent is cured. The new MP traits that are orange at the top affect infectiones. The LEFT decrease the enemies ability to INFECT your people, while the other increases your ability to infect his. The last one does both and adds lethality.

The BLACK gives DNA from CORPSES, there is an upgrade to it as well as an active ability.

Active abilities:
The freeze cure can be gotten from spending a point in the orange research for the opponents and then unlocking it.
The kill everything can be gotten by buying dna from corpses(black one) and then unlocking it.
The Plane can be gotten by unlocking "unscheduled flight"

[LAG]

Originally posted by LAG:

Originally posted by Eccy:

I am wondering about the same thing? Is out there some specifications and difference between those two?

I am running blindly virus and got my early expensive transmissions devolved every time.

Also could I see somewhere all MP symptoms/transmissions/abilities? I mean, outside the game? During playing you hardly have enough time to read their descriptions as I found out. After 10+ games I still dont know what the most of "oranges", new transmissions and abilities do.

I can give you the basics:
in transmission you have the rat-bird-sheep that gives urban/border/rural transmission and the ignore species barrier as the final upgrade(you know this one from singleplayer).
the syringe is the same as singleplayer too.
Water gives humid bonus and the ball gives arid bonus. Plane and water transmission ONLY give plane/water NOT the arid/humid bonus you get in singleplayer. The final is the same as in singleplayer and gives bonus for plane/water/humid/arid transmission.

On symptoms the reds are the same, but organized different. Lethal symptoms are in the middle though and the paralasys-seizure anti cure is on the left i think.

The BOTTOM orange symptoms REDUCE the OPPONENT's ability to KILL YOUR PEOPLE.
The TOPorange symptoms INCREASE YOUR ability to KILL the OPPONENTS people.
Basicly double ifections are more/less lethal.

On the abilities screen the hot/cold are the same as always, the cure/drug ressistance is the same too. The orange cure increases the speed that the opponent is cured. The new MP traits that are orange at the top affect infectiones. The LEFT decrease the enemies ability to INFECT your people, while the other increases your ability to infect his. The last one does both and adds lethality.

The BLACK gives DNA from CORPSES, there is an upgrade to it as well as an active ability.

Active abilities:
The freeze cure can be gotten from spending a point in the orange research for the opponents and then unlocking it.
The kill everything can be gotten by buying dna from corpses(black one) and then unlocking it.
The Plane can be gotten by unlocking "unscheduled flight"

As always traits cancel eachother.
Bonus to enemy research cancel enemy anti research
Bonus to enemy infectivity cancels enemy anti infectivity
Bonus to lethality cnacels enemy anti lethality
ect.
This does not go for the bonuses to infection such as arid/humid bonuses and cold/heat ressitance

[Eccy]

Thanks LAG, that helps :)

[LAG]

Originally posted by Eccy:

Thanks LAG, that helps :)

that was fast, no problem

[Ndemic James]

A good overview!

[TzeroX [AKA]]

Just played my first 2 matches as a virus and have to say

DAMN FREAKN AWESOME

Instead of waiting out with the question "who will be cured first" ur all like "YEAH BABAY, EAT THAT!"

[Shahadem]

I just played my first match as Virus and it blew chunks. It devolved all my best transmission vectors causing me to lose the game because I got cured faster than I could spread, even though I only needed to get the last 10% of Canada to win. No, the fing thing devolved my best transmission vectors and caused me to lose.