Walkthrough ~ Black Death ~ Mega Brutal ~ Plague Inc

(For Plague Inc addicts only, ie, nothing to do with the usual stuff on my blog!)

For other walkthroughs, click PLAGUE INC MEGA BRUTAL WALKTHROUGHS tag at bottom of this post.

Android only, on my tablet - I don't know if it works on Xbox One or any other device.

I found the difficulty with Black Death was getting everyone to infect quick enough, without killing them all off too early - if the game mutates Total Organ Failure on its own, you might as well give up and start again!

I've played it a few times using this exact sequence, the 2nd time it didn't work because New Zealand and the Phillipines didn't infect.

Modify:
DNA Genes: Cytochrome Surge

Travel Genes: Teracyte

Evolution Genes: Patho-Stasis

Mutation Genes: Genetic Mimic

Environment Genes: Xerophile

Start the plague in Egypt.  India has worked for me in the past, I've tried Brazil and that's hopeless.

Activate in this order:
Flea 1
Drug Resistance (DR) 1
Pneumonic Plague
Water 1

(Note nice balance of infectivity and protection!)
About now, they'll be starting the cure.

Get:
Genetic Hardening (GH) 1 and 2
DR 2
Air 1
Cold Resistance (CR) 1 and 2
Water 2
Air 2
Coughing
Pneumonia
Sweating (it's hard to make it spread in Russia, Canada and Greenland; these help)
Rodent 1
Bird 1

I had loads of points around now but the cure was still pretty low, so I concentrated on getting everyone infected, you see!)

Septicemic Plague
Blood 1 and 2
Extreme Bioaerosol (EB)
Bird 2
Livestock 1

During this time it mutated Paralysis, and Cysts; I devolved cysts to get 2 points back, but kept paralysis.

At this point the whole world was infected, with the cure at 60%.

I devolved EB, Air 2, CR1 and CR2 to get 6 points back.

I activated:
Genetic Reshuffle (GRes) 1
GRes 2 (when cure at 67%)
DR 3
GRes 3

During this time it mutated Immune Suppression, Sneezing and Hypotension; I kept them as I wasn't desperate for points and I thought it probably wouldn't refund me any, anyway.

When the cure was at 81% I got Hardened Reshuffle.

By then the cure had slowed right down, and I spent the remaining points on a couple of things like Systemic Infection, to speed up the end of the world!

Ended with the cure at 94%, game finished giving me 23806 points.

The Z Files: Jennifer Ammoscato ~ Libra

Astrology ~ a bit of fun, a load of rubbish, or something to take seriously?

I invited around 70 writers/bloggers to write a piece about whether or not they're typical of their sign, and how its traits affect their writing life ~ if at all...

Has your favourite writer been featured yet?  Links to all previous posts at the end of this one :)

 
I had no Libra contributors at all then two came along at once, balancing it out nicely:)  I'm pleased to introduce my second lady of the scales ~ chick lit author Jennifer Ammoscato.  The heroine of her books, Avery Fowler, gets into scrapes that would test the equilibrium of the sturdiest Scorpio, never mind a Libra... here's my review (including both Amazon links) of her debut, Dear Internet, It's Me, Avery..

Here's Jen's rundown of a few of her Libran traits:

"Friendly, sociable – Like many writers, I’m an introvert at heart (probably due to a lack of confidence). But, when I have to go out there and meet with people, as with book promotions, I can do it.

Artistically orientated –I’ve always loved writing stories and even poems. I still have some of my earliest efforts; they make me laugh, which is nice.

Appreciative of beauty – I love beauty in many forms: a face, a misty morning; my lovely Welsh Springer Spaniel. I find beauty in simplicity. That’s reflected in my website, my book cover design, and any other art related to my work. 

Feminine, harmonious to be around – I’ve never thought of myself as particularly feminine. I enjoy beautiful clothing, have a passion for shoes and adore manicures. But I’m a very direct communicator; I like to be in charge. And I can curse like a sailor. I think it gives me a better sense of both a man and a woman’s perspective when writing."

"In terms of harmonious, I believe the word “hurricane” has been used in association with my temper." 

(Note ~ let us not forget that Margaret Thatcher was a Libran.  I once knew a very strong woman of this sign who was very glamorous and charming but said that the female Libra was 'the iron hand in the velvet glove')

"Can be superficial, indecisive, a giver of platitudes – I can be superficial (I enjoy reading gossip columns). I can lay it on thick when I want something. The platitudes part sounds about right. 

Actually, I tend to be fairly decisive which comes in very handy in writing. Once I figure my story out, I don’t second-guess almost ever. I may experiment a bit if another idea presents itself, but for the most part, once it’s set, the book’s set. "

I think even the way Jen presented that article is oh-so Libran - nice, clear paragraphs under headings - I laughed when I saw it!  And of course she's fantastically glamorous - see photo :)  You can follow Jen on Twitter, and she writes a brief and amusing article on her blog once a week.

I just had to find two other lovely lady Librans for Jen, it being allegedly the most feminine sign of the zodiac (but never confuse 'feminine' with 'girly')... 

.... starting off with a queen of chick lit, Katie Fforde...

... and who else but the late, great Jackie Collins.

Coming next time: A sexy Scorpio!

Previous posts:

Leo and Aries: Terry Tyler and Proofreader Julia 
Leo: Anne Goodwin, Alex Johnson, 
Aries: Cynthia Harrison 
Gemini: Jerome Dumont, John Privilege, Shelley Wilson 
Aquarius and Capricorn: Nicky Black 
Capricorn: Steffany R
Aquarius: Cathy Ryan, Lynda Renham 
Sagittarius: Rachel Amphlett, Wendy J Lennox, Katrina Mountfort, 
Virgo: Louise Marley, Elizabeth Ducie, Barb Taub,
Pisces: Maria Savva, Sacha Black 
Scorpio: Robert Leigh, Catherine Hokin, Jenny Twist, 
Taurus: Valerie-Anne Baglietto, Valerie Poore
Cancer: Katie Oliver, Mark Barry,
Libra: Joanne B

Walkthrough - How I beat Fungus on Mega Brutal - Plague Inc

(For Plague Inc addicts only, ie, nothing to do with the usual stuff on my blog!)

It took me a long time to work out how to do Fungus on Brutal, let alone Mega Brutal; once you understand it, though, it's quite easy.  As you will know, getting it to infect is the hard thing, but getting it spread around early does help (ps, Brutal can be done with only 2 spore bursts!).  Please note, I play on my tablet, I don't know how well this strategy will work on Xbox One or other devices.

Here's how I did it: 

DNA Genes: Cytochrome Surge

Travel Genes: Aerocyte

Evolution Genes: Patho-Statis (1 point for each spore burst - got to be done!)

Mutation Genes: Genetic Mimic

Environment Genes: Extremophile

Start in Brazil

Don't forget - if any symptoms mutate before the cure is found, devolve them immediately (to get the points and to keep it unnoticed).  Do so even after the cure has started, as it still gives you a point or two.

Order of play:
All Spore Bursts (SB) in one circle, including the Spore Eruption (SE)
(2 at a time to make sure you can pop them all!)
Air 1
Water 1
All Spore Bursts in the second circle, EXCEPT FOR SE.
Cold Resistance (CR) 1
Drug Resistance (DR) 1
CR 2
DR 2

Around now the disease should be noticed - make sure you have 29 points for Genetic Hardening 1 & 2.  It's imperative to get these as soon as possible, as they really slow the cure down.

Now:
Coughing
Pneumonia
Air 2
Water 2
Extreme Bioaerosol (EB)

After you've put all these in play, give it a bit longer, then look to see which countries are still not infected.  If there are a few that don't have land near them (like Greenland, the Phillipines, the Caribbean, New Guinea), do the second Spore Eruption.  The others will get infected anyway.  Be patient and you shouldn't need to get Spore Hardening, thus saving yourself 5 points.  You might even get away with not getting the second SE.

Get Pulmonary Fibrosis

The last time I did this route, the cure was at 55% when the last person was infected.  It definitely shouldn't be any higher than this if you're going to win!

Immediately the last person is infected:
Devolve EB, Air 2, CR 1 and CR 2 - 6 points refunded
Get Total Organ Failure (TOF).

If the cure is over 65%, which it soon will be, get Genetic Reshuffle (GRes) 1, then GRes 2 and GRes 3 the minute you can - shouldn't be too hard because the points roll over really quickly on Fungus once you've got TOF going.

I needed Coma and Paralysis to make sure the cure didn't beat me.

I finished it with the cure on 86%, with 8680 points.

Walkthrough - How I beat Prion on Mega Brutal - Plague Inc

(For Plague Inc addicts only, ie, nothing to do with the usual stuff on my blog!)

I found Prion really difficult on Mega Brutal.   I did it once, couldn't remember how, and tried loads of different strategies before I found one that worked - twice.  Please note, I play on my tablet, I don't know how well this strategy will work on Xbox One or other devices.

Here's how I did it:

Modify with the following:

DNA Genes: Catalytic Switch (this was a breakthrough for me in making it work!)

Travel Genes: Aerocyte

Evolution Genes: Patho-Statis

Mutation Genes: Genetic Mimic

Environment Genes: Extremophile

Prion takes a long time to react to new activations, and it's hard to spread around, too.  I tried doing lots of transmission first but it didn't work.

Start it in Egypt.

I got the following in this order:

Drug Resistance (DR) 1

Air 1 (I got this next because I got the notification about dry winds across arid landscapes)

DR 2

Cold Resistance (CR) 1 (DR and CR because the planes would take it into colder countries, and also those with more sophisticated medical research).  During this time the first random symptoms started to pop up - I devolved these to get extra points, but mostly so they wouldn't draw attention to the plague.

Water 1

Water 2 (I found that I didn't need Air 2)

CR 2

By now, it had been noticed, so the cure work had started.

IMMEDIATELY, I got Genetic Hardening 1 & 2.  I think that once you know the cure is coming (ie, when you get the notification that the plague has infected more people than HIV), you should make sure you have 29 free DNA points to get these two.

Now it's been discovered, you need to make it a real hindrance!

I got:

Neural Atrophy (NA) 1

Coughing

Pneumonia

Then I let the points build up a bit and get it very near to the whole world being infected, before getting Pulmonary Fibrosis.  You shouldn't get this too early, or it sometimes mutates Total Organ Failure (TOF), which ends the game if you get it too early, as everyone dies off before they're all infected.

So I got Pulmonary Fibrosis, and yes - it mutated TOF very soon after.  This wasn't just a lucky one off, it happened 3 times running, so it's worth taking this route.

Okay....

By the time the whole world was infected, I had 155 DNA points built up, and the cure was at 66%.  You'll be glad now that you chose Catalytic Switch as you really need those points from popping the blue medical research bubbles!

Next steps:

NA 2

Genetic Reshuffle (GRes) 1

I got GRes 2 when the cure was up to 75%.  Then it was still mounting, and not enough people were dead - so I got GRes 3 and NA3 when it was at 81%.

Then I thought, I'm in trouble.  No more GRes, GH or DR to slow it down, and I could see that it was going to reach 100% before everyone was dead.  So I devolved Water 2 and CR 2, which gave me 2 more all important DNA points.  I've found that if you amass loads of points before everyone's infected, it doesn't always give you anything back when you devolve, you have to wait until you've used up a load before it does.

I got Coma and Paralysis to slow the cure down.

I was still in trouble, though!

I chucked everything I could at it, anything that looked likely to slow it down.

I chose:

Inflammation

Seizures

Insanity!!! (Make 'em too mad to work out the cure, right?)

Dysentry (.... and having to rush out of the room every five minutes...)

Immune Suppression.

Finally, the cure stopped increasing at 94% and I was home and dry, exterminating humankind with a total of 15900 points.

Walkthrough - How I beat Parasite on Mega Brutal - Plague Inc

For Plague Inc addicts only (ie, nothing to do with the usual stuff on my blog!)

I've beat Parasite on Mega Brutal three times using this route, twice with loads of room to spare!

Android only, on my tablet - I don't know if it works on Xbox One or any other device.  (Note: April 16: someone has just told me that it works on iPhone too, though they had to get Coma and Paralysis at the end to stop the cure getting to 100%).

For other walkthroughs, click PLAGUE INC MEGA BRUTAL WALKTHROUGHS at the end of this blog post.

Modify with these genes:

DNA Genes: Cytochrome Surge

Travel Genes: Teracyte

Evolution Genes: Patho-Stasis

Mutation Genes: Genetic Mimic

Environment Genes: Xerophile

Start the plague in Egypt.

Get Symbiosis 1

I've found that the trick with Parasite is to get it spread round fast, before you do anything else....

.... so get Air 1 and 2, and Water 1 and 2 first.

Next, get Drug Resistance (DR) 1, because it might already be in countries with good medical facilities.

Then get Symbiosis 2

If you get any random symptoms mutating, devolve them immediately, so as not to draw attention to the plague.

Next:

DR 2

Cold Resistance (CR) 1

Symbiosis 3

CR 2

Around now there should be signs of the cure being about to start - the notification that the plague is more infectious than HIV is the sign that this is about to happen.

You need to make sure you have 7 points in the bank for Genetic Hardening (GH) 1 for when this happens - get it AS SOON AS some country starts looking into it!

Evolve Coughing and Pneumonia.

Now that it's been discovered, if any other symptoms mutate of their own accord, you might as well leave them, but have a look first to see if devolving them will give you a point back.

You should get GH 2 as quickly as you can; both GH slow the cure pace down A LOT.

Now it's just a matter of waiting until the whole world is infected.

Do not slow the cure with any Genetic Reshuffles (GRes) until it is over 60%.  It goes back by a larger percentage if you wait until then, but sometimes only by 1% if you do it too early.  Also, you will need your points to kill everyone!

One time, it mutated Pulmonary Fibrosis of its own accord; if it doesn't, you should get this now.

Do not be tempted by Total Organ Failure (TOF) until the whole world is infected, as it kills them off very quickly and will leave no-one to infect the healthy.

As soon as the whole world is infected, devolve Air 1 and 2, then CR 1 and 2.  This will give you 6 DNA points back.

The last time I played using this method, the cure was only at 18% by the time the whole world was infected, and I had 50% DNA points - I only needed 9 more for TOF!

Get TOF as soon as you can.  

This is what happened to me next:

After TOF started killing everyone, I got enough points for GRes 1 when the cure was at 61%, and it took it back to 57%. 

After that, the DNA points were coming so thick and fast that getting GRes 2 and 3 was easy.  When I killed off the whole world, the cure was only at 68%.  Finished on 11960 points.

I've played it a couple of times using this method and got beaten; it all depends which countries get infected when.   Try it a few times!

The Z Files: Jerome Dumont ~ Gemini

Astrology ~ a bit of fun, a load of rubbish, or something to take seriously?

I invited around 70 writers/bloggers to write a piece about how typical they are of their sign, and how its traits affect their writing life ~ if at all...

Has your favourite writer been featured yet?  Links to all previous posts at the end of this one :)

The small world of the internet ~ please allow me to introduce Quebec based French lawyer-turned-indie author Jerome Dumont, whose multi-faceted life already seems typical of his sign ~ Gemini.  Talking of multi-faceted, he's just started up a business called Nameo Solutions, which provides a full range of web services ~ it's HERE.  Do contact him if you'd like to know more :)

Bonne matin et bienvenue a ma blog, Jerome ~ the floor is yours...

"When it comes to my astrology sign, I often say that as a typical Gemini, one gets two for the price of one…  we are said to have dual personalities, with - slight (I do insist) - instabilities: sometimes anxious, sometimes playful and overly communicative. Indeed. Point is, I often exhaust myself with the rollercoaster I’m riding everyday! 

I did never dig much further (the burden is already heavy!) but thanks to Terry’s brilliant idea which I love, I’ve been a good boy and made some other researches.

So, we’re said to be pessimistic and to often see the glass half-filled… I suspect some link there with the obvious fact that we need to be reassured. Sometimes. Often. Everyday."

"Another typical trait of Gemini is that they're allergic to routine: yes to that too. I’m actually suffering from that terrible illness. But, thank God, writing prevents me from that boring « ring ring… 7AM... Move yourself to go again » routine by starting the writing of my 8th and 9th books. 

An analyzing mind, even when we don’t want to… Because there’s always a reason, isn’t there?"

"Geminis love to find solutions and solve problems: look no further - I’m a thriller author (but as I love to give myself new challenges, I’m planning the writing of a chick-lit novel - what life would look like without REAL challenges?).

Not limited to one contradiction, I love to meet new people but I do need some loneliness. Speaking of duality? I’ve also read (it must be true, I found it on Elle astrology pages) that if I was an animal, I’d be a cat, needing my own home sweet home AND loving my freedom plus a strong taste for travel. I must admit that « immature » is also found on this article. Must be a typo.

Elle also says that male Geminis often had a very present mother during childhood… Get outta my head. Please. By the way… Love you mom! 

Bottom line: I recognize myself in almost, well, everything I’ve read about my astrological sign. But amongst all, my most typical astrological trait - apart of that bloody duality, is that Geminis are faithful, especially with friends. 110% agreed!"

I love this piece ~ I especially love that Jerome got his information from Elle magazine!  And of course it's written in such a charming and witty Gemini fashion :). 

You can read more about Jerome's life and books on his website  and follow him on Twitter.  

G Garrulous
E Excitable
M Mercurial
I Inquisitive
N Nosey!
I Imaginative

Two other intricate plot creating, quick Gemini minds to join Jerome in the mental conundrum of thriller writing...

Best seller Robert Ludlum ~ I've never read any of his 

but there are about 30 of the damn things on the bookshelf of the spare room I sleep in when I visit my Dad!

.... and master of many trades, Mitch Albom.  

I've read his The Five People You Meet In Heaven, which is fab!

Coming next time: A chick lit writing Libra!

Previous Posts:

Leo and Aries: Terry Tyler and Julia Proofreader

Leo: Anne Goodwin,, Alex Johnson

Aries: Cynthia Harrison

Gemini: John Privilege, Shelley Wilson,

Aquarius and Capricorn: Nicky Black
Capricorn: Steffany R

Aquarius: Cathy Ryan, Lynda Renham,

Sagittarius: Rachel Amphlett, Wendy J Lennox, Katrina Mountfort

Virgo: Louise Marley, Elizabeth Ducie Barb Taub,

Pisces: Maria Savva, Sacha Black

Scorpio: Robert Leigh, Catherine Hokin, Jenny Twist,
Taurus: Valerie-Anne Baglietto,  Valerie Poore,

Cancer: Katie Oliver, Mark Barry,
Libra: Joanne B