Multiplayer has become extremely popular in Plague Inc: Evolved with over 210,000 VS. games played since we released it in December. The Cure Strikes Back update is a major multiplayer focused update which adds new features and tweaks balance. The primary focus is to increase the threat posed by the cure when multiple diseases are infecting the world. This should enable multiple new strategies - especially for experienced players.
Main features:
- Cure Focus to multiplayer - if one disease is particularly concerning, then humans will switch over some research labs from the other disease to increase the cure research for the worst disease
- Rich countries get even more concerned by diseases that are killing lots of people in other countries
Balance tweaks:
- Minor adjustments to starting DNA in various counties
- Reduced population density in china slightly
- Slightly increased severity of some symptoms: Gastric Ulceration, Acute Encephalitis, Meningitis, Internal Haemorrhaging, Fever, Dysentery
- Slight increase to cost of Rodent Transmission and slight reduction to infectivity increase
- Slight increase to impact of genetic hardening at both levels
- Increased cost of Unscheduled Flight trait by 1 DNA
- Humans may set up Global Research Hubs (government action)
Other changes and bug fixes:
- Wins / losses not added to stats if you play a private friends match (but you can still unlock things)
- Added tooltips for chat box
- Genetic exposure devolve bug fixed
- Fix to 'black square' issue that some people were reporting
We are also working on CO-OP multiplayer, the tutorial and fixing / polishing various things before releasing the game. We aim to leave Early Access in early 2016. Not long to go now :)
Good luck infecting!
James
P.S. You may remember that I conducted an experiment on the Plague Inc. community by infecting myself with a special multiplayer achievement which 'infects' anyone I played (who can then in turn infect other people). It has really spread - so far 3.5% of all players have been infected!