Modes and Difficulties

## Lobby Type

There are 3 base types of lobby available, these are:

* Challenge BETA.

#### Free to join

This lobby type is the default type and the most played, is is the base way to play, be that if you want to level up classes, grab skins, companions, icons, anything. It also calls for new players to join,

#### Veterans match

This lobby is just like the Free to join lobby, but in theory is intended to inform player that is played with "veterans"

#### Challenge BETA

This is the lobby type made for those that are looking for the hardest of challenges within Pandorium Survivor. In this mode the game will be locked in the highest difficulty and that will increase according to the challenge level of all players. The higher the average challenge level, the higher the difficulty. Players can both gain or lose challenge points according to how well that match went.

**Basic way of how challenge level works:** thanks to *Maniac* and *Dark*

Average rank of all players + lobby setting (match challenge level). To make things more fair, player with highest and with lowest rank aren't counted.

-0.25 penalty is reduced every time a player wins. It also means that players who have already won, might still get their rank increased when next player evacs. Penalty is intended to promote survival as a team rather than individual "I'm off. Bye." TL; DR: If you win in Challenge mode, you better wait till everyone else finishes their game.

It's also gotta be noted that your effective rank is not the very best you ever scored. It's the lowest of your three best scores. TL; DR: You gotta beat a certain rank 3 times until it counts.

## Game mode

During the lobby phase players can vote for a game mode, this are:

* Beginner;
* Pro;
* Instructor.

#### Beginner

"Vote for mode intended for new players. You will receive new player boost."

"This game is being played in beginner mode. Difficulty is reduced and players can respawn infinitely,"

Beginner is the default game mode.

If the majority of players vote Beginner the game will be set with beginner mode and all players will receive the beginner buff:

"Beginner Boost"

* This unit has new player bonuses:

* Increased durability. (+2.7 armor?)
* 30% dodge change.
* Reduce negative effects duration. (Bleeding/Burning)
* Reduced friendly fire damage.

Also games in beginner mode will lock off Very Hard, Nightmare and Hell difficulties and some other content which are only available in Pro mode. Beginner mode is only intended to be played with new players, but it does have a companion and icons associated with it. The players who voted for beginner mode will be presented with instructions and tutorials on how to successfully succeed for the duration of the match, and during the match will not be able to see any players level.

Veteran players should not request new players to change their vote here.

#### Pro

"Vote for mode intended for experienced players."

"This game is being played in Pro mode. Players will not respawn after death."

The intended mode to play the game, made for anyone who is not new to the game. No buffs, no forced tutorials, either the players knows how to do their job or dies. Everything is available in this mode.

#### Instructor

"Vote for mode intended for beginner players as a veteran"

Picking instructor in lobby will basically mean that you vote for Beginner game mod, but don´t have UI blocks and "forced" tips.

## Difficulty

The difficulty defines how frequently the creatures spawn, how many can there be in the station at any moment, how frequently special creatures spawn, increase the rate of spawn of nests. Each unit does **not** get buffed the higher the difficulty, it just **increases** how **many** and how **frequently.**

The difficulties available are:

* Normal;
* Hard;
* Very Hard;
* Nightmare;
* Hell.

There are a considerable amount of content locked behind difficulties, be that endings, skins, icons and other.

#### Normal

Easiest difficulty, not played, like never.

#### Hard

The default difficulty level, and usually played in matches with a similar number of veteran and new players

Usually the most taken evacuation here is the Dropship.

#### Very Hard

The first of non beginner difficulties.

This is the first difficulty where nests can evolve increasing difficulty and unlocking some content.

#### Nightmare

Almost, but not there just yet.

In nightmare players will be presented with the opportunity to call the raiders and if successful in escaping using their ship, players will be awarded their skins. Also this is the first difficulty that players may receive their android skins by escaping trough fighters.

#### Hell

Congrats on reaching hell, you will never have enough of anything to deal with them.

This difficulty present one new special ending, and one improved ending. Lots of skins and icons available to unlock in hell.