Best for: Very experienced players, large busy servers, maximum challenge
Extreme difficulty creates one of the most challenging Overthrow experiences, designed for large groups of experienced players or very busy servers. Every system is tuned hard. A further preset, Insane, goes harder still; see Difficulty.
Every figure below is this preset's value. Where a page elsewhere on the wiki quotes a "default", that default is Normal.
- Starting Cash: 0 (you begin with nothing)
- Heavy Penalties: 25 per respawn, 25 per fast travel
- Expensive Everything: 3x multiplier for placeables, buildables, and vehicles
- Harsh Trading: gun dealers pay only 20% of an item's value, and base procurement rises to 95% of the vehicle price
- Minimal Income: 5 per civilian in taxes, 2 per supporter in donations
- Expensive Recruits: 1000 per fighter, four times Normal
- Expensive Buses: 50 per kilometre
- Massive Patrols: 6-9 defense groups at radio towers, and up to 20 defense positions per base
- Deep Reserves: each occupying-faction base starts with 2000 resources
- Rapid Growth: 500 resources per 6 hours into the faction pool, plus up to 1000 more scaled by threat
- Fast Responses: counter-attacks roughly every 60 seconds, give or take 20
- Persistent Threat: 0.003 factor means areas rarely calm down
- Massive QRF: up to 2000 resources of response force
- Short Sabotage Downtime: a sabotaged radio tower is back up in 15 minutes
- 60% Disguise Effectiveness: Disguises are unreliable
- 90% Detection Range: Enemies spot you from nearly full distance
- Long Wanted Timers: 3 minutes 20 seconds per level for levels 2 and above, 4 minutes 40 seconds for level 1
- Weak Wanted Reduction: 50% reduction when using disguises
- Increased Detection: seen through at 25 m, against 15 m on Normal
- DISABLED Mode: no fast travel at all while a QRF is running anywhere on the map
- Radio only
- No weapons or ammunition provided
- Starting with 0 cash means income has to come from somewhere else first
- A 25 respawn cost adds up quickly when cash is scarce
- 3x building costs mean every purchase is a real decision
- Minimal tax income (5 per civilian) makes a wide base of towns matter more than a deep one
- 6-9 patrol groups make direct assaults extremely dangerous
- Deep base reserves (2000 to start, 500 a tick and more with threat) sustain long conflicts
- Counter-attacks about a minute apart leave little time for operations
- Areas never truly become safe due to persistent threat
- 60% disguise effectiveness means disguises often fail
- Long wanted timers make mistakes very costly
- The increased detection distance shortens every safe approach
- Disguises work better as a fallback than as a plan
- An active QRF anywhere disables fast travel entirely
- Movement is largely overland
- Group movements need coordinating
- Survival Phase: Initial weapons and cash come from scavenging and trade
- Establishment Phase: A first town brings in a small but real income
- Expansion Phase: Very gradual expansion with extreme caution
- Coordination Phase: Large group coordination for any major operation
- No starting money puts looting and trading first
- Gun dealer selling at 20% is extremely unprofitable
- Vehicle costs at 3x require sustained saving
- Captured equipment is worth more than purchased equipment
- Massive patrol presence favours large coordinated groups
- Enemy resources regenerate faster than they can usually be depleted
- Siege tactics and attrition compare well against quick strikes
- Minimal tax income makes a wide spread of towns essential
- Population support becomes critical for any meaningful income
- Suits large groups (8+ players)
- Timing matters because enemy responses are fast
- Individual economic constraints make resource sharing valuable
- Large Groups: 8+ experienced players
- Busy Servers: High population servers with constant activity
- Maximum Challenge: Players who have mastered Hard difficulty
- Long-term Campaigns: Groups planning extended play sessions
Extreme difficulty is specifically designed for:
- High Population Servers: Where constant player activity justifies harsh settings
- Experienced Communities: Groups who have mastered the game mechanics
- Cooperative Play: Servers emphasizing teamwork and coordination
The deep enemy resource pools and harsh economics are balanced for constant player activity and large group coordination that high-population servers provide.
- Not Recommended for Solo Play: Extremely difficult alone
- Requires Coordination: Individual players will struggle
- Long Learning Curve: Even experienced players need adjustment time
- Resource Sharing Essential: Individual economic constraints require cooperation
Extreme difficulty transforms Overthrow into a cooperative survival challenge where every decision matters and teamwork is essential for success.