Did you know Cogmind has special modes?

Overview

Cogmind has hidden modes not easily accessible in-game. I’ll attempt to list all of them. Bold text is typically important.

“Pay2Win “Pay2Buy”” Mode

Yesterday an event called “Pay2Win“Pay2Buy”” was released on April 1st. Because having a hidden code in the patch notes seems mean to newbies, this guide was made so that all new buyers may see the code and be able to play the event that they missed.

AFD 2019 normally autoactivates for new runs on 4/1, you can use the “-forceAFD2019” -forceMode:AFD2019 command line parameter. (In Steam this is Cogmind > Properties > Set Launch Options…) Likewise, -forceAFD2018-forceMode:AFD2018 will allow last year’s April Fools event to be playable. Changing your system date to April 1st of either 2018 or 2019 will also play the event.

Update: You need to use -forceMode:AFD2019 instead since -forceAFD2019 no longer works. Credit: Meh

In Pay2Buy mode there are no parts lying around, and no salvage from kills, either. Instead you’ll have one source for new part: The Cogshop.

Player 2 Mode

Your brand new friend comes with

• new AI behaviors
• most of your same capabilities and will evolve and manage their own build and inventory
• over 600 lines of situational dialogue to keep you company on the way

Unique AFD mode for 2020, automatically activates on 4/1 for anyone who has played at least three runs. Command line argument “-forceMode:AFD2020” (or “-forceMode:Player2”).

Cogmind and Player 2’s core integrity levels are linked. Multiple smarter AI behaviors for Player 2.

Challenge Modes

Challenge modes can only be activated via /user/advanced.cfg:

• challengeDevolution: Start with 20 slots chosen randomly (from a weighted distribution), and lose 1, also randomly, at each new evolution. Base integrity never changes, always resetting to 800 with each evolution, and inherent heat dissipation (20) is also static throughout the run. If there are no free slots of the type that devolves, a random excess part is dropped to the ground. Bonus points are applied at each depth change, though the modifiers are negative in the early game before accumulating even larger positive modifiers in the late game. Incompatible with challengeInhibitedEvolution and challengeUnstableEvolution (Devolution takes
  precedence).

• challengeFragileParts: All parts are destroyed on removal, mimicking the standard behavior of processors. Incompatible with challengeStickyParts (Sticky Parts takes precedence).
• challengeGauntlet: All branch access is blocked, as are all main access points except the furthest from your entry location. Waste is still accessible, as are Garrisons, but both always bring you back to the same depth. Incompatible with challengeSuperGauntlet. (Gauntlet takes precedence.)
• challengeInhibitedEvolution: Only evolve half as many slots as usual.
• challengeNoSalvage: Destroyed robots leave no salvageable parts, only matter (and inventory items, for special events that include those).
• challengePureCore: No inventory slots for the entire run. Storage utilities are instead converted to matter when stepped on.
• challengeScavenger: There are no random part stockpiles in the main complex, and any lone items strewn about are damaged. Everything else must be salvaged from other robots, stolen from haulers, or fabricated. Note that static stockpiles are still
  present, such as those in Storage for example. <affects_seed>

• challengeSimpleHacker: No indirect or manual hacking of any kind.
• challengeStickyParts: No parts can be removed or swapped out manually, and must be destroyed to free their slot(s). Incompatible with challengeFragileParts (Sticky Parts takes precedence).
• challengeSuperGauntlet: All access points are locked, as are all but one garrison access. The only way to advance to the next depth is to find that one garrison and pass through it. Hacking open the entry is guaranteed, and leaving a garrison always
  takes you upward rather than back to the same map. Waste is still accessible. Note there are no garrisons in -10/-9, and ascension occurs normally there. Be careful around the lone garrison access because it can be disabled from damage, trappingyou on a floor and ending the run. RIF Installers are not usable in this challenge.

• challengeTrapped: All non-garrison 0b10-controlled maps that have any traps multiply that number by 10. Also +20% to trigger traps, and trap knowledge cannot be gained via hacks, Zionite intel, 0b10 Decoders, or friendly Operators. <affects_seed>
• challengeUnstableEvolution: You have no control over which slots you evolve; each of your evolutions is randomized, though the chance of evolving a power slot is weighted lower while utility slots are weighted higher. Multiple challenge modes can be active simultaneously, except for any incompatibilities stated above.

Note that activating some challenges may cause a world seed to produce different results. Those that do are marked above.

For those having trouble accessing Challenge Modes, here is a helpful quote from DDarkray on the Steam forums:

1. Find your Cogmind folder. If you’re using Windows, it might look something like this:
   C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonCogmind

   I recommend making a shortcut to this folder for future use.

2. Open your “user” folder.
3. Open your “advanced.cfg” file (using a Notepad or something).
4. There are a lot of advanced options in this file. At the top of the file, you’ll see those challenge modes having a value of “0” (zero). Turn on whichever challenge modes you want by changing the value to “1”. If you want to know what each of them do, see here[www.gridsagegames.com] for full description. You’ll also see which challenge modes aren’t compatible to each other.
5. Save the file and close it.
6. Open your game. If you already have it opened, you must close it and then re-open it. If you’re in a middle of a run, you must finish your run first, or restart it. If you want to know whether the challenge mode is on or not, simply view the log message. It will tell you if it’s on.

   If you want to turn off all challenge modes, repeat all the steps above, but at step #4, change all the challenge mode values to “0”.”

Holiday Mode

This mode is accessible under (Steam > Right Click > Properties > Beta > 7.2 (Holiday Mode)). It will require internet access to download the old version. It has a few special items and other small tweaks, I’m unsure of whats added due to minimal playtesting and not much mentioned in the patch notes for it. Of note, any challenge modes will override and disable Holiday Mode, so make sure they are disabled first before downdating your game.

Warning: Running this mode will remove discovered new content that has been added since this version of the game! There are ways around this, such as by copy-pasting player data. Backing up data is recommended before using Legacy versions!

Credited Modes

Section with modes suggested by other players. Text will still be quoted from the dev whenever possible.

• -forceMode:Abominations Halloween special mode. As with our several other special events in the past, this one is time-activated (10/31) automatically but you can also force it to activate on any day by adding -forceMode:Abominations as a command line parameter when running the game. (On Steam this is handled by going to Properties > Set Launch Options.) If you’ve done this correctly the message log will show a special announcement when you start the game.

  If you want to play a regular run on 10/31 instead of joining the event, you can use the -noSpecialMode parameter to prevent it from activating.vAs with our several other special events in the past, this one is time-activated (10/31) automatically but you can also force it to activate on any day by adding -forceMode:Abominations as a command line parameter when running the game. (On Steam this is handled by going to Properties > Set Launch Options.) If you’ve done this correctly the message log will show a special announcement when you start the game.

  Credit: bug_sniper

• “-forceMode:Winter2019” (or “-forceMode:RPGLIKE”) to enable the Winter RPG mode from 2019, regardless of system date. Special event for Winter 2019, automatically activates between 12/17 and 1/1 (inclusive) for anyone who has played at least 10 runs. Some key features:

  This event/mode is focused around an “RPG-ish” progression model, envisioning Cogmind as if it were more like a lot of other traditional roguelikes featuring a leveling system but without rampant item destruction :P. While it’s still possible to lose parts, it’s not very likely, and many of your abilities can also be gained from the upgrade mechanics, altogether allowing you to create sturdier builds with more permanence.

  At its core Cogmind is about mitigating loss and adapting to changing situations (including losing your own capabilities!), so naturally this mode is seemingly the “anti-Cogmind,” turning the game on its head. As one of testers put it “this mode definitely feels like other games,” so for those out there who are looking for a new/different traditional roguelike maybe not quite so radical in terms of strategy and tactics as regular Cogmind, this mode might be for them/you. You can possibly play it as a break from the sometimes stressful regular mode, or even switch to RPGLIKE altogether, as it’s meant to be a permanent gameplay option from now on, and will continue to get more updates as necessary if people are into it.

  Credit: Meh

• “-forceMode:Halloween2020” (or “-forceMode:ForbiddenLore”) to enable the Halloween mode from 2020, regardless of system date. Unlike previous special modes, this one doesn’t actually make sweeping gameplay changes, but instead challenges you to hunt for clues with help from forbiddenlore.gridsagegames.com, scouring the game and internet for passwords to special lore.

  Cogmind is pretty big on lore, creating a deeper world with its various factions, NPCs, and the stories they share. And there’s so much more room out there! In the lore you can already find references to pieces of the world which don’t currently exist, some of them likely to happen one day (some of them guaranteed :P), but reliable information is spotty. This Halloween event will fill a few gaps and also give glimpses of other locations and inhabitants of Tau Ceti IV.

  Credit: 😈M I N T Y😈

Thanks for reading.