Sqdef, My Tower-defense Game

[b._.o._.b]

Well idk, guys, I get the idea that it's kind of against the spirit of the game and all, but it's all about making something really annoying about the game go away. It's all about fun vs. annoying.

Lots of other games do that, just look at how they do.

I think it's no problem if there is a cheat mode introduced. Like start level 30 with lots of money, so you can start your defense from there.
It's against the spirit of the game, so should not give you a hiscore.

For a short game, there could be something added like the 5 minute mode in desktop towerdefense. You need to get as much points as possible in 5 minutes. For a short more engaging game. I used to play that mode most on desktop tower defense.

 

[reiboul]

Unfortunately, in the game's current state, high scores are of no use

Let me explain :

Waves are limited to 45, so once one finds the good balance between turrets and factories, everyone will end with the same high score...

Even if waves were unlimited (a mode I wish you could add ), the game is still limited : once you built supertower everywhere on the map, the level is finished, you just have to wait until those towers can't stop waves anymore...

For the moment, we can buy lives, but I think that's a bad idea : once you have a lot of money, all you have to do is build some supertowers, and some 0.5% depots, and you're almost invincible.

So either you can buy lives, and you're invincible by following the adequate strategy (LOADS of money) or you're limited by the total number of turrets you can build... in both cases, highscores are useless


If you want my advice, you should limit the number of lives one can buy (like 1 per level, or none at all), propose an unlimited wave mode, and add more strategies, so that the game isn't finished when the player have the map full of super towers

That last point is the more difficult and i'm afraid I can't help you more



By the way, I finally finished wave 45 on the first map. They say money is the nerve of war, that's true : fill the map with depots (20$ at the beginning, then 0,5% when it's worth) and limit the number of turrets as low as it's possible to beat the wave. ANd don't forget to save at each wave! I found myself richer than Cresus with my map filled with super towers

 

[b._.o._.b]

waves_passed * 10000 + lives * 1000 + total_creatures_killed * 100 + (money + total_resale_value_of_current_buildings)

Looks good to me, would be nice to add a time bonus as well though.

Unfortunately, in the game's current state, high scores are of no use
Let me explain :
Waves are limited to 45, so once one finds the good balance between turrets and factories, everyone will end with the same high score...

Nope, money + total_resale_value_of_current_building + lives are added and will make the difference. Do you really believe everybody will find the perfect way to play this game? I doubt it.

 

[reiboul]

Nope, money + total_resale_value_of_current_building + lives are added and will make the difference. Do you really believe everybody will find the perfect way to play this game? I doubt it.

I don't know if that would make such a difference... The game is limited both by the number of waves, and the strategies to win (build as much SuperTowers a possible), but Alex sure has a lot of ideas for the next release

 

[fusion_power]

waves_passed * 10000 + lives * 1000 + total_creatures_killed * 100 + (money + total_resale_value_of_current_buildings)

Waah, math... ^^

Uh, looks good. I don't understand the last position completely. More buildings=more money?

Unfortunately, in the game's current state, high scores are of no use

Let me explain :

Waves are limited to 45, so once one finds the good balance between turrets and factories, everyone will end with the same high score...

Even if waves were unlimited (a mode I wish you could add ), the game is still limited : once you built supertower everywhere on the map, the level is finished, you just have to wait until those towers can't stop waves anymore...

For the moment, we can buy lives, but I think that's a bad idea : once you have a lot of money, all you have to do is build some supertowers, and some 0.5% depots, and you're almost invincible.

So either you can buy lives, and you're invincible by following the adequate strategy (LOADS of money) or you're limited by the total number of turrets you can build... in both cases, highscores are useless

If you want my advice, you should limit the number of lives one can buy (like 1 per level, or none at all), propose an unlimited wave mode, and add more strategies, so that the game isn't finished when the player have the map full of super towers

That last point is the more difficult and i'm afraid I can't help you more



By the way, I finally finished wave 45 on the first map. They say money is the nerve of war, that's true : fill the map with depots (20$ at the beginning, then 0,5% when it's worth) and limit the number of turrets as low as it's possible to beat the wave. ANd don't forget to save at each wave! I found myself richer than Cresus with my map filled with super towers


I don't think, that players only can get the same scores. Buying lives is not a bad idea. Alex just make sure, that only not buyed lives are calculated in the formula. Buyed lifes bring no points, easy.
You don't need that much super Towers by the way. I usualy build more laser Towers and Fire Turrets, cheaper and effective to.

@Alex: maybe you could add 2 different super towers? Each made of one type of barricades, so we can't mix 'em. On Super Tower like the current one, made from the multi-Firing barricade and on Tower made from the single firing barricade. It's a single fire Super Tower but with more firepower than on of the 4 multi fire shots. Makes sense for bosses where normal Super Tower only can shoot 1x with not the biggest overall firepower.

 

[reiboul]

I don't think, that players only can get the same scores. Buying lives is not a bad idea. Alex just make sure, that only not buyed lives are calculated in the formula. Buyed lifes bring no points, easy.
You don't need that much super Towers by the way. I usualy build more laser Towers and Fire Turrets, cheaper and effective to.

They will not get the same score But there will be some point, where the score will be maxed, and we won't beat that hiscore...

The problem is not really there : on every game there is a certain average score that you can't possibly beat unless you're a computer But usually in shmups (for example) the highest score is set by the player's ability, not by the game itself : The quicker and agiler you are, the more points you get, unless it isn't possible to be any better

If a player would be perfect, the limit would be the game, when you reach the point where you can't do any move without being hit

In our current version, the limit is the player, but ONLY at the beginning, when he is finding the best strategy. Then he will find a way to make money, and cover the map with towers and depots, and the game is finished : buy lives, earn money, smile : you're invincible
On the other hand, by limiting the numbers of lives, the game itself becomes the limit : once the best towers can't stop enemies anymore, all you can do is watch them kill you

By limiting the number of lives, the player's strategy become more important : the most wisely you spend your credits, the longer you survive with a set number of lives.

Some player said it on this topic : he reached a point where it became more interessant to buy lives, than to build better turrets, and that's where I am too. I guess most of you will agree this is not very interesting lol

But don't take it that seriously : the game is not final the the balance isn't set, Alex is surely working hard on it


And about super turrets, they have the advantage that you can sell them without any loss, and build them on another place (100% resale value), so once you have one, you can double it's potential by moving it wherever you want at the cost of the time you need to sell and build
Plus, they're very strong

 

[Alex.]

Hmm, then how about instead of scoring based on the number of lives, you get bonus points for not letting creatures/bosses get past the end point? That would encourage skill over buying lives. Also, I'm thinking of decreasing the big tower's resale rate, moving it around *infinitely* many times isn't much to my liking.

Anywho, the game is a bit easier now. My goal is to make one-way snaking maps easy to beat on 45, and have other, more divided ones be the more challenging parts.

 

[fusion_power]

And about super turrets, they have the advantage that you can sell them without any loss, and build them on another place (100% resale value), so once you have one, you can double it's potential by moving it wherever you want at the cost of the time you need to sell and build
Plus, they're very strong

I know, that's the so called "Fusion_Power-Method"

Hmm, then how about instead of scoring based on the number of lives, you get bonus points for not letting creatures/bosses get past the end point? That would encourage skill over buying lives. Also, I'm thinking of decreasing the big tower's resale rate, moving it around *infinitely* many times isn't much to my liking.

Good Idea, so lives are unimportant for the score system but there is still a reason, not to loose lives when wanting high scores, nice. , Problem is, at the beginning you have no much choice to let some creatures (mainly bosses) pass through. I use this to save money and have enough money at the end. Maybe you can do a calculation, where you get more bonus points for not passing creatures as higher the wave is, for example, at wave 20 twice the bonus points than wave 10 for not passing creatures through?

The Idea, to sell the big towers for 100% is good, besides I don't need this method anymore, I now have my system to reach wave 45 without much selling and such tricks. ^^ But for Multi-Path maps, such a tactic ould be very important, so the Super Towers selling and rebuilding during a wave maybe the only way to win Maps like "Islands". I don't know, havent got very far there :lol:
(Or you plan to include special buildings for such hard maps? Who knows? ) :lol:

Anywho, the game is a bit easier now.

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! :lol:

 

[xhyldazhk]

Great game. I'm becoming addicted to it. Keep the good work!! Games like this one are the ones that make me proud of having a GP2X.

 

[Alex.]

Great game. I'm becoming addicted to it. Keep the good work!! Games like this one are the ones that make me proud of having a GP2X.

Thank you, comments like these really make my day

 

[reiboul]

Great game. I'm becoming addicted to it. Keep the good work!! Games like this one are the ones that make me proud of having a GP2X.

Thank you, comments like these really make my day


Don't worry, we all greatly appreciate your work Such quality homebrew is what makes the GP2X so attractive! It was definitely worth the waiting

 

[fusion_power]

Here is a little visual impression of my Idea with the % value at the range circles:

The percentage describes the covering of the path inside the circles (seperate for each circle) 100% each would be a Turret surrounded completely with nothing just path (impossible) The values help to decide, where to place a turret to be most effective. As more path is inside the circle, as better is it.
Value display switches from on diagonal to another if tower is moved at the screen edges, so the value is always visible.

Of course I have no Idea, how the game should calculate this path coverage :lol:

 

[Alex.]

It looks good, but I really think it's intuitive enough already. No RTS games will you give you so many numbers, because it takes away from the fun by always crunching numbers. There must be a proper balance between math and just shooting bullets and exploding enemies

Also, small update: I'm just about finishing up medals and hiscores. I also tweaked the balance, the game is much more approachable now 1.1 is coming in a day or two, I hope.

 

[A_SN]

Here is a little visual impression of my Idea with the % value at the range circles:

The percentage describes the covering of the path inside the circles (seperate for each circle) 100% each would be a Turret surrounded completely with nothing just path (impossible) The values help to decide, where to place a turret to be most effective. As more path is inside the circle, as better is it.
Value display switches from on diagonal to another if tower is moved at the screen edges, so the value is always visible.

Of course I have no Idea, how the game should calculate this path coverage :lol:

Next thing you know you'll have something that calculates the optimal placement of a tower, and before you know it you'll have the whole game playing itself in an optimal manner. Great way to go

 

[b._.o._.b]

Also, small update: I'm just about finishing up medals and hiscores. I also tweaked the balance, the game is much more approachable now 1.1 is coming in a day or two, I hope.

Nice! Hiscores, that's what this game *really* needed.

 

[fusion_power]

Next thing you know you'll have something that calculates the optimal placement of a tower, and before you know it you'll have the whole game playing itself in an optimal manner. Great way to go

Playing itself? Then you can play against a good AI in a turn based variant, why not? :lol:
I like my Idea It was just supposed for a better overview in stressful situations, I think numbers are quicker to see sometimes.

@Alex. wow, you already at the highscores? Not bad, I thought this would come later, I'm sure it's not done in 5 minuts of coding. ^^
How is the situation with an small optional, variable onscreen display? We still have the R-Trigger free for toggling this function on/off or other features.

 

[Alex.]

Actually, R is now used for fast forward

 

[Quiest]

Awesome and congrats on GURU status, well deserved!

 

[Mikey242]

Awesome and congrats on GURU status, well deserved!

Yeah well done on the Guru status and an awsome game.

 

[A_SN]

Awesome and congrats on GURU status, well deserved!

Oh, what earned him this status? Some mod to love sqdef? I hope not