Desktop Tower Defense: Addicting Time-Wasting Procrastination Aid

June 26th, 2007

Technology Argh. Over the past few days I officially wasted about eight hours playing this inanely addicting Flash video game: Desktop Tower Defense.

It’s pretty basic: you build a maze with turrets of varying ability. Bad guys stream in from the gates above and to the left. They try to escape through the bottom or the right. You can’t move your turrets around; they just fire at the bad guys automatically. The strategy comes in how you build the maze, the turret types, and how strong you make your turrets through upgrading.

I’ve slowly come to the conclusion that a few really strong turrets is more effective than a lot of first or second upgraded ones. Also, in terms of a maze pattern I’ve given up on a long winding one that traverses the whole playfield for a diagonal stair step design.

What’s pissing me off now, is I get up to a level where there are two really hard to beat black crescent shaped units, followed by a slew of flying triangles that I just can’t prepare for. I think my high score so far has been about 2500.

Anyhow, I’m now looking for strategies to get a little farther in this game. There are obviously some good tips all over the Internet. Plus, this crazy video demonstrates how a master plays this game as opposed to a frustrated n00b like me. Anybody got some tips out there?

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engtech @ internet duct tape 1 year ago 1 point
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I block off both entrances and herd them to a corner where I concentrate firepower... upgrading is SO important, as is putting slows in early... I put a slow down every 4-5 when I'm building a path

the center is reserved for a building anti-air

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Cory O'Brien 1 year ago 1 point
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I get to about the same point you do and die as well. The flying triangles are just too hard to beat. One way that I've gotten through them is to place an anti-air as soon as I can afford it, and then give it an update or two. That seems to help. I still can't get much farther past that stage through. If you do manage to get past 2,500, and you don't have another group to add your score too, I've started a group called: DidntYouHear. See you there!

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http://www.didntyouhear.com

webomatica 1 year ago 1 point
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Cool - I really appreciate these tips as I need to get this monkey off my back! I think after watching the vids I need to get some slowdown turrets in there, too.

I'm at that point where when I close my eyes, I see these creeps and turrets firing.

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Dave 1 year ago 1 point
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I'm sorry to hear you got into it. I had to quit a couple months back. Too addicting.

I basically would upgrade the Squirt and Swarm towers to max. You must do this. It's way better to get a couple of them at max power than to have tons of squirts and swarms.

I also would do some fancy spiral type mazes with lotsa nooks and crannies to get the creeps winding around. And 1 or 2 strategically placed freeze towers. Dart towers can be good too.

Cory, the flying triangles are tough, but if you're at level 40 or so, you really need about 3-4 fully upgraded swarm towers along with whatever squirt towers you have to take them down.

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Dave 1 year ago 1 point
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If you are leet you can also do the "juggling" thing whereby you let the creeps pass through the maze and then open an earlier segment of the maze whilst closing off the end of where they are currently headed. The creeps will turn around and go the other way and you just kinda rinse and repeat.

Of course this technique requires proper timing and can be disastrous if you have a another wave of creeps coming in from behind.

Oh, and the only way to score big in the 50-level game is to have a constant flow of creeps going through your maze (i.e. you have to send them in early). I would always send in the 2 normal waves and whatever came in after them in rapid succession. It's mayhem, but if you have the upgraded guns, a good maze and some freeze towers you'll get them all.

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webomatica 1 year ago 1 point
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Man these are some good tips. Dave what was your high score when you quit?

I am determined to put these strategies to use tonight.

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Dave 1 year ago 1 point
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I think I got around 7000 on the regular difficulty 50 level. I've gotten over 10,000 on the 100+ level challenge (up to the level 70 or so). I don't know if it's possible to do the 100 level challenge without juggling. But my skills are weak compared to the mega dudes.

I see they've launched version 1.5...damn...I might have to try it out later tonight :-(

I'll have to play a game and send you my standard maze-formation. But if you just browse the recent scores list on the td site, you'll see which mazes garner the high scores and which ones suck.

But if there's one tip to give you...it's build one squirt and up it to max level before you upgrade another one (augment with pellets, of course).

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webomatica 1 year ago 1 point
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You got up to 7000? That is freaking mighty as far as I'm concerned! We'll see how well I do tonight.

1.5 is what I have been playing. Not sure what's different from the one you were hooked on.

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Dave 1 year ago 1 point
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Well, like I said the key is to always have creeps on the screen - and ideally have no fewer than 2 waves going through at any given time. If you can do that, you can get a 50-100% boost from the score bonus for the waves going early. You also cannot afford to let any of the creeps get through the maze (esp. early on) since you need to money early in the game and the points later in the game. But if you have sufficient swarm towers and other upgraded towers, those superbuff flying dudes at the end cannot get through (nor can the 2 ground bosses that keep splitting up).

1.5 looks interesting. That ink tower is new. Not sure how the game has been changed, I'll have to try it (sparingly!)

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webomatica 1 year ago 1 point
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Well - with these tips I got up to 3000 and am really close to beating the medium level. Update shortly...!

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webomatica 1 year ago 1 point
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Yeah... finally beat the medium level. 4613! I added it to the didntyouhear group :)

Thanks for all the tips - I feel less frustrated now... seemed like I had to fight the instinct to spend all the dough on building a maze vs. upgrading. cared to try hard...!

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webomatica 1 year ago 1 point
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Here's my map: http://www.handdrawngames.com/DesktopTD/ViewMap...

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Cory O'Brien 1 year ago 1 point
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Congrats on beating the medium level, and thanks for adding it to the group :). It would be great to get a few people's scores in there to compare.

Good luck with the hard level. I've been trying to beat it for a few days now, and it's a whole new beast. The dark creeps and new towers make it quite a challenge, and the strategies that worked in the lower levels have so far not paid off.

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http://www.didntyouhear.com

Desktop Tower Defense: Addicting Time-Wasting Procrastination Aid

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