Hero Tower Defense Tuesday: Day 13 - Maps



Go here to read the Day 12 of Hero Tower Defense Tuesdays.


In this post I want to go over some ideas regarding different types of maps in HTD.

I've mentioned before that HTD will have both defense and offense when it comes to gameplay. Some maps will be full defense like traditional TD games while other maps are offense. There will probably be some with mix of both to varius degrees. There will also be the usual waves made up of different types of enemies but also bosses that you have to move your characters around in order to attack and avoid certain attacks. Another fun way to beat maps is to require you to survive for a certain amount of time or require you to solve a puzzle-type problem. It'd also be cool for some maps to have multiple options available for completing it or having things you could trigger. For example have you destroy some support for a bunch of rocks and they cause one of the enemy paths to be blocked, etc.

All of the things mentioned above allow us to have a lot of flexibility for making some cool maps in HTD. When I play a game I always like having some variety so things don't get so repetitive and this allows us to do that. The maps will probably vary in size as well with larger ones not fitting on the whole screen when you are viewing it at 100%. However, there will be controls for you to zoom in and how to get a better idea of what's happening on the majority of the map. Some maps might even require you to split up your party in order to cover multiple areas of the same map instead of having them all in the same general spot and able to assist eachother.

With HTD being on a bit of a larger scale and having a more progressive nature the majority of the maps will probably be connected in some way, like having zones. For example, if you enter a cave it won't be just one map unless it's a very small cave. Instead it'll consist of multiple maps each one leading to another sending you further into the cave. There might even be some branching that takes affect in these caves so you would end up doing some exploring in the process.

I realize having maps set up like this can be a bit of hinderance when all you want to do is travel somewhere but we'll definitely have ways available to make traveling easier and more convenient. Think about it like an RPG in this instance. Traveling usually becomes easier as you become more powerful and acquire more money, mounts, and abilities.

On that note I'll leave you with an image that gives you an idea of what a finished map looks like:

A Finished Map

So let me know what you guys think in the comments and check out Kevin's blog, KXN @ HTD for more HTD artwork!

Note: As some of you have noticed, we are now looking to have the first playable version of HTD out by late December. Keep in mind this will be like version 0.1. In other words, it'll just have some of the core mechanics and other things for you to play around with. We like to release the games when they are very early in development in order to give you guys as many chances as possible to participate in helping us make the game and for us to gather feedback every step of the way. Thanks!

-Dan

Comments

  1. 2nd and awesome map's Kevin and Dan keep up the good work.

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  2. Level 60 or gtfo lol, map looks great, looking forward to seeing the other ones

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  3. nice
    looking foward to it when it comes out




    second

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  4. Map looks intense, however, I wonder how the monsters would travel. What path would they walk?

    Looks like it's coming together more and more :D

    -Scorp

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  5. 7th or 8th! Patar1010 :D :D :D

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  6. Stupid people who only comment to say they got comment number whatever.... Oh by the way the map looks cool, hope the game is out sometime soon.

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  7. hey Dan do you have an email i can contact you with?

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  8. I certainly like the idea of flexibility for the maps. However, for that possibility of having to explore, would you allow different classes heightened sense of direction for easier travel. For example, a Ranger in Pathfinder can always discern North because he is trained in Survival. Stuff like that.

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  9. Dear Sam or Dan,
    Will you have to have a file on HTD just like it is on PTD
    Thanks power3

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  10. γειά σου (Greek for "hello")November 9, 2011 at 5:58 AM

    The finished map looks like a massive Whelp footprint!
    Is this intentional, or just a co-incidence?

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  11. zooming will be a good thing =)

    @ Dan - DAMN IT! Hit Sam with a spoon please! HAHAH There was supposed to be revealed asap the release (expected) date right? Shouldn't it be in a HTD post? I almost missed it lol

    BTW for those that actually didn't see it SAM (on tweeter) SAID: "The first release will be in late december, look forward to it."

    Hope its soon enough for Chritmas event =D

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  12. wow kevin's awesome. can you PLEASE make a youtube video about htd? HEY JOEL SORRY BUT CAN YOU MAKE A HTD FILM PLEASE?? so.. can you ask your brother? thanks.

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  13. That's the nice thing about programming: once you get the code done, you can reuse it anytime you want! Now that Sam has finished the zoom function for PTD, you can use it in HTD too.

    Lvl 60 or GTFO huh? Well, better get to training then, and so much shinies on the other side of the lavafall. I'd like to pillage some of those eggs. Maybe hatch a dragon and use it to broil my enemies.

    Sure Nintendo is here? Because, I swear that the Fire Emblem Berwick Saga looks a lot like HTD. From horses being able to affect your stats to different size shields to different arrows and not just bows, the similarities are there. Still though, it's probably just coincidence as I just stumbled upon Berwick Saga when I was looking through SerenesForest.net.

    Will there be environmental factors that affect the gameplay? For example, in this level, maybe eruptions can occur that causes flaming rocks to strike both friend and foe. Maybe there could be a stage where rain comes in, reducing visibility as well as decreasing the damage fire causes and increasing the potency of water and nature.

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  14. @Anon 9:00 am
    sam doesn't look at this, dan does.

    and dan, when will there be another ninjaja update?

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  15. Cool map, 15th maybe...

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  16. December is in like a month. You can go from thinking about to releasing it in a month? Btw, it probably will start out with a bunch of players. 15th!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  17. @Boo Mariobroz - Thanks, Sam does the programming so don't forget about him :P

    @SilentJi - Thanks!

    @Stephen5566y - It's more of warm map :P

    @denny - We hope to have something out by late December but it'll still be bare bones. Just something for you guys to play around with really.

    @Scorp - Good question, but there's more ways to move along a path other than just walking. :)

    @Patar1010 - :D

    @Anon 9:53 PM - We're shooting for having something basic for you guys to play around late Decemeber

    @Leohotshot - Yes, dbell1984@gmail.com

    @Sly Kamaui - Well, the cardinal directions would always be the same really, i.e. the top of the screen is North. Also, your whole party has to travel together so having one be better at travel than others doesn't really work. So there probably wouldn't be any of those type of skills but there could always be other skills like being able to detect stuff in nearby areas or something like that perhaps.

    @power3 - Not sure what file you mean, like a profile or an actual exe file?

    @γειά σου - Hah while I'd like to say it was intentional, it wasn't :P

    @Gon - Indeed!

    He said it on twitter after the post came out. I'll add it now though.

    Hah can't promise a Christmas event, it'll be a pretty minimal version as we always do.

    @Anon 9:00 AM - Yes, Kevin is awesome!

    You can actually ask Joel himself at his blog here: http://oteropictures.blogspot.com/

    @Chris Tan - Actually I think it was done for HTD first and then he brought it over to PTD, but yes you're right about the code working for both games. Especially since they are similar since both are TDs.

    Egg snatcher!

    I've heard of Fire Emblem although never played it but I have no idea what Berwick Saga is. There's bound to be some similarities to several existing things but that's okay.

    Funny you should mention environmental effects. I was literally just thinking about that as I was writing some responses earlier before getting to yours here. Even the idea of it affecting the effectiveness of the different elemental skills. I'm definitely down with that and think it would be awesome so it's likely you'll see something like that eventually.

    @Anon 6:25 PM - I got a nice vacation coming up so I should be able ot make a good amount of progress with Ninja-Ja then. Sorry it's taking so long, it's just me working on it now.

    @Anon 8:15 PM - Close enough :P

    @Anon 9:54 PM - The release will be pretty basic at first which is how we always release our stuff. That way we have some core features and things for people to try out and then continue to develop it with everyone's feedback as we go.

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  18. Dan,
    The profile I mean is to log on with a username or your email with a password or will it just be that you can save your game but not log on.
    thanks again power3

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  19. @Chris Tan
    Actually, Berwick saga is a Fire Emblem ripoff that Nintendo sued to death :/

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  20. @Myself
    After a little investigation, i can tell that Berwick Saga is the sequel to Tearring Saga, the game Nintendo sued for being a direct copy of Fire Emblem

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  21. @Dan - twitter spell failure lol you can see how much I even look at it =P

    well, hum... *thinkin'* how about a non combat pet? or 1 or 2 items? ^^, that would be something to say I've played in Xmas

    Woooooo a pet exclusive of the first week(s) (or a pet skin of a combat bet)

    ps: achievements (like... i know there is a game ... W_W can't remember the name =P) would probably be to harsh to introduce in the begining so I'm not sugesting a feat of streght like achievement (but would be cool) and STIIIIILL if we get an exclusive item/pet would be easy for the code to back check for the achievement when they come (if they come).

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  22. Will this be eaiser to load on a computer than PTD because it can never load my profile making so I can only play it basicly NEVER! Also I would like to ask if ANYONE is paying attenion to Nin-ja-ja.

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  23. Ok now time for the post with ideas...........
    After many weeks I ask once agin about crafting and Possibly enchanting. I think skills would follow a sort of Oblivion mixed with WoW aspect if you want to put them to good use. You make better stuff the higher the Skill level you are and the higher rank you have in that you get special bonuses on then.
    Novice Skill 1-25
    Apprentice Skill 26-50
    Journyman Skill 51-100
    Expert 101-200
    Master 201-400
    Godlike Skill 401-1000
    Max 1000

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  24. The game sound awsome!
    I cant wait!
    And by the way, Dan,can you email me? I have some questions.

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  25. Ok here's a list of skills i'll post more later.
    (Yes I riped off Oblivion on \some of these)
    Blade
    Blunt
    Bowmna
    Hand-to-Hand
    Potions
    Poisons
    Enchanting
    Armor Making
    Wepon Making
    Medicine User
    Cook
    GTG gonna post more later.

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  26. Wow.... MOST COMPLEX AND AWESOME IDEA FOR MAPS EVER

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  27. I also think that there should be a Base that would be like the Pokemon Center that would have like a Place to buy Pets, armor, etc. Also there could be a place where you can heal instead of healing right away.

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  28. ALSO I think there would be acheivments that would give you exclusive pets or swords, etc. (Example: Play Hero Tower Defence for one week in a row)

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  29. @Pokeking Trades Co. Godlike Skill should be 701-999 and for 401-700, it should be called Legendary.

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  30. would be nice if every so often to change the color of the blog

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  31. Dan,
    will HTD make you have to purchase or download it on the computer or will it be open like PTD?
    Thanks power3

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  32. hi i think for the skill it should be:

    newbie:1-25

    aprentice:26-50

    average:51-64

    warrior:65-120

    leader:121-250

    expert 251-650

    master 651-850

    legendary 851-2500

    godlike 2501-6500

    best 6501 and up

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  33. i hope the game is free please read my long long skill lvl post

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  34. Why not make a Tower defense for a mobile phone?

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  35. @power3 1:33 AM - Oh, well at first we won't have profiles just because we want to finish some other stuff first but there will definitely be profiles you log into eventually, yes.

    @Gon - Haha, doubtful, sorry :P

    The first few releases will be very early developments just to give you guys something to try and help us test.

    There will certianly be achievements just not right away because there's more items of much higher priority right now.

    @Pokeking Trades Co. 11:23 AM - You'll have multiple ways that you can play the game so hopefully it'll be easier for you.

    There are people interested in Ninja-Ja, yes. I've just had to do a lot of stuff on it lately and I've been very busy so it's been awhile since I've been able to put out an update for it.

    @Pokeking Trades Co. 11:28 AM - Crafting/Enchanting/etc are definitely areas we'll get to have later but we have to finish some higher priority stuff first. I don't mind hearing your ideas now but you can be sure there will be a whole post on professions when we get there.

    @Depth Knight - Thanks! Feel free to contact me at dbell1984@gmail.com with your questions if you'd like and I'll respond as soon as I can.

    @Pokeking Trades Co. 2:19 PM - Oblivion is one of the more detailed/complex games so we probably won't have that many professions but definitely the major ones.

    @Anon 2:38 PM - Lol, thanks!

    @Anon 2:42 PM - HTD will have something like that indeed.

    @Anon 2:44 PM - There will be achievements, as to what you'll get for them will vary. We have to see when we get there.

    @Mexii - Noted :)

    @power3 8:23 PM - It'll be free to play like PTD.

    @Anon 1:43 PM - Cool, but why such high numbers?

    @Anon 1:44 PM - Yes, HTD will be free.

    Not sure which skill level post is yours exactly but I read every comment so if it's here then I've seen it. :)

    @Anon 2:26 PM - PTD was and still is really but just not on the markets. HTD should have something for the phones eventually, we are just starting with the PC version since it's easier for now.

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  36. damn =P A token? lol I'm just looking for the 1st week achievement when the achievements come =P

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