m0rph1ing

$$$ start in AP is prbly the most interest abusing build in the game. I don't think it even takes DDRKirby's build speed to pull it off. AP with elemental arrow tower abuse can get you to lvl 30-31. I think that should be the limit to interest abuse. Later in the game, it becomes more about not overbuilding and always having the least amount of money invested in order to kill the wave. Even in random, past the halfway point of the game, it becomes pretty much impossible to fully do interest abuse. You can sell/rebuild a portion of your defense, but elemental towers can be used to that effect as well, so I think that the balance between pick and random is fine. About the command line thing, there are going to be extra modes and options in 4.0, so it will be more complicated for the user. Also, the option of letting players choose difficulty/random or vote for it just makes the input even harder. Voting for multiple things at the same time wouldn't really work either. Memorizing the menu hotkeys can be faster than typing a command line.

Since Ice is a single target slow tower in 4.0pb, the optimal strategy is for it to attack every creep once. It basically turns into a support tower. Ice has been remade during the private beta cycles, so when 4.0 release comes out, you'll hafta use it differently anyhow. Disease is pretty much the worst tower in 4.0pb. Luckily, it has also been remade and is definitely more useful.

The 2 interest thing was changed after 4.0pb was released.

Well, also, 19 hydros is a lot harder to place optimally versus 3 magics for 2 pass. Since you placed at 4/5 instead of 3/6, the hydros would be less efficient simply because half of them would be too close to 5 to be 2 pass.

Well, this would be a problem in a 1-2 player game. Sorry about replying for something directed at Sancdar.

Added by jolin012: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1447 M45T3R":2laot1y8+--> ("in the thread viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1447 M45T3R":2laot1y8)Make every splash tower do the same DPS/area, and every single damage tower do the same DPS/unit. i.e. Windstorm should do the same amount of damage as nova because they both have 700 range. Master, I don't think it's that simple. Range is a big factor for both splash and single target. Also, towers like impulse and laser have variable damage. If all splash towers had the same aoe and same damage, wouldn't that make the game boring? The basic elemental towers are defined by their different splash areas and ranges.

I think a good goal is to have the game be beatable (on very hard) without much micro. Good placement, timing, and tower choice should allow for that. Micro should allow a player to excel, whether for ronald competitions, speed builds, or executing a draft strategy.

Well, it depends on what version you're comparing to. Compared to 4.0pb, which is what I'm assuming you are refering to, support towers have been rebalanced. Level 1 support triples were nerfed while level 3 support duals were buffed. There hasn't been too much change between the past few private betas. Btw void, really nice work on the new terrain.

Where do I get the beta 22?

Voodoo is very strong if combo'ed with polar/ice age. Although this is emphasized more in the public beta before the nerfs to the amplification %'s and change to polar duration. I have to say that voodoo seems to be a more limited damage amplifier compared to corrosion or enchantment.

Oh, whoops, forgot about that. Darkness is the only element without 2 support towers. I guess this makes the issue even more pronounced.

I'm pretty sure it's impossible to not have damage triples overlap 2 elements while having the same damage type. All damage triples contain the support dual as 2 of the elements. Example being all fire damage triples contain blacksmith. It might be possible to have the support triples compensate, but I don't think support triples should be relied upon for damage. I think the duals in the build should have different damage types from the triples and compensate in that way. I think darkness suffers from damage type overlap the most. All darkness damage towers require either nature or fire. Also Voodoo requires both. Muck is the only tower that does not require either nature or fire. I propose that damage triples cannot have a damage dual within the same elements with the same damage type. Current overlaps: Oblivion+Disease Radius+Magic Flesh Golem+Mushroom Drowning+Poison Hail+Ice

I think the more important thing is to overbuild slightly for the harder waves. Especially waves like Composite+Fast(18) and Composite+Mech(32).

I think, in order to make the game less random, crit strikes are frowned upon. Although drowning is still in the game so i don't know.

In public beta, it's different, water has hydro and ice that can actually be support. In the private betas, there are no more support duals other than blacksmith, well, and trickery. Also, I like well more than the other support duals so water it is.

Sounds like a combination of zealot and a passive version of tidal. I'm assuming the tower would have to be long range in order to attack the same target repeatedly.

In the public beta, light is definitely not the best support element since trickery is not working correctly. Water, Fire, and Nature are the best because of the support towers they can build. Well, Windstorm, Corrosion, Muck, Polar, Ice Blacksmith, Nova, Windstorm, Corrosion, Voodoo, Flame Well, Nova, Roots, Enchantment, Voodoo, Flame In the private betas, the support towers are balanced and no element is objectively better. I still like water since blue is my favorite color.

Not possible, essence requires lvl 3 of an element.

Ya, I think the most important thing is the reset part. Any creep moving tower has to not actually cause the creep to take longer to traverse the map. Else, the slow cap is bypassed and the tower also becomes a support tower. I don't know whether causing clumping can be considered damage amplification, but it can be pretty close to the line between damage and support.

You had a couple leaks before level 45. Also, Fire3 is probably a lot less useful than Earth2. If you only care about beating level 60, then it doesn't really matter, but for ronalds, having voodoo cast before ice age/polar takes out a large % of their hp.

Well, I think you tied him this past draft.

Nvm

Sorry, kirby, but i don't think there was Fire 3 available.

I like Boiling/Steam/Vapor.

These changes would leave Quark+Gunpowder and Hydro+Kindle as bad pairs. Jolin had posted 8 possible combinations of dual towers that would have no bad pairs. Hopefully one of those can be flavorful and not require too many changes.