Laser Tower

[Karawasa]

I am fully aware that Laser Tower has one of the cooler graphics in the game. So, we will keep the concept of launching fighters. However, as it stands now Laser Tower functions like a normal tower. All the fighters attack the same creep, so this plays out the same as say Nature Tower.

I'm starting this thread because I am looking for ways to make Laser Tower more interesting in terms of functionality. Please make sure your ideas keep the basic concept of launching fighters intact.

To start off, here is one idea I had. Make the fighters spread out damage. In other words, if there are 5 creeps around then 1 fighter per creep. If 1 creep then 5 fighters on it.

[gwho]

I am fully aware that Laser Tower has one of the cooler graphics in the game. So, we will keep the concept of launching fighters. However, as it stands now Laser Tower functions like a normal tower. All the fighters attack the same creep, so this plays out the same as say Nature Tower.

I'm starting this thread because I am looking for ways to make Laser Tower more interesting in terms of functionality. Please make sure your ideas keep the basic concept of launching fighters intact.

To start off, here is one idea I had. Make the fighters spread out damage. In other words, if there are 5 creeps around then 1 fighter per creep. If 1 creep then 5 fighters on it.

what you said, and put the option to spread out on toggle. off toggle will be "always target one guy"

You then have a tower that can act as a clean up guy at the end of the pathway, that minimizes overshooting. Overall damage output should be greater in single target mode compared to overall damage output in distribute mode.

You also get a bit of control, but it's not like u have to micro it 24/7.

[Chiquihuite]

We've got a pretty healthy number of micro tower experiments rolling already. I'm not sure we'd want to add to that lightly. It's definitely something to consider, though

I've got a number of ideas kicking around, but I'll hold off on posting them until I'm more coherent.

[Karawasa]

I've got a number of ideas kicking around, but I'll hold off on posting them until I'm more coherent.

I'd love to hear them. Spill the beans. For that matter, anyone else have any ideas?

[Popobawa]

a simple thing, remove flyer help from the spheres flying around (maybe this counts as a cosmetic update?)

[Chiquihuite]

Oh no, if anyone tries to change the visual on that tower, we're gonna have words

Anyway, mechanics...

I've had a few ideas, but I want to pitch my favorite and see if it'd be considered too horribly OP.

What about placing a toggle on the tower that would allow you to switch between Light and Dark damage? Could even change the color of the spawned fighters based on which element is chosen.

I figure it shouldn't be too crazy since you need access to L and D to build it in the first place. It'd give it a very unique flavor in terms of flexibility and I think it'd be pretty fun in practice.

[Karawasa]

It sounds cool but we can't do that. It goes against the very ethos of the game. Only one tower with two elements of attack? Let's hear some other ideas .

[dg86]

Maybe you can subset the area in which it functions? For instance, pick any place within its range, and it will only deploy its fighters there. So say in a multiplayer game you're on hard/very hard with some very easy mode jerk who rushes the front with optimum grenade towers or whatever, you can place the laser tower on the top chunk, and if you're getting double waved, you can have the laser tower deploy its fighters right before the exit rather than right after the entrance, so you have less of a chance to leak, if you understand what I'm saying.

Also, can you please increase the amount of fighters to 10, because currently, there's next to no point getting earth if you're going dark/light since obliteration/annihilation is so much better it's not even funny.

[Chiquihuite]

Ok I pitched about a half-dozen ideas to Kara and it looks like the single/multi target toggle is winning.

Any other suggestions before we move forward with implementing that?

[Popobawa]

Ok I pitched about a half-dozen ideas to Kara and it looks like the single/multi target toggle is winning.

Any other suggestions before we move forward with implementing that?

Might be a tad overpowered, but how about having the fighters as a 'cleanup crew', adding a HP target sort that prefers lowest HP in range(or give people the option). It will target the near dead first and in effect will be a micro reduction tower

[gwho]

We've got a pretty healthy number of micro tower experiments rolling already. I'm not sure we'd want to add to that lightly. It's definitely something to consider, though

I've got a number of ideas kicking around, but I'll hold off on posting them until I'm more coherent.

toggle switching is very minimal micro. it's just a drop in the bucket compared to controlling a FWN celerity spire tower.

Ok I pitched about a half-dozen ideas to Kara and it looks like the single/multi target toggle is winning.

Any other suggestions before we move forward with implementing that?

Might be a tad overpowered, but how about having the fighters as a 'cleanup crew', adding a HP target sort that prefers lowest HP in range(or give people the option). It will target the near dead first and in effect will be a micro reduction tower

i dont see how that would be overpowered. the overall dps is pretty set. it simply allows for distributing or focus firing. and you have to micro it. (of course if there's only one target, it would all attack that one, right?)

[dg86]

Actually the laser tower needs a massive buff in general. 55x5=255 at 1 speed 12 range compared to the obliteration tower's 400 damage at 16 range at the same rate of fire, with splash. Or the hail's 300+ damage to 3 targets at 22 range.

[Chiquihuite]

Might be a tad overpowered, but how about having the fighters as a 'cleanup crew', adding a HP target sort that prefers lowest HP in range(or give people the option). It will target the near dead first and in effect will be a micro reduction tower

This would be kind of cool. Kara?

[gwho]

Might be a tad overpowered, but how about having the fighters as a 'cleanup crew', adding a HP target sort that prefers lowest HP in range(or give people the option). It will target the near dead first and in effect will be a micro reduction tower

This would be kind of cool. Kara?

agreed. good idea.

note: funny how we seem to be favoring 24/7 micro (impossible and tedious) and zero micro (goes against the "no skill" philosophy) rather than something in between (possible and fun)

[Karawasa]

Actually the laser tower needs a massive buff in general. 55x5=255 at 1 speed 12 range compared to the obliteration tower's 400 damage at 16 range at the same rate of fire, with splash. Or the hail's 300+ damage to 3 targets at 22 range.

That was an error on my part regarding the tooltips. The fighters actually have two attacks so it's double damage. Currently it stands at 120*5=600 damage at 1 speed.

This would be kind of cool. Kara?

It does sound interesting. What else can we do with target filters? We'd have prefer lower HP (clean up crew), normal (closest proximity), and perhapst prefer highest HP (tenderizer crew)?. If not the last option, any other ideas for target filter? I'd like to have three options in all.

[dg86]

Actually the laser tower needs a massive buff in general. 55x5=255 at 1 speed 12 range compared to the obliteration tower's 400 damage at 16 range at the same rate of fire, with splash. Or the hail's 300+ damage to 3 targets at 22 range.

That was an error on my part regarding the tooltips. The fighters actually have two attacks so it's double damage. Currently it stands at 120*5=600 damage at 1 speed.

This would be kind of cool. Kara?

It does sound interesting. What else can we do with target filters? We'd have prefer lower HP (clean up crew), normal (closest proximity), and perhapst prefer highest HP (tenderizer crew)?. If not the last option, any other ideas for target filter? I'd like to have three options in all.

Laser=600 damage at 12 range single target (or across all targets, however you want to see it)

Obliteration=400 damage at 16 range multiple targets.

It's not even close.

[gwho]

i find that laser and phasor tower are gross misnomers.

fighter tower, carrier tower, mothership tower, swarm tower, fleet tower, armada tower...

with lasers and phasors, you think of... well, lasers and phasors. not fighters. Even if you say the fighters are shooting lasers and phasors... no they're not.

[Aranneas]

Squadron Mode - All fighters attack a single target, with damage comparable to what we have now or maybe a little bit more. Let's say 150 for Laser and 700 for Phasor for argument's sake. That would be 750 and 3500 single target damage, respectively.

Solo Mode - Each fighter attacks its own target, with (30?)% bonus damage on each. That would be 195 and 910 damage on each target.

Toggled at will.

[Chiquihuite]

Reworked the way this tower targets in the latest version. It should have some very interesting uses now. How do you guys like it?