You guys ! Need your help !
I have read an excellent article published on 2012 by Pr Wetzel : « Effects of Representation on Solving Complex Spatial-Temporal Problems ». Pr Wetzel analyze that a TD game is a time representation. Or people often treat temporal problem as if they were spatial problems. Or, « Since the unit damage is constant, the goal should be to find places that maximize the active time. »
Of course, Tower defense games are plenty of spatial problems. You have to buy towers and build it so as to extend the cover of the wave’s way. But I’m only talking of the reasons you lost against a wave in a challenging level ou a challenging game. Why I have lost ? I’ve tried several strategies and I don’t understand why. The point is to know if I lose because I apply some spatial’s problems strategy whereas it’s a temporal problem ?
Please let me give you a first example with this level of Radiant Defense, excellent Android game I’m currently testing. What’s the matter ? On this level, there are 12 waves. At the beginning, it’s quite easy. I can maze the way, building some modules so I try to build as much as I can. But unfortunately, I’m not rich enough to buy and upgrade lots of tower. Problem, the 11th wave is a range of very numeros strong ennemies.
I can shoot some of them but there are too numerous. If I try to increase the number of tower, I can’t upgrade all of them and I need strong towers to destroy them. Can I sell my towers and build new one ? No there’s a lack of money.
These one are spatial problems’s strategies. Whan I try to extend the cover zone, I lose. Why is this a temporal problem ? Easy ! If I buy three towers and upgrade them to the maximum, there are able to destroy a part from the wave. The problem is there are too numerous ennemies. Some towers waste their time destroying one ennemy whereas a new one comes behind.
So the problem is how I can increase and maximize the activity period of these three towers ? Slow the ennemy ? I have found the solution. Waves are trying to find the shortest way to reach the exit. So if I build a vertical wall, waves come near this and then try to pass. Ok ! If they come in the direction on the wall, they lose some time. They are slow down. And if they continue to progress near the wall, this can extens the duration of the shooting activity of my tower. So I build three towers at the top of the wall and with this strategy, I am able to destroy a big number.
It doesn’t solve entirely the problem. I need to buy and built another towers to be able to destroy the entire wave. But the fact is this helps me to destroy the majority ! Yeah ! It’s been a temporal problem.
May I give you another example ? This is one level from Zdefense, a challenging mobile game inspired from Hex Defense. Very good game !
At this level, waves come from the left. They can pass throulg all cases and reach the exit. The first strategy I’ve tried consist in build violet wall to create the biggest way I can to slow down ennemy. Then I tried to build and upgrade towers to extend the cover zone. And I lost ! I lost because one of the last wave consist in a very big number of ennemy I am not able to fight against.
Of course, I’ve tried to create a bigger way, build more towers but I lost. My problem is that I am not able to build a infinite number of towers and upgrade them to the maximum. So the problem is not how to build new towers but how oblige waves to come several times in the cover area of my towers ? A first part of the succesful stragey consist in create way to oblige waves to do that. The second part consist in modify the way during the party so as to oblige way to follow the way, then return and then come back. So to follow the way in a direction, then in the other direction.
It was very difficult for me to find and apply this solution !
This is a last example, extracted from a level of Giants and Dwarves TD. This is a challenging excellent game inspired from Kingdom Rush.
These are two waves. During a wave, a giant is going into the exit. He is very strong, he walks slowly. I can build and upgrade my towers to shoot against him and I now I am able to destroy it before it reached the exit. But this giant is very strong and I can’t destroy it before the next waves come. Next wave consists in a group walking very quickly. Problem : the towers shoot in priority the giant and not the short wave.
So it is able to walk and reach the exit without any lost. Is it a spatial problem ? No, the fact I build more towers won’t help me because I now the existing ones are able to shoot. The problem is that the wave is very quickly and the towers won’t attack them in priority.
So the problem is to find a way to increase the activity period of my towers against this quickly wave. And I’ve found the solution : build some soldiers caserns. When the meet soldiers, wve stop and is forced to fight. Of course they will win because soldiers aren’t strong enough. But my towers decide to shoot them and not the giant. So I am able to destroy the quickly wave in the first part, then attack and win against the giant.
So the fact is when I lose several times against a wave in a Tower Defense game, the problem is I try to apply some strategies that are spatial strategies. Whereas the problem is in reality a temporal problem. So Pr Bretzel could be right : we treat temporal problems as if they were spatial problem. And because it’s difficult for us to devine it’s a temporal problem, to find pertinent strategies according to this goal, we lose.
My question is : what do you think about that ? Have you got some examples of challenging games/levels in which you have lost several times ? What kind of problems have you tried to solve and why have you defeated ? Is the distinction spatial/temporal problem pertinent according to you ? Do you know some scientifical publications about this themactics ?
Thank you a lot for your answers !
I love Tower Defense Games 