Some of the beta testers have noted that the prototype is much more difficult than expected. There are several reasons for this:
- Technically the prototype is supposed to take place as the 3rd or 4th real level of the game. It is not supposed to be a “first level” type of level, that would be boring.
- TinyWars in general is designed to be challenging! (more details below)
Unit cost difference. Melee is much cheaper!
TIP: There is a reason melee is cheaper, take advantage of it!
Unit Explanation
Suzu (Melee Unit)
Suzu is one of two units featured in the gameplay prototype. Her attacks are melee, which means:
- Limited attack radius
- slow attack speed
- powerful attacks
- cheap unit
- effective against shielded units
- weak against fast units
It is advised that because of her limited range, she should be utilized more often than the range unit (which can cover larger areas of space.)
Unlike Kim, the fire witch unit, Suzu’s range does not increase when she is upgraded.
The orange icon on the right side of the unit shows the unit “level.” There is no key for this, when you upgrade the unit and see the icons it should be very intuitive.
TIP: Position Suzu close to the beginning of the path so she can inflict damage to shielded units early in the the wave. You will need to utilize more melee units than range units!
Kim (Fire Witch – Range Unit)
Kim is a ranged unit, her attack radius is larger than Suzu’s and will increase with every upgrade.
- Fast attack speed
- long range
- high price
- ineffective against shielded units
- weak attacks > when upgraded extremely powerful
At first, both Kim and Suzu’s range are similar, however after upgrades, Kim’s range will soon span the entire map! (For this prototype level at least!)
It is advisable to have Kim placed somewhere in the center of the map, so that her ranged attacks can cover the most amount of area.
TIP: During the “TinyWar” segment of the prototype, be sure to put as much resources into upgrading Kim as possible!
TinyWars is a difficult game!
The game is not designed to be easy. (Though the first levels of the actual game will be more catered to new comers and the next demo will actually have a tutorial level.) This prototype in particular is not designed to be easy: because easy would be boring. However, we hope not to create a game that is frustrating, it should have the right amount of challenge so that it is fun and feels good when you beat it!
This is why beta testing is so important, so we can test the game on technical features, but also receive feedback on the content of the game itself!
TIP: TinyWars is an “active” game, do not think that the units you place at the beginning of the wave need to be set in stone! React, buy/sell during the wave accordingly!
Retry Wave: The Most Important Feature
Perhaps the most important feature (and glitchy) is the retry wave feature. Because this feature exists, it allows us to create a game that is significantly more difficult than other tower defense games that don’t have this feature.
Games that do not utilize this feature face a dilemma: make the level challenging and if the player fails they have to start from the beginning (frustrating) or make the game easy and it becomes boring after a while!
When the harder waves come up, it is totally acceptable to “retry wave” and try a different strategy! This is what we want. Players can experience the wave the first time around without having to commit to their decisions, as long as they “retry wave” before the wave ends, then they have a chance to replay it and get it perfect!
TIP: Utilize this feature if you are not satisfied with your performance!
Beta Giveaway
We have received positive feedback on our proposal to enter volunteers who complete the beta testing process (within 2 weeks) into a raffle for a steam gift card. I think it is the least we can do to give back to those who put their time into beta testing our game!
TinyWars Challenge!
If you can beat the gameplay prototype (without using cheats) and capture it on video all the way through with PERFECT HP (10/10), we may consider you for a special prize. Yes you may achieve this by utilizing the retry wave feature! We want video proof though, and if we get an epic reaction or web cam that would be even better but not required!
Good luck everyone!
