Towers and tower placement ??

[BobMaster]

Hey all,

I've recently purchased this title simply because it was on steam, I remember tower defense games from Starcraft and custom maps back in the days, so thought I would check it out.

Whenever I get a new game, I play the tutorial or the first few missions to see what is what and after that I go into research mode.

Only problem with this game, there isn't much to find about tower placement and tower usage.

In almost all youtube videos I checked, people only use gun towers and sometimes an inferno on a corner and/or a meteor or cannon if there's room. A few mix it up with a laser or something, but that's it.
Also, nobody talks in those playthroughs, explaining why they are doing what.

A guide here on steam, mentions gun turrets are just as good as laser turrets, so lasers are a waste of resources.

Why place the gun tower in that spot? Why use a boost tower to increase the length the aliens run if you could have just used another gun tower ?
What about the other towers, are they useles or why doesn't anyone use them ?
Is there a reason why everyone uses gun towers? Are they that good? Is it only because they are cheap ?
Why not put boost towers under every tower ? What reasoning do you have for putting boost towers on a specific location? How long will a disruptor disable a shield for then? Why put some towers on boost towers and not the others?

Even a basic google search for: "Defense Grid 2" tips tricks
didn't really bring up much in the form of tips and tricks on tower placement/usage.

I understand scoring really good now, because those guides are plentiful :p

Which takes me to another point, it is very clear that the later you kill the aliens, the more points you get for each kill, yet all the playthroughs have a killzone near the entrance ?

[mikeydsc]

Its either you are shotting for a hi score or you are just killing them fast enough to get enough to just barely get a gold medal or beat your friends score.

Placement is a personal matter as most folks will have their own or similar setups and use what they want.

Only those caring to break the top of the leader boards will play a map over and over trying to find that perfdect placement and the exact moment in time to place a tower at the exact wave to optimize the points.

So what are you here for? Hi scores or passing the levels? The game gives you enough options to play it as you wish.

DG1 was much better as each tower had a use but DG2 kinda ruined that with the tower boosts which make other towers useless. Whats the point of having shield busters since you can place a boost tower and a gun on it with the disruptor boost? Makes cannons and teslas worthless now.

[Cougarific]

After giving it some thought I believe the best answer for "hints and tips" is: Buy Defense Grid 1 (it's cheap).

As mikeydsc points out, in DG1 the strengths and weaknesses of the towers themselves were much more evident, and played a much larger role, due to the absence of Boost Towers and their upgrades.

Playing a few levels of DG1 will make it clear how the towers in Defense Grid 2 are *supposed to* work:
-Teslas to lower shields
-Lasers for single-target damage/lasting burn effect
-Infernos for AoE damage/lasting burn
-Cannons for huge single-target damage on big, slow-moving targets
-Concussions for constant AoE/burn
-Guns for everything (shields, single-target, AoE) except lasting burn.

So in DG1 you'd want:
-Teslas near the entrance to start working on shields
-Laser/Inferno at proper intervals to keep the burn going
-Centralized Cannons
-Concussions at chokepoints/U-shaped paths
-Guns everywhere

But in DG2 you:
-Put a Concussion tower on a Boost Tower with Shield Dropper upgrade and a couple of Lasers nearby.
-Then do whatever the heck you want.

[BobMaster]

I bought the game just to pass the time when I'm bored, so hi scores aren't really important to me, but I like to play a game properly.
With my ocd, completing something without getting gold, is not really completing it btw, so I do am a bit interested in points.

From reading your comments, I realize, I actually wasn't confused.

DG2 really does seem to be dumbed down quite a lot making it possible to complete every level with only 1 or 2 types of towers.
This didn't make much sense until after I read your replies :)
Who would want to make a game like that, I was thinking at first, but ok.

And basically you really don't need all that much strategy to win this game, which is fine, perfect for a casual game :p

[Cougarific]

Originally posted by BobMaster:

you really don't need all that much strategy to win this game

Exhibit A, posted shortly after launch:

Originally posted by People's Front of Judea:

My five year old plays DG2 because daddy plays it, and regularly gets higher scores than me. Seriously. He has NO IDEA AT ALL what he is doing and dumps random towers wherever there is space and regardless of cost or strategy; his objective is to cover all the available areas. He also likes the big explosion when holding the L key.

By comparison I'm prudent and strategic with my spending and aim to complete levels with the least possible weaponry. I mean, isn't that what we're supposed to be doing?

It has reached the point where I simply don't pay attention to the score because I just don't get it. The mere fact I am beaten by a small boy who still puts his wellies on the wrong way round suggests to me the developers need a rethink.

[mikeydsc]

Get DG1 and have some challenge :P. Its the opinion of the community that its the much better game overall.

[trash]

Laser, concussion, temporal and meteor towers are the best and the rest are crap. Boosts are either all in or all out as if you mix boosted towers with non boosted towers you will have major line of sight problems. As for the videos on youtube, most of those players dont have a clue how to play the game or how things work for the score. If going for a good score do not use fast forward or backspace at all.

[Victrola]

The stuff you are reading online, may have the 'fluff' of Defense Grid 1 bad habits, like some kind of jargon. I notice it too haha. For example, I remember losing a mission one night.. ALL NIGHT, until I read online 'gun towers are OP' and proceeded to build one. Going for score never came up for me, since that was [is] in realm of the jugglers/forums land; I'm a core saver, not a score aver... that didn't work.

Here are some questions in my mind, BobMaster. Ask yourself for fun while playing if ya want.

Does the DoT of the Laser stack with that of the Flamer? I've noticed Lasers are baller. From this, for example, my strategy ongoing is that every alien should have the opportunity of having a hole bored into them at all times.

What's the deal with the 3D?! I mean if I boost up the tower... does it get too high. For example, do I imagine a spherical influence instead of circle. This kind of line of sight stuff... never sure how a cpu handles it, and in game the AIs are broken... you are my moonlight..

Tesla towers. I can't tell in this game, if they 'save up power for a blast' or just keep blastin away. Normally shields for us humans are AWESOME!!! in games since typically our motive is to stay at 100%hp. I assume they are in reference to Nikola Tesla. Utilizing an alternating current, in order to sufficiently supply the aliens with the energy they need to not have shields. A more peculiar shepherding weapon perhaps, where you focus on the enemy waves of units?

[BobMaster]

Exhibit A, posted shortly after launch:

Originally posted by People's Front of Judea:

My five year old plays DG2 because daddy plays it, and regularly gets higher scores than me. Seriously. He has NO IDEA AT ALL what he is doing and dumps random towers wherever there is space and regardless of cost or strategy; his objective is to cover all the available areas. He also likes the big explosion when holding the L key.

By comparison I'm prudent and strategic with my spending and aim to complete levels with the least possible weaponry. I mean, isn't that what we're supposed to be doing?

It has reached the point where I simply don't pay attention to the score because I just don't get it. The mere fact I am beaten by a small boy who still puts his wellies on the wrong way round suggests to me the developers need a rethink.

Firstly ... lol

Originally posted by trash:

Laser, concussion, temporal and meteor towers are the best and the rest are crap. Boosts are either all in or all out as if you mix boosted towers with non boosted towers you will have major line of sight problems. As for the videos on youtube, most of those players dont have a clue how to play the game or how things work for the score. If going for a good score do not use fast forward or backspace at all.

That's what I figured and thanks for listing those towers :)



[quote=Tecnotronics;520518053441211103
Here are some questions in my mind, BobMaster. Ask yourself for fun while playing if ya want.

Does the DoT of the Laser stack with that of the Flamer? I've noticed Lasers are baller. From this, for example, my strategy ongoing is that every alien should have the opportunity of having a hole bored into them at all times.

What's the deal with the 3D?! I mean if I boost up the tower... does it get too high. For example, do I imagine a spherical influence instead of circle. This kind of line of sight stuff... never sure how a cpu handles it, and in game the AIs are broken... you are my moonlight..

Tesla towers. I can't tell in this game, if they 'save up power for a blast' or just keep blastin away[/quote]

I think the DoT does stack, though I only use infernos on bottlenecks.

The FoV is kinda weird, if you boost up a gun tower, it gets more range, do the same with an inferno and you get less range.
Temporals range stays the same with or without a boost.
It doesn't make much sense, no :p

Why use tesla towers if you can have disruptors with a better tower on top of it :)

Anyway, I am having fun, which is the important part, so far it hasn't been too hard to get gold every time, though I'm just playing normal.