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Best RTS tower defense?

nomask7

Arcane
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
7,620
I used to ignore this genre. Now I realise it's what I truly desired all along. In the realm of single player, it's the RTS sub-genre that devs should do when they can't do very good AI (and so far no one can).

So, what are the absolute top games in this genre? I'd like the gameplay to feel like those skirmishes in Supreme Commander where you have an AI that's too hard for you, those moments when you're rushing to build a decent base with decent defences and defenders and then the enemy starts trickling toward your commander and you're struggling to survive. The depth and freedom that that game has.
 

nomask7

Arcane
Joined
Apr 30, 2008
Messages
7,620
AI Wars and Creeper World 3 might be what I'm looking for. Couldn't find Horde at Steam.
 

spectre

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
5,380
AFAIK, it's abandonware in a true sense, nobody remembers it and nobody wants to sell it, just grab it off abandonia.

I remember playing it back in the day, charming little game.
 

Damned Registrations

Furry Weeaboo Nazi Nihilist
Joined
Feb 24, 2007
Messages
14,980
The best ones I played were some obscure WC3 custom maps, but I can't recall their actual names. They had some cool mechanics like towers that did very unique things, like damage based on distance to the enemy or teleporting enemies backwards or other strange things. Some other cool ones were a poker themed one where you got a 'hand' of cards each round, and tried to form a poker hand, the better the hand the better the tower. Other ones had mechanics like needing a power supply network for the towers, or combining existing towers to create new ones.

Some WC3 maps I can actually recall the names of: Elemental TD (probably on version 4 or 5 by now at least), Poker TD, and Gem TD. You could probably find people playing those still even now, and websites that upload maps would likely have them too. The more obscure stuff might be lost to the ages at this point though. I'd imagine WC3 is pretty dead at this point, mostly full of chinks playing dota.

If you want something standalone Creeper World isn't bad, but Gemcraft has some deeper mechanics and strategy potentially (Creeper world generally devolves into making an area stable ASAP, filling it with energy generators then just bee lining for the objectives ASAP with overwhelming numbers of towers.) Gemcraft has more of a proper campaign with some light rpg mechanics (skill tree to make yourself better at making X kind of tower or upgrading them or having more at once, etc.) and just a lot more interesting scenarios because of all the little mechanics like armour (and stripping it) enemies that clone themselves or heal allies etc., extra rewards on the side, and a mechanic for making the maps harder but more rewarding.

AI Wars isn't really a TD game though you can certainly play it like one, at least on the lower difficulties. Wave Cannon is OP as fuck.
 

Archibald

Arcane
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
7,869
The Creeper World games. Very fun twist on the whole tower defense genre. You're fighting a fluid. Creeper World 1 and 3 are my favs.




I'll second this, Creeper is cool and unique series of games.
 

thesheeep

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Since that last post, I also played Particle Fleet. It is definitely not a pure TD, you build space ships and move those around to increase the size of your terrain while fighting off the expansion of the enemy terrain.
Pretty interesting, either way.
 

Nirvash

Liturgist
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
1,106
I got an itch now.

Defense Grid

That was the only not warcraft/flashgame TD i ever played, was so-so.

So, what are the current PURE TD best games?
 

SirSingAlot

Arbiter
Joined
Nov 27, 2014
Messages
750
Location
in front of my keyboard, obv
i am a sucker for Tower Defense games myself.
Kingdom Rush series was hooking me up for a long time, Defender Quest was nice as well. Orcs mut Die was too hectic and had too much action style for my liking, but i can see people loving it.
Gemcraft and Defense Grid are alright, but i like rpg/fantasy settings
fuck, i even loved Bloons ...

in the current Humble Bundle is a game called Infested Planet for a Dorrar, i will test this one out too i suppose
 

Moose23

Novice
Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
5
The only one of my favourites not mentioned here is Dungeon Warfare. There's nothing quite like watching your harpoons struggling to pull some fat bastard off the path and into the abyss, or channelling everyone to take the path along the tracks of an oncoming mine cart.

 

axx

Savant
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Messages
804
Was not into this stuff until I played Kingdom rush (when it was only playable online).
There were no heroes and I think the game was a bit harder. Later when they added heroes it was just one more thing to micromanage, but it doesn't ruin my impression of the game. Hopefully they'll continue with the series after Iron marines.
 
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SirSingAlot

Arbiter
Joined
Nov 27, 2014
Messages
750
Location
in front of my keyboard, obv
picked up Last Hope- Tower Defense yesterday because of this thread...well, actually didnt have migh hopes because mobile port (but Kingdom Rush is a port too, so meh) and zombies.
its actually quite good. lots of upgrades, different tower types you need to adjust, heroes, equipment....plenty of stuff to do.
recommended
 

Grif

Learned
Joined
Nov 4, 2016
Messages
231
Dungeon Warfare is an excellent iteration of the TD scene. Picked it up yesterday and quite enjoying it.
 

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