fatal flaw

[ned3000]

This is a great game. I've spent many hours trying to beat all the levels on "story challenge." There's one problem though: aliens picking up power cores from their fallen brethren is kind of random.



If I build a tower that's shooting at core-bearing aliens, I run the risk of killing one right when there's a tough boss ready to carry it off. It's unpredictable, so it kind of ruins the strategy aspect. Frequently, winning one of the tougher levels is due to a guy being killed just after passing the tough alien by luck/timing and not by solid planning.



Maybe the aliens could pass off the cores when they contact a more robust comrade? Allowing them to backtrack to steal cores would work too. Both of those solutions would make things harder, but the number/strength of the aliens could be reduced for balance.

[Alex]

I for one welcome this part of the game, but even if I didn't like it I certainly wouldn't call it a "fatal flaw".



As for the reasons I like it: It adds an extra layer of tactics (use that orbital laser when you really need it!), and as you so rightly say, gives an element of unpredictability for the player.



The picking up of cores also shifts the strategic part of the game to ensure you have a good reason to build the long-range towers such as the meteor (I.e. in many maps you must ensure heavy damage is done on the enemies way to the cores rather than focusing on stopping them getting out with them).



Regarding your suggestion "Maybe the aliens could pass off the cores when they contact a more robust comrade", this would give you a strategic advantage - why build so many temporal towers if most of the time the slower, more damage tolerant aliens have a higher probability of taking the cores out? Even if aliens could back-track and steal a new core as you suggest, they'd have to "run the gauntlet" back to the core-store twice for every new core they steal after passing a core to a stronger unit - this gives you a massive tactical advantage.




Beware the law of unintended consequences




That said, it might be nice to be able to play a completed mission with "modifiers" or settings which change the game dynamics. Your suggestion would be a nice option to have in a list of modifiers such as "No Level 3 Towers", "No Flying Aliens", "Aliens always pass cores to less damaged units", etc.

[ned3000]

Unintended consequences acknowledged. My naive suggestions would probably not work.

The missions I'm having trouble on in challenge mode are the early ones. I don't have the laser or meteors.

"fatal flaw" was a bit inflammatory, but I did stop playing the game when I realized that I needed to manage alien crossover points. "I hope my guns don't kill that little guy" just seems counterintuitive.

[Mobious]

Efficient tower layout and resource management will give you everything you need. You'll eventually find a strategy that will kill off everything well before it gets to the cores, or kills them right after taking them. It's all about planning and interest hogging till the last second, even 10 resources means the difference between getting that level 3 tower up when you need it most, and not having it till it's already to late. Tower Defense is a STRATEGY game above all else, it's not supposed to be easy, and the fact that you can't set target priorities is part of the strategy: kill everything quickly enough so you don't have to worry about cores getting in the hands of healthy units close to the exit.