Defense Grid - The Awakening

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Kelric
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Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Kelric »

I could have sworn this was talked about previously but a search turned up nothing. After playing the demo two or three times and really enjoying it, I was merely waiting for a sale to pick it up as I refuse to pay $10 or more for a tower defense game. Well, Steam delivered, dropping the price from $20 to $5 until May 13th. Having picked up the game mechanics from the demo, I lasted until Level 8 before being defeated and calling it a night. I get into the habit of laying down lots of low level towers to give the enemy a gauntlet to wind their way through, but that backfired as there were just too many high powered enemies and not enough upgraded turrets this time. Fun game, though. And am I the only one who never really uses the Tesla tower? I suppose I should at least stick one or two at the end of the map.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Chaz »

I apparently got this when it was $10 on Direct 2 Drive, and I've never booted it. Apparently I should've waited.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Effidian »

I thought we had a thread about this to. Weird.

I never used the Tesla tower either. I played with it a few times, but just didn't like it.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by The Meal »

Search is wonky right now.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Lee »

Awesome, I paid $20 for it from Steam on Monday. Just one more thing making this a really shitty week.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Tscott »

I paid $20 for it last month. Don't regret it for a moment. Great game. Lots of fun. Played it through- enjoyed the challenge modes afterwards. Had fun getting 93% of the achievements.

Enjoy it. You'll definitely get your $5 worth.

BTW, I usually had one area I that placed a few tesla towers together on the path. Don't know if it really helped, but it looked cool as they all went off at the same time as a boss walked through. It never was a crucial part of my strategy.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

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What the hell. For $5 I'm willing to take a chance.......


Damn but I hate the itty bitty writing on Steam with my resolution at 1680 X 1050 on my laptop.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Butterknife »

I had planned on getting this once it reached $15, so for $5 I'm in. Unfortunately I generally only like to play one game from a genre at a time, and I'm playing Plants vs. Zombies from the tower defense genre at the moment, but I'm sure I'll get around to this some day.

It's like Steam has reinvented the budget bin for me. How many games have I bought that I was sure I would get around to, but never did?
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Crawley »

Hardly used the tesla towers either. If I did use them I would place 2 at the exit portion of a level to support the turrets to quickly get rid of any enemies that were about to flee.

I got this game over two months ago and still play it for the challenge levels. Its just the perfect tower defense game.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by LawBeefaroni »

As The Meal said, search is a bit sketchy at the moment.

The earlier thread is here.


I haven't found much use for the Tesla Towers. If points aren't an issue, I think I can do most maps with just guns and cannons, maybe an AA if there are flying units. The fun is in trying to find a more efficient mix. So far Tesla Towers haven't added any efficiency.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Doomboy »

Just picked it up. 5 bucks is the point at which I can't resist a decent game.

Seems cool so far.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by dbt1949 »

This game is perfect for a "turtler" like me. :wink:
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

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I was thinking this game was too easy until I came to this one big level. Took me six tries. Somehow I find the basic units have better results than the newer units.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Lee »

dbt1949 wrote:I was thinking this game was too easy until I came to this one big level. Took me six tries. Somehow I find the basic units have better results than the newer units.
Yeah regular guns, laser, and flamers upgraded are my usual weapons of choice. Then throw in some missiles for air.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by LawBeefaroni »

dbt1949 wrote:I was thinking this game was too easy until I came to this one big level. Took me six tries. Somehow I find the basic units have better results than the newer units.

Wait until you get to the multi-path levels. They are both satisfying (as you guide the attackers in circles around your level 3 gun battery) and infuriating (as you misplace a tower and negate pathing, allowing them to take the shortest path).
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Bakhtosh »

If you have separate entrances and exits, one level would let you pick the route the aliens take. It's tempting to build a gauntlet and make the aliens with a node run it twice, but when they drop the node, a fresh alien can pick it up and head for the exit, so it may be better to give them a dedicated approach & exit. That way, dropped nodes don't meet empty handed aliens until they get close to the core.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by dbt1949 »

I've noticed that and wondered how to handle it.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Kelric »

It took me three tries today to beat Level 8. I stuck with the gauntlet strategy and had the aliens going all around the map. Twice I lost as the second to last boss died, leaving my remaining energy to be picked up by the last boss who was barely dead. Managed to win it with the use of a few more upgraded Cannons (which I love).
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by BigBoneTone »

I've been lurking on this game since I read the glowing review in PC gamer. I don't have steam any longer (still bitter about the HL2 launch), but this $5 deal may be the olive branch I was looking for.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Doomboy »

My only complaint so far is that just as I am getting into the groove and slaughtering the aliens, the level seems to end. I wish one of the options in the previously played levels was an unending swarm level. Instead of just "harder" and "easier" variants.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

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It's odd but I'm finding that the longest gauntlet you can make doesn't necessarily give you the best results. If the core thingys would just teleport back this game would play completely differently.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

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Doomboy wrote:My only complaint so far is that just as I am getting into the groove and slaughtering the aliens, the level seems to end. I wish one of the options in the previously played levels was an unending swarm level. Instead of just "harder" and "easier" variants.
Many of the levels have a "Grinder" mode. 99 waves of increasing numbers of walkers. The first one isn't until level 7. There's also levels with the option to play with 10 or 20 tower limits and is a fun way to try and perfect your strategy.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Kelric »

dbt1949 wrote:It's odd but I'm finding that the longest gauntlet you can make doesn't necessarily give you the best results. If the core thingys would just teleport back this game would play completely differently.
I'm still using the gauntlet strategy and doing pretty well, myself. Haven't lost again since getting over that hump. Upgraded Meteor and Cannon towers are deadly.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Doomboy »

Tscott wrote:
Doomboy wrote:My only complaint so far is that just as I am getting into the groove and slaughtering the aliens, the level seems to end. I wish one of the options in the previously played levels was an unending swarm level. Instead of just "harder" and "easier" variants.
Many of the levels have a "Grinder" mode. 99 waves of increasing numbers of walkers. The first one isn't until level 7. There's also levels with the option to play with 10 or 20 tower limits and is a fun way to try and perfect your strategy.
Cool. I'll have to try grinder mode, that sounds like what I've been wanting. I stopped looking for extra stuff after the first few levels only had hard and easy modes.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Lyno »

Kelric wrote:
dbt1949 wrote:It's odd but I'm finding that the longest gauntlet you can make doesn't necessarily give you the best results. If the core thingys would just teleport back this game would play completely differently.
I'm still using the gauntlet strategy and doing pretty well, myself. Haven't lost again since getting over that hump. Upgraded Meteor and Cannon towers are deadly.
This is a fun game! Just as fun as Plants vs Zombies, but much less cutesy. I too am a big fan of upgraded Cannons and Meteors.

-Lyno!
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by LawBeefaroni »

dbt1949 wrote:It's odd but I'm finding that the longest gauntlet you can make doesn't necessarily give you the best results. If the core thingys would just teleport back this game would play completely differently.

It's not really the length, it's the time spent in range or each tower. A few upgraded towers are better than a whole line of level 1s. Temporal towers are good to increase damage in kill zones. You have to get creative with pathing as well.


I use mostly guns and cannons but inferno towers are good to soften up large groups of small aliens. Lasers are good for the fast aliens (once shields are down, if they have any). Meteor towers are good for groups as well and you can usually build meteor towers to give coverage to the entire map. When I'm going for high scores I don't use much besides guns and cannons but one well placed laser or meteor can make all the difference.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Grey Fox »

Fun game, tried the demo and at that price I had to buy it. Just beware any future buyers; you'll have to restart on the story after you buy the game.

The thing I dislike the most so far is that I can sell towers during the last 30 seconds or so of each map and have the resources count as score. I'm trying to restrain myself, but that's part of why I dislike that. :P
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

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Dreadnought wrote:The thing I dislike the most so far is that I can sell towers during the last 30 seconds or so of each map and have the resources count as score. I'm trying to restrain myself, but that's part of why I dislike that. :P
The value of the towers you've placed also counts towards the score.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Smoove_B »

I'm not really into Tower Defense games, but I actually enjoyed the demo. For $5 it seems like a good deal.

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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by dbt1949 »

After the last of the last wave goes thru I start selling off towers behind them to increase my score.
I'm sure playing things a lot differently now than when I first started.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Kelric »

dbt1949 wrote:After the last of the last wave goes thru I start selling off towers behind them to increase my score.
I never even thought of doing something like that. Don't think I'll start. Seems cheap.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by StormHarbinger »

The value you get of your towers is equal to the sales price, and thus you're not gaining anything by selling them off.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Kelric »

I've lost thrice now on the level after the one where you defend your home city. It is the one with four entry ramps, then ramps going down to the power cores, then ramps going up to the exit. The gauntlet defense does not work here with so many places the aliens can go.

Edit - Got it. Sweet. Lost a lot of cores early but my new strategy of early upgrades later augmented by a gauntlet (rather than vice versa) paid off. Got crushed on the level after that, though. Time for a break.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

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Kelric wrote:I've lost thrice now on the level after the one where you defend your home city. It is the one with four entry ramps, then ramps going down to the power cores, then ramps going up to the exit. The gauntlet defense does not work here with so many places the aliens can go.

Edit - Got it. Sweet. Lost a lot of cores early but my new strategy of early upgrades later augmented by a gauntlet (rather than vice versa) paid off. Got crushed on the level after that, though. Time for a break.
I wound up loving this level and came back to it several times to get achievements. My first 9 towers always went here:
Spoiler:
Image
Force them through the left ramps first, then the right ramps to exit. A couple of these towers had to be sold later (the only level where my strategy relied on selling to change a path).

The idea was to force them up into a maze first and back to the main level before they even reach the cores.

Halfway point:
Spoiler:
Image
Finished maze top:
Spoiler:
Image
and bottom:
Spoiler:
Image
This wasn't my best setup. I had to backspace a couple times in wave 25, and upgrade a few things differently to keep the last bosses from leaving with a core. But you can get the idea.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Kelric »

I almost beat the next level, only two waves or so away... and my computer crashed. WTF. :cry:

Edit - Made it to the last level. I keep restarting it after the first wave of aliens as one or two always manage to scamper off with a core. Haven't found a good starting strategy for that level yet.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Lyno »

Tscott wrote:
Kelric wrote:I've lost thrice now on the level after the one where you defend your home city. It is the one with four entry ramps, then ramps going down to the power cores, then ramps going up to the exit. The gauntlet defense does not work here with so many places the aliens can go.

Edit - Got it. Sweet. Lost a lot of cores early but my new strategy of early upgrades later augmented by a gauntlet (rather than vice versa) paid off. Got crushed on the level after that, though. Time for a break.
I wound up loving this level and came back to it several times to get achievements. My first 9 towers always went here:
Spoiler:
Image
Force them through the left ramps first, then the right ramps to exit. A couple of these towers had to be sold later (the only level where my strategy relied on selling to change a path).

The idea was to force them up into a maze first and back to the main level before they even reach the cores.

Halfway point:
Spoiler:
Image
Finished maze top:
Spoiler:
Image
and bottom:
Spoiler:
Image
This wasn't my best setup. I had to backspace a couple times in wave 25, and upgrade a few things differently to keep the last bosses from leaving with a core. But you can get the idea.
My strategy involved mostly the top level. I closed off all onramps except the far right and forced them to run a gauntlet. I used two Temporal towers to slow them down once they're in the gauntlet. I then maxed out as many towers near the Temporal towers as possible. Didn't lose a single core.

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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by dbt1949 »

Finally finished! One of the main keys I've found to max out your upgrades rather than mass low level towers, altho you need those for blocking.
I don't think I ever tried a Telsa tower. Did hit the wrong button and made a Concussion tower once. The command towers just don't seem to be worth it. I stuck to the gun, cannon, laser and occasional temporal and missile tower. Inferno towers are fun to watch but not worth the resources to me usually.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by Grey Fox »

Well if you have one strong killzone and room for it, a command tower is worth it. Especially to boost score I guess.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

Post by YellowKing »

Thanks for the heads up on this. Bought it over the weekend and really enjoyed it. I'm still trying to finish off some stuff in PvZ, but this will be the perfect transition from that game. What's insane is I've always HATED tower defense games, and now I can't get enough.
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Re: Defense Grid - The Awakening

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dbt1949 wrote:Finally finished! One of the main keys I've found to max out your upgrades rather than mass low level towers, altho you need those for blocking.
What was your strategy for the last level? I can't find a build that doesn't lose me some early cores and that makes me restart and try again.

Edit - This time I took the early losses and played through 'em. From wave 12 until the end I only had three cores. Luckily I had a tremendously long gauntlet for the aliens to run through and just spent time fully upgrading everything I could the rest of the way. Had some incredibly close calls, including my last core being carried away by one of the fast floaters that only lasers kill. It got past the range of my last weapon and was half an inch on screen from the exit, but luckily that last weapon was a laser and it finished burning to death. Too close. The aliens have been defeated! w00t.
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