Tiny Heroes - From the creator of geoDefense

[Misguided]

I think it would be better if we didn't get into comparing various games and the size of their dev teams. This game (which I think looks great) has a very different design aesthetic from Bastion. It reminds me more of Dungeons of Dredmor, actually.

At any rate, the walkthrough videos are a lot of fun, guys. I'm rather tempted by this, even though I'm terrible at games of this sort. But thematically I love it.

David, I had a thought for a puzzle mode. I wonder if you could make this work. You are handed a dungeon layout that is mostly stocked with enemies and traps, but are given a small number of additional items and must figure out where to place them in order to beat the level. I'm not sure if that would work because of the unpredictability of the A.I. though.

[socalkdg]

For all you iPad users the game looks very good on the iPad and I have no regrets purchasing. I wish my eyes were better, but I can't take looking at my iPhone longer than 10-15 minutes.

[izeman]

Originally Posted by Appletini

Well, "amazing" is a subjective matter: in my eyes, the artwork and animation are passable, functional, but not really anything special. I'm just not seeing how the end result required seven people, especially when you consider that the following in-game artwork (from Bastion) was all done by one person.

Before people get worked up, note that TH could still be the most fun game in the world; I'm not debating that aspect of it, just querying one particular process at the moment.

+1

i bought it yesterday. i like the graphics. but imho they are nothing special, or above average. not that they need to be, and not that i could do it any better, not even near (but i'm a sales guy, and no graphic designer *g*)

i also don't understand those ppl praying this as the greatest td game ... i LOVE gd and gds. so tt was a insta-buy. but didn't get the hang yet ...

it's not bad, and undoubtly a lot of work, hmmm, but i did like gd a lot more. especially as i never spent $3 for a game before.

just my 2c

[Sin City]

I just bought this game and LOVE it. Very clever gameplay combining a lot of genres into one killer TD-Style game! I'll admit the glowing front page review helped my decision.

[Lutzburg]

Yeah, TA's review of the game really made us feel proud. I can't tell you how much we appreciate all the kind words. And I see there's already 15 minutes of gameplay footage up on YouTube! That's fantastic.

[New England Gamer]

Originally Posted by Appletini

For me, like David, the thought process behind the design is a big thing. There is a significant difference between a game that makes you figure out what the developers intended if you want to proceed, and one that lets you succeed your own way as long as you have the skill to back up your choices.

For example, some games are made vastly easier if you use specific "developer-preferred" solutions and figure out that their "puzzle" requires you to use 2 of tower X, 2 of Y, and 3 of Z in specific places. Unless you're able to succeed just as easily with a different set of traps set up in different (but still strategic) places, then the game tends to feel cheap, and becomes irritating rather quickly.

As long as TH doesn't fall into the first scenario, I can't see that there would be an issue. To give me an idea, are the walkthroughs on the website the "best possible setup" for any given level - or even vastly superior to other possibilities? Or are they just layouts that happen to work consistently, while not necessarily being close to the most efficient?

Not sure if I understand your question - so here is an answer based on what I THINK your question is - is there more than one way to solve a level...

For sure, yes. For instance, I got an achievement that I didn't even know I would get - solve Bombtastic without using bombs. Clearly the intent was to use many bombs if you saw the set up of the level; but I didn't; and I still got 3 stars. In fact that was the achievement - to get 3 stars without them.

In replaying levels, I have found that making choices in defenses has helped or hurt me. Sure one thing is really powerful but it takes up a lot of mana so you can't even really use it so you just wasted a slot and I lost, my bad. I chose the right combo of defenses and got 3 stars, my good. All that on me.

I think in every game there has to be some thought from the developer as to how to beat a level - mainly because they have to think about making each level beatable. But clearly in this one I have solved levels in different ways and with mixed results. I think there are too many possibilities to say that the dev intended this here, that there, this many mana crystals, etc, to beat the level - and that is the only way to do it.

The walkthroughs, well, I only am passed the first one so I can't comment on the others, but I solved it differently. I see why they did it in that one; and I definitely see the benefit and might even try it that way to see what that does for my score - I mean I got a 3 star but could probably get a higher numerical score perhaps.

Personal skill and strategy - definitely. But of course, as in any game, there will be some obvious moves that you will want to make per level - an enclosed area to protect a mana crystal - that's a duh, since you can't use that space for a weapon anyway. So there are going to be some obvious choices you will make based on the level, but then the rest is wide open (at least I think) to the imagination and your own skill and knowledge of the defenses and the layout of that level and mix of enemies.

I hope that answered your question as I wasn't really sure exactly what it was - it kind of mixed into how many people made it and stuff so I hope I addressed the main point.


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As to this ongoing debate of how many people make a game makes it better? Man, it is so not good to compare - well such and such is better since it was made with 1,000 people or such and such was better because it was made with 1 person. Who cares how many people make a game if the end product is fun and enjoyable? Crap has been made by one person; genius has been made with one. Crap has been made by a full studio and genius has been made with that same full sized studio. So do you like the game? Great! Who cares how many made it!

[Lutzburg]

Originally Posted by New England Gamer

The walkthroughs, well, I only am passed the first one so I can't comment on the others, but I solved it differently. I see why they did it in that one; and I definitely see the benefit and might even try it that way to see what that does for my score - I mean I got a 3 star but could probably get a higher numerical score perhaps.

Absolutely! The footage of the walk throughs are of me playing, but I can assure you that I have a very different playstyle than even anyone else in the office. Even among the design team, we all find defenses that we love, as well as a few that we aren't huge fans of. The amazing thing (and a strong testament to the balance of the game) is that we all have different defenses for both of those lists.

In a nutshell, the walk throughs are not showing off the "intended" way to beat the levels, because more often than not, there isn't one. The walk throughs only provide one way to 3 star a level, and not even necessarily the best way; and that's what makes Tiny Heroes so diverse. :3

[Multipl8yeR]

This game is fantastic. It's similar to PVZ but almost kinda... better. I've found it can be more frantic for one and two, I love the theme.

[New England Gamer]

Originally Posted by Lutzburg

Absolutely! The footage of the walk throughs are of me playing, but I can assure you that I have a very different playstyle than even anyone else in the office. Even among the design team, we all find defenses that we love, as well as a few that we aren't huge fans of. The amazing thing (and a strong testament to the balance of the game) is that we all have different defenses for both of those lists.

In a nutshell, the walk throughs are not showing off the "intended" way to beat the levels, because more often than not, there isn't one. The walk throughs only provide one way to 3 star a level, and not even necessarily the best way; and that's what makes Tiny Heroes so diverse. :3

Well you gave me a good idea at ant rate!

But this is why I am puzzled at all the questions of "how to solve a level" for lack of a better term. You have defenses, which ones you choose and how you use them will make or break you; it is all going to depend on skill and knowledge and strategy.

[nsxdavid]

Yeah, essentially the walkthroughs show merely one way to three start a level. But its important to note that the number of stars you get is only one factor in the score you get!

I can guarantee the walkthroughs do not show you how to get the highscore on a level. Just how to three star it. We might make some that don't even show three staring, come to think of it. But the current ones do.

David