UPDATE: Version 1.3 Now Available

Curator Defense is now at version 1.3. Primarily a bug-fix release, this is the version I anticipate submitting to the IGF this weekend for their Student Showcase competition. Changes can be found in the readme.txt (viewable from the downloads page and the shortcut folder once installed). Here is a screenshot of the game in action in case you haven't seen it yet: -dbh [Edited by - dbh on November 11, 2005 2:31:32 PM]

I'm downloading it as well. I'm really liking the concept though. Very Original.

I just played yesterday an hour Curator Defence (1.0)
It's fun!
The only thing bothering me is the poor sfx, I usally just turn the sound off...
Great work! hoping to see more towers and units!

Thanks for the comments, keep 'em coming :)

I am mostly trying to track down the last remaining bugs at this point; I'm short on time for submission :) If the game crashes for you, please be sure and post as much information about it as possible.

Also, make sure you run Account Creator before playing to setup an account so that your high scores and statistics are submitted :)

-dbh

I tried to create an account and got this error messege:


I dont have VS.NET on my pc, this mean I should suffer? :-D

Ilankt: Ack, thanks for catching that! I rebuilt Account Creator from scratch for version 1.1, and I apparently built it statically, requiring the user to have the MFC DLL on hand :( I'll rebuild it and release AC1.2 with the next release-- which should be in a few days. I'm awfully sorry about that, I should have thought of it myself.

Toadhead: Yes, the in-game GUI, the website, and all other artwork is my own. I'm glad you like it!

-dbh

Just beat the easy mode finally!

In previous games, I didn't even notice the upgrade menu in the lower left. No wonder I had such a hard time on easy!

here is my end game setup (spoilers for those who didn't beat it):
my setup

I didn't use the spiked banisters since the damage is miniscule (maybe this assumption is wrong) and wanted to save up for splash turrets. I am now convinced that splash turrets are powerful, especially when upgraded. Their blast radius is much larger than I thought it was.

However, I think the statue is underpowered: it has several waves for cooldown. Setting up 3 slow signs costs just as much as an upgraded statue, and probably just as effective when activated in succession.

A suggestion:
I think that the later levels should be a mix of enemy types, instead of just a single enemy type per level. For example, maybe throw in some ghosted enemies along with regular enemies, 'cause right now you know which levels you need the ghost detector for.

Congratulations on conquering Easy, Xaver! The name of that difficulty is really a misnomer; beating easy is quite an accomplishment. Medium and Hard are both beatable-- but they require veteran experience to even have a chance.

Let me see if I can respond to some of your balance thoughts, and we'll see where we land.

Quote:I didn't use the spiked banisters since the damage is miniscule (maybe this assumption is wrong) and wanted to save up for splash turrets. I am now convinced that splash turrets are powerful, especially when upgraded. Their blast radius is much larger than I thought it was.

Response: Sharp Banisters are actually quite good if upgraded. There are several folks from one of the slightly older betas (but recent enough such that the content and balance is very similar) that had their primary setup revolve almost entirely around Sharp Banisters. The key is upgrading them-- they become a real powerhouse helper when upgraded. The alternative to Sharp Banisters, however, is Splash Turrets-- which I'm glad you have found useful!

Quote:However, I think the statue is underpowered: it has several waves for cooldown. Setting up 3 slow signs costs just as much as an upgraded statue, and probably just as effective when activated in succession.

Venus Statues are actually *EXTREMELY* powerful, and I will say that they are the key to beating the harder modes and lasting long in NonStop mode (in my opinion). Yes, they are extremely expensive at first (because yes, as you pointed out, you *have* to upgrade them for them to be of much help due to the cooldown). I don't want to ruin any strategies here, but I will say that the key to effectively using Venus Statues lies in numbers :) Buying one with the upgrade (150 total cost) doesn't help much. Buy 3 or 4, however, for 250-300 total cost, and you just bought yourself 15-20 seconds *EACH WAVE* where the enemies are completely unable to move.

Quote:
A suggestion:
I think that the later levels should be a mix of enemy types, instead of just a single enemy type per level. For example, maybe throw in some ghosted enemies along with regular enemies, 'cause right now you know which levels you need the ghost detector for.

I love that suggestion; it's too late for me to implement it in this series of releases, but after the GDC I may seriously consider this change. Perhaps even "randomized" waves which consist of completely random enemies within a certain range.

Again, congratulations on completing Easy, Xaver! I haven't seen a unique setup like yours yet! Very original :)

-dbh