# I'm making my own tower defense game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 19, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-my-own-tower-defense-game/503502 "2009-07-19T02:48:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-my-own-tower-defense-game/503502/1 "2009-07-19T02:48:28Z")
Hopefully. I’ve got the idea for a great TD game, called ZOO ESCAPE. My dad says that if I come up with the specs, he’ll write the program. I’ll be babbling to you about all the myriad details of my genius plan tomorrow, but before I got to bed, I’ve got a question. Is there some sort of formula for calculating how many hit points to give your creeps? Because when it comes to making it up as I go along, I’m pretty bad at it, judging from my [previous attempts](http://www.towerdefence.net/games-234-Protector_III.php). For that matter, I’m not sure how to balance money, armor, and damage, either. I’ve got most of my ideas down on paper, so hopefully this will be an awesome game. Nighty night, guys. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-my-own-tower-defense-game/503502/2 "2009-07-19T04:04:23Z")
Wait, _you_ made the Protector series? That’s awesome! Those games are the most detailed and atmospheric TD games I’ve ever played! Right, here’s my advice: _either_ make your guys level up based on gold or XP, but not both. The biggest problem with the Protector series was that it was near-impossible to get levelled up units late in the game, due to a lack of gold, or lack of XP. My 2 cents. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-my-own-tower-defense-game/503502/3 "2009-07-19T04:12:50Z")
Also, try to avoid complexity creep. The first Protector game was the best, becuase it didn’t take forever to figure out. There’s a definite limit to the amount of complexity people are willing to learn in a free flash game, and if it all comes up at once, it’s even worse. There’s really no way to tell how much is too much, and moderate complexity can be really really cool. So it’s a fine line. If you can get playtesters, that would be the best way to tell. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-my-own-tower-defense-game/503502/4 "2009-07-19T04:19:08Z")
Actually let me expand that: if you can get playtesters, get them. Ideally, at least 10 or more. They well be able to tell you not only all the buggy and impossible stuff, but also the frustrating stuff, which is important to fix as well. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-my-own-tower-defense-game/503502/5 "2009-07-19T16:59:16Z")
Wait a sec! I thought I had linked to the “Make your own custom game” thing. No, I didn’t make the Protector games. I was trying to link to the feature where they let you make your own protector map. Sorry sorry sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-my-own-tower-defense-game/503502/6 "2009-07-19T18:57:28Z")
I pretty much gave up on video gaming five or six years back, but Tower Defense games are a total guilty pleasure. I don’t have anything to add as far as a hit point formula or balancing the other stats you mentioned but will mention that I don’t think there’s a hard and fast formula. You’ll probably have to just play through a few different versions and see which works best. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-making-my-own-tower-defense-game/503502/7 "2009-07-20T01:33:21Z")
[HERE](http://www.kongregate.com/games/undefined/protector-iii-map-editor?gamereferral=protector-iii) is the link I meant to use. Even if there’s no “X \* Y \> Z” type mathimatical formula, there’s got to be some sort of rough guideline, right?