packet.Breach()
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*A unique strategical tower defense about hacking.*
*You awaken in a haze, with hardly a memory of what happened the day before. In a stupor, you arise and log in to a forgotten server, an unrecognizable sense of urgency permeates your actions.*
*But of course, this is only the beginning of the rabbit hole. Just how deep will it go?*
`packet.Breach()` is a 180 degree spin on the classic tower defense formula. As a game designer, and as an avid tower defense enjoyer, I have two design problems with the typical tower defense formula:
- Towers, when placed, remain on the field nearly indefinitely.
- Towers are also entirely independent, granting no synergy to other towers.
`packet.Breach()` is my take on what tower defenses could truly be, distilled to the core. `packet.Breach()` exudes comprehensive simplicity, yet breathes intelligent elegance. Easy to learn, difficult to master.
This game is difficult! In order to beat the game, you must demonstrate a solid understanding of the mechanics and strategy.
- You can hold up to three towers (stock) at a time. If you have three towers in your stock, you aren't generating additional towers!
- Each packet (bullet) can only be modified by each individual Modifier tower once. (If a packet crosses through 2 different `Sting.breach` towers, it will still gain +2 damage)
- When a wave is completed, the screen will move over by 3 tiles. Towers that are outside of the screen bounds cease to function. Plan accordingly!
- When an enemy touches the left edge of the screen, you lose a heart, and the wave restarts.
- `Gemicorn.breach` (duplicate and split) towers are naturally better than `snake.breach` (rotate clockwise) and `counter_snake.breach` (rotate counterclockwise) towers, since Gemicorns rotate in both directions anyways. Plus, you can potentially utilize an extra packet!
- Place your Modifier towers in an order that grants the greatest bonus! For example, `Sting.breach` (+1 damage) should always be placed before `Fatale.breach` (x2 damage) towers.
- Likewise, try to stack as much damage on packets as you can before they get placed in a duplicator!
- If your tower setup is strong enough that it shreds enemies, don't keep improving it! Instead, try to set up another chain of towers farther ahead, with the intention that you will continue to have a strong setup even when the screen shifts past your previous setup.
- Defeating enemies as quickly as possible can be a detrimental strategy, due to the fact that you gain more stock (towers) if a wave lasts a while.
- Pause the game to think through things! You can still read descriptions and place towers while the game is paused.
Celtican: Programmer, composer, game designer
Gardenovena: Artist
The theme for the jam was "Delivery." It's not obvious how we interpreted the theme, so humor me for a moment:
The easiest way to interpret "Delivery" for a game jam is to make a game that has the player delivering something. Mail, pizza, babies, etc. However, we are natural contrarians, so *of course* we had to make something different. Let me explain:
In `packet.Breach()` (emphasis on the word "packet"), you are a hacker that is hijacking servers and injecting your own commands into them. Gameplay-wise, this is represented as a tower defense where you manipulate packets (bullets) that are part of the server (level) using your 1337 h4x0r programs (towers). This interrupts the security trace programs (kills enemies) that seek to cause you harm. These packets are normally harmless streams of information—a user's shopping cart, a request to watch a video, a government log, or anything else, really. Without you, they are still delivered to their intentional destination. However, you, the 1337 h4x0r that you are, are able to manipulate them to overwhelm the security protocols and continue breaching the server. As a result, you're basically causing server 500 errors left and right for standard users. It's all a giant metaphor really. It's basically art!
*Thus*, we didn't interpret the theme as "you are delivering something." We interpreted the theme as "you are *interrupting* the delivery of something." Yes, we literally went in the opposite direction of the way the theme intended :joy:
The tower arts are a reference to the Cyberpunk (TTRPG series, but more specifically Android: Netrunner) interpretation of the internet. Think Tron, where everything is represented with a digital VR avatar. Programmers create unique avatars to pair with their programs. One programmer might create a "Revolver" program that simply appears as a gun, while another programmer might make something a bit more unique.
Such is the case in this game, as well! Each tower was crafted by a different hacker, each with its own unique properties and effects. Fun fact: the (arguably) strongest tower in the game matches the player's color scheme, I wonder what that could mean :eyes:
- Balanced the game a wee bit. Bite me. Seriously, it was unplayable beforehand.
- Fixed tutorial prompt immediately disappearing at the start of the game.
- Fixed enemies damage sounds being incredibly quiet.
- If the game is paused while enemies are spawning tightly grouped, the enemies can "clump together" and appear like one enemy. Sometimes, this "super enemy" is invincible to damage. I recommend pausing the game while enemies are not spawning.
*You awaken in a haze, with hardly a memory of what happened the day before. In a stupor, you arise and log in to a forgotten server, an unrecognizable sense of urgency permeates your actions.*
*But of course, this is only the beginning of the rabbit hole. Just how deep will it go?*
Play Now on itch.io!
`packet.Breach()` is a 180 degree spin on the classic tower defense formula. As a game designer, and as an avid tower defense enjoyer, I have two design problems with the typical tower defense formula:
- Towers, when placed, remain on the field nearly indefinitely.
- Towers are also entirely independent, granting no synergy to other towers.
`packet.Breach()` is my take on what tower defenses could truly be, distilled to the core. `packet.Breach()` exudes comprehensive simplicity, yet breathes intelligent elegance. Easy to learn, difficult to master.
Tips
This game is difficult! In order to beat the game, you must demonstrate a solid understanding of the mechanics and strategy.
- You can hold up to three towers (stock) at a time. If you have three towers in your stock, you aren't generating additional towers!
- Each packet (bullet) can only be modified by each individual Modifier tower once. (If a packet crosses through 2 different `Sting.breach` towers, it will still gain +2 damage)
- When a wave is completed, the screen will move over by 3 tiles. Towers that are outside of the screen bounds cease to function. Plan accordingly!
- When an enemy touches the left edge of the screen, you lose a heart, and the wave restarts.
- `Gemicorn.breach` (duplicate and split) towers are naturally better than `snake.breach` (rotate clockwise) and `counter_snake.breach` (rotate counterclockwise) towers, since Gemicorns rotate in both directions anyways. Plus, you can potentially utilize an extra packet!
- Place your Modifier towers in an order that grants the greatest bonus! For example, `Sting.breach` (+1 damage) should always be placed before `Fatale.breach` (x2 damage) towers.
- Likewise, try to stack as much damage on packets as you can before they get placed in a duplicator!
- If your tower setup is strong enough that it shreds enemies, don't keep improving it! Instead, try to set up another chain of towers farther ahead, with the intention that you will continue to have a strong setup even when the screen shifts past your previous setup.
- Defeating enemies as quickly as possible can be a detrimental strategy, due to the fact that you gain more stock (towers) if a wave lasts a while.
- Pause the game to think through things! You can still read descriptions and place towers while the game is paused.
Credits
Celtican: Programmer, composer, game designer
Gardenovena: Artist
"Delivery" Theme?
The theme for the jam was "Delivery." It's not obvious how we interpreted the theme, so humor me for a moment:
The easiest way to interpret "Delivery" for a game jam is to make a game that has the player delivering something. Mail, pizza, babies, etc. However, we are natural contrarians, so *of course* we had to make something different. Let me explain:
In `packet.Breach()` (emphasis on the word "packet"), you are a hacker that is hijacking servers and injecting your own commands into them. Gameplay-wise, this is represented as a tower defense where you manipulate packets (bullets) that are part of the server (level) using your 1337 h4x0r programs (towers). This interrupts the security trace programs (kills enemies) that seek to cause you harm. These packets are normally harmless streams of information—a user's shopping cart, a request to watch a video, a government log, or anything else, really. Without you, they are still delivered to their intentional destination. However, you, the 1337 h4x0r that you are, are able to manipulate them to overwhelm the security protocols and continue breaching the server. As a result, you're basically causing server 500 errors left and right for standard users. It's all a giant metaphor really. It's basically art!
*Thus*, we didn't interpret the theme as "you are delivering something." We interpreted the theme as "you are *interrupting* the delivery of something." Yes, we literally went in the opposite direction of the way the theme intended :joy:
Why Do The Towers Look Like That?
The tower arts are a reference to the Cyberpunk (TTRPG series, but more specifically Android: Netrunner) interpretation of the internet. Think Tron, where everything is represented with a digital VR avatar. Programmers create unique avatars to pair with their programs. One programmer might create a "Revolver" program that simply appears as a gun, while another programmer might make something a bit more unique.
Such is the case in this game, as well! Each tower was crafted by a different hacker, each with its own unique properties and effects. Fun fact: the (arguably) strongest tower in the game matches the player's color scheme, I wonder what that could mean :eyes:
Changes Made During the Bugfix Window
- Balanced the game a wee bit. Bite me. Seriously, it was unplayable beforehand.
- Fixed tutorial prompt immediately disappearing at the start of the game.
- Fixed enemies damage sounds being incredibly quiet.
Known Bugs
- If the game is paused while enemies are spawning tightly grouped, the enemies can "clump together" and appear like one enemy. Sometimes, this "super enemy" is invincible to damage. I recommend pausing the game while enemies are not spawning.