Age of Defense News

Hello there,

In the last update, we finally added the last game mission. Now, we can focus on improving game usability and adding the last missing features.

Many players have reported issues with the non-intuitive UI in the game. It seems that our original idea of having "no words in the game" is not working as intended. To address this feedback, we have decided to completely rework the text design.

Firstly, we have improved the way text appears in the game. Now, when a player points at any icon in the battle menu, the old mage appears and shows the text on the tablet. We believe this addition resolves the main issue of the game and also fits into the game's style.



We have made several changes to the game's interface. Firstly, we changed the main font and increased the font size for better readability.

Additionally, we added new parameters to the info menu, including different icons for resistances and vulnerabilities. A new icon for towers now indicates when a tower's effect is reduced by resistance.

Furthermore, we introduced a special icon for monsters to signify when they have an ability, along with text descriptions for all abilities. We believe these changes will provide players with better information during gameplay.

Finally, we added a new parameter to the Monster info called "Child Taken," which indicates how many lives the player loses when a monster reaches the end.



We also introduced a special icon for tower information. This icon lights up if a tower's abilities have durations that can be altered by Effect Resistance.

Adding text descriptions to all monsters was a challenging task, as it was not part of our original plan. Some monsters were created with a special list, while others were generated directly from the code. This was especially complex for unique bosses. However, we successfully completed this task after extensive testing and bug-fixing. Additionally, we implemented a system to streamline the translation process for other languages in the future.



[h3]Game Changes[/h3]

• Added visual effects for the Ice Spikes ability of the Ice Shaman, including a cast time before the spikes appear.
  
• Implemented several fixes for the Poison Cloud ability of the Beast.
  
• Renamed all towers to align with the game universe, now referred to as defenders.
  
• Added titles for all abilities and spells for better clarity and immersion.
  

Now, we going to add graphics to the rest of defenders abilities. And we are working on adding sounds to whole game. All sounds are made. We just need to add it to the game.
The game is almost ready.



[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• Fixed a critical bug where Blue Flying monsters incorrectly deducted lives when fear was applied to them.
  
• Rectified an issue where Tall monsters with shield abilities were not properly utilizing this feature in Mission 3 and Mission 15.
  
• Resolved a bug where pressing the right mouse button triggered the activation of a spell.
  
• Adjusted the visual effects size for monsters with the small fly ability, ensuring accuracy.
  
• Corrected the behavior of Mutant Cocoon, which erroneously behaved like an air unit, preventing stone towers from targeting it.
  
• Updated certain texts in skill descriptions for clarity and accuracy.
  
• Fixed an issue where the Woman Tower would inadvertently stun itself.
  
• Addressed a bug where Bug monsters from the portal were missing their transformation ability.
  
  

[h2]Play with us,[/h2]

Hello there,

We are keep preparing the game for the full release. We added the last mission to the game. It is mission 15 of Mode #3. It uses the same Boss #5 mechanics with higher difficulty. Our Game Designer had a lot of problems with Boss. So, we are completely reworked it. It seems that now Boss# 5 battle now work flawlessly. We tested and reproduced different situations when game could stuck. It looks like we fixed all of them and Boss #5 Battle should work as good as other boss fights.



We are keeping working on optimization as well. First of all, we finally found a way to show a error message in the game. So now, if players meet the bug they can send us info about it. Previously we had no way to do it. And reproduction of bugs was real hell. So, now it gives all necessary information to make the game bug free.

Other good news that we optimized the code. FPS was significantly lowered when new monsters appeared on the screen. In some mission with big waves it was really bad. Now appearing of new monsters do not affect fps at all. So, the game works much smoother now. Also, this optimization affect at appearing of preplaced spikes and barricades ( it slowed the game significantly especially at Mission #10).

FInally, we put sounds of all World #3 monsters into the game. With abilities, death and etc. Also, we add a new sound type "Scream". It plays from time to time. More monsters on the screen the more ffrequently it plays. Each units has own scream soound. So, it shouldd add more feeling of immersion to the game.


[h3]Game Changes[/h3]

• Appearing time of all tooltips were reduced to 0.7 seconds.
  
• Stunning Axes and Battle Trance ability were swapped. Battle Trance became more expensive and much stronger.
  
• Size of visual effect of Frost Block was lowered. Now it deals damage before applying invulnerability.
  
• Added animations of cast to Vodoo and Ice Mages.
  
• Added improved bang animation for Giant Towers if they have Extra Splash ability.
  
• Air units have proper effects animations size now.
  

[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• Fixed a critical buп on Mission 12 of Mode #3. The bird boss didn't have boss immunity. It could lead to critical bugs. For example in case when it was affected by hex ability.
  
• Fixed a critical bug when units could be spawned endlessly on Mission 9 after defeating the boss.
  
• Fixed various bugs with Boss #5 when boss fight could just stack. With transformation to Phase 3; losing a game and starting new one and etc.
  
• Visual improvements of Boss #5 Battle. Sзikes and barricades disappear if placed on Boss body. life bars of boss body was removed. Speed of all boss animations was leveled. Fixed the bug which occurred animations glitches in spitting out monsters.
  
• Visual fixes of Tyrannosaur and Armored Tyrannosaur animations.
  
• Tower can't attack now during cast time animation.
  
• Removed blood stains after death of armored lizardmen.
  
• Game GUI is no longer affected by game speed setting.
  
• Fixed the bug with stone barricade. It showed wrong animation upon destruction.
  
• Fixed the bug with effects animation height on towers.
  
• Fixed a bug with Ice Shaman Ice spikes when they didn't appear sometimes.
  
• Visual fixes of Boss 1 Eye and Boss 2 Coccoon when they left some visual glitches on death.
  
• Freeze effect in Mission 13 were improved.
  
• Hex no longer affect air units.
  
• Duplicator (Mission #5 feature) plays proper animations now.
  
• Fixed a bug with slowfish monsters from World #2 when they could leave yellow spots upon death.
  
• The game no longer shows tooltips for unavailable missions.
  
• Fixed the bug with Wave Start button. When animation wasn't played if waves started automatically.
  

[h2]Play with us,[/h2]

Hello there,

We are continuing to finalize the development of the game. In this update, we've introduced special challenges for all missions of Mode #3. These challenges are designed to provide hardcore players with a platform to test their skills. They're tough, so get ready for a real challenge.

Additionally, our artist has revamped the design of the Steam Store page. We've added numerous cool GIFs with text set in the backdrop of ancient shaman imagery. Make sure to check out the new Store page to see these updates. We've also included some of these GIFs in this announcement for you to preview.



We are investing a significant amount of time in fixing bugs, which is consuming the majority of our game designer and programmer's efforts. We've identified and addressed some critical bugs, so players can expect the game to run much smoother now.

Additionally, we have completed the creation of new sounds and are currently working on implementing them into the game system. We've generated sound effects for virtually every element in the game, including towers, enemies, and boss abilities, resulting in approximately 400 sound effects in total. This was a massive undertaking, but we aim to include these updates in the next game update.



[h3]Game Changes[/h3]

• Revised and adjusted the balance of all missions in Mode #2 (Chief Mode).
  
• Reduced the projectile speed of Voodoo Shaman Level 4 to match Tower Level 3.
  
• Granted access to the final upgrade of the Fear spell, which creates 25 frost spikes on the ground.
  
• Restored availability of the Caviar ability. Fixed a critical bug associated with the Caviar ability of the Woman Fish Tower, which could cause the game to become stuck if the tower was positioned far from the road.
  
• Fixed a major bug where Ice Tower Level 4 had a cooldown on its Slow ability. It now applies with each attack as intended.
  

• Changed the functionality of mission restart to address previous issues, particularly in Boss Battles.
  
• Fixed a critical bug where enemies could bypass whirlpools and deplete the player's lives.
  
• Addressed a critical bug where upgrading the Axe Tower to Level 4 with the Ursa ability could cause the game to become stuck.
  
• Fixed critical bugs affecting all Madness mode missions, particularly with wave counters causing various issues, especially during boss fights.
  
• Resolved a major bug where some enemies' abilities had double effects, such as the Big Jellyfish.
  
• Fixed a major bug where certain skills did not function correctly when multiple skills were learned.
  
• Removed excessive sound effects for the Purple Run Mob in World #1.
  
• Corrected major bugs in Madman Mode's Mission 3, ensuring it functions as intended.
  
• Optimized the Boss Battle of Mission 3 in Mode 3, addressing frame rate drops to 5 fps.
  
• Fixed issues with the Boss Battle of World #1.
  
• Resolved visual glitches with the abilities button when food was unavailable.
  
• Fixed a bug where the Yellow Farm Tall Bird could die after its egg was opened.
  
• Addressed an issue where the Totem (Speed spell) could remain on the ground and not disappear.
  
• Adjusted the available tower spots on Mission 6 and several other missions to prevent tower placement in screen corners.
  
• Fixed a bug with Tall Birds and whirlpools where they could endlessly circle in a large range.
  
• Implemented disposal of Ice Spikes (Fear spell upgrades) after use.
  
• Prevented the Flint cursor from appearing if the Bonfire is not available.
  
• Fixed a bug where tower animation attack times were incorrect under the Freeze effect in Mission 13.
  
• Resolved a bug where red circle effects could remain on the map.
  
• Implemented visual fixes for the stone tablet menu (challenges).
  

[h2]Play with us,[/h2]

Hello there,

We have finally added completed and polished graphics for Boss #5. This boss is truly enormous, and the battle consists of three phases. There are countless gameplay and background animations, which our artist spent what felt like ages drawing. The overall result is awesome. Check out these GIFs.

We have also fixed all the bugs we found, so now the game should work flawlessly. We hope the final game mission will bring immense joy to the players.



Our game designer has replayed the entire game and made tweaks to all story missions. Currently, they are working on balancing the missions of Mode #2 and Mode #3. Additionally, there have been some other changes:

• Increased the base amount of barricades from 2 to 3.
  
• Completely reworked Mission 7 of Mode #2; Ape Tower and Giant Tower are not available there now.
  
• Completely reworked Mission 9 of Mode #2.
  
• Slightly reduced the difficulty of Mission 4 of Mode #2; removed the ability to place new towers.
  
• Adjusted parameters of various gold abilities.
  
• Added access to the last two missing skills.
  

Also, we added Mission 14 of Mode #3. So now the game has 44 out of 45 playable missions. We only need to add the last mission.

The game is almost finished. Besides the one missing mission, we need to add sounds to the game. Our sound designer has completed 95% of the sounds, so now we are working on integrating them into the game.






We fixed a lot of bugs in that update. Really. Just take a look how big is the list.

• Fixed a critical bug where lives disappeared in Mission 12.
  
• Addressed a major bug where Mission 12 was completed before the appearance of Boss #4.
  
• Fixed a major bug where a Developer Message could appear during the Boss #4 fight and prematurely finish the mission.
  
• Made several fixes to Boss #4, including correcting the movement speed of the Ice cube form and resolving visual glitches during the creation of a shield. Additionally, improved enemy spawns during Boss Phase to address inaccuracies.
  
• Resolved a bug where the game could become stuck during Phase 2 of the Boss fight in Mission 15.
  
• Fixed a major bug where monsters weren't spawned during the fight with Boss #3 in Mission 9.
  
• Addressed a major bug where the game failed to save progress after completing Mission 1-3 of Mode #2.
  
• Fixed a major bug where the Siege Protection aura of the Green Dino Big stopped working after passing the Temple in Mission 9.
  
• Adjusted the functionality of the Steam Achievement for obtaining 99 SP to ensure players can unlock it properly.
  
• Reduced excess time after killing the last mob and displaying the Victory window.
  
• Fixed a bug where big monsters sometimes failed to damage barricades.
  
• Corrected the animation of the Big Green Dino with Reptiloid riders in Mission #9.
  
• Set the proper amount of Reptiloid riders for all dinosaurs passing through the temple in Mission #9.
  
• Fixed the movement animation of the Blue Bird after making a jump in Mission 7.
  
• Adjusted starting positions for spawned monsters in Mission #5 to prevent stacking.
  
• Addressed a bug in Wave 15 of Mission 9 where Air mobs didn't spawn Green Fish.
  
• Fixed various issues in Mission 11, including monsters coming from incorrect portals.
  
• Set proper attack animation frames for the Voodoo Tower.
  
• Fixed a bug where the game could get stuck when upgrading Berserker Tower Level 3 to Level 4 if the Ursa ability was purchased.
  
• Corrected the appearance of the old mage when a player hovered over the mission icon, even if he had disappeared after Mission 12 from the main menu.
  
• Highlighted the effect from the Damage Aura (Dino Woman Tower) with green color.
  
• Fixed a visual bug where spell icons could become flattened.
  
• Removed slight menu shift after returning to the Main menu.
  

[h2]Play with us,[/h2]

Hello there,

Finally, our musical journey is complete. Four composers dedicated several months to this endeavor, and we take pride in introducing new tracks to the game. Each world now features three tracks, with two additional tracks for menus and one for boss battles. This brings the total number of tracks to an impressive number of 18, a significant upgrade from the three tracks that previously covered all battles.

Crafting these tracks involved considerable time and effort as we aimed to transfer the feel of each world to the music. For example, we created "Siren Song" for World #2, while the tracks in World #4 incorporate sci-fi elements. The tracks for World #5, the Ice Age, evoke a chilling sensation.

We sincerely hope you enjoy the musical additions to the game.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
[h2]Steam Achievements[/h2]
More exciting news is that we have successfully reworked all Steam Achievements. Recognizing the considerable number of Steam users who take pride in achieving 100% completion, we opted to avoid super challenging achievements. Most can be obtained through natural gameplay and completing the main story.

The Game Designer has reworked the list, and our designer has created cool and humorous images. The programmer has ensured they function properly. So, enjoy, and good luck with getting them all

[h3]Game changes[/h3]

• Barricade cooldown has been changed from 33/27/22 seconds to 28/24/20 seconds.
  
• Sniper Tower Level 3/4 damage has been modified from 84-116 to 79-103 and 254-310 to 231-279.
  
• Ice Shaman Tower Level 3/4 damage has been changed from 145-151 to 149-157 and 313-327 to 329-251.
  
• The bonus area damage of the Giant Tower ability has been reduced from 75 to 45, with a significant increase in radius.
  
• Damage of the explosion from the Ape Tower ability has been lowered from 75 to 65.
  
• An additional space for a tower has been added in Mission 1 of Mode 2 and 3.
  

Additionally, we've granted access to another mission in the game. Mission 13 of Mode #2 is now unlocked. Players must defend against hordes of monsters from all five worlds on two different roads simultaneously. It's a truly challenging mission.


[h3]Bug Fixes[/h3]

• Fixed the critical bug where starting the scenario didn't work correctly, leading to issues such as barricades not appearing in missions 7 and 12, among others.
  
• Fixed the bug where the Developer's message appeared at the end of each level.
  
• Fixed the bug where the Speed Up effect could visually linger on the battlefield.
  
• Fixed the bug related to the Parasite mob, where it could display a red error square at times.
  
• Resolved the bug where the start game button and game difficulty changing button didn't shake when the player initiated the game for the first time.
  [
• Fixed the visual bug where spell icons could appear flattened.
  
• Visual fixes for Mission 3, preventing monsters from walking above the cave in the bottom.
  
• Fixed the bug where abilities of the Ape Tower were granted without the corresponding skill.
  

The game is nearly complete. We just need to add 2 missions, challenges of Mode #3 and sounds.

[h2]Play with us,[/h2]