This is a tower defence game mixing elements of real-time strategy created over the course of
6 months as my final year project on the computer science course at Royal Holloway University of London.
It was written under Ubuntu in C++ using KDevelop4 for code editing. 3D models were created and animated
using Blender by myself as a side-project. The code is cross-platform and can be
built for both Linux and Windows (possibly MacOS as well, although this is untested).
#Features
The game uses an engine that was written from the ground up as one of the main focuses of the project,
utilising the Irrlicht library for graphics rendering and SFML for input and audio. The main technical features
of the engine consist of:
- Pathfinding using the A* algorithm on a 2D grid
- AI behaviours controlled by pushdown automata
- Support for menu systems using state machines
- Path following using steering behaviours
- Basic collision avoidance for units
- Mouse picking using an off-screen image rendered using shaders
- Loading game worlds encoded as image files
- Collision optimisation using spacial partitioning (quadtrees)
- Units moving into formation when arriving as a group
#Build/compilation instructions (To be written. Prebuilt binaries will also be added for Windows, and hopefully a package for Linux as well)
#Directory Structure
/src - Source files (.cpp)
/include - Header files (.h)
/lib - 32bit libraries
/lib64 - 64bit libraries
/res - Game assets, models, textures
The objective of 'Tower Defence' is to survive 5 waves of enemies by building towers and creating musketeers and cannons. You can also create gatherers which are used to collect the necessary resources. Left-click and drag to select multiple units, or left-click on individual units to select them. When gatherers are selected, right-click on trees, gold or stone deposits to order them to gather there. Military units can be ordered to attack specific enemies by right-clicking on them, however they will attack nearby enemies automatically. Musketeers can be garissoned inside towers to gain attack and range bonuses by first selecting them, then right-clicking on a tower. Up to 4 units can be garissoned in a tower at any given time.
Blue flags along the far edge of the map represent enemy spawn locations. New flags will appear with each wave as the enemy spawn counters increase.
The game is won when you have survived 5 waves. The game is lost if all of your units are killed.
#Controls
W,A,S,D - Pan camera
Q,E - Rotate camera left/right
Mousewheel - Zoom in/out
TAB - Toggle ground camera
Hints
- Units cannot be bought during waves
- There is a timer that counts up between waves during which no enemies spawn. Use this time
to build your defence and collect resources.
- The 'reveille' option, represented by the flag icon, turns all of your gatherers into
musketeers at the cost of all of your resources. This essentially ends the game (you will have
no resources so no way to create more gatherers to collect any), however it allows you to make
a final stand if you have become overwhelmed.
- The 'reveille' option can also be used in the final wave to benefit, as there is no need for your resources after it has begun