Going to the past: The next PTD2 Story Update and more!

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Welcome to the Sam and Dan Games Developer Blog! Coming back from chaos!

Sam and Dan Games: Fundraiser! Phase 3
Help us keep making games and earn awesome prizes like Shiny Rayquaza and Shiny Heatran!  
Our Goal: $50,000

What's New
It has been chaos, to say the least, these past couple of weeks. For the first time in my life I moved out of my parents house and into my own apartment. All of this in preparation for my wedding which is 2 short months from now! Chaos might have been a soft word. With all the moving also came computer problems. I had to take my development computer to be fixed and now my old computer is giving me trouble. I've never had this much trouble before! While I haven't been able to really sit down and work on anything my mind has not stopped thinking about what and who is making all of this possible. You guys and gals are the reason I'm able to push my life into the next stage and I'm able to wake up every day and think about making video games instead of coding something I have no interest in for somebody I don't even really know. Because of that I will give it my all as long as you guys will have me.

I did manage a few things, Cosmoids got a small update, some tweaks on the first level to make it a bit shorter and some massive changes to the tutorials so they are easier to understand and more to the point.

Speaking of Cosmoids...

Designing a game before coding it
The way I make Pokemon Tower Defense is that each week I think about what to work on next and early in the week I will make a plan, write the blog with my plan and then I try to accomplish my plan. In more detail this means I'm making it up as I go. Each week I think about where the story could go. While I have some very basic plans for the overall story, the lines of dialog and the different events that will happen are not planned out months in advance. At the most I will have an idea like having Mewthree win, and then slowly during the week I will think about how this will happen. Same with the battles, ptd1 transfers, new attacks. Having been doing this for a few years now I can see that there are benefits to this method. The main benefit is the speed that you can put things out. There are however some drawbacks to this style. I think an obvious example is the Avatars in PTD1. Your player doesn't have an avatar until later in the game. This is the result of not having time to add it initially but then eventually getting the time and figuring out how to add it in. Going back and adding it to all the previous levels would have been a big undertaking that would have stalled the game updates so I was never willing to do it. At the same thing I think it is odd to add new things as you go and having the old content not take advantage of these things.

So for Cosmoids I want to design the game in advance before I make it. What this means is that I will be coming up with the levels and moves in advance before I actually code them. Then I will see what everything looks like and be able to implements new things into the whole game instead of just adding them as I go. So far I have designed up to level 5. My goal for the game is for it to have about 40ish levels before I consider it complete.

Designing a level doesn't take a very long time but making it interesting, challenging, and fun can be quite a challenge. For Cosmoids we are following a similar formula that PTD1 has. You watch a story scene then you play the level and you watch another story scene. So the first thing you have to think about is where is your story at. What happened in the previous level, in the previous story scene and where do you want the story to go and how will it tie into the next Cosmoids you want to use on the next level. Then you think about what attacks should this new Cosmoid have and how is it different from the others. What kind of different role can it take. Finally using those new attacks you create an idea for how the level itself will play. What will be the challenge on the level. How will you test the player. Will it be a puzzle or the ability to dodge moves. Or will he have to have Cosmoids that have high defense. A lot of thought goes into making each level. So being able to focus on just the design lets you do it quick and it also lets you see the big picture quicker which can hopefully lead to the game feeling more unified.

Going to the past: The next PTD2 Story Update
It's going to be a good one! Mewthree has taken over the world with his massive clones, your friends, family and heroes are about to be captured. Celebi, the time traveling pokemon, shows up and offers you a chance to save the world but you must go to the past to change it! This update will have you going to the past. You will be able to visit the locations that you have already visited but 10 years into the past. In the world you aren't born yet and Silver is still alive! What can do you to stop the events in the future? Only time will tell.

The past will be a different place, while the maps themselves will look the same, you can expect more people to be around, and different house and buildings to be accessible.

You will be able to enter the poke mart and buy items. You will be able to enter the pokemon center and rest until night time, day time or early morning. Essentially giving you control over the time of day. There will be more trainer battles in the Routes.

Another cool feature is that you can travel back to the future! Talking to celebi from your pokepad will allow you to travel back a few moments before Mewthree took over the region, allowing you to replay old battles or talk to people in the future after finding out more about them in the past.

There is a lot of content to be added to make this update possible and I hope you guys enjoy the things I have planned.

Weekly Progress

Cosmoids Progress

• Design Level 8 (70%) - Honey Badger vs Bees
• Design Level 9 (50%) - Electric City
• Design Level 10 (50%) - Electric City 2
• Design Level 11 (50%) - Electric City 3 Boss

PTD2 v1.45 Released!

• Mystery Gift (100%)
• Graphics (100%)
• Stats (100%)
• Attacks (100%)
• Block (100%)
• Stealth Rock (100%)
• Abilities (100%)
• Soundproof (100%)
• Evolution Info (100%)
• Add to Breeding Center (100%)
• Add to Trading Center (100%)
• Bug Fix - Can no longer use items that have zero quantity (100%)
• Traveling to the past (100%) - Travel 10 years into the past to save the world! 
• Past Route 30 (100%)
• New NPC Graphics (100%)
• House 1 (100%)
• House 2 (100%)
• Trainer Battles (100%)
• Past Route 31 (100%)
• Trainer Battle (100%)
• Past Dark Cave (100%) - No Changes
• Past Violet City (100%)
• People Outside (100%)
• Houses (100%)
• Map Graphics (100%)
• People Inside Houses (100%)
• Sprout Tower (100%)
• Trainer Battles (100%)
• School (100%)
• Map Graphics (100%)
• Trainer Battles (100%)
• Gym (100%)
• Map Graphics (100%)
• Gym Battle (100%)
• PokeMart (100%)
• Add new Items (100%)
• PokeCenter (100%)
• Past Route 32 (100%)
• Trainer Battles (100%)
• Past Ruins of Alph (100%)
• Trainer Battle (100%)

PTD2 v1.44 Released!

• Mystery Gift (100%) - Shiny Sandile!
• Traveling to the past (100%) - Travel 10 years into the past to save the world! 
• New Pokemon (100%) 
• Graphics (100%) 
• Stats (100%) 
• Attacks (100%) 
• Embargo (100%)
• Horn Drill (100%)
• Evolutions (100%)
• Add to Trading Center (100%) 
• Add to Breeding Center (100%)
• New Story Scenes and Battles (100%)
• Talking to Celebi (100%)
• Past New Bark Town (100%)
• Town (100%)
• Lab (100%)
• Gold's House (100%)
• Silver's House (100%) - Still locked!
• Crystal's House (100%)
• Special Spot (100%)
• Past Route 29 (100%)
• Trainer Battle (100%)
• Past Route 46 (100%)
• Trainer Battle (100%)
• Past Cherrygrove City (100%)
• Trainer Battle (100%)
• Houses (100%)
• Map Graphic (100%)
• Flower Trade (100%)
• Pokemon Center (100%)
• Map Graphic (100%)
• Allow you to change time (100%)
• Nurse Joy Graphic (100%)
• PokeMart (100%)
• Map Graphic (100%)
• Add new items (100%)
• Allow you to buy items (100%)
• Item Security (100%)
• Save Money on the Server (100%)
• New NPC Characters Graphics (100%)
• Fixed a bug that would not reset a map's music if you exited Story Mode (100%)
• The story maps will now show the name of the location that you are in (100%)
• Trainer Adoptions will now show if the pokemon is hacked in the Adoption Page (100%)
• Added a Trainer Adoptions link to the Adoption page (100%) - You can easily find the pokemon trainers are putting up for adoption on that page.

Thanks for sticking with us! That's all I have for you this week. As always let me know what you think!

Finished Moving, Pokemon Tower Defense One Year Anniversary, the last update, random game sequels, PTD 2 news, ANPO news, and more!

Want to get the legendary dogs? Shiny Mew? or any other shiny pokemon in the game? Adopt them today using SnD coins! Click here for more info.

Visit the PTD: Pokemon Center - a place to trade pokemon, get your Daily Code, adopt Pokemon, view your items and change your avatar!

Hello everybody! I'm backkkkkkk!! So as many of you know I recently moved and getting internet has taken way longer than I expected so we had two weeks of PTD silence besides the update (which I hope you guys enjoyed (: ) I'm using slow public internet right now but on Tuesday (3/20) the cable company is coming to install internet (hopefully...) Update- Got internet! Woo! The move went well, I'm still adjusting to the new location, learning where the grocery stores are at and finding the best routes to use etc Thank to everybody who was concerned with how everything went, I really appreciate it :)

Happy Anniversary Pokemon Tower Defense!

Pokemon Tower Defense was first released to the Android Marketplace on March 10, 2011!  I remember releasing it and never expecting it to grow as big as it did, and I'm always very grateful to all of you guys and gals for making this happen! My goal for the game was to finish the story mode in a year or less and while I didn't complete my goal I think we got pretty close!  

As a special gift the next Mystery Gift will be...... Regular Mew! This will be your first chance to get Regular Mew, after a week the gift will change and Mew will be added in the game with a secret way of finding it.

The Last Update! (To rule them all?)

So going back to completing the game... the next update will complete the game! Yes, you heard (read) right! The next update will contain all the remaining levels:

• Power Plant (Zapdos, Electabuzz (Red Only), Magnemite) (0%)
• Seafoam Island (Articuno, Seel) (0%)
• Victory Road (Moltres) (0%)
• Indigo Plateau (Fight the elite 4 and Mewthree), Unknown Dungeon (Mewtwo) (0%)

PTD v6.4.1 is now out on the blog, it has a new level cap up to 100! New Mystery Gift - Regular Mew! Enjoy!

Level cap to 100 and all the moves that are left (100%)

• Implement in Game (100%)
• Implement in Saving Code (100%)
• Implement in Trading Center (100%)
• Add new Moves (100%)
• Aura Sphere (100%) - Mew (level 100)
• Overheat (100%) - Victini (level 97)
• V-Create (100%) - Victini (level 98)
• Fusion Bolt (100%) - Victini (level 99)
• Fusion Flare (100%) - Victini (level 100)
• Sky Attack (100%) - MissingNo (Relearn Move)
• Sharpen (100%) - Porygon (Missing Attack)

• Add move names to Pokemon Center's Move List (100%)

Mystery Gift Pokemon - Regular Mew (100%) - Out now on v6.4.1!
Adding the crucial Lickitung NPC trade to the new level (0%)

But as you might have guessed this update will take longer than a week. How long will it take? I don't even know myself which is why I will keep updating the blog with my progress towards finishing it. I really don't want to try to rush the ending since I want it to be very special. The reason I'm not releasing it little by little is that I really want you guys to experience it all at once.

Random Game Sequels

When I got my internet back and saw the huge pile of emails that I have there I saw a couple that were really interesting. Mostly regarding a game that I didn't make but it's called Pokemon TD 2: Kanto. If any of you were wondering I had nothing to do with this game at all. If you want to know what I think about it, then my response is... neat. I don't own Pokemon so the fact that somebody made this game doesn't bother me and I think that it is pretty flattering that somebody decided to make it, it's interesting to me to see the changes that he made to the game and friendly competition is always welcomed :) On a side note, my sequel will be about a million times better ;p

Pokemon Tower Defense 2

Speaking of sequels! You guys made it loud and clear in the last poll! 56% of you want instant capture with the pokeballs. Looking at all the comments and arguments made, I totally agree with you! What I will do is keep the 100% catch rate when weakened but still have multiple pokeballs, I'll think of ways to implement them without letting you capture the pokemon when they have really high health and then I will present the idea to you again.

For PTD 2 I really want to introduce some elements to the game that will make the game fell fresh while still retaining what made PTD well PTD. Here are 3 new elements that I want you to look at and tell me what you think.

1. The "candy" can move - When I say the "candy" I mean the thing that the attacking units will be after, so it can be candy, a pokemon, an egg, etc. In PTD 1 the candy was always stationary. Only the enemy could move it and then you could manipulate the enemy (using moves like whirlwind) and then defeat them to change its location. In PTD 2 sometimes the "candy" will try to return to it's original spot once dropped. Sometimes it might be trying to leave the level by itself. Adding this new functionality will enable all kinds of new levels.
2. Blocking or Unblocking paths - A new mechanic that I want to add for PTD 2 is being able to block or unblock a path that your enemies or allies can go in. An example is the enemy has direct access to the "candy" you can block their path but putting an obstacle in their way (How exactly you would do this is still up in the air) and now they have to down a long way to reach the "candy" giving you more of a chance to defeat them. In the same way you might want to unblock a path, you might have to use attacks to destroy the the obstacle or have your pokemon carry the obstacle away.
3. Special Abilities - Another feature that many modern Tower Defense games have is some sort of special ability that you can use to help you defeat the enemies. In a lot of game this will be a Meteor attack. Something that you can click and drag to the enemies to unleash upon them. Normally you will have to wait for this move to recharge, charging it might be done by your towers attacking or just naturally over time. The special abilities will vary based on what your current team is.

So that is what I have in mind, some new mechanics that will enable all kinds of different new levels. Tell me what you think on the comments below.

Creature Universe Game (ANPO)

This game is always shifting, changing, evolving in my head. Recently I decided it was time to start putting down some notes on paper to really start to brainstorm what this game will be about and what ideas I want to explore in it. Today I bring you some of my notes plus I open it up to you guys to tell me what you think this game could be about. Note that while I read every single comment I can't comment or agree with all of them but I do read them and they do affect my decisions and way of thinking. So they are more than welcome.  While in the bathroom (a lot of interesting ideas usually come up in the bathroom) I started to write down my thoughts.

• First I want the emphasis of the game to be the world and creature simulation.
• The world is vast and has many secrets scattered all around for players to find (Think Zelda, Mario Bros)
• Creatures are dynamic and feel alive

When I reached that note I stopped and I said what does that mean? How do you make something feel alive? After some thought I came up with an answer. (There are many answers to this question, which I want you guys to tell me what you think it can be.) My answer isn't some sort of ultimate answer but just what I came up with. I thought that for a creature to feel alive when you see it out in some area would be that the creature must:

• React how you would expect it to - This is a very important idea. One of the top reason I play videogames is to see how the game reacts to my actions. Imagine punching somebody in a game and having them gain health instead of losing it. That reaction would be totally unexpected but weird and bad in my opinion. Cause and effect must make sense for a player. So to make the creatures feel alive they have to react to you in ways that you would expect them to. If you run at a bird in real life, that bird would most likely fly away. If it doesn't I usually freak out, is the bird used to humans/ isn't afraid of them? How the creatures react to your character, surrounding and your actions is a big part of making the world and creatures feel alive, in my opinion.
• Their actions must vary - Nothing ruins the illusion of something feeling alive more than seeing a pattern. If the creatures keeps repeating the same pattern over and over you just see it as a system but if the creature does something that makes sense but isn't following some sort of pattern then you really start believe it is thinking about what to do rather than following a set of rules. A certain amount of randomness must be introduced into the creatures but also some rules since animals aren't random but they follow their instincts. (Just to be clear the randomness plays out when they are in the wild and not once you "captured" one. Once you capture a creature they won't randomly run away or anything and they will obey your commands.)
• They have objectives - The last thing is that these creatures are a step above animals, they are a little bit smarter and have a wide range of emotions that they will express. Because of this creatures must always have an objective that they are trying to follow. I have a long list of over 20 objectives that creatures would have at any given time. Some examples are:
• Locating Food
• Having fun
• Running away from something
• Protecting something
• Gathering with others
• Looking for a fight

So to me these are some of the things that the creatures in this game must have to make them feel alive in the way that I want them to feel. What do you think would make the creatures feel alive in this game? Let me know in the comments below!

And More!

The goal from the very beginning for Dan and I was to make fun games that we liked and we thought it we liked the games there must be people out there that will like them to. That is still our goal. We also wanted to be very open with our fans and let them in on the process of developing games. We really strive to be very open with talking and listening with you guys because in the end if you guys don't enjoy our game then we failed. I want to thank you guys for the continued support, this first year has been a roller coaster ride with mostly ups than downs and we wouldn't be here with you. I would still be working a desk job wondering if my games would ever take off. I'm really looking forward to the ending of PTD, I'm extremely impressed and excited for anything HTD, and also excited for PTD 2 and Project ANPO. Let's make this next year even better than the last!

Sincerely,
Samuel Otero