Defender tactics/Strategies?

Post by **racketboy** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:09 pm

I'm getting owned by this game. Those of you that have had some success, what are your favorite tricks of the trade?

Are you run and gun, or do you take your time/stand relatively still?

Post by **Niode** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:19 pm

I tend to try and stop the landers abducting so that i don't have to rescue them. I find I last longer that way.

I'm still getting owned though. Highest score so far is in the 7k range :S

Post by **racketboy** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:21 pm

devilmyarse wrote: Highest score so far is in the 7k range :S

Same here.

Post by **Niode** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 5:30 pm

Just got 8550. I find finishing off the first group of landers before the next one comes helps immensely. If they come before you finish the first group, Kill the rest of that group before moving onto the next group otherwise that first group will advance to the abducting phase.

I've noticed that the landers go in patterns. descent phase, passive attack phase, abduction phase. I think it's key to kill them before abduction phase unless you're really skilled.

Post by **Zed** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:30 pm

Fly low, keep your eye on the radar, never stop shooting. It's working for me. Sort of.

Post by **marurun** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:50 pm

"Sort of" FTW! ;)

Post by **wyatt** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 1:54 am

May sound obvious but don't forget you got bombs and a warp button. My score was hovering around 8k till I realized I had those now I can hit 15k+ often as not (MAME).

Post by **Doctor Fugue** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 6:45 am

Sometimes I will let the Landers abduct the humans. It is a little risky, but with great rewards. As they are ascending, destroy the Lander (shooting precisely so as not to hit the human), which gets you 500 points. Then, save the human by flying over them and they will attach to you...then fly down to the ground and they will detach and continue walking around. Putting them back on the ground gets you another 500 points. 1000 points is quite a lot. The problem with this is that it takes time to do and so sometimes I do it near the end of a level when there only a couple left (but watch out for the Baiter!).

If the Lander has a human and they are not far off the ground, just shoot the Lander and the human will land safely back to earth (without you having to catch them) for a respectable 250 points (plus the points for the Lander).

I also find fast changes in altitude is the best way to avoid all the shots that they shoot. But I still haven't decided if it's a good idea to be going as fast as possible at all times or to stop momentarily for precise shooting and to be able to react to something flying at you quicker.

Sure is a quarter-muncher...I still haven't managed to have a game last more than a couple of minutes.

Post by **Doctor Fugue** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:59 am

If you want to make the game even harder, try shooting all the humans yourself and watch the world end. Even making it to the next wave doesn't replace them, does anybody know if you get them back at a certain wave?

Post by **racketboy** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:31 am

doctorfugue wrote:If you want to make the game even harder, try shooting all the humans yourself and watch the world end. Even making it to the next wave doesn't replace them, does anybody know if you get them back at a certain wave?

At this point, I could really care less about the humans, I'm just trying to stay alive and blast up the ships