How would I go about building a very simple tower defense game?

#1 I would say Kork's current programming could probably be used with little to no alterations for your npcs.
Set a few waypoint and you will have your npc moving on your TD path in no time.

For the rest, i dunno.

#2 For something really simple and basic in script you would set up two teams:
- Team 1: use pathed AI for creeps
- Team 2: use AIGuard for towers/turrets
And a whole lot of derived template type datablocks for the different bots in each team.

The biggest problem for a scripted TD game would be the placement of towers by the player. A big task but not insurmountable.

You could take things a lot further in source code by implementing real turrets or even integrating parts of the RTS kit -- especially the point and click mouse control placement for buildings.

#3 There's a good resource for turrets out there by Paul Dana, which should help. I think the hardest part of making stock Torque into a TD game is the camera, game flow and placing new turrets. People have mentioned good ways to implement the mobs and turrets.

#4 Which engine are you using?

Are you thinking top-down camera view or kinda 3D isometric or true 3D using 1st/3rd person perspective?

For a very basic starter version you may want to consider a 10x10 grid for your land, and use buttons to spawn towers on the grid squares. Limits where players can put towers, but much easier to implement than adding point&click to the source.

Tony

#5 yeah like in defense grid, you have 'baseplates' where you are allowed to build, this would probably make it easier for you.

http://www.gamershell.com/static/screenshots/12993/339592_full.jpg

#6 You might try asking this guy for some tips, he's working on one, if you want to do this in 3d.

#7 Thanks guys, those were some great tips. FYI I'm just using the demo of Torque 2d(which I'm still trying to learn), so just a simple 2d top-down TD.

#8 Ah well, ignore my comment, then... I assumed TGE for some reason :P.