still sad about u leaving Normord 🙁

DJMaesen I never left, just been on break since we finished that working prototype =P Hurry up and go get funding so I can move over there.

    11 days later


    We should not have to rely on the algae blooms for waste digesting algae! We can now build a Seed Dump which pours special seed in powder form which swiftly generates algae in the water used in other biochemical digestive reactions (killing poops).

    Comes with upgrades to amount of seed poured. Note! A chem dump tower too close can largely negate this tower's usefulness.

    2 months later


    Still alive! I have been having a really, really, really hard time trying to draw the line between "realistic simulation" and "goofy fun game" but I am starting to see where I can draw enough from reality and I've been starting to form the actual game which will have towers in response to types and sizes of debris (poop and trash) instead of how waste water treatment plants actually work (by just filtering and treating water, not harpooning big epic dukes of pain and despair).

    I've decided that a big part of the game will be figuring out clever ways to sort out the organic debris by size and have different mechanisms have damage bonuses to debris of those sizes. Of course one way to do that will be with pumps! I made just a simple water pump this week which drains water (really just the contents of the water) and places those contents where you place the spigot. It already has dynamically changed the game quite a lot.

    Next week I'll make it so that after being upgraded it can suck up small debris and poop them out.

    2 months later

    Another few months go by and I've finally got another version that I'm comfortable sharing (even tho I ruined all the T3 towers).
    Drain Defense 0.9
    Playable here. So many changes, so many new towers, and yet the game still feels like it's missing so, so much. My favorite additions:

    • BIG FAT debris that spawn smaller baby debris on death
    • Pool floor decor and mountain decor (that took 3 days of course to draw) to constrict your building area.
    • A concrete screed that can wipe muck off the pool floor AND push floating debris crazy hard!
    • An acid tower- because, ACID!

    Oh, and 1-3 and QWERT hotkeys for people with quick reflexes.
    My favorite change tho- is the pitch fork + trash can combo which, if you're down for doing it the manual way, is kind of hilariously awful.

    8 months later

    Just wanted to post to say I am still working on this game even as my job hunt intensifies for normal spring boot/react work.
    Check out my cute nets for stopping plastic debris! Nothing takes longer than these darn tilesets, but getting it up and running so you can build new dynamic stuff is so satisfying.
    And nope- the internal debate over building either a simple fun tower defense or a more complicated water treatment simulation has never ceased.

    • xyz replied to this.

      I know, I know. @xyz . But I spend hundreds of hours playing factorio and 0.1 hours a year playing simple fun games so it's hard, very hard to avoid going down rabbit holes.

      • xyz replied to this.

        Erich_L There's always a compromise; make a complicated fun game 😃

          a month later

          A couple of days late, but congrats on this month's feature! 🎉

          8 days later

          This last week I have been really getting powered up!


          A lot of tier 2 and higher towers need power. What's an islander to do when funds are scarce? Throw down a genny and fill it with gas of course!


          A good TD needs a tower that slows enemies down. When they're traveling over water it's as simple as building a deep little basin to slow the water down! (top left of image).