Thankfully, the game speed is easily modified, to the point where players can move forward a frame at a time. The trick, of course, is to predict enemy intentions and have the appropriate units in place as needed, not to find oneself responding and reacting through the entire match. The battles are quite fast and frantic, and I quickly learned I'm just not all that good at these tower-defense type games. Once the attackers run out of troops, provided they haven't pushed the requisite number of units past the enemy lines, the defenders declare a victory. While defenders get a constant trickle of supply (augmented by supply rewards for defeating enemy units), attackers are much more limited. Attackers also get an option on branching paths-they can choose which track their units take to the other side.īattles continue until the attackers run out of supply, which is the basic currency of the game. There is the ability to command units to concentrate fire on a specific target, which can be vital at some points, but most of the time each unit simply fires as it sees fit. Attackers, conversely, choose which units land at the starting points on the various paths, and hope for the best. There are not a lot of controls available after choosing a unit-defenders place either turrets or infantry squads in various positions along the path, and let them hold their ground. With something of a rock-paper-scissors type interaction between units, players try to commit the most appropriate units to the battle at the opportune time. The defender, of course, is trying to stop them.Īt the outset, each side gets a small compliment of unit types to take into battle.

Maps are a series of paths, and the point of the game is simply for the attacker to get a pre-set number of units across. Players take the role of commander of either the attacker or defender as waves of troops and armor attempt to cross enemy lines. Ultra-modern tanks, giant mech walkers, and laser-infantry now command the battlefield. The Great War never ended, resulting in over two hundred years of fighting (although one wonders how, exactly, there's anything left to fight over). This tower defense/RTS hybrid is looking to be quite a time-killer, with tons of customization options and the ability to play each map as either the defender or attacker. I recently got a chance to check out the latest build of Gratuitous Tank Battles, the upcoming release from the good people at Positech Games.

Gratuitous tank battles fire interval