Total newb wondering if I'm wasting my time

[ENCIIBeast]

I have an idea for a TD, something I've been thinking about for a while. I used to play a lot of D&D and want to make a TD based upon the races, classes, and monsters, presented in the Core 3rd/4th Edition D&D. I want to create a system where the towers have multiple modes of upgrade, and there are multiple points of defense that creeps must break through.

Basic ideas:
-There will be 8 races (from 4th edition D&D; Dragonborn, Dwarf, Eladrin, Elf, Half-elf, Halfling, Human, and Tiefling).
-Each race will have a different focus (common with TD's)
-Each race will contain 8 classes [towers] (Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Warlock, Warlord, and Wizard)
-You can spend gold to upgrade towers 'equipment' and XP (represented by lumber) to add abilities such as IAS, and added damage, etc.
-There will be no mazing in this TD. But there will be some melee range units that can be placed on the creeps path.
-Creeps move down their path until it reaches a gate (with orders to destroy the gates). Secondary towers (unique to each race) guard the gate.
-Once the gate is destroyed they start ransacking the granery (which is where player lives come into play). Once they have emtied the granary that player has lost.

Now I have no experience with programming or map making. To my own credit I'm an intelligent person who's good at troubleshooting and figuring things out given some initial direction.

I guess my questions are:
1) Is there a particularly good guide on creating TD's that I can read?
2) Am I aiming to high trying to make such a dynamic TD for my first map?

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Ninja_Duels]

I find a toturial to you: TD

 

[Interceptor]

You should begin with this: New Users Start Here
Browse into the beginner sections, read the information or at least skim it to get the main important ideas.
Then go here: Creating a Tower Defense Map

Good luck, have fun and a nice time with the editor.

 

[Wraithwynd]

Is it a waste of time?

Depends are you a terminal patient with limited time left?

There is lots of Lord of the Rings models out there, I have seen very little D&D based stuff. I guess, kinda sorta a merging of both WCIII and LOTR you can get your haflings and Tieflings and other D&D only based critters.

I would suggest you start off small, make a small 'WCIII based only' TD, tinker with default abilities, upgrades, towers (there are campaign earth, fire, energy, death towers along with cannon, arrow and Dalaran towers each with their own abilities and stuff).

There are a lot of TD maps out on the map download area: Warcraft III Maps How many are open source (not protected) I do not know, go through and see if you can find any that are open source, down load them, open them in the editor and see what others have done to attain their goals within the map.

Go through the forums as well, read the threads to get a basic understanding of what you are getting yourself into. Things like triggers, map terraining, model uploading, map limits (size in megabites), blah.

Unless you have nothing but time to sit in front of the computer all day with the editor open, making a decent map that is quality in all aspects (triggers, concept, models, terrain, blah) can take months - figuring a few hours a day dedicated to searching for answers to your problems, tinkering with trigger functions and most importantly testing your map over, and over, and over and over.... that itself can be an endless cycle.

I'm currently working on a 160 x 160 TD/Melee merge based map - I started the project in February... I have high hopes to have it finished in July. July of this year maybe.....

When I first started out with map making I made lots and lots of maps - most are now in recycling heaven since they leaked, were crappy (terrain wise) or the idea just didn't work. Through the process I learned a lot. I am still learning - 3 years into this WCIII thing.

If that is a waste of time to you I do not know.