Knuckle Cracker

Creeper World => Gameplay Discussion => Topic started by: knucracker on December 05, 2009, 09:44:53 PM

Title: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: knucracker on December 05, 2009, 09:44:53 PM
There have been lots of questions about Tucana... and lots of google seaches for "Tucana" as well....
So I thought I'd show folks how I play it.  There may be a quicker way, but this certainly a sure fire way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_S1dJkp-OE

Tucana (as much of Creeper World) is about management of what you have... more is not always better.  In fact, 'more' can get you killed in Creeper World.

In this video, note how I secure a central area with only two mortars.  These mortars are more than enough to get the job done.  Then note how I go after the corners with minimal resources.  Two blasters acting as partners... one provides covering fire while the other advances.  For three out of the four corners, I use a mortar to accelerate the process.

My total time to completion is 13 minutes and change.  Once you master Tucana, your skills will crave even harder maps (like some of the gems in the Custom Maps section of the web site).

Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Aurzel on December 06, 2009, 03:42:58 AM
nice video, you forgot about your second mortar when you were making the push to the last emitter, coulda shaved around 10 seconds off your time lol
i'm impressed by how you can go through the whole level without pausing once, most levels i have to pause at several points to organise where i'm building things, and personally i'm a little more defensive when i push my blasters forward, great walkthrough
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Tero on December 06, 2009, 04:17:48 AM
Impressive!  I moved Odin City down between the lower left crater and the lower mesa.  Added two Blasters and two Mortars to the edge of the city.  As I built out and starvation became a major problem.  I disarmed a third Mortar.  Allowed it to fully charge.
Moved the Mortar to another Mesa and then allowed it to fire.  Repeatedly, swapping charged Mortars for depleted ones, I was able to expand and conquer.  But your way is really good.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: knucracker on December 08, 2009, 09:25:57 PM
Here's a walkthrough I just saw on youtube that somebody did for the Chess Special Ops mission:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UNju3cEVDs
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Jiinia on December 09, 2009, 05:30:13 AM
not a really good job on energy management.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Aurzel on December 09, 2009, 05:58:14 AM
i agree, but i do aplaud the sense of symmetry, even i'm not such a stickler for it, i definately would blow stuff up for it
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Jiinia on December 09, 2009, 06:03:16 AM
symmetry is pretty  :D
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Aurzel on December 09, 2009, 01:59:26 PM
indeed it is :P
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Kamron3 on December 09, 2009, 09:37:19 PM
I prefer symmetry as well. It makes it look like I am getting moar done. =o
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Aurzel on December 10, 2009, 04:03:56 AM
i wont play the game for symmetry but i will make things symmetrical if it wont hinder my gameplay
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Phil on December 15, 2009, 07:49:08 PM
Gah, I didn't notice you could put two mortars in the middle upraised parts - on my third go I realised you had to hold the middle with only 2 mortars initially, but I kept moving them between two pools each... virgilw's way would've saved a bit of hassle.  Apart from that, my way was very similar, surprisingly!  Seems I must be doing something right!  ;)

And I prefer symmetry too, but I wouldn't fuss over it if I'm in a tight situation  :-\
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: knucracker on December 15, 2009, 08:09:45 PM
Nothing wrong with doing the old mortar shuffle....  there are some maps where that can be an optimal strategy.
Hmmm, I wonder if it is possible to play Tucana with only _one_ mortar and shuffle it right and left.  Probably isn't really worth it, but I may give that a try to see if it is possible.

Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Phil on December 16, 2009, 07:33:47 AM
Hehe, rather you than me!
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: ElderKingpin on December 26, 2009, 02:21:28 AM
i think he did symmetry because of that 20 extra energy you get right in the beginning, thats a huge opportunity to do collectors in a really short amount of time.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Karsten75 on December 26, 2009, 12:09:11 PM
Quote from: virgilw on December 05, 2009, 09:44:53 PM
There have been lots of questions about Tucana... and lots of google seaches for "Tucana" as well....
So I thought I'd show folks how I play it.  There may be a quicker way, but this certainly a sure fire way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_S1dJkp-OE

Tucana (as much of Creeper World) is about management of what you have... more is not always better.  In fact, 'more' can get you killed in Creeper World.

In this video, note how I secure a central area with only two mortars.  These mortars are more than enough to get the job done.  Then note how I go after the corners with minimal resources.  Two blasters acting as partners... one provides covering fire while the other advances.  For three out of the four corners, I use a mortar to accelerate the process.

My total time to completion is 13 minutes and change.  Once you master Tucana, your skills will crave even harder maps (like some of the gems in the Custom Maps section of the web site).



Thnx for this, it really got me on the way. Nover suffered another defeat after I watched this vid.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Dranar on December 27, 2009, 09:10:36 PM
Thanks Heaps!
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: crazyone76 on February 10, 2010, 03:33:47 AM
tyvm
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Siccles on February 10, 2010, 03:08:48 PM
posting an 4 letter answer to a more than 1 old month old thread?

common sense anywhere?
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: kenb on February 14, 2010, 11:02:25 AM
Hi Virgil,

I'm an old boy from Manchester England, the game is fantastic, I love strategy games and if you check my scores are not to shabby, but I dont get for example "Chop Rider" score 9710 thats one minute forty five seconds, mmmm! give us a clue.

Kenb
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Siccles on February 14, 2010, 11:07:35 AM
don`t know if you have noticed, but I am the person who got the 9710 score on chop, so Ill just give you some hints:

-move odin city in the beginning
-put down only as much energy producing buildings as you need, not a single one more
-use only the weapons you really need (in the case of chopraider its a single blaster)
-only give the blaster as many ammunition packets as he really needs, don`t waste any energy
-keep odincity as near at the front as you can, because this will increase the speed of new buildings being built
-don`t forget that a flying odin city can connect totems if it is still connected to the main energy network which connects the other totems
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: knucracker on February 14, 2010, 11:26:54 PM
Yeah, listen to Siccles :)
I have to say I'm so proud... my little Creeper World baby is all grown up and out of the nest now.  Every developer of every popular game eventually has to yield the honor of best player to others (usually many others).  This has truly become the case with CW.  Siccles and some others completely own some of the maps and I'm pretty sure I can't best them.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Kamron3 on February 15, 2010, 11:01:42 PM
Thanks, Virgil :)

_k
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Karsten75 on March 26, 2010, 07:27:09 PM
Quote from: virgilw on December 05, 2009, 09:44:53 PM
... and lots of google seaches for "Tucana" as well....


You know of course that "Tucana" is the name of a constellation and that perhaps people find your map and everything Creeper Worl-related as a result of a search for the astronomical entity? ;)
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Kamron3 on March 26, 2010, 07:33:24 PM
Quote from: Karsten75 on March 26, 2010, 07:27:09 PM
Quote from: virgilw on December 05, 2009, 09:44:53 PM
... and lots of google seaches for "Tucana" as well....


You know of course that "Tucana" is the name of a constellation and that perhaps people find your map and everything Creeper Worl-related as a result of a search for the astronomical entity? ;)

Eww constellations... D: meanwhile... *kicks karston for making this an email notified reply*

_k
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Karsten75 on March 26, 2010, 07:42:29 PM
Quote from: Kamron3 on March 26, 2010, 07:33:24 PM
Quote from: Karsten75 on March 26, 2010, 07:27:09 PM
Quote from: virgilw on December 05, 2009, 09:44:53 PM
... and lots of google seaches for "Tucana" as well....


You know of course that "Tucana" is the name of a constellation and that perhaps people find your map and everything Creeper Worl-related as a result of a search for the astronomical entity? ;)

Eww constellations... D: meanwhile... *kicks karston for making this an email notified reply*

_k
/me makes a mental note to post on this (and other threads that K3 posted on) more often.  :D
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Kamron3 on March 26, 2010, 09:11:22 PM
Works only once, my good fellow sir thing dude it weird guy man.

_k
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: ontheworld on April 19, 2010, 02:26:23 PM
i saw that vid 3 days ago before i even checked the formums O__O
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: frozenpredator on May 29, 2010, 02:58:31 PM
thanks a lot, this vid helped me clear tucana
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Gman on May 30, 2010, 12:49:26 AM
Yeah, thanks.
Tucana for me was by far the hardest story map.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: thepenguin on September 18, 2010, 03:48:37 PM
tucana? hardest??  ???

it seems so simple to do.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: ontheworld on September 18, 2010, 05:36:16 PM
2 things:

1. this revive was unnecesary

2. when playing through campaign, most people aren't that experienced and on't quite see how to beat it. at all
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: UpperKEES on September 18, 2010, 06:12:18 PM
Every map is easy with hindsight and a couple of months experience with custom maps. At that moment (rather early in story mode) I bet everybody needed some retries. I know I did....
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Blaze on September 19, 2010, 12:18:21 AM
I didn't, but thats cause I was on the forums before I got to that point and read everything on Tucana. :P
So I was ready.  :)
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: thepenguin on September 19, 2010, 06:52:29 AM
actually, I beat it without retries  :)
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: CJ_Omaha on December 02, 2010, 01:54:47 AM
I hadn't watched how the video ends, but I did note one thing that should save on the energy consumption.  At the time it occurs it doesn't appear to be an issue as the depletion is low.

But...

Look at the initial advance from the top center to the right (@ roughly 50 sec.).  He is working with two blasters.  The top one appears to not be an issue, but the lower blaster, as he moves it forward, a significant portion of the firing radius is inside the upper right creeper pool.  If he chooses a different location for the blaster (one that is higher up and has the firing radius outside the pool), it wouldn't take shots into the pool.

Although I've not tested this, the mortar between the two right pools ought to keep the upper pool from spilling over behind the blasters and outflanking them.  Assuming this is true, any shot into the pool by the blaster is wasted.



Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Karsten75 on January 15, 2011, 03:18:58 PM
Quote from: CJ_Omaha on December 02, 2010, 01:54:47 AM
I hadn't watched how the video ends, but I did note one thing that should save on the energy consumption.  At the time it occurs it doesn't appear to be an issue as the depletion is low.

But...

Look at the initial advance from the top center to the right (@ roughly 50 sec.).  He is working with two blasters.  The top one appears to not be an issue, but the lower blaster, as he moves it forward, a significant portion of the firing radius is inside the upper right creeper pool.  If he chooses a different location for the blaster (one that is higher up and has the firing radius outside the pool), it wouldn't take shots into the pool.

Although I've not tested this, the mortar between the two right pools ought to keep the upper pool from spilling over behind the blasters and outflanking them.  Assuming this is true, any shot into the pool by the blaster is wasted.

I might have to try this to prove it one way or another, but I suspect that firing into the pool has a significant effect - more so than firing into the shallow layer of creeper at the higher elevation. I often find that if I can advance a blaster to "fire over the edge" it is significantly more effective than if it only fires on the same elevation.

Edit: Just watched that video again. Virgil was in top form there!
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: pixlepix on February 14, 2011, 07:34:01 AM
Beat it first try, no help :).
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Ebon Heart on March 07, 2011, 09:21:04 PM
tucana's probly one of the hardest maps in the game if you don't know how to do it right. that and pyxis... both very easy for players with some amount of skill.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: artimies7 on July 27, 2011, 02:16:40 PM
Quote from: Ebon_Heart on March 07, 2011, 09:21:04 PM
tucana's probly one of the hardest maps in the game if you don't know how to do it right. that and pyxis... both very easy for players with some amount of skill.

My friend had trouble with this one. I helped him through it when I could have just sent him this. *Facepalm*
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Jay the Juggernaut on July 28, 2011, 04:01:32 PM
...There's a walkthrough? ???
Huh. I didn't really find this one hard. You just have to know how to cap (training sim 5:bowl), and energy micro-management (common sense).
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: AlexisNery on October 03, 2011, 05:31:37 AM
Quote from: virgilw on February 14, 2010, 11:26:54 PM
Yeah, listen to Siccles :)
I have to say I'm so proud... my little Creeper World baby is all grown up and out of the nest now.  Every developer of every popular game eventually has to yield the honor of best player to others (usually many others).  This has truly become the case with CW.  Siccles and some others completely own some of the maps and I'm pretty sure I can't best them.

This got me curious. I wonder if perhaps you had made a map somewhere in development that upon playing it you deemed too difficult/flat out impossible to beat to put in the game? Maybe it is long lost/deleted even if you had. But, on the off chance this did happen...I wonder if someone like Siccles could beat it?

Or...how about this? Any custom maps that you yourself can't beat but others can? Haha.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: romulusnr on October 23, 2011, 07:07:08 AM
It really sucks to play a strategy game by following someone else's walkthrough. I don't like playing games like a monkey. No fun in boringly following a predefined set of steps. This level is too damn hard and I really feel like I completely wasted my money. :(
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: UpperKEES on October 23, 2011, 07:21:03 AM
Quote from: romulusnr on October 23, 2011, 07:07:08 AM
It really sucks to play a strategy game by following someone else's walkthrough. I don't like playing games like a monkey. No fun in boringly following a predefined set of steps. This level is too damn hard and I really feel like I completely wasted my money. :(

This level indeed is a bit hard, but it also shows the power and usefulness of the mortar very well. Once you have 2 of them set up, the map becomes much easier.

Just continue with the next levels, as these probably won't give you serious trouble.

Once you found out how to build up your energy supplies efficiently (try to do this without having a deficit), you'll notice the game isn't that hard. I wasn't able to solve Tucana myself when I played it for the first time, but figuring it out and beating it after a couple of tries made the victory very satisfactory. After gaining more experience I hardly understand why I was having trouble at all. I just had to become familiar with the game mechanics.

When you've finished the in-game maps about 4500 (free) custom user maps await you, so it's really worth it to try to improve your gameplay. Just let me know if you like some help (without exactly telling you what to do). Believe me, a game with a longer learning curve will give you much more joy in the end! :)
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Grauniad on October 23, 2011, 07:25:07 AM
Quote from: romulusnr on October 23, 2011, 07:07:08 AM
It really sucks to play a strategy game by following someone else's walkthrough. I don't like playing games like a monkey. No fun in boringly following a predefined set of steps. This level is too damn hard and I really feel like I completely wasted my money. :(

The walkthrough is just one way to do it. You do not need to play" Monkey see, Monkey do." But many gets to a point where they need (and appreciate) a little helping hand or advice to improve their skills. With all the custom maps out there, you may look at the entire series of in-game maps as an extended training ground. Many of those maps use unique and unconventional approaches to solve them - and the forum community is an invaluable ally in that quest.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Karsten75 on October 23, 2011, 09:03:55 AM
Quote from: romulusnr on October 23, 2011, 07:07:08 AM
It really sucks to play a strategy game by following someone else's walkthrough. I don't like playing games like a monkey. No fun in boringly following a predefined set of steps. This level is too damn hard and I really feel like I completely wasted my money. :(

I guess here we have the new crop of players from CW:US. :)

Welcome. You will soon be assimilated.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Kithros on October 23, 2011, 09:08:52 AM
Quote from: romulusnr on October 23, 2011, 07:07:08 AM
It really sucks to play a strategy game by following someone else's walkthrough. I don't like playing games like a monkey. No fun in boringly following a predefined set of steps. This level is too damn hard and I really feel like I completely wasted my money. :(

If you get really good at the game, you'll actually find there is a very large margin for error on this map - not to say it isn't difficult for newer players, but there is definitely not only one way to go about this map. The main thing is to make sure weapons are not firing where they are not doing anything efficiently - such as blasters firing into the pools instead of making sure mortars do it, and making sure mortars don't target areas without dense creeper.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: romulusnr on October 24, 2011, 06:21:00 PM
Quote from: Karsten75 on October 23, 2011, 09:03:55 AM
Quote from: romulusnr on October 23, 2011, 07:07:08 AM
It really sucks to play a strategy game by following someone else's walkthrough. I don't like playing games like a monkey. No fun in boringly following a predefined set of steps. This level is too damn hard and I really feel like I completely wasted my money. :(

I guess here we have the new crop of players from CW:US. :)

Welcome. You will soon be assimilated.

Not really. i was looking for a fun game that was not incredibly difficult. CW:US didn't give me nearly this much trouble. Basically i feel bait-and-switched here. I don't have time to do this level over and over and over and over again (and not be able to do anything else in the game) and frankly I'll be bored to tears and regret spending the money on it (though I already do) even if I did. The only reason I am still playing is because I figure I'd better try to get my money's worth. But I fully expect I will write it up to a waste of money and KC will have fooled another sucker. :P Really, I rarely regret buying games, and this is really discouraging. I'd warn anyone who considers buying this game that they will be in for a real shock for their money.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: UpperKEES on October 24, 2011, 06:38:04 PM
Quote from: romulusnr on October 24, 2011, 06:21:00 PM
anyone

Nope. In fact you're one of the first not to love it.

I advise you to not play any further, because you may start liking it as well, which could easily costs you 2 years of your life.

Quote from: romulusnr on October 24, 2011, 06:21:00 PM
not be able to do anything else in the game

No chronom maps? No custom maps? You must be playing an illegal version. So why complain about your money?
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: mthw2vc on October 24, 2011, 06:45:16 PM
Quote from: romulusnr on October 24, 2011, 06:21:00 PM
Not really. i was looking for a fun game that was not incredibly difficult. CW:US didn't give me nearly this much trouble. Basically i feel bait-and-switched here. I don't have time to do this level over and over and over and over again (and not be able to do anything else in the game) and frankly I'll be bored to tears and regret spending the money on it (though I already do) even if I did. The only reason I am still playing is because I figure I'd better try to get my money's worth. But I fully expect I will write it up to a waste of money and KC will have fooled another sucker. :P Really, I rarely regret buying games, and this is really discouraging. I'd warn anyone who considers buying this game that they will be in for a real shock for their money.

By the time you get to Tucana, the Conquest and Chronom missions have opened up and there are always custom maps to play. Perhaps try playing missions that challenge you without frustrating you first.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: AlexisNery on October 24, 2011, 06:49:32 PM
Quote from: UpperKEES on October 24, 2011, 06:38:04 PM
Quote from: romulusnr on October 24, 2011, 06:21:00 PM
anyone

Nope. In fact you're one of the first not to love it.

I advise you to not play any further, because you may start liking it as well, which could easily costs you 2 years of your life.

Quote from: romulusnr on October 24, 2011, 06:21:00 PM
not be able to do anything else in the game

No chronom maps? No custom maps? You must be playing an illegal version. So why complain about your money?

Lol. Nice observation. The custom maps alone make this game worth the purchase. Plus, if you buy the CW1&2 pack, it's that much more worth your money spent. Not to mention, compare this to the price of one PS3 game. I love my PS3...but, I find I play CW1&2 more often. They're just so deep.

I am fairly new to the rts/tower defense genre and I still beat Tucana. And it was pretty ugly and inefficient compared to the walkthrough video. I watched the video after I beat the level and thought to myself, "wow...I sure hacked my way through this one". So, this level is definitely not impossible. Nor does it diminish how good the game is in its entirety. Persistence pays off.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: miquelfire on October 25, 2011, 11:43:57 AM
Hmm, I don't remember getting stuck on this level. But then, I did play and beat CW:US first.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: romulusnr on October 26, 2011, 01:17:41 PM
Quote from: mthw2vc on October 24, 2011, 06:45:16 PM
By the time you get to Tucana, the Conquest and Chronom missions have opened up and there are always custom maps to play. Perhaps try playing missions that challenge you without frustrating you first.

...I didn't know that  :-[ Thanks for the tip. I will play those for a while I think before struggling with Tucana again.
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Kingo on May 28, 2012, 11:06:59 AM
Beat it on my first try :)
Course, I have to give credit to virgil, since I played on his strategy. :)
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: fractalman on January 09, 2014, 01:33:26 AM
I beat tucana with 0 mortars, only blasters.
Then I played double-down and discovered this technique.  (But I built the mortars a lot sooner. )
Title: Re: Tucana Walkthrough Video
Post by: Night on September 23, 2014, 08:48:56 AM
Beat it first time round, though I got stuck for a long time and it ended up taking a little over an hour plus lots of pause time.