🛡️ Dual-Defence

A Journey Through Code and Combat

About This Project

Dual-Defence (also known as Stick Defend) represents our first major coding adventure - a tower defense game born from curiosity, countless debugging sessions, and the excitement of bringing our ideas to life. Built with Python and Pygame, this project showcases what passionate first-year programming students can create when they put their minds to it.

What started as a simple learning exercise evolved into a comprehensive gaming experience featuring two distinct game modes, complete user management, and an engaging progression system. Every line of code tells the story of our growth as developers.

Contributors & Development History

This project has evolved through multiple iterations, each representing our growth as developers:

🌟 Current Version (Legacy-v3 - Main Branch)

Lead Developer: Ewen Cheung (@EwenCheung)

• Complete game overhaul and optimization
• Enhanced user experience and performance improvements
• Modern codebase architecture
• Fix Bug from Legacy-v2

📚 Previous Versions

Legacy-v1 & Legacy-v2 Branches

• Ewen Cheung (@EwenCheung) - Lead Developer, core game mechanics, feature development, and overall architecture and game features
• DAKHINESWARAN (@DAKHINESWARAN) - Timing systems, spell mechanics, art design, and game features
• mo12k (@mo12k) - Ninja mechanics in Bokemon vs Stick, art design, store system, and game features

This game represents our collective journey as first-year programming students, learning to code while building something we're genuinely proud of.

Game Features

🎮 Two Game Modes

1. Stick of War (Main Campaign)

• Objective: Defend your castle while attacking the enemy castle
• Levels: 10 progressive levels with increasing difficulty
• Troops: Deploy various stick figure warriors including:
  • Warrior: Balanced melee fighter
  • Archer: Long-range attacker
  • Sparta: Heavy armored unit
  • Wizard: Magical ranged attacker
  • Giant: Powerful tank unit
• Spells: Use special abilities:
  • Rage: Increases troop damage and speed
  • Healing: Restores troop health
  • Freeze: Slows down enemy troops
• Resources: Manage gold and diamonds for troop deployment and spells
• Star Rating: Earn 1-3 stars based on completion time
• Progression: Unlock new levels by completing previous ones

2. Bokemon vs Stick (Survival Mode)

• Objective: Survive waves of ninja attacks using Pokemon-style defenders
• Pokemon Defenders:
  • Machine: Generates poke balls (resources) and has 300 health
  • Pikachu: Long-range attacker (25 damage, 180 health)
  • Squirtle: Balanced defender (18 damage, 200 health)
• Enemy Ninjas:
  • Naruto: 20 damage, 120 health
  • Sasuke: 15 damage, 110 health
  • Kakashi: High-speed ninja (25 damage, 110 health)
• Wave System: Difficulty increases every minute with faster spawning
• Resource Management: Use poke balls to deploy Pokemon defenders

🏪 Store & Upgrade System

• Troop Upgrades: Enhance health, damage, and special abilities
• Castle Improvements: Upgrade health and mining speed
• Spell Enhancements: Improve spell effectiveness and unlock new abilities
• Equipment System: Equip and manage your arsenal

👤 User Management

• Account System: Sign up, sign in, or play as guest
• Progress Saving: All progress automatically saved to database
• User Profiles: Track individual player statistics and unlocks

💰 Economy System

• Currency: Earn money and diamonds through gameplay
• Rewards: Get bonuses based on performance and star ratings
• Pricing: Dynamic pricing for upgrades and purchases

Gameplay Mechanics

Stick of War Mechanics

• Real-time Strategy: Deploy troops strategically while managing resources
• Castle Health: Protect your castle while destroying the enemy's
• Time-based Scoring: Faster completion earns better rewards
• Progressive Difficulty: Each level introduces new challenges

Bokemon vs Stick Mechanics

• Tower Defense: Place Pokemon defenders to stop ninja waves
• Resource Generation: Machine Pokemon generate poke balls over time
• Wave Progression: Enemies get faster and more numerous each wave
• Survival Focus: No win condition - survive as long as possible

Controls

• Mouse: Point and click for all interactions
• Drag & Drop: Deploy units by dragging cards to battlefield
• Hotkeys: 'H' for help menu in Bokemon vs Stick mode

Technical Features

• Built with Love: Developed using Python and Pygame during our first year of programming
• Database Integration: Persistent data storage keeps your progress safe
• Immersive Audio: Background music and sound effects enhance the gaming experience
• Smooth Graphics: Custom sprite animations and visual effects at 60 FPS
• Cross-Platform: Runs on desktop and web browsers

Getting Started

🎮 Play Online

Experience the game instantly: Play on GitHub Pages

💻 Run from Source

Want to explore the code? Here's how to get started:

git clone https://github.com/EwenCheung/Dual-Defence.git
cd Dual-Defence
python main.py

Make sure you have Python and Pygame installed on your system.

Game Progression

1. Start: Create account or play as guest
2. Choose Mode: Select between Stick of War or Bokemon vs Stick
3. Play Levels: Progress through increasingly difficult challenges
4. Earn Rewards: Collect money and diamonds for upgrades
5. Upgrade: Improve troops, spells, and castle in the store
6. Repeat: Continue advancing through all 10 levels

Tips for Success

• Resource Management: Balance spending between troops and upgrades
• Strategic Deployment: Different troops excel in different situations
• Timing: Use spells at crucial moments for maximum impact
• Upgrades: Invest in castle and troop improvements early
• Star Collection: Aim for 3-star ratings for maximum rewards

Enjoy defending your realm in this epic stick figure battle!