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Frost

Lesson 14 of 18 in Coddy's Roblox Game: Tower Defense course.

The Frost tower barely hurts: its shot slows an enemy to a fraction of its speed, info.Slow, for 2 seconds, so the other towers get more shots at it.

Two things make a slow go wrong. A slowed enemy hit again must not get slower and slower, so mark it with an attribute and skip it while the mark is on. And the speed to return to is the enemy's own, from the settings, not whatever it walks at now. task.delay runs a function later without holding up the tower:

task.delay(2, function()
	-- two seconds later
end)
challenge icon

Challenge

Medium
  1. Write slow(enemy, factor): return if the enemy has the Slowed attribute; otherwise set it, set its WalkSpeed to its Settings speed times factor, and after 2 seconds (if it is still in the game) set the speed back and clear the attribute.
  2. In shoot, when info.Slow is set and the target is still in the game, slow it.

Press Play, then Check.

Try it yourself

local Players = game:GetService("Players")
local ServerStorage = game:GetService("ServerStorage")
local Debris = game:GetService("Debris")
local Settings = require(game.ReplicatedStorage.Settings)

local remotes = game.ReplicatedStorage.Remotes
local enemies = workspace.Enemies
local towers = workspace.Towers
local towerPad = {} -- each tower -> the pad it stands on

print("The base can take " .. Settings.BaseHealth .. " hits")

-- The waypoints, in order (they are named 1, 2, 3...)
local waypoints = workspace.Path.Waypoints:GetChildren()
table.sort(waypoints, function(a, b)
	return tonumber(a.Name) < tonumber(b.Name)
end)

-- The base's health, as an attribute of the workspace: every client can read it
workspace:SetAttribute("BaseHealth", Settings.BaseHealth)

-- Every player gets Money on the leaderboard
Players.PlayerAdded:Connect(function(player)
	local leaderstats = Instance.new("Folder")
	leaderstats.Name = "leaderstats"
	leaderstats.Parent = player

	local money = Instance.new("IntValue")
	money.Name = "Money"
	money.Value = Settings.StartMoney
	money.Parent = leaderstats
end)

-- An enemy reached the base
local function damageBase(amount)
	local health = math.max(0, workspace:GetAttribute("BaseHealth") - amount)
	workspace:SetAttribute("BaseHealth", health)
end

-- Walk an enemy along the path. MoveTo gives up after 8 seconds and says so
-- (MoveToFinished with false), so a slow enemy is sent again until it arrives.
local function walkPath(enemy)
	local humanoid = enemy.Humanoid
	for i = 2, #waypoints do
		repeat
			humanoid:MoveTo(waypoints[i].Position)
		until humanoid.MoveToFinished:Wait() or not enemy.Parent
		if not enemy.Parent then
			return
		end
	end
	-- it reached the base
	damageBase(Settings.Enemies[enemy.Name].Damage)
	enemy:Destroy()
end

-- A new enemy at the gate, walking the path
local function spawnEnemy(kind)
	local enemy = ServerStorage.Enemies[kind]:Clone()
	-- dropped in just above the first waypoint
	enemy:PivotTo(waypoints[1].CFrame + Vector3.new(0, 5, 0))
	local info = Settings.Enemies[kind]
	enemy.Humanoid.MaxHealth = info.Health
	enemy.Humanoid.Health = info.Health
	enemy.Humanoid.WalkSpeed = info.Speed
	enemy.Parent = enemies
	enemy.Humanoid.Died:Connect(function()
		-- every player earns the reward
		for _, player in Players:GetPlayers() do
			player.leaderstats.Money.Value += info.Reward
		end
		enemy:Destroy()
	end)
	task.spawn(walkPath, enemy)
	return enemy
end

-- The nearest living enemy within range of a point, or nil
local function nearestEnemy(position, range)
	local best, bestDistance = nil, range
	for _, enemy in enemies:GetChildren() do
		local root = enemy:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart")
		if root and enemy.Humanoid.Health > 0 then
			local distance = (root.Position - position).Magnitude
			if distance <= bestDistance then
				best, bestDistance = enemy, distance
			end
		end
	end
	return best
end

-- A flash of light from a tower to its target
local function beam(from, to)
	local ray = Instance.new("Part")
	ray.Anchored = true
	ray.CanCollide = false
	ray.CanTouch = false
	ray.Material = Enum.Material.Neon
	ray.Color = Color3.fromRGB(255, 240, 150)
	ray.Size = Vector3.new(0.2, 0.2, (to - from).Magnitude)
	ray.CFrame = CFrame.lookAt((from + to) / 2, to)
	ray.Parent = workspace
	Debris:AddItem(ray, 0.1)
end

-- A shot: damage the target (and, from a Cannon, everyone near it)
local function shoot(tower, target, info)
	local damage = info.Damage * tower:GetAttribute("Level")
	local at = target.HumanoidRootPart.Position
	if info.Splash then
		for _, enemy in enemies:GetChildren() do
			local root = enemy:FindFirstChild("HumanoidRootPart")
			if root and (root.Position - at).Magnitude <= info.Splash then
				enemy.Humanoid:TakeDamage(damage)
			end
		end
	else
		target.Humanoid:TakeDamage(damage)
	end
	beam(tower.Head.Position, at)
end

-- A tower's life: aim at the nearest enemy in range, shoot, wait its cooldown
local function runTower(tower)
	local info = Settings.Towers[tower.Name]
	while tower.Parent do
		local target = nearestEnemy(tower.Head.Position, info.Range)
		if target then
			tower.Head.CFrame = CFrame.lookAt(tower.Head.Position, target.HumanoidRootPart.Position)
			shoot(tower, target, info)
			task.wait(info.Cooldown)
		else
			task.wait(0.1)
		end
	end
end

-- Build a tower on a pad
local function placeTower(pad, kind)
	local tower = ServerStorage.Towers[kind]:Clone()
	tower:PivotTo(pad.CFrame + Vector3.new(0, pad.Size.Y / 2 + 1, 0))
	tower:SetAttribute("Level", 1)
	tower.Parent = towers
	pad:SetAttribute("Used", true)
	towerPad[tower] = pad
	task.spawn(runTower, tower)
end

-- The client asks for a tower on a pad. Check everything: a real, free pad,
-- a real tower, and the money to pay for it.
remotes.Place.OnServerEvent:Connect(function(player, pad, kind)
	if typeof(pad) ~= "Instance" or pad.Parent ~= workspace.Pads or pad:GetAttribute("Used") then
		return
	end
	local info = typeof(kind) == "string" and Settings.Towers[kind]
	if not info then
		return
	end
	local money = player.leaderstats.Money
	if money.Value < info.Price then
		return
	end
	money.Value -= info.Price
	placeTower(pad, kind)
end)

-- An upgrade: the next level costs more each time, and each level adds the
-- tower's damage again
remotes.Upgrade.OnServerEvent:Connect(function(player, tower)
	if typeof(tower) ~= "Instance" or tower.Parent ~= towers then
		return
	end
	local level = tower:GetAttribute("Level")
	local cost = math.floor(Settings.Towers[tower.Name].Price * Settings.UpgradeCost * level)
	local money = player.leaderstats.Money
	if money.Value < cost then
		return
	end
	money.Value -= cost
	tower:SetAttribute("Level", level + 1)
end)

-- Selling: half the price back, and the pad is free again
remotes.Sell.OnServerEvent:Connect(function(player, tower)
	if typeof(tower) ~= "Instance" or tower.Parent ~= towers then
		return
	end
	player.leaderstats.Money.Value += math.floor(Settings.Towers[tower.Name].Price / 2)
	towerPad[tower]:SetAttribute("Used", nil)
	towerPad[tower] = nil
	tower:Destroy()
end)

-- One wave: its enemies one by one, then wait until they are all gone
local function runWave(list)
	for _, kind in list do
		spawnEnemy(kind)
		task.wait(Settings.SpawnGap)
	end
	while #enemies:GetChildren() > 0 do
		task.wait(0.2)
	end
end

-- The waves, each after a break
for i, list in Settings.Waves do
	task.wait(Settings.WaveBreak)
	runWave(list)
end
quiz iconTest yourself

This lesson includes a short quiz. Start the lesson to answer it and track your progress.

All lessons in Roblox Game: Tower Defense