Defender Strategies - help me out.

[leapinlew]

I've built a machine just to play defender. The only layout I had before was the standard street fighter 6 button layout - not good for defender! Anyhow - I have a machine that plays defender well and now I want to know peoples strategies for defender.

Some things I was wondering about:

1. Why does hitting hyperspace kill me sometimes?

2. Why on some of the boards do landers go crazy picking up workers and other boards they hardly pick up any of the workers? Is it just random?

3. What determines how many swarmers come out a pod?

4. Sometimes I'll have 3 pods on screen at once and I'll use a smartbomb. It'll kill all the pods but the radar will show some swarmers from the pods on another part of the screen. Does the smartbomb not kill all the pods + swarmers sometimes?

5. Lastly, any tips or tricks will be appreciated. I'm loving this game and would like to hear anything that can help me get above 50k.

Bonus points for stargate tips! I'm moving on to stargate after I've played a bit of defender.

[JONTHEBOMB]

1. Why does hitting hyperspace kill me sometimes?

Hyperspace should only be used as a last resort because if you do use it you may die.

5. Lastly, any tips or tricks will be appreciated. I'm loving this game and would like to hear anything that can help me get above 50k.

Play, Play, and then Play some more.  Practice makes perfect.

[MYX]

Defender was my first game I ever bought outright. (ms pac was my first but it was a fix up job)
It was the top of my list. I hated it as a kid, but is still one of my favorites now. It was well thought out and killer noises and great all around game.

1. Hyperspace has the possibility that you will get dropped on top of an enemy. Something about mater not being able to occupy the same space and all.

2. Not sure what you mean by some boards. (Levels?, or actual game boards?) When I had my Defender I would set the dip switch settings to a much harder setting than the standard easy. Usually this made the workers start stealing my humanoids like crazy. It makes for a more frenzied game.  But it also seemed that if I was tired, the landers would take advantage of me and do their darndist to get more of my stuff. Lil Bas7ards.

3. # of swarmers... I thought it was always the same amount, but could be wrong. I usually am a little too paniced trying to kill the little buggers to count them.

5. I found these tips on KLOV

   1. Avoid using hyperspace unless you are about to die. Fighting off attacks, regardless of the number of enemies will make you a better Defender player.
   2. Baiters can usually be overcome by hitting the reverse button twice quickly. They will fly past you and be in range for your fire power. Do NOT try to outrun them as Baiters are faster than your ship.
   3. Swarmers are easy to defeat. You can hit reverse as soon as they fly past you and fly behind them. They cannot shoot backwards so you can blast away at will.
   4. At higher levels you will need to play God and even sacrifice some humanoids (by killing them yourself) to preserve the rest of the planet's population. The planet is too large for you protect and you are sparing the humanoids from a fate worst than death (mutation). Do not worry, these humanoids reproduce quickly and overpopulation has always been a constant problem. The planet will be fully populated at the start of every fifth attack wave (configurable).

[Texasmame]

Some things I was wondering about:

1. Why does hitting hyperspace kill me sometimes?

That's just the way it is. 

2. Why on some of the boards do landers go crazy picking up workers and other boards they hardly pick up any of the workers? Is it just random?

They get more aggressive the further in the game you go.

3. What determines how many swarmers come out a pod?

Again, random.

4. Sometimes I'll have 3 pods on screen at once and I'll use a smartbomb. It'll kill all the pods but the radar will show some swarmers from the pods on another part of the screen. Does the smartbomb not kill all the pods + swarmers sometimes?

IIRC, that has more to do with the limitiations of the hardware used at the time than anything else - too much on the screen sort of thing.  Sometimes the swarmers "escape" to another part of the screen after bombing multiple pods. 

5. Lastly, any tips or tricks will be appreciated. I'm loving this game and would like to hear anything that can help me get above 50k.

~Move, shoot, stay low unless you have to go up top. 
~Learn to use the radar.  As you zip along, the radar will tell you which bad guys are coming up in a second.  Plan your attack accordingly.
~When you're down to 1 or 2 humanoids, save one then keep him on you for the duration of the wave.  Repeat until you get a fresh 10.
~Don't be afraid to use the smartbombs.  When your game is over, the goal should be to have 2 or less left.
Bonus points for stargate tips! I'm moving on to stargate after I've played a bit of defender.

~Largely the same tips but when dealing with the firebomber wave, trying to pick them off is largely a waste of time since they'll shoot to intercept your shots.  Smartbomb as many as possible at any one time.
~And, of course, use the warp if you want to. . .

Personal highs on dedicated machines (as an adult - must have done better back in '83, tho)
Defender - 145,500
Stargate - 211,000 {3 ship fleet to start}

One more thing. . . maybe it's just me but I find that if I try and "think" about playing them, I suck.  It typically takes me a couple of warmup games then I'm on autopilot - the game is playing me like it did in '83 - and the fun can begin. 

[tommyinajar]

Just pretend that the humanoids are members of your actual family. That helps you pick up the pace on the learning curve a bit.....

[leapinlew]

Just pretend that the humanoids are members of your actual family. That helps you pick up the pace on the learning curve a bit.....

How does shooting all the humanoids on wave1 help?