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DD Life Hacks! | By ForeverMaster | Version:Beta 1.3 |
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| of this guide is complete. |
Conventional/Time-Saving tips and tricks for Dungeon Defenders 1.
General[]
Reassign Hero Hotkeys[]
<<Default vs. Customized Hotkeys>>
You can customize the hotkeys for your heroes' actions. These are saved per individual hero, not class. While highlighting an action's icon in the Action Wheel, press and hold an input for ~1 second to assign it to that hotkey.
NOTE: None of the defenses or hero abilities introduced in Redux have an assigned hotkey by default.
Options Menu[]
*Don't forget to hit "Accept" to apply all of your changes.
Fast Menu Transitions[]
Turn this option on to greatly speed up menu transitions and interact with them sooner. This is one of many tricks to act faster under time pressure.
Tavern Floor Storage[]
Toggle on the two tavern item locks in the "General" options menu tab to prevent other players from dropping or taking items onto/on the floors of your tavern. You can move items around in Overload Mode (as a Summoner).
NOTE: At the time of writing this message (31 March 2021), in Redux, the tavern item pickups lock might unlock itself after restarting your game.
Item Quality Filters and Auto-Sell 'Junk'[]
There are two options that reduce visual noise/clutter on the overlay map and in the Item Box respectively. Raise the former threshold to filter out dropped loot that does not matter to you. If you cannot see any color-coded quality outlines on items at or above the specified base quality, change "bQualityOutlineEnabled" in the UDKCDTSettings.ini config to True (do not save config files while Dungeon Defenders is running).
Anything left on the ground will auto-sell either when the next Combat Phase begins or when the game lobby 'proceeds to next level.' Any other means to restart or exit the map beforehand will not yield any mana.
Redux Options[]
No Join Level Requirement[]
"Disable Join Level" ensures that anyone can join your public game, regardless of their selected hero's level.
Resize Damage Numbers[]
In the "Video" tab, there is a slider to change the scale damage numbers are displayed at.
Disable Model Outlines[]
There is another video option to turn off the solid black outlines around most 3D geometry specifically, without disabling other post-processing effects. Removing the outlines can reduce visual noise/clutter on the screen.
The Forge and Item Box[]
Hero Quick Swapping[]
Press a number key from 1-8 to immediately switch to the corresponding hero on a given page in the hero selection interface.
Hero Reorganization[]
If a hero in the interface is selected while holding down [Alt], they will swap places with the hero selected previously. Heroes can also be moved between pages by keeping alt held down when switching pages. Note that a hero cannot be moved to the same position on another page.
Folders and Locks[]
Items in the box are (usually) sorted automatically by type. The "Sort" button in Redux toggles between this method and highest-to-lowest quality tier. Folders allow you to separate items to keep -- from the ones to sell -- and organize your items into separate directories that can be named. Another way to filter out items to sell is to "Lock All," then press [L] over each unwanted item to unlock it. Inversely, you can unlock everything, then lock the few items you want to keep before selling the rest.
Superfast Scrolling[]
Pressing the right arrow key while hovering over the bottom-right item on a page or left arrow while the top-left item is highlighted allows you to scroll through directory pages at extreme speeds.
Trading[]
Instead of walking up to the player you want to trade with, select their hero avatar in the escape menu, then "Initiate Trade." You can open the trade status the same way or by pressing [U]. To quickly add/remove items in your box to/from the trade, press [T] while hovering over it.
Banked Mana Input Box[]
When setting the amount of mana to trade or the price of an item in your Hero Shop, you can type out the number in single-letter notation (1k, 1.0m, 1.0b, etc.) This must be used for numbers above ~2.1 billion, in order to bypass the 32-bit integer limit.
Excess Mana Storage and Text Signs[]
The Tavernkeep service to create Mana Tokens was added to let players store more beyond the mana bank limit (1 trillion). Renamed low-valued tokens can also be made to act as text signs in your Hero Shop or on tavern floors. Make sure to have tavern item pickups locked if you do the latter.
Target Item Farming[]
Weapon Targeting[]
The items that drop from enemies and chests, and often specific weapon rewards for completing a mission, depend on each player's current hero class. Enemies and chests will only drop items that somebody can currently equip; the only exception to this are shields which rarely drop whether or not a Squire/Countess is present.
Armor Targeting[]
Because the Summoner cannot use any weapons, if everyone is a Summoner, enemies and chests will only drop armor and accessories. This leads to much greater chances of finding high-quality armor when playing on Survival Mode.
Upgrading Items[]
Pro Mode Always[]
Toggle "Pro Mode" on to upgrade item statistics with a single click. If you hold [Shift] or [Control], you can apply 10 and 50 upgrades respectively at once to the single stat (provided that you have enough banked mana).
Renaming[]
If you click "Invest All" to deposit the mana needed for an item's max upgrade, you can rename it any number of times to make it easier to recognize its purpose. Doing this is most beneficial to armor and accessories. No additional mana is required to change the name again, if the last upgrade is not applied.
Rules-of-Thumb[]
Armor[]
When upgrading armor via Shift-Clicking, the function will intelligently stop at every tenth level which is when a resistance can be upgraded beyond its soft cap. If you are investing into armor for an active hero to tackle Nightmare or Ascension missions, avoid Control-Clicking until all four resistances are at 41% (with set bonus applied). As for which stats to upgrade afterwards OR when every resistance is soft capped, it depends on the hero. Offensive "DPS" heroes usually prioritize Hero Damage.
DPS Pets[]
First, if such pet stats are present, before you Shift-Click or Control-Click dump all of its upgrade levels into damage, max out the pet's Projectile Speed, Additional Projectiles and Attack Speed. Doing this will maximize your pet's damage output, whilst having accurate projectiles.
DPS Weapons[]
The exact same rules for pet upgrading applies to Huntress weapons and Monk weapons built for ranged combat: max out projectile velocity, projectile count and attack rate before dumping the leftover ups into damage. You may want to neutralize the reload speed for the former if it is negative and/or increase the clip size if it is too small.
Staves, or Apprentice weapons, should always have a positive Charge Speed bonus; how high to increase this stat is a semi-personal preference. The goal is to partially charge up shots, not 'overcharge' them. A faster charge rate has greater DPS potential, but the timing is more strict. The 70's range is a good benchmark to aim for if you don't want to tinker with a charging script/macro.
Lastly, when it comes to Squire weapons, the block value should be maxed out, one upgrade at a time, unless you will only equip the weapon to a Barbarian.
(A Few) Special Cases[]
Genies[]
The Genie pet is most often used by Boost Monks/Initiates and Upgrade Jesters, in order to elongate their boost abilities and quickly upgrade defenses respectively. Its Mana Collection Bonus stat does not scale particularly well; returns diminish rather quickly to a point that it becomes more cost-effective to invest the leftover upgrade levels on relevant stat bonuses the pet provides for your given hero. Not upgrading beyond 29,004 collection is a common recommendation, though maxed 2,020 mana flows nonstop are still possible with Genies of lesser potency.
Guardians[]
Just like armor resistances, upgrading via Shift-Clicking will stop at every tenth level for the opportunity to upgrade a particular stat, in this case: how many defenses the guardian pet can boost. This caps at "+5" for normal guardians and "+6" for the Redux Polybius versions. These pets need at least 41 and 51 upgrades respectively to max out their triple-star stat guaranteed.
Propeller Cat[]
Main Article: Propeller Cat
There is a pretty easy way to calculate the maximum "Clip Ammo" (Boost Intensity) a Propeller Cat can reach, while also boosting its maximum of four heroes at a time ("Additional Projectiles").
For a cat with at least 91 upgrade levels, subtract 4 from the upgrade count, divide by 3, then add the quotient to the cat's initial boost value. If you get >= 179 intensity, the cat will multiply you and your nearby teammates' hero damage by 2.0x or more.
Bf=Bi+(U-4)/3
Lupine Bow[]
Main Article: Lupine Bow
This particular Huntress weapon is the main weapon Upgrade Jesters use with a Genie pet to generate mana fast. Its very tight projectile spread and ability to shoot through terrain are what makes it a super reliable choice.
The primary difference to upgrading a Lupine Bow over a typical DPS Huntress weapon is that it does not need maximum damage, but both of its damage types should be upgraded till they hit an equilibrium in dummy testing on Nightmare and Ascension. Afterwards, the remaining upgrade levels can be spent on Hero and/or Ability stats, usually either Casting Rate or Ability2. Genies give less mana from hits weaker than 4,200 damage, but the Lupine Bow technically hitting twice per projectile makes it affordable to aim for only 2,100/hit instead.
Chicken Baller[]
Main Article: Chicken Baller
This is a popular Monk weapon for tower boosters, for the same main reason as the Lupine Bow: to quickly regenerate mana. While it is overall one of the best-in-slot weapons for an active support Monk/Initiate's role, mana collection is inconsistent at lower ranged damage values, due to the fact its thrown chickens explode for non-uniform damage. A Stone's Throw Spear obtained from Volcanic Eruption on Ascension Hardcore/Ruthless is a good alternative that does not require high base damage for optimal mana gain, allowing spare upgrades to be spent safely on Ability1.
Upgrading the Chicken Baller's ranged damage, after maxing out projectile velocity and count, will make it easier to upkeep boost abilities for long periods, hitting for 4,200+ more often.
General Summary Table[]
| Equipment | Subtype | Upgrade Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | Apprentice | Charge Rate (to 70+) > Projectile Speed and Count > Ranged Damage |
| Squire | Block Damage Resistance > Melee/Base Damage | |
| Huntress | Projectile Speed and Count > Shots per Second > Clip Size/Reload Speed > Ranged Damage | |
| Monk (Melee) | Melee Damage ONLY | |
| Monk (Ranged) | Projectile Speed and Count > Ranged Damage | |
| Pets | DPS | Projectile Speed and Count > Attack Speed > Base Damage |
| Genie (Tower Booster) | Mana Collection (to 29,004) > Ability1 | |
| Genie (Upgrader) | Mana Collection (to 29,004) > Casting Rate and/or Ability2 | |
| Guardian | # of Defenses to Boost > Boost Intensity | |
| Propeller Cat | "Additional Projectiles" (Triple-Stars) > "Clip Ammo" (Boost Intensity) > "Reload Speed" (Range) | |
| Armor | Combat Armor | Resistances: Soft-cap all four > Further increase them to 41% (w/ set bonus applied) |
If you are a Ranked online player and are still uncertain how to upgrade a particular item or if it is even worth investing mana into, export your Ranked data to Open/Local and experiment over there. Overwrite as many times as you need in order to truly lock-in your forging decision on Ranked.
Defenses (or Towers)[]
Multitask Minion Summoning[]
While in Overlord Mode, you can process the summoning of multiple minions of different types at once to build faster, especially if you bind them to hotkeys. Archers, spiders and mages are the most used minions on Nightmare. Spider Queen Minions are more common on Ascension.
Tower Stacking[]
Main Article: Tower Stack Glitch
This is a widely accepted quirk to compact tangible non-minion towers of the same type or hero class into a small space. This saves build space, as well as Defense Units on Tower Buff Beams and Reflection Beams. The procedure depends on the macro used, often requiring the stacker to host.
Minions can be stacked without a script in Overlord Mode. This is easier to pull off in Redux than Vanilla.
Combat[]
Mana Dispenser[]
With a Genie pet and complimentary weapon (ex: Lupine Bow), you can regularly drop the mana you collect onto a teammate upgrading defenses or using a mana-draining ability (ex: Tower Boost). It is generally faster to upgrade a pack of defenses this way, since you never have to pause.
Shoot those Copters![]
If a Goblin Copter is shot down before it manually deploys its Ogre, the Ogre falls with only 1/3 of its HP remaining (or dies to falling off the map!)
Hero Abilities[]
Hold up for the Boss[]
All active hero abilities turn off automatically and go on-cooldown when a boss's cutscene begins. Wait for the fight to begin before activating Hero Boost, Proton Charge Blast (charge state), etc.
Melee Attack Speed Bypass[]
The Squire's Circular Slice, Countess's Joust and the Barbarian's Battle Leap, Battle Pound and Hawk Stance are all unaffected by the swing speed of their melee weapon(s). Therefore, weapons with high base damage can be used with these abilities without the common drawback of slow attack speed.
Tower Boost and Hero Boost (Monk) + Remote Defense Boost (Initiate)[]
Taking Turns[]
Two of the same boost ability cannot stack. Whichever one is more potent takes precedence. By taking turns to boost the same heroes or defenses, your team can theoretically achieve 100% uptime.
End-of-Wave Reincarnation[]
All ability cooldowns reset when the hero dies and respawns. The respawn timer cannot exceed three macro seconds during Build Phases which is shorter than any boost ability's cooldown. A player can intentionally kill themselves by typing "killme" (no quotations) in the chat.
Starting in Redux version 12.0.3, hero ability cooldowns instantly reset at the start of each Build Phase, making this cruel trick unneeded to clear missions faster.
Proton Quick-Charge Blast (Series EV)[]
Dropping your mana supply while charging can fill the reserve tank by up to ~55% in an instant.
Move Tower (Jester)[]
Zero Defense Range Stat[]
When the Jester moves a tower, its range is treated as if she was summoning it. A Defense Area of Effect stat of zero will allow her to move traps of any size as close to dark energy areas as possible (i.e. Eternia Crystals). She can make auras and traps of the same type overlap each other too.
Aura/Trap Buff Preservation[]
Moving an aura or trap currently boosted by a buff beam will retain its expanded range, as long as it is still touching the same buff beam.
Wheel O' Fortuna (Jester)[]
Come at me, Ogres![]
"Damage All," Triple Swords, lures all Ogres on the map to whoever rolled the effect.
Triple Swords at the Ogre Rush[]
Towards the end of a wave on some of the harder maps (ex: Temple of Water), multiple Ogres (and possibly Harbingers) will spawn in quick succession. Save your wheel for when these packs arrive.
Sword-Sword-Crystal Finisher[]
Enemies can sometimes get stuck at locations where they cannot be hit. Without this wheel combination to kill the last few enemies in a wave, the player(s) would have to wait several minutes for them to die automatically.
Overlord Mode (Summoner)[]
Minion Stacking[]
For a few seconds after a minion is summoned, it can be moved to occupy the same space as any number of minions. In Redux, there is no timer for minion collision.
Minion Movement Precision[]
Bind the command "Hold Defensive" to immediately stop all selected minions from moving to a particular location. With only one minion selected, this allows for much more precise adjustment to their position.
Camera Control[]
Left-Click (w/ Map Displayed) - Places the camera over the chosen location. Holding left click can also be used to pan the camera.
DD1 Hidden Hotkeys Summary[]
| Input | Effect |
|---|---|
| B | Cycles the display style for dropped items in the game world. |
| G | Activate crystal(s) remotely. |
| Control + G
(Host Only) |
Force-starts the next wave or procedure to "next level." |
| H | Toggles the HUD. In first-person view, pressing [H] can also hide the hero's weapon(s). |
| L | Locks/Unlocks the hovered item (in Item Box). |
| M | Drop all mana. |
| N (Host Only) | Skip boss countdown (Redux Only). |
| O | Toggles enemy billboards shown during Build Phases. |
| Control + O | Toggles the color-coded quality boarder around items in inventory interfaces (cyan for Mythical, magenta for Transcendent, etc.) |
| P | Toggles tower icons on the minimap. |
| Q (Held Down) | Front view. |
| T | Adds/Removes hovered item from trade. |
| U | Opens the trade window. |
| =/- OR Numpad +/- | When choosing where to place a trap or aura, these keys will resize the defense in 10% increments.
If the cursor hovers over multiple applicable defenses to repair/upgrade/sell or move, these keys will cycle between them. |
| F1 | Toggles the program console. This also functions as a means to open chat AND show chat history. |
| 1-8 (Hero Selection) | Immediately swaps to the corresponding hero on a given hero page. |
| Alt (Held Down)
+ Left-Click |
The previously highlighted hero swaps places with the hero selected. Also works between pages. |
| Arrows Keys | Navigates items on either player's side of the trade window. The left and right arrows can also cycle between pages of offered items. |
Config Files[]
Dungeon Defender's config files are located under "UDKGame" from the game's installation folder, then "Config." These files can be opened with any text editor (ex: Notepad).
*Do not edit or replace these while the game is running.
UDKEngine.ini[]
PoolSizes (Eliminate Texture Quality Compression)[]
Located under "Texture Streaming" is four pool size values measured in megabytes (MB). Increase these values to reduce or effectively remove all compression entirely. "PoolSize" and "PoolSizeHigh" should have the same and highest value, ideally 2048 minimum.
Fixed versions of this file are available here and on the DDRnG Discord.
"... The issue is just that the VRAM limit is so low that the game engages texture streaming, replacing textures with very low quality versions to avoid using too much VRAM and causing worse issues (assuming your GPU had like 256mb of RAM lol). So in theory, it shouldn't happen all that often, but it definitely does more and more as new items and other things came in to the game with higher quality."
Extra Graphics Settings[]
A number of other graphical effects not adjustable in-game can be done in this central config file. Many of these options can be found under "SystemSettings."
UDKCDTSettings.ini[]
This file stores nearly, if not all program options implemented by the Community Development Team. If Redux is installed, its added options are also saved here. Not all of these settings are adjustable in-game, like changing the graphics quality for water specifically.