Thanks so much! I wasn't sure about the artstyle at all. The game was a lot harder and more tactical before but I got scared that the judges would get stuck and give up before the later levels. Likewise, the last level was less cheesy but after so many people had trouble getting through the game I wound up turning it into a victory lap just to make the ending satisfying. I'm banking on the stats at the end, trying to win as cheaply or as quickly as possible might make it fun to play tactically but I'd rather not depend on things like that of course.
I really like your ideas about a home base and floating enemies, like maybe a balloon zombie or a predator having a grappling hook that can hop a limited number of tiles. The idea of an enemy that keeps nearby plants from shooting is also awesome, I really appreciate the suggestions. I agree about more sound, and generally I wish I had done more to make the action clearer and more readable but I started the game late and designed myself into a corner early on.
I don't think I'll keep working on this anymore just because some of the fundamental design is around it being a short game and it violates two trademarks just in the title, but this was my first RTS game and I'll be doing a lot more like it in the future. I have one planned right now for the game by its cover jam. Thanks for the input!