Welcome to Switeck's updated page.
Switeck's original page has fallen into disrepair. I took the liberty of updating the info and links. Enjoy.
Installing
Total Annihilation
If you are re-installing the game
to solve a problem:
● Delete C:\CAVEDOG\TOTALA from your hard drive.
● Uninstall the TA Demo Recorder.
Install the following (mandatory):
● Total Annihilation CD (basic game)
- Disc 1 is all you need.
- During installation, choose "multiplayer spawn", not "regular install". [screenshot]
- Installing to a directory other than C:\CAVEDOG\TOTALA can cause problems; use the default. [screenshot]
- Disc 2
contains the single player missions and is not needed for installation.
● Core Contingency CD (extra units and maps)
- If you don't have the disc, just put ccdata.ccx and ccmaps.ccx in the TOTALA directory.
- If you want to play the single player missions, ccmiss.ccx needs to be in the TOTALA directory.
● Battle Tactics CD (extra maps)
- If you don't have the disc, just put btmaps.ccx in the TOTALA directory.
- If you want to play the single player missions, btdata.ccx, tactics1.hpi, tactics2.hpi, tactics3.hpi, tactics4.hpi,
tactics5.hpi, tactics6.hpi, tactics7.hpi and tactics8.hpi need to be in the TOTALA directory.
● Put
CavedogUnits.ufo in the TOTALA directory.
(Fark, Flea, Scarab, Immolator, Hedgehog & Necro units)
● Install the
3.1 patch.
● Install the TA Demo Recorder. (game recording & playback, shares LOS between allies, whiteboard marking)
● Install the Recorder upgrade. (improved multiplayer LOS and integrated 1500 unit patch)
Customize your game (optional):
● Unzip the Battleroom GUI into the TOTALA directory. (improved graphical user interface)
● Put McnTerra-NS.ufo in the TOTALA directory. (fixes issues with recorder playback)
● (32-bit systems) Unzip the CD crack into the TOTALA directory and run crack.exe. (game runs without CD in tray)
● (64-bit systems) Replace TotalA.exe in the TOTALA directory. (game runs without CD in tray)
● Unzip loadgame2bg.pcx into TOTALA/bitmaps. (replaces the Yankspankers' load screen)
● Unzip sidedata.tdf into TOTALA/gamedata. (makes metal and energy bars easier to see)
● Install the EMG patch to reduce lag. (eliminates energy machine gun sounds)
● Unzip the 1500 unit patch into the TOTALA directory and run patch.bat. (unnecessary with Recorder upgrade)
Using third-party maps
If the file extension of the map
says .ccx, .hpi, or .ufo then just add it you your TOTALA
directory.
If the map is in two parts (.tnt
and .ota), make a new directory in TOTALA and name it MAPS, then put the
two map files into the new directory. If you installed the game to the
default directory, it would be C:\CAVEDOG\TOTALA\MAPS
Using more than 3 AIs slots in skirmish
While in the Skirmish Setup room
click and hold shift-8 then x.
x will give you ten (10) slots, v will give five (5), etc... (roman numerals).
Configuring a router for playing TA online
You need to set it to route packets from ports
2300-2400 (TCP/UDP inbound/outbound [for TA]),
28800-29000 (same setting [for TA]) and
47624 (TCP inbound/outbound [for TA])
2300-2400 (TCP/UDP inbound/outbound [for TA]), 28800-29000 (same setting [for
TA])
and 47624 (TCP inbound/outbound [for TA]) to your computer's IP address.
The direct X ports are 47624 for DirectX 7, and 6073 for DirectX 8, you may or
may not need to open them both (the author uses 7 and only has the 47624 port
open). TA also requires another set of ports to be open, these are ports 2300
through 2400, other sources say to open more, but thats all TA apears to need.
For GBL, you also need to forward ports 7777 and 7778 -- probably only TCP is
needed.
This site may make it possible to have more than 1 online TA player on the same
IP behind a router -- if not in the SAME TA game then probably at least in
different TA games: DXport -- multiple players PER router!
http://www.puffinsoft.com/
Click here to view Switeck's TAUniverse help thread on this subject.
No TA CD patch
Anyone want to know the quick-and-dirty TA no-cd hack?
TA v3.1c CD key break: in totala.exe AT: 0001CBA3. change 32C0 to B001
Or you can download it
here.
Just extract the file to your Totala root dir (C:\Cavedog\Totala\) and
never use the cd again.
WARNING: You MUST copy TOTALA2.HPI off the
multiplayer CD and TOTALA4.HPI off the missions CD in order for this to work.
This is similar to a "multiplayer install"...
....or instead of all this, you can just install the CD crack.
Spring Cleaning?
Delete/move unused DLLs from Totala directory: Only DLLs needed: dplayx.dll ,
reporter.dll , smackw32.dll , spank.dll
dplayx.dll and spank.dll are part of TA Demo Recorder
reporter.dll is part of GBL.
If you want to speed up TA, remove these DLL files from the totala dir:
mptaext.dll , online.dll , tadwngox.dll , taheatx.dll , takalix.dll ,
tamplayx.dll , tatenx.dll , tawirepx.dll If you look closely at their names,
they refer to now-dead online services.
Removing TADEMO.UFO from TA's totala dir will also speed the game up very
slightly and lessen the chance of random grayed-out units. This is ONLY needed
by TA Demo Recorder if you use the .sonar command on demo playback.
TURN OFF .fixall by default -- it generates extra network traffic, which isn't
good if your modem is already overloaded. You can use .fixall in game if it's a
problem...
How to repack TA's main data files to save space
and gain load speed
(good for low-ram and slow hdd systems)
Repacking TA+TA:CC+v3.1c patch saves >20mb space and loads faster. Repacking
totala2.hpi and totala4.hpi will also save a lot of space, as they use lower
compression format HPI files than TA:CC and v3.1c patch. It doesn't do much good
to repack ccmaps.ccx or btmaps.ccx cuz they already use the higher TA:CC
compression format.
Get HPI TOOLS first, then do the following:
Make a single dir -- C:\repacking ....(for example)
Open totala1.hpi with HPI viewer, then do an extract all to C:\repacking
Then open ccdata.ccx with HPI viewer and do an extract all of it to C:\repacking
Then open rev31.gp3 with HPI viewer and do an extract all of it to C:\repacking
Close HPI viewer and move these old files out of the totala dir: rev31.gp3, ccdata.ccx, btdata.ccx, totala1.hpi
Open HPI packer
Set Directory to pack: to... C:\repacking
Set Destination HPi file: to... C:\CAVEDOG\TOTALA\totala1.hpi
Make Program: TA Compression Method: TA:CC
Press the PACK button
Wait till it's done then close HPI packer and test TA in skirmish.
DO NOT put the 6 extra units into
the repacked totala1.hpi file -- it causes all sorts of incompatibilities with
TA Bugfix, ÜberHack, unit packs, some maps, etc...
All 6 extra post v3.1c patch units in 1 UFO file:
http://switeck.tauniverse.com/Cavedog_units.zip
Other TA websites devoted to configuring/setting
up TA:
TCBW's Multiplayer TA FAQs -- VERY useful tips in reducing LAG online
TA Stuff by Draconious -- many little tips about making TA run quicker
TAEUC TA Unit Creation Utilities -- if you make units...
The Swedish Yankspankers -- makers of TA Demo Recorder as well as other TA hacks/patches/things!
Gaming Battle League --
Multiplayer TA online!