Installing Total Annihilation

Install in this order :

QUICK install of TA:

Do the standard install from basic TA disk 1.
Copy totala2.hpi straight from basic TA disk 1 to the new totala dir -- where totala1.hpi is.
Copy CCMAPS.CCX and CCDATA.CCX (and CCMISS.CCX if you want TA:CC missions) straight from the TA:CC cd to the new totala dir -- where totala1.hpi is.
Copy BTMAPS.CCX straight from the TA:BT cd to the new totala dir -- where totala1.hpi is.
Run the v3.1c patch.
Install the 6 Cavedog post-v3.1c patch units.

Then, if you want, install GBL/PW/TA Demo Recorder...
You may need to do Directx registration for TA -- it comes with GBL v2.4.5 beta and should be done automatically.


Using Third Party Maps

If the file extension of the map says .ccx, .hpi, or .ufo then just add it you your TA dir.

If the map is in two parts (.tnt and .ota) you need to make a new directory in TA and name it maps....example (C:\Cavedog\Totala\maps)
Then put the two map files into the new dir.


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), ect... (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/


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"...


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: 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://www.tauniverse.com/~switeck/Cavedog_units.zip


Looking for more Cavedog units/maps?

Missing features/units? Download this file (~35mb): http://www.tafansite.hwgn.net/download/downloads/ccdata.zip
Or get 2 separate smaller files for missing units (~3.7mb) and missing features (~11.3mb).
ALL the Cavedog-released downloadable maps in a single file (~40mb): http://dl.fileplanet.com/dl/dl.asp?planetannihilation/taec/cdmaps.zip
This site might have more maps: http://www.tadesigners.com/cavedogcc.shtml


Other TA websites devoted to configuring/setting up TA: