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Join Date: 12 Jun 2001 Posts: 1,234

Total Annihilation v3.9.01 Beta Patch



This is purely a patch a not a mod; it does not change the game balancing in any way. What's included? Everything - updated TA Demo 1.0.0.666, updated NoCD Music Patch, updated dlls, all known map features, all the latest engine improvements, Cavedog's official patch, units, and maps, and more. The readme file below will explain everything in detail.



This patch solves many problems, as you will realize after reading the readme, and also standardizes the game. Currently there have been a lot of online problems and confusion due to everyone having different versions of xpoy's dll updates (with incorrect ini files), people using random different hacks and patches, etc.



The patch also provides a new unified platform for mods that will result in standardized installs and no possibility of conflicts with original TA. Future versions of TA Zero, TA Escalation, and Total Mayhem will be properly installed software and will REQUIRE the patch to install.



Download the Total Annihilation v3.9.01 Beta Patch



The v3.9.01 Beta Patch readme, please read carefully:

Quote: Total Annihilation v3.9.01 Beta Patch (April 15, 2012)



http://www.tauniverse.com



---------- Introduction --------------------------------------



This is a beta version of the upcoming TA v4.0 Patch which is a comprehensive update to Total Annihilation intended to replace v3.1 as the de-facto version of the game as well as make all old custom enhancements obsolete. This is a patch, NOT a mod, and does not change the game balancing in any way; it only adds new features and fixes technical issues. The v3.9.xx series of beta patches will be released for testing and refinement purposes on the TAUniverse forum, leading up to the final v4.0 patch which is intended for mainstream use by all players. Further updates (4.1, etc.) are also planned which will add even more new features which are under development. The patch will be REQUIRED by future versions of mods such as TA Escalation and TA Zero.



This patch is comprehensive and intended to be the ONLY *necessary* install other than TA and the expansions. In addition to adding all-new features, the following software is updated, replaced, or otherwise made obsolete by this patch, and will be automatically moved to a backup folder if detected:



- TA v3.1 Patch by Cavedog

- The 6 downloadable units and 16 downloadable maps by Cavedog

- TA Demo Recorder 0.99b2 by The Swedish Yankspankers

- TA Demo Recorder 1.0.0.545 update by Xon (dplayx.dll)

- TA Interface Upgrade updates by xpoy (ddraw.dll)

- McnTerra-NS recorder "fix"

- All map feature packs (TA Features 20xx, Frenzy, AtlantisMB, Tamec2004, TAK2006, etc.)

- TA NoCD Music Patch

- All NoCD patches

- Expanded Battleroom and Map Selection GUI

- All unit limit patches (500, 1500, 5000)

- TA Sound Fix (mixingbuffers increase)

- TA Pathfinding Fix

- LOS tables fix

- +atm 10000 patcher

- Multicore Patch



This patch is not simply a compilation of the above, it is a full-fledged update of all of them and also includes numerous all-new features, which are detailed below in the Features and Version History sections.



---------- Installation --------------------------------------



Simply run the installer and follow the instructions.



Notes:

- The patch must be installed to a valid TA game folder.

- The patch will detect your TA location, but you can change the install location.

- The patch is compatible with all versions of TA (original CD, GOG.com, Impulse, etc.).

- The expansions packs are highly recommended but not required.

- It is recommended to install to a clean TA folder (TA + expansions + 3.1 patch or GOG/Impulse install)

- It is no big deal if installed to an unclean folder, as the patch will detect all junk files and move them to a backup folder and has been designed to not conflict with older versions of most software in the first place. If the patch is uninstalled, it will restore your game folder to its original state.

- All four new dlls (audiere, tdraw, tmusi, tplayx) are required for TA to launch; don't delete them.

- Files moved to the junk folder should not be placed back in the game folder while the patch is installed.

- Future versions of patch-dependent mods such as TAESC and Zero will install to a subfolder in whichever game folder the patch was installed to; this CANNOT be changed. The mods will reside in their own folder (with their own custom Demo Recorder) and will not affect original TA in any way.



***** Beginner Instructions *****



Are you a beginner who just wants to play the latest and greatest version of Total Annihilation? Simply install the original game (GOG.com version recommended, as it only costs $6, has no DRM, and installs TA with maps/campaigns, both expansions, the 3.1 patch, and the map editor in one click) and then install this patch and you're good to go. To play online, simply install the GameRanger or WarZone clients. Use the Replayer program to rewatch all your online games, which are automatically recorded (no configuration is needed).



---------- Features ------------------------------------------



***** TA Demo 1.0.0.666 *****



TA Demo has been updated to 1.0.0.666 and is installed by the patch. This replaces all previous versions of TA Demo (0.99b2, 1.0.0.545, McnTerra-NS "fix") and is automatically configured to optimal settings.



- Fully backwards-compatible with old .tad recordings, including those "infected" by McnTerra-NS.

- TA Demo 1.0.0.666 uses a new registry key and therefore will not conflict with old versions.

- .tad files are now properly associated with the 1.0.0.666 Replayer.

- The Replayer and 3D Replayer are now installed to the "TADemo" subfolder.

- Recorded games are now saved to the "Recorded Games" subfolder by default.

- TADemo.ufo has been cleaned up and made compatible with TA Zero and the upcoming version of TA Esc.

- ".report" command now shows 1.0.0.666 for players who have the new version.

- .tad files recorded with the new version are marked with 1.0.0.666.

- The 3D Replayer resolution is now automatically set to your desktop resolution.

- The four McnTerra-NS units have been added to rev31.gp3 and limited to 0 in the AI profiles, making all "infected" .tad files play correctly while still blocking McnTerra-NS from affecting the game.

- Yankspankers load screen removed.



***** Game Improvements *****



The game exe is updated and all official downloadable game content is included.



- TotalA.exe updated to v3.9.01.

- The official v3.1 patch is included.

- The 6 downloadable Cavedog units are included and loaded from rev31.gp3 rather than .ufo files.

- The 16 downloadable Cavedog maps are included and loaded from cdmaps.ufo.

- Fixed line of sight tables have been added to rev31.gp3 (McnTerra-NS already included fixed LOS tables, however the new tables support the maximum possible unit LOS, for modders).



***** Interface Improvements *****



Numerous new interface features have been added.



- All interface upgrades from previous TA Demo versions (line building, drawing, finding idle builders, +100 queuing, shared line of sight, etc.) are included.

- Expanded battleroom GUI is included in rev31.gp3 (same as the old one).

- New expanded map selection GUI is included in rev31.gp3, featuring an expanded description box that allows maps to have longer descriptions, up to the hardcoded 128 character limit.

- Double-clicking a unit now selects all units of the same type currently on-screen.

- CTRL+S now selects all units with weapons that are currently on-screen instead of all units that are currently on-screen.

- CTRL+F now cycles through idle factories instead of selecting all factories.

- CTRL+B now actually selects the idle builder like all other hotkeys rather than just moving the camera.

- Holding W while dragging a selection box now only selects mobile units with weapons.

- Holding B while dragging a selection box now only selects construction units.

- Holding Y while dragging a selection box now only selects factories.

- Marker graphic updated for increased highlighting effect.

- When watching an online game as a spectator, you can now see other players' resource bars, similar to watching a recorded game.

- When watching an online or recorded game, you can change to another player's view by double-clicking their resource bar. To return to full map line of sight, click "Back to my view".

- When in another player's view while watching an online or recorded game, you can lock on to their camera position by double-clicking their resource bar again (this only works if they used the ".sharemappos" command). To unlock from their camera position, double-click their resource bar again or click "Back to my view".

- When in another player's view while watching a recorded game, you can select their units (after the commander has stopped flashing) and thus view radar ranges with CTRL+R, etc.

- The PrintScreen keyboard button can now be used to save screenshots. The original screenshot key, CTRL+F9, still works as well.

- Certain interface upgrades, like double-click selection, W/B/Y selection filters, and queuing 100 units with CTRL+SHIFT now work in windowed mode.

- Advanced interface options now shown in Options menu (previously only accessible via CTRL+F2) and shows actual key names instead of code numbers.



***** Engine Improvements *****



Many groundbreaking engine enhancements have been added and several bugs and cheats fixed.



- Pathfinding cycles have been increased from 1333 to 66650, dramatically increasing pathfinding quality when there are large numbers of units in-game (pathfinding no longer degrades as unit count increases).

- Unit ID limit increased from 512 to 4096.

- Weapon ID limit increased from 256 to 4096 (currently single player only, will be enabled for multiplayer after the Replayer is updated to work with increased limit).

- Special effects limit has been increased from 400 to 20480, improving particle effects.

- Maximum in-game unit model size increased from 600x600 to 1280x1280.

- Maximum number of simultaneous sounds has been increased from 8 to infinite, fixing sound cutoffs.

- Unit limit is now set to 1500 by default in .ini file but can be set to any number between 20 and 6553. - The unit limit is now set in real-time in RAM rather than being pre-patched in the .exe meaning whatever number is set in the ini is the actual unit limit (1500 does not mean patched to 5000 and then limited to 1500, it is actually patched to 1500); this allows all possible unit limits to be used without making the game unstable when low unit limits are used. DO NOT set higher than 6553 or TA will crash.

- You can now press Alt+TAB to minimize TA in WinXP and newer OSs without crashing, without having to use Windows 98 or 95 compatibility modes or setting affinity to one (such as with the "multicore exe"). In fact, don't set compatibility modes as they artificially limit your game resolution.

- "+atm" cheat now fills your resource bars rather than giving a set amount of resources, regardless of how much storage you have.

- "+ai #" and "+control #" reactivated as cheats (they were cheats in TA 1.0 and later disabled).

- Secret developer mode now synced to whether or not cheats are enabled, meaning developer mode is now disabled during campaigns, enabled during skirmish, and either enabled or disabled in multiplayer depending on match settings. Players can no longer cheat online by using the developer mode command.

- Reclaim cursor no longer disappears when pointed at enemy commander on minimap, preventing cheating.

- Developer mode's debug overlay changed from F11 key to F10 to prevent conflicts with F11 macro key.

- Disabled DirectX check error message on game load.

- CD is no longer required to play (CD version only, GOG/Impulse versions are already NoCD).



***** NoCD Music *****



TA's music is now read from the game folder instead of the CD, making the game fully NoCD.



- NoCD Music Patch updated (compared to old NoCD Music Patch as well as GOG/Impulse versions).

- Game music (tracks 2 - 17) are now read from the "\tmusi" subfolder which contains the soundtrack as 320kbps MP3 files, fully tagged and with album art included.

- The Total Annihilation main theme, which is played during the intro movie, has been included as a bonus track. This song was released by composer Jeremy Soule as a 128kbps MP3 file on his official website in 2006 and is the only clean copy of the song ever released to the public.

- You can customize the soundtrack to play your own music (or enable the TA Main Theme to play in-game) by following the instructions found in the "\tmusi" subfolder.

- MP3 music redirection code no longer writes a totala_log.txt log file to your boot drive like the GOG/Impulse versions and old NoCD Music Patch and the file is deleted during installation if detected.



***** Map Features *****



All known map features are included, allowing you to play on possibly every map that exists.



- TA Features 2011, Frenzy Features 2009, and AtlantisMB features are included; these are the only map feature packs that should be used and, when combined, are comprehensive and updated.

- TA Features 2010, TA Features 2009, Tamechpi2004, TAK_Anims, etc. are all obsolete; do not use these!



***** Improved Game Settings *****



Game configuration is improved and made hassle-free, requiring no setup for beginners while providing new options for experts.



- TotalA.ini replaced with TA.ini.

- Numerous options can now be adjusted via TA.ini, including new features such as pathfinding cycles and special effects limit as well as registry overrides.

- SwitchAlt is now enabled by default, allowing selection of unit groups with number keys instead of ALT + number keys.

- Default number of players in skirmish mode is now set to 10 instead of 4.

- Default sound mode is now set to 3D instead of Mono.

- Default music mode set to Random instead of Custom (the dynamic build/battle system is very buggy and almost never works on modern systems, resulting in only a single track playing and then either stopping [CD version] or looping forever [MP3 version]; if it works for you, change it back in TA.ini).

- Game speed now always returns to normal after every match (if adjusted with +/- keys).

- Screen chat now always returns to enabled after every match (if disabled with "+screenchat" command).

- A resolution overrider setting is available in TA.ini, allowing you to set any game resolution you want (instructions in ini).

- An option to match menu resolution to in-game resolution, instead of being locked to the default 640x480, is available in TA.ini.



***** Unified Experience *****



The patch standardizes the game folder among players and provides easy installation.



- The patch installs and uninstalls cleanly and registers with the Windows Control Panel.

- The patch installer automatically initializes your game resolution to be the same as your desktop resolution, instead of the default 640x480. It also does this for the 3D Replayer.

- A launcher tool is included which allows you to set the game resolution, enable or disable windowed mode, save your resolution setting, and launch the game.

- An auto-updater is included which notifies you of new versions and offers to download for you. Beta updates will only be rolled out to those who already have a beta patch from the forum.



---------- Known Issues --------------------------------------



There are still some outstanding issues that need to be resolved before the v4.0 release. Remember, while nearly complete, this is a beta patch.



- Changes to advanced interface options (CTRL+F2) are not saved across sessions and revert to default.

- The "\" key (the default whiteboard key) sometimes causes crashes, changing the key solves this but due to the previous bug you need to change it every time TA launches.

- The Weapon ID increase is currently disabled for multiplayer because the Replayer still needs to be updated to correctly interpret the new packet structure while at the same time maintaining backwards-compatibility with old .tad recordings.

- The TA Demo documentation is not included as it hasn't been updated since 0.99b2 and is very outdated. The documentation will be rewritten and included in a later version.



Any other issues that are discovered should be reported to the beta testing thread on the TAUniverse forum (http://www.tauniverse.com/forum).



---------- Version History -----------------------------------



***** v3.9.01 Beta *****



- Added TotalA.exe 3.9.01.

- Added tdraw.dll 0.8.4.6.

- Added tplayx.dll 1.0.0.666.

- Added tmusi.dll and audiere.dll.

- Added TA Demo 1.0.0.666.

- Added updated rev31.gp3.

- Added \tmusi folder with music, including main theme bonus track.

- Added TA Features 2011, Frenzy Features 2009, and AtlantisMB Features.

- Added 16 downloadable Cavedog maps (a few are also in the expansions but not everyone has those).

- Added resolution configuration tool.

- Added auto-updater.

- Replaced totala.ini with TA.ini.

- Changed +atm to fill resource bars instead of giving 1000 metal and energy.

- Changed +ai and +control from level 4 (disabled) to level 2 (cheats).

- Changed default pathfinding cycles in exe to 66650 (separate from tdraw.dll/TA.ini implementation).

- Changed debug mode key from F11 to F10.

- Changed reclaim cursor to not disappear when pointed at enemy Commander.

- Disabled DirectX check error message.

- Disabled and removed totala_log.txt.

- Added 6 downloadable Cavedog units to rev31.gp3.

- Added fixed LOS.tdf to rev31.gp3.

- Added expanded battleroom GUI to rev31.gp3.

- Added new expanded map selection/viewing GUI to rev31.gp3.

- Added Loadgame2bg.pcx to rev31.gp3 (so loading screen can't be hijacked by hpi/ufo/ccx files).

- Added 4 McnTerra-NS.ufo units to rev31.gp3 and limited them to 0 in all AI profiles.

- Changed registry key for tplayx.dll, Replayer, and 3D Replayer to HKCU\Software\TA Patch.

- Added double-click selection.

- Added W/B/Y selection filters.

- Changed CTRL+S to select units with weapons on-screen.

- Changed CTRL+B to actually select idle builders.

- Changed CTRL+F to cycle through idle factories.

- Changed marker graphic for increased highlighting effect.

- Added PrintScreen key to take screenshots.

- Added ability to change view and lock map position via double-clicking a player's resource bar.

- Added ability to select units of viewed player while watching a recorded game.

- Added double-click select, W/B/Y select, and 100 unit queuing to windowed mode.

- Added pathfinding adjuster.

- Added special effects adjuster.

- Added Unit ID adjuster.

- Added Weapon ID adjuster.

- Added Weapon ID packet length fix (currently disabled).

- Added unit model size adjuster.

- Added unit limit adjuster.

- Added option to sync menu resolution to game resolution.

- Synced developer mode to cheating mode.

- Fixed Alt+TAB crashes.



***** v3.1 and previous *****



- Read the original readme31.txt for version history of Cavedog's patches.



* This is an unofficial Total Annihilation patch, created by the community and published by TAUniverse *



So the game plan is for people to test the patch and report any possible issues, as well as solve the few remaining issues detailed in the readme. The only pressing issue is that xpoy needs to fix the two current interface bugs (CTRL+F2 options not being saved and \ key sometimes causing crashes), which isn't going to happen until he shows up again, which will hopefully be pretty soon. The only other real issue is that the Weapon ID increase is currently single player only, as mentioned in the readme as well, but fixing this while maintaining backwards compatibility with old .tad recordings will require substantial recorder updates and probably won't make it into the v4.0 patch, so you'll have to wait for a future version for that. Any mod that doesn't need backwards compatibility with old .tad files can start using the increased weapon ID limit in multiplayer soon though, as mods can now have their own Replayer separate from the OTA one.



I also want to address the issue of map features. Currently the patch includes TA Features 2011, Frenzy Map Features 2009, and AtlantisMB Features, which together are comprehensive. The features are basically the only things in the patch I haven't touched, because I'd rather have DannyU handle them. First, it would be good to get Frenzy Map Features integrated into the TA Features ccx file so we are just left with TA Features 2012 and AtlantisMB Features (which apparently shouldn't be touched ). That just leaves one issue - the map weapons. Right now there's basically just a zip file with 3 different file choices which the user is assumed to know how to use, which is a little ridiculous. The original reason for this was the weapon ID limit, but that issue is already solved for single player and will eventually be solved for multiplayer, so the end goal is to have a single map weapons file which will always be installed, thus automatically providing compatibility with all maps. The question is, do we do this now or later? How many maps actually need these weapons? For any non-beta public releases (such as v4.0) there should be no configuration required at all for the user, and this map weapon issue is literally the only remaining thing standing in the way of that, so we need to figure out what to do about it.



Once again, the purpose of this thread is to find any remaining issues and get the patch tested in actual games by many people. The download link again:



Download the Total Annihilation v3.9.01 Beta Patch As a few of you already know, I've been working on a Total Annihilation v4.0 Patch that will serve as a comprehensive unofficial update for TA to replace v3.1 as the de facto version of the game. The patch updates/replaces all existing crucial game patches/updates/hacks/etc. After extensive testing the first beta version (v3.9.01 Beta) is ready for download. The patch is basically complete except for some outstanding issues which I will describe later, plus I want to make sure everything is fully tested before releasing the final v4.0 Patch, which is be intended for mainstream use (these beta patches are for testing purposes and will only be available from this thread). There will then be further patches (v4.1, etc.) as the game is updated with more new features (xpoy's new minimap, etc.).This is purely a patch a not a mod; it does not change the game balancing in any way. What's included? Everything - updated TA Demo 1.0.0.666, updated NoCD Music Patch, updated dlls, all known map features, all the latest engine improvements, Cavedog's official patch, units, and maps, and more. The readme file below will explain everything in detail.This patch solves many problems, as you will realize after reading the readme, and also standardizes the game. Currently there have been a lot of online problems and confusion due to everyone having different versions of xpoy's dll updates (with incorrect ini files), people using random different hacks and patches, etc.The patch also provides a new unified platform for mods that will result in standardized installs and no possibility of conflicts with original TA. Future versions of TA Zero, TA Escalation, and Total Mayhem will be properly installed software and will REQUIRE the patch to install.The v3.9.01 Beta Patch readme, please read carefully:Yes that was a little long but hopefully you read it all.So the game plan is for people to test the patch and report any possible issues, as well as solve the few remaining issues detailed in the readme. The only pressing issue is that xpoy needs to fix the two current interface bugs (CTRL+F2 options not being saved and \ key sometimes causing crashes), which isn't going to happen until he shows up again, which will hopefully be pretty soon. The only other real issue is that the Weapon ID increase is currently single player only, as mentioned in the readme as well, but fixing this while maintaining backwards compatibility with old .tad recordings will require substantial recorder updates and probably won't make it into the v4.0 patch, so you'll have to wait for a future version for that. Any mod that doesn't need backwards compatibility with old .tad files can start using the increased weapon ID limit in multiplayer soon though, as mods can now have their own Replayer separate from the OTA one.I also want to address the issue of map features. Currently the patch includes TA Features 2011, Frenzy Map Features 2009, and AtlantisMB Features, which together are comprehensive. The features are basically the only things in the patch I haven't touched, because I'd rather have DannyU handle them. First, it would be good to get Frenzy Map Features integrated into the TA Features ccx file so we are just left with TA Features 2012 and AtlantisMB Features (which apparently shouldn't be touched). That just leaves one issue - the map weapons. Right now there's basically just a zip file with 3 different file choices which the user is assumed to know how to use, which is a little ridiculous. The original reason for this was the weapon ID limit, but that issue is already solved for single player and will eventually be solved for multiplayer, so the end goal is to have a single map weapons file which will always be installed, thus automatically providing compatibility with all maps. The question is, do we do this now or later? How many maps actually need these weapons? For any non-beta public releases (such as v4.0) there should be no configuration required at all for the user, and this map weapon issue is literally the only remaining thing standing in the way of that, so we need to figure out what to do about it.Once again, the purpose of this thread is to find any remaining issues and get the patch tested in actual games by many people. The download link again: Last edited by N72; 20 Jan 2013 at 4:23 PM .