TA: Escalation (TA:ESC or ESC) is a full expansion to the original Total Annihilation game released by Cavedog Entertainment in 1997. ESC seeks to make every unit useful , expand the scope and scale of the game's potential, and improve game performance, update SFX and sounds, enhance the interface, fix bugs, and much, much more!
Permissions and credits
Credits and distribution permission
Other user's assetsAll the assets in this file belong to the author, or are from free-to-use modder's resources
Upload permissionYou are not allowed to upload this file to other sites under any circumstances
Modification permissionYou must get permission from me before you are allowed to modify my files to improve it
Conversion permissionYou are not allowed to convert this file to work on other games under any circumstances
Asset use permissionYou must get permission from me before you are allowed to use any of the assets in this file
Asset use permission in mods/files that are being soldYou are not allowed to use assets from this file in any mods/files that are being sold, for money, on Steam Workshop or other platforms
Asset use permission in mods/files that earn donation pointsYou are not allowed to earn Donation Points for your mods if they use my assets
Author notes
A note (and request) regarding using our content...
As a rule we do not share or distribute our works (outside of our own official releases or tests) to 3rd Parties for public distribution. Our concepts, models, effects, textures, etc. are the collective efforts of several folks who have worked tirelessly to better the TA platform as well as preserve and maintain the overall TA community. We have put a lot of years and expense into our work and ask that folks respect this request as we would and do the same for you also. Our reasons for all this are basically:
-TA:ESC is still a work in progress and a very active mod
-Our units and concepts are still evolving - often with new enhancements and developments
-We want to finish our vision without others modifying our works before they (or the mod as a whole) are completed
-We want to keep our works primarily within the TA community which we are striving to keep alive and well.
-We would love (and hope) to port ESC to a more 'modern' RTS engine and look forward to projects like 'Robot War Engine'
-All said, we absolutely welcome partnering (especially within the TA community) and sharing of ideas, artwork, and so on. Many folks have been generous with us and we have also been in return. If you are starting a new mod of your own, we would encourage and love to see it. If you want to work us, even cooler! All of the above specifically applies to the TA Engine via individual releases, unit packs, and mods as well as to any other RTS engines and platforms such as Spring RTS and it's sub-mods.
If you are thinking of using our stuff, please respectfully refrain from doing so. If you are using our stuff already with the idea that simply giving 'credit' to us is enough, know that it is not (and you did not get permission to do so in any case).
Creativity and collaboration are amazing virtues and we encourage anyone to exercise (and respect) it for the benefit of everyone.
Thanks and much appreciation!
File credits
This author has not credited anyone else in this file
Donation Points system
Please log in to find out whether this mod is receiving Donation Points
- ARM 'Nomad' - T3 Mobile Factory Extender (telporter)
- CORE 'Horizon' - T3 Mobile Teleporter Gate
- ARM 'Ark' - T3 Amphibious Transport Sub/Tank
REMOVED UNITS
- ARM 'Manta' - reworking for future use
- CORE 'Eel' - reworking for future use
FEATURES
- Restored OTA style ground fire (GF) missiles to all traditional mobile and static AA units (all GF damage 1/16th AA and 60-66% range)
- Restored effectiveness of T2 Metal Makers to 12, increased Buildtime +50%
- Replaced black color with brown/maple to address difficulties seeing units in game on mini/mega map
Set all Arm and Core non-hover T3 lab costs to 15x Energy, 4x Metal, 2.5x Health, 8x Buildtime vs. respective T2 variants, Increased workertimes 2.67x (360->960)
- Set all Arm and Core hover T3 lab costs to 12x Energy, 3x Metal, 2x Health, 6x Buildtime vs. respective T2 variants, increased LOS (224->352) and workertimes 2.67x (360->960)
- After specific adjustments/exceptions (see below) increased all Arm and Core T3 unit buildtimes by 2.67x matching increased lab workertimes
- Lowered all Arm and Core T2 workertime/assist values (-50%)
- Add visual indicator symbols to all units when shielded, charged, or when requiring additional changers
- Increased T1/T2 Arm and Core Gunship weapon projectile speeds (+25%)
- Improved all Arm and Core hovercraft maximum slope access
- Relocated Arm and Core Jammers, Geothermal, and Repair Pad/Carrier units menu locations for improved consistency
- Slow aiming defenses now orient their turrets toward location of nearest enemy Commander when built
- Galactic Gates no longer teleport 'boss' or very large units - use T3 transports
FIXES
- Fixed Arm and Core Advanced Seaplane HOTKEY menus
- Fixed incorrect spelling on Arm Tornado description
- Fixed potential locking / dual fire bug with Arm Marauder and Core Widow
- Added missing CTRL+O for Core Skynet
- Fixed Arm Tempest firing weapons bug while landed and rare occurring crash bug
- Fixed Core Bastion texturing to match low trajectory weapon fire
- Reduced radar coverage (-50%) on Arm and Core T2 Sonar Stations
- Moved Arm Renegade and Core Nemesis back to T3, adjusted stats accordingly
- Moved Arm Riptide and Core Slipstream back to T3, adjusted stats accordingly
- Reduced Arm Penetrator health (-5%)
T3
- Reduced Arm Marauder and Core Widow unit health (-25%), speed (-10%)
- Increased Arm Cerberus Health (+8%)
- Modified Arm Vault to function similar to Core Vault with same values
- Increased Arm Champion health (+33%)
- Increased Core Autocrat health (+25%)
- Increased Core Arbitrator weapon Energy requirement (2x) and reload time (30->36 seconds)
- Increased Core Overlord weapon DPS (+12.5%)
- Reduced Arm Aurora Energy and Metal costs (-10%), increased bomb weapon damage (1440->2160), increased speed (9->10.5), and fixed infinite bomb dropping. NOTE: prior to overall T3 change
- Reduced Core Decimator unit speed (6.4->6)
- Modified Arm Deluge and Core Hammerhead nuclear torpedo to manually fired vlaunch warhead missiles - adjusted damages and cost to fire accordingly
- Improved Arm Expedition and Core Halcyon turnrate (+80%) and overall health (+25%)
- Restore Tri-Burst, Salvo fire for Core Dictator, increased reload time (32->60), reduced shot damage (19.2k->14.4k)
- Improved Armageddon rate of fire (30->25), reduced shot damage (18k->12.8k)
- Lowered Arm and Core Shield healtime to 9.1 values, improved overall health (+15%)
TA:ESCALATION
After thousands of years of endless conflict, the final destruction of the Adversary was long last at hand. With the Enemy all but vanquished and the thunder of war abated, a New Order has risen from the ashes of the old to begin the task of rebuilding the Galaxy...
...And in the very midst of rebirth, where the light of galactic civilization shines exceedingly brilliant once more, in places long forgotten ever darkening shadows shroud the seeds of perpetual resistance in opposition eternal...
This is the next chapter in the ongoing saga of the Arm and the Core and their unyielding resolve to annihilate the other once and for all. This is Total Annihilation. This is Total Annihilation: Escalation!
Establishing the gold standard for classic TA mods and pioneering an array of new in-game concepts (all while also pushing the envelope on the venerable TA engine), the ESC team and it’s supporting partners and players bring you the ultimate expansion for Total Annihilation!
- Enjoy over 200 all new and original production quality units as if the Cavedog team carried on supporting TA to this very day!
- Brace yourselves against the impact of immense screen shattering explosions and updated visual and sound effects!
- Play against peers online with game balance vetted by pro players and thousands of games!
- Challenge an AI designed to foil you early and late and to prepare you to...
- Dominate your enemies with a complete and fully operational tier of Level 3, experimental class units!
- Utilize new game concepts, features and technologies, including automated transports, unit upgrades, adjacency bonuses, shields, and even teleportation!
- Leverage multiple community driven UI and engine improvements to further enhance your TA gaming experience including; mega-map, on screen draw-lines and markers, game recording and playback, hot-keys and macros, new side colors, and fully updated Windows 10 support!
