Spring - User contributions [en]

Complete Annihilation

2008-05-04T12:53:07Z

KingRaptor:

=Introduction=

Complete Annihilation (CA) is a game made for the Spring engine. It is a derivative of the original Total Annihilation (OTA), with the goal of eventually replacing all copyrighted content (models, textures and the like) with original, open source content.

CA emphasizes distinct unit roles and fluid, always-moving gameplay from start to finish.

=Features=

==User interface and LuaUI==
*New cursors
*Centers and selects the Comm at startup
*Warns when d-gun is limited
*Shows which units are being transported
*Depicts unit experience with tank icons
*Automatically controls your metal makers for maximum efficiency
*Always see what your factories are building and give the orders quickly with buildbar.
*New button graphics.
*Units reply with speech.

==Gameplay and LuaRules==
*No effective single unit spam (hopefully).
*Kbots and Vehicles are both viable on most maps.
*Arm and Core have a different play style.
*Set at which percentage of remaining health your units will retreat to the nearest Commander or nanotower.
*Pointless micromanagement is not rewarded.
*The Commander can cloak nearby units or toggle the stealth ability, for a hefty energy cost.
*Once you have a factory, you can concentrate on the battle while the your metal extractors, radars or metal makers automatically upgrade themselves.
*Windmill output increases with altitude.
*Sharing with an enemy is disables unless cheat mode is active.
*Unit sharing is delayed to avoid share at last second before death scenarios.
*Lose the resources contained in a storage building when it is destroyed.

==Graphics==
*New models and textures.
*New explosions, weapon and unit effects.
*Play in cartoon mode with the outline widget.
*Higher resolution 3do textures.

=Mutators=

==Deployment Mutator==
Place your units and give orders to them before the game starts: you don't have to wait to use the big guns.

==Tactics Mutator==
Place your units on the battlefield before the game starts then wipe out your enemy. With no economic management, you are free to exercise your tactics.

=Links=

'''Homepage:'''
'''[http://www.caspring.org www.caspring.org]'''

'''Download it here:'''
'''[http://trac.caspring.org/wiki/CaUpdater CA Updater (the easiest & fastest to get CA and Spring maps)]'''

'''[[CA detailed unit guide]]'''

Back to [[Mods]]

[[Category:Mods]]
{{Category:Mods}}

Commander Shooter

2007-11-26T15:36:54Z

KingRaptor: /* Quotes */

[[Image:csheader.png]]

== About ==

Commander Shooter(CS) is a mod where players control one fast commander, and in [[Using_Camera#FPS_"Mode"_(C)|FPS Camera Mode]] try to dgun the enemy commander. To FPS, press the c button. You cannot build unless you are Rhyoss. Newest version available v0.45 can be downloaded [http://spring.unknown-files.net/file/2846/Commander_Shooter_V0.45/ Here!].

== Quotes ==

'''Maelstrom''' -- "Come play with us, it's a fun mod. Playing with yourself just isnt as fun..."

'''AcMister''' -- "Why is this mod so popular?.....Holy ****!@!"

'''[Nem]The_Big_Boss''' -- "This game is about a commander who shoots stuff."

'''Noraus''' -- "I can quote myself?"

'''[EE]Shadowsage''' "No! My heart belongs to me!"

'''Crappage''' -- "STFU!@!"

'''DeltaEnergy''' -- "I played this mod once and I suck."

'''KingRaptor''' -- "buff phire noox plz"

'''Yoda''' -- "Use the Dgun, Luke"

'''Anonymous'''(To keep his identity safe) -- "I like to self destruct killing everybody at once while not shooting a single shot ROAOR!!"

'''Neddiedrow''' -- "I almost moved it to the gimmick mod section, but for some reason, it has too many hardcore fans."

== History ==

It was created during summer break by a very bored kid named Noruas. He wanted to include with the new version of AA, but Caydr's mouse, was. erm lagging. It was really made out of curiosity if the idea was plausible but Caydr thought it was blasphemy. At the same time of Caydr's lagging mouse, [[Timberwolf Mod]] was being planned to be released with Caydr's new AA versions with Community Mod Pack v1 included, that day would never come. (I think i didn't Atleast I never heard of it.) I have a new theory that Caydr hates commander shooter because every time i ask him to include it in AA, he rejects >_> <_<

It is the first FPS mod for spring, and many new FPS only mods are now following.
[[The Blue Tank]] is a good example of newer Fps mods. However because of popularity, Commander Shooter is now the first and so far only FPS mod thats not in the [[Gimmick Mod]] section. Some people think Commander Shooter has copied [[Duel]] . However it has been proven that Duel and Commander Shooter has nothing to do with each other!

== King of Commander Shooter ==
[[King_of_CS]] is the person the best skilled at any commander he chooses to defeat his foes. Kings of CS are highly skilled and should be respected. They must have a tag in front of their name that looks like this [KoCS].The current king is Noruas the Newb Slaying Commander. As of November 23th, 2006.

== Strategy ==
''' All: '''

The Commanders all have a close range weapon when not in first person, they auto hit, and do very low damage, and can fire from a range of 500. All commanders have 8000 eyesight and radar! Self Destruct takes 10 seconds on all commanders, however it doubles the explosion's power and this is really good on low gravity maps, although the players may never fall down. Make sure you press C and get into your commander, ctrl 1 groups the commander, so when you fps, you turn on/off, and even cloak! Commanders now have dynamic walking sounds, yes, you can tell how close the enemy commander is by the volume of his steps!

These are how newbs play! Notice how they aren't moving, nor firing dgun, this is how you get owned! [[Image:Doingitwrongcomway.jpg]]

''' United Earth Federation's Supreme Commander: '''

This guy is the heaviest commander and can pack a wallet full of quarters in seconds. He is slow, heavy and perhaps most newb friendly. If your this guy, make sure nothing slows you down, gun it down with rapid fire style weapons!

''' ARM: '''

The arm commander has a slow firing, powerful dgun. Be sure to fire carefully! The Arm commander's on/off function controls the radar jammer. Leaving it on drains power, so if you are running low turn it off. If you are lucky, you can fling the enemy high up in the sky.

''' Guardian of Kadesh: '''

This commander has laser pistols ready for battle. However you do not want to use them if you have a precise aim d gun head weapon that destroys all! He is fairly well armored, but his special ability is his self recovery speed. No matter what the damage is, he can recover at dangerous speeds. If you see this commander, kill him while you can!

''' CORE: '''

The core commander has a burst firing dgun. He can fire long bursts of dgun. The core commander doesn't have a radar jammer but he is faster than the arm commander. With lag, the core commander can be hard to use, because you need to hit the enemy with all or most the dgun to be effective because it isn't as powerful. If he does manage to hit the target with all of his bursts, he does 50% more damage then the arm commander's weapon.

''' THE LOST LEGACY: '''

The TLL commander is big, slow, and has a powerful weapon. He auto fires lightning, huge, and is hard to kill. Very defensive indeed! Do not underestimate one! He has the highest health regeneration, and can take a considerable amount of damage. His gun does the highest amount of damage per second, however it is a slow moving electric type dgun. He cannot be tossed as easily as other commanders can.

''' Rhyoss: '''

He's extremely well fit for battle, he has a long range laser by 50%. He also has the fastest moving rocket dgun, that has a huge area of effect. He does not have a radar, but instead has a seismic detector. His repairing is highly effective and suggestive on team battles, he can also build LLT turrets, Giant walls and Radar to detect cloakers. He is the only commander that go walk on water, making him the only amphibious commander!

''' Talon: '''

He's fast, he's quick, if you got lag you ain't gonna hit him, the fastest dude in the mod, can run circles and fire d guns faster turn. He does not have good climbing but on flat maps he is perfect for pulling off matrix. Once gone into fps mode, you cannot use laser anymore. His cloak is extremely cheap and gives him the great advantage as an escape artist.

''' Magma: '''

He's slow, made of dough, falls to pieces and his d gun doesn't do very well. He is stealthy, and has a powerful shield that can block 10,000 dmg of all sort of cruel dguns, snipes and assaults from core. He has a auto fire rocket, that follows the target and can do a good push to smaller commanders.

''' Mynn: '''

Hes slow, very weak, and is reload time is 25 seconds. OK, that sucks right? Nope, because he can climb anything! And His Dgun can kill almost anything! He is the ultimate nuke launcher, and carries a powerful rocket to aid him in his missings! He does not have radar or cloak, so you have to be careful that an arm commander or talon commander is stalking you!

''' WTF: '''

He is a model of all commanders smashed into one, and his stats are rounded up. His abilities are such as building llts, firing a good ole double blasting dgun. This commander, is well, i dunno. Just be careful of the second dgun thing after the first one.!

''' Argon: '''

He is the commander of one of the first races ever made for total annihilation. He the ability make puppet commanders who can fight and damage a commander. His Clones are more powerful then the actual commander himself, so its advised to hide your commander well before sending the puppet out. He can completely hide by cloaking.

== KROGOTH VS COMMANDERS YAY! YAY! ==

''' Krogoth: '''

He's Huge! He roars, and whistles! He even plays music? Oh well, this guy is one can short of a six-pack, that alien. With a huge amount of hp and size, he makes the biggest of commanders look like rag dolls. Not one commander can survive alone. It is recommended for every krogoth, 4 people fight it. He can fire over map features with eye gun and blast his way through with his arm cannons. He does have short range radar, and getting close to him is suicide. The only way to beat a Krogoth is not going head on! His auto repair makes him impossible to beat with several commanders alone!

[[Image:krogwhistle.jpg]]

''' 4 vs 1 Why: '''

I will tell you why, for one, krogoth does 4 times as much dmg as the lost legacy commander, 6 times health, 50% slower, and that's not even including the one-shot k.o. attack.

''' HEY GUYS LET'S ALL BE KROGOTHS!: '''

That's retarded, Krogoths fighting each other is not cool at all, they all stand there barely moving barely killing each other! This is not the commander shooter way to fun! Its like watching 2 overweight men blobbing each other, SICK.

''' King of CS vs Krogoth!: '''

No one is that good, sorry! It's not like knights slaying dragons here.

== PEEWEES VS. AKS SUCK! WHY DID YOU INCLUDE IT! ==

It shows a variant that does not use dgun in fps mode, that ai does not use to auto target at all, unless ai is programed to do so! Also it is to show an example of variants you can make for com shooter!

Clans/LCC

2007-11-26T15:29:07Z

KingRaptor:

'''L'''''33t '''C'''ommander'S '''C'''luB

'''Former name''' - '''L'''33t '''C'''PU '''C'''reW

'''Clan Website''' - http://www.lcc-clan.com

''*'''Members'''''

*[LCC]LordMatt '''U.S'''
*[LCC]quantum '''Italy'''
*[LCC]Lion_heart[Ck] '''U.S'''
*[LCC]Dynamoe2 '''U.S'''
*[LCC]Baleeted '''Bahrain'''
*[LCC]Licho '''Czech Republic'''
*[LCC]det '''U.S'''
*[LCC]hydrix '''U.S'''
*[LCC]Saktoth '''Australia'''
*[LCC]Brawler[LF] '''U.S'''
*[LCC]Islington '''Czech Republic'''
*[LCC]KingRaptor '''Malaysia'''
*[LCC]szgezu[HSSD] '''Hungary'''
*[LCC]Eastwood '''Hungary'''
*[LCC]Teutooni '''Finland'''
*[LCC]Vandervar '''Netherlands'''
*[LCC]SLizer '''Finland'''
*[LCC]Wilsby '''U.K'''
*[LCC]Hael '''Finland'''
*[LCC]Darthvader '''Netherlands'''
*[LCC]TehPwnage '''Phillipines'''
*[LCC]jK '''Germany'''
*[LCC]Magus_X '''Brazil'''

''*'''Countries'''''

*'''U.S.'''
*'''U.K.'''
*'''Italy'''
*'''Bahrain'''
*'''Czech Republic'''
*'''Australia'''
*'''Malaysia'''
*'''Hungary'''
*'''Finland'''
*'''Netherlands'''
*'''Finland'''
*'''Phillipines'''
*'''Brazil

''*'''Complete Annihilation players'''''
'''*[LCC]quantum'''
'''*[LCC]Licho'''
''' *[LCC]Saktoth'''
''' *[LCC]KingRaptor'''
'''*[LCC]jK''''''

''*'''Retired Players?'''''

'''*[LCC]Dynamoe2'''
'''*[LCC]Hydrix'''
'''*[LCC]TehPwnage'''

Category:Mods

2007-07-05T15:22:13Z

KingRaptor: Reverted vandalism

<center>'''Spring Mods'''</center>
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|align="center" width="245"|[[Absolute Annihilation]]
|align="center" width="245"|[[Balanced Annihilation]]
|align="center" width="245"|[[BOTA|Basically OTA]]
|-
|align="center"|[[Commander Shooter]]
|align="center"|[[EvoTA]]
|align="center"|[[Expand and Exterminate]]
|-
|align="center"|[[Final Frontier]]
|align="center"|[[Gundam Annihilation|Gundam RTS]]
|align="center"|[[Kernel Panic]]
|-
|align="center"|[[KuroTA]]
|align="center"|[[Nanoblobs]]
|align="center"|[[SWTA|Star Wars TA]]
|-
|align="center"|[[SpiderPack]]
|align="center"|[[TA-WD|TA: World Domination]]
|align="center"|[[The Blue Tank]]
|-
|align="center"|[[The Lost Legacy]]
|align="center"|[[UberHack]]
|align="center"|[[War Evolution]]
|-
|align="center"|[[NOTA]]
|align="center"|[[Xect vs. Mynn]]
|align="center"|[[XTA]]
|}

[[Category:Content]]

Glossary

2007-04-26T08:27:04Z

KingRaptor: /* Glossary */

===Intro===

Can't find what you're looking for? Please edit this page and add an entry for the word/phrase you don't understand, with the text "what's this?" (click the "Edit Page" link at the bottom to begin). Secondly, have a look to see if there are any "what's this?" entries that you know the answer to, and fill them in.

Please keep this page in alphabetical order, and remember it is just a glossary not an encyclopedia - brief descriptions only please! Thank you.

===Glossary===

;AA
:"Anti Air" - units which are good against aircraft.
:Also see "Absolute Annihilation"

;[[Absolute Annihilation]]
:"Balancing mod" with lots of extra units, based on [[UH]].

;assist-build
:see "build-assist"

;balancing mod
:changes the stats, abilities, or build menus of existing units, may add extra units

;BB
:"Big Bertha", which is a "VLRPC".

;BSR
:"Brave Sir Robin" - producer of [[UH]]

;build-assist
:speeding up unit/building construction with extra con units

;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_plus_plus C++]
:A computer language. Spring is written in this language.

;[[CVS]]
:"Concurrent Version System", allows the developers to work together; it contains the Spring source code.
:"[[SVN]]" (Subversion) is another system for the same task.

;comm
:"commander", the unit you start the game with.

;comm bomb
:"self-D"ing your commander in an enemy base to destroy it.

;commnap
:Snatching an opponent's commander with a transport unit (usually an air transport such as an Atlas/Valkyrie), with the intent of selfdestructing it in the enemy's base.

;con
:"construction", e.g. "con air"/"air con" is a construction aircraft.

;[http://www.doxygen.org doxygen]
:source code documentation system used on spring. Generates [http://taspring.clan-sy.com/doxygen/ documentation] directly from code.

;[[FAQ]]
:Answers to "Frequently Asked Questions"

;LOS
:Line Of Sight (of your units)

;LRPC
:"Long Range Plasma Cannon.
:See also "VLRPC" (Very -""-)

;mex (mexes)(mohomex)
:Metal Extractor(s)

;[[MiniSpring]]
:[[Mods|Mod]] with all the unit sizes scaled down by a factor of 2.

;[[Mods|mod]]
:Modification to the game which changes the units, see [[Mods]].

;[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_.NET .NET]
:A software development platform used by Spring.

;[[OTA]]
:Original Total Annilation, refering to the unmodified TA units.

;Phoenix Works
:A game [[lobby]] and persistent campaign system supporting Spring [[XTA]] as well as several (mainly rebalancing) mods for [[OTA|original TA]].

;Porcing
:Playing defensively and not expanding (Small and Good Defense, like a Porcupine); term from an old [[CaveDog]] Strategy Article.

;PW
:See "Phoenix Works".
:Can also stand for "PeeWee"s

;rebalance
:See "balancing mod"

;rush
:Early attack, see [[Rushing]]

;self-D
:"self destruct" - All units can do this ([CTRL]+[D] to activate/cancel).

;[http://sf.net SourceForge]
:The [[open source]] website used for the development of the source code.

;[[SVN]]
:Subversion, used by the developers, it contains the [[Spring]] programming code. Considered superior to [[CVS]].

;[[SWTA]]
:Star Wars "total conversion" [[Mods|mod]]

;[[SY]]s
:"Swedish Yankspankers" - the guys who started the whole [[Spring]] thing 8)

;[[TA]]
:Total Annihilation, the name of the game.

;[[TA-WD|TAWD]]
:"Total Annihilation: World Domination" - a quality World War 3 [[TC]].

;TC
:See "total conversion"

;total conversion
:A [[Mods|mod]] which replaces the entire unit set, and often every other aspect(graphics, sound, etc.) of a game.

;[[UH]]
:"[[UberHack]]" - Perhaps the most widely acclaimed "balancing mod" - produced by "BSR".

;unit stats
:The amount of armour, max speed, etc. that a unit has.

;[[UTASP]]
:A truly massive unofficial unit pack expansion for [[TA]].

;VLRPC
:"Very Long Range Plasma Cannon"
:See also "LRPC"

;[[XTA]]
:The [[SY]]'s radical "rebalance mod," the standard gametype for [[Spring]].

=== See also ===
* "[http://www.tauniverse.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=435301#post435301 Abbreviations]" entry in the [http://www.tauniverse.com tauniverse.com] forum

[[edrama]]

[[Category:Playing]]

Category:Mods

2007-04-22T09:14:49Z

KingRaptor: Rearranged in alphabetical order

<center>'''Spring Mods'''</center>
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;"
|align="center" width="245"|[[Absolute Annihilation]]
|align="center" width="245"|[[Balanced Annihilation]]
|align="center" width="245"|[[BOTA|Basically OTA]]
|-
|align="center"|[[Commander Shooter]]
|align="center"|[[EvoTA]]
|align="center"|[[Expand and Exterminate]]
|-
|align="center"|[[Final Frontier]]
|align="center"|[[Gundam Annihilation|Gundam RTS]]
|align="center"|[[Kernel Panic]]
|-
|align="center"|[[KuroTA]]
|align="center"|[[Nanoblobs]]
|align="center"|[[SWTA|Star Wars TA]]
|-
|align="center"|[[SpiderPack]]
|align="center"|[[TA-WD|TA: World Domination]]
|align="center"|[[The Blue Tank]]
|-
|align="center"|[[The Lost Legacy]]
|align="center"|[[UberHack]]
|align="center"|[[War Evolution]]
|-
|
|align="center"|[[Xect vs. Mynn]]
|align="center"|[[XTA]]
|}

[[Category:Content]]

FAQ

2007-03-20T11:05:56Z

KingRaptor: /* People talk about 'Single Player'. How do I start a single player game? */

==General information==

===What is Spring?===
Spring is a project to create the best RTS ever (no joke). There are three principle goals which we hope to achieve.

# Reach a stage where TA Spring can flawlessly execute most of Total Annihilation's original gameplay, with its original units in their original format.
# Add new features as we see fit, fix bugs, and release new versions when we feel it is appropriate to do so.
# Support the mod community as we see fit.
# Improving the already fine original TA Interface in a way that the Players will have more tactical Options, more Control, more Comfort and still don`t get lost, as long as they are willing to learn.

The goals might need an update.. -- Tim Blokdijk

===Is Spring free?===
The core game is released under GPL License. Fortunately as of now, there are also two mods which have been released under the GNU/GPL, and several more which do not have clear licence terms (owned by their modder).

However, there are also several mods for which some parts are still under copyright of Atari. For these you need to own the original TA game if you want to play.

===Why can I edit this page?===
This page, and several others, are located in the Spring [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki Wiki]. The link gives a full explanation of what it is, but in short it is a way of letting anyone who wants to contribute to the page content. This can of course be abused, but even while it is easy for someone to vandalise the page, it is just as easy for someone to restore it, since the wiki saves all previous versions of a page.

===Why can't I edit this page?===
You need to be [[Special:Userlogin|logged in]] to edit our wiki because people were vandalizing and/or being morons too much, so they had to lock it down.

===I want to help, what can I do?===
Please look at the Messageboard. There are lots of things you can do according to your skills. Particularly important is to create viable and pleasing free alternatives to copyrighted material, mainly sounds and units.

===I want to donate.===
People have made clear their desire to donate to the project, and so far, we have been fairly reluctant about accepting donations. Our main concern? While we certainly hope to have something on the level of a commercial release in the near future, there is no guarantee that it will ever happen. Unforeseen events arise, and it would be most unfortunate if everyone who donated felt swindled because the project did not turn out as they had hoped.

We do not plan to be more or less productive solely based upon the quantity and frequency of donations received. The Spring project is here only because we view this as an enjoyable hobby.

===I read all that and I still want to donate.===
Very well then! You can find the required details [http://taspring.clan-sy.com/donate.php here]. It will be much appreciated. :)

----

==Technical==

===What port numbers does Spring use?===
Game uses port 8452 UDP by default, which can be changed in the lobby. If you are behind a router, and are having problems hosting, try forwarding the correct port and also make sure the firewall is not blocking it.

===What APIs does Spring use?===
The Windows version of the program (Which is the Binary that can be downloaded from this site) uses: OpenGL for rendering, DirectSound for sound, and Winsock for networking.

The Linux port, see [[MultiplatformSpring]] with more info below, uses SDL/OpenGL for rendering, OpenAL for sound (which will connect to DirectSound on Windows and OSS or ALSA on Linux), BSD sockets for networking.

===What language is Spring written in?===
The spring game engine is written in C and C++. The Windows lobby client is written in Delphi, the lobby server is java. Another portable lobby is being made in Python.

===Is Spring open source?===
Yes, it is. Go to the [http://taspring.clan-sy.com/download.php downloads] section of the site to download the source code.

===Is there any documentation for the source code?===
Yes, doxygen is used to automatically generate the [http://taspring.clan-sy.com/doxygen/ documentation]

==Requirements==

===What platforms will Spring run on?===
At the moment, it runs on Windows, Linux and basicly on [[Spring_on_MacOSX |Mac OS X.]]

===What sort of a system do I need to run Spring?===
You need a 3D graphics card to run Spring, which will probably require at least a a GeForce4 MX and the latest driver supported. Minimum CPU requirements are a little more complex. A more powerful CPU will have the capability to support larger maps and a greater maximum unit limit. A 1 GHz CPU should be able to support an estimated 500 units. The needed memory will also vary with unit count and map size, and Spring has been known to have worked with 256 MB of Ram (albeit with lowest detail levels).

For further details and tested Systems check the [[Requirements]] page.

===Spring says I need the GL_ARB_texture_env_combine extension, what can I do?===

This error can be caused by various things:

'''1:''' Old video Hardware.

'''2:''' Old drivers.

'''2:''' Bad installed Drivers.

'''3:''' Bad game settings.

If your hardware is old check [http://www.delphi3d.net/hardware/extsupport.php?extension=GL_ARB_texture_env_combine THIS] list, if you cant find your video card then, sorry, you have to buy a new video card.

If your hardware is in the above list or you are sure that your video card support this opengl extension download [http://www.realtech-vr.com/glview/download.html THIS] software. Intall, run, and check if under the ''Report'' tab there is the ''GL_ARB_texture_env_combine'' string.
If the string is present then the problem resides in your Spring settings, try lower screen resolution and disable all graphics effect.
If the string is not present and your hardware is in the list the problem are your video card drivers. To solve this '''UNINSTALL ALL PREVIOUS DRIVERS''' and install last stable drivers for your video card. Usually the problem shows when there are uninstalled old video drivers on the system.

'''NOTE:''' ATI drivers for Windows Vista does not support OpenGL right now so Spring will not run on systems with Vista and ATI Cards.

'''NOTE:''' Use '''glxinfo''' on a Linux system. You don't need to download any third party application because most if not all systems with x11 should have that program already.
----

==Getting into a game==

===People talk about 'Single Player'. How do I start a single player game?===
Simply start a game in the lobby, and enter a password, so that nobody can join. Then click ready, and start and away you go !

Alternatively, you can get [http://spring.unknown-files.net/file/2012/Spring_Single_Player_Launcher_v0.8/ Spring Single Player], a handy tool that lets you create single player games without cluttering up the lobby, as well as watch replays easily.

===When I try to make a single player game, it gives me an error.===
Your graphics card probably can't support Spring. If you read the requirements it did say GeForce 3 or better. Go to the settings file in your Spring directory and lower some of the options. Sometimes that works.

===Does Spring support AI Players?===
Yes, see [[AI]] You can also use the [[random_enemies]] script, which spawns units out of thin air and sends them to attack you.

===How do I join an Internet multiplayer game?===
Run the "TA Spring multiplayer battleroom" from the Start menu or the TASClient.exe from your installation folder. In the "Server" tab change the server to "Official Host". Hit "Apply and close". Re-open the TA Spring client. Create an account on the "Account" tab.

===When I try to connect to the lobby it gives me an error.===
There could be 3 problems. Either you don't have an account, the server is down, or you have not configured your router/firewall correctly. If you don't have an account, make one. If the server is down, you'll just have to wait (this doesn't happen often, though). If you have a router/firewall read below. Have a look at this website's News page and/or the Messageboard, it is likely that you will get some information there in the eventuality that the server is down.

Also make sure that you don't have any spaces in your username.

===I have a router and I don't seem to be able to get a game===

If you are using a router you may have other problems. Explanations of [http://www.portforward.com/routers.htm how to forward ports] has instructions for every router.

===Where can I download more maps?===
As for most Spring downloads [http://spring.unknown-files.net Unknown Files] is the place to be! The [http://spring.unknown-files.net/category/13/Maps/ map category] has a nice overview.

===How do I install downloaded maps?===
Most maps are released as .sdz or .sd7 files. These can be put directly into the "maps" folder inside the Spring folder. If they are compressed into another type of archive you will have to unpack them first. Just unzip them into your spring maps folder. Some map files use newer (smaller) file formats such as .rar or .7z, to unzip these newer formats, you'll need to download 7-Zip [http://www.7-zip.org/ http://www.7-zip.org/] or Zip-genius [http://downloads.zipgenius.it/ http://downloads.zipgenius.it/]. They both handle almost all formats and are totally free. There is also now a map browser in the TASClient lobby software, click the more maps button in a battle screen to access it.

===Sometimes when I try to join games it gives me an error.===
The host is behind a firewall that has not opened the correct ports for Spring.

===When a multiplayer game starts I never make it past the loading screen.===
This indicates a problem with your video card. Once again the best way to deal with this situation is to make sure your video card has the latest driver updates and that all Spring video features are on the lowest settings.

===When a multiplayer game starts, I make it past the loading screen, but when I get into the game it says, "Waiting for Host", and does a 10 second countdown. It always reaches zero and boots me out, what gives?===
This is a firewall issue. There are three things you can do to fix this. First, make sure your windows firewall is either off, or is not blocking the TA: Spring application. Secondly, if you are behind a router, you can forward the ports that the host is using (especially if you are the host), and it usually fixes the problem. To do this you must go to your router configuration page. You can see what port 'you' are using (as the host), by hosting a multiplayer game in the Spring Lobby. You must make this your trigger port, and make sure that it is open for both TCP and UDP. Thirdly, if none of the aforementioned worked. The easiest thing to do (assuming you are behind a router) is to set the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). This means your computer will be completely exposed to the internet, which will make you vulnerable to any unknown or unpatched exploits in windows. All you have to do is find the personal IP if the computer you are using and add it to your router's DMZ list. Please only try this last option if you can't get the others to work.
Good Luck

===I got into the game, but some people didn't.===
The host may have reached the number of players it has set.
Or the players may be experiencing firewall or video card difficulty. That is not your fault. Please ask them too leave if they are still there when you get into the 'game lobby'. Some people have problem connecting to "hole punching" hosts.

===I got into a game but my name is red, nobody can hear me speak, and eventually I get disconnected===
This is to do with how long it takes the game to start up (the "load time"). If it takes too long you will see this problem. The load time can be reduced by changing the game graphics settings to lower quality. In particular try setting texture quality to lowest.

===What do all those icons mean in the server list?===
Server status icons inform you, at a quick glance, what the server is doing at the moment, and what state it's in (password protected, locked, open, full, etc). Read all about the server status icons and what they mean [[Server Status|here]].

----

==Playing==

===What is with this weird right-click mode? I'm 'bout to break my keyboard.===
Sorry, you'll just have to get used to it. As of now it can't be changed.

===Why is somebody else also controlling my units?===
In the 'game lobby' there are two sets of teams. There are the 'Teams' and the 'Ally Teams'. If you are on the same 'Team', then you both get the same commander, and can control the same units. If you are on 'Ally Teams', then you both get different commanders and can't control each others units.

===Is there a way that I can play music directly through TA-Spring, with alternating tracks for building/attacking like in the original Total Annihilation?===
Currently there is no in-game music player. For now, you will have to rely on a seperate program to play music such as Winamp or Windows Media Player.

===Then why would I want to be on the same 'Team' as somebody?===
Because it's fun to just drive around units and not have to worry about commanding. (Assuming that one of the people on the team is commanding.)

===How do I talk to my allies only?===
You must type 'a:' before you speak. Here's an example: a: Now I am talking to my allies only.<br>
And most important, you can split tasks, as base building, troops managment.

===Help! After I'm finished driving a unit, the camera is all insane! This is nuts! How do I fix it?===
Whoa now. Calm down. Just press ctrl + mouse button 3 to change camera modes. If your unit is destroyed in FPS mode, you will stay in FPS mode until you change camera modes. Also, the camera will stay in "free look" when FPS mode is disengaged, press middle-mouse or J to switch to normal scrolling.

===After I'm finished driving a unit, where what used to be my mouse pointer is now a crosshair. Why?===
-This is a special 'view mode' that allows you to move around the screen much faster. It's good for viewing the battle or getting screenshots. Simply press on your third mouse button or 'delete' to revert back to your mouse pointer.

===But I don't have a third mouse button!===
The key 'J' works in the same way as the 'middle mouse button' does. So where you would use ctrl + middle mouse button to change camera modes, ctrl + j does the same thing. Pressing J once will also switch you from 'crosshair mode' to 'pointer mode' and vice versa.

===IÃ‚Â´ve managed to get stuck in this weird camera mode and my perspective is all messed up. How do I switch to the overhead (OTA style) camera?===
Shift+Backspace (or Shift+J or Shift+MiddleMouseClick) switches between the fps style, total war style and OTA style cameras. Use it to get your camera back to normal in this situation.

===People are cheating! How do I stop it?!===
Well currently, you can't.

Only the host can "activate" the cheat codes. After that, any player can do almost all cheats.

The best thing to do is just not play with the cheaters anymore. But with new spring version cheats are disabled in multiplayer, so that paragraph is hopefully now irrelevant.

===Well how do you cheat?===

<table border="3" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">

<tr><th>Cheat Command</th><th>Effect</th></tr>

<tr>
<td>'''.cheat'''</td><td>'''enable cheats - Cheats don't work in multiplayer until the host types this'''</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.nocost</td><td>instabuild (doesn't work on things already under construction, only on new ones)</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.setmaxspeed 50</td><td>Changes the maximum speed multiplier (default is 3.0)</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.setminspeed 0</td><td>Changes the minimum speed multiplier (default is 0.3)</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.spectator</td><td>Allows you to see the entire map... but you lose control of your units</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.team 0, .team 1, etc.</td><td>Change player</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.give ARMCOM, .give 10 CORKROG, etc.</td><td>Place 1 or specified number of specified unit. Valid units are the internal names of units as specified in the unit definition.</td>
</tr>

</table>
You can use auto-completion in the spring console if you don't remember the internal unit name. To do that type:
".give arm" and then press your '''TAB key'''
A list of all matching units will be shown.

===In Game Commands===
The following ''non-cheating'' commands are also available in game:

<table border="3" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0">

<tr>
<th>Command</th><th>Effect</th>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.info</td><td>Shows you what colour each player is and their ping delay in the bottom left corner of the screen</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.clock</td><td>Shows you the elapsed game time in minutes and seconds in the bottom left corner of the screen</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>.take</td><td>Pulls all allied units, that are owned by players who have lost connection to the server, to your team.</td>
</tr>

</table>

===How do I ally or unally in game?===
I'm pretty sure you can't. Yet.

===How do I give somebody units or metal or energy?===
Press the 'H' key. Then select the amount of metal and/or energy to share. Then select the receiving player and press OK.

When sharing units, you must first select the units to share, then press 'H' key. Tick share units checkbox and choose a receiving player.

===How do I continually give somebody metal and/or energy after a certain point (i.e. Original TA commands +setshare..., +shareall)?===
You'll notice that on your metal and energy bars (top of screen), there are two red bars. You have to put them wherever you want your metal and energy to be shared after.

===This game is different than TA, the units HP and damage are not the same===

There were several third party "balance" mods for the original TA game.

One of those mods were xTA, and was developed by the same clan (SY) that has brought life back to TA, making Spring.

This balance mod is what is bundled by default with the spring engine, and is the mod that was ready to play when spring was released.

Now are several mods available, install the mod of your choice.

[http://www.fileuniverse.com/?p=listing&ID=92 get mods here]

===XTA? OTA? AA? OMFGLAMO? What those all the abbreviations mean?===
zwzsg maintains a handy dandy FAQ about TA, and the abbreviations that relate to Spring too, of course.
[http://www.tauniverse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27309 click here]. See also the Spring [[Glossary]], which contains brief explanations for all non-standard words and phrases.

===Why am I destroyed so easily by long range assaults?===
This is a realistic feature of Spring. Units will automatically attack 'radar blips' (units that they can not actually see, but that are indicated on radar). However, the accuracy is very bad while shooting at radar blips until:
* Your unit kills a lot of units and gets experience
* You get a targeting facility.

===Can I kick people from my 'game lobby' or my game?===
First of all, you have to be the host to kick. Use the good old ".kick playernamehere" command. Works in-game too, use it wisely.

===When I'm 'driving' my commander, why can't I use my laser?===
The TA: Spring team will most likely add a way for you to use your commander's laser soon.

===I hate driving around with the 'arrow keys'. Is there any way I can use the 'W-A-S-D' controls (the controls most First Person Shooters use) anymore?===
Go into your Spring directory and edit the uikeys file. Keep in mind that 'S' is originally a 'hot-key' that will stop your units and that 'D' is a 'hot-key' for your commander's D-Gun. You might want to change those too.

===I turned the shadows feature on; I still don't see shadows. What gives?===
Your graphics card can't handle shadows, so Spring automatically turns them off.

===I can't go backwards when I am 'driving' a unit. Why not?===
Because TA units were never intended to go backwards. Sorry, but you just cant.

===I'm in an Unreal Tournament kind of mood. How do I strafe?===
You can only strafe in 'brawler type' ships, such as the brawler, rapier, and light gunships.

===How can I record and watch demos/replays?===
From version 0.62 onwards recordings of all the games you play are easily available for replay via the Replays button in the TASclient.

You can use the Speed up/Slow down game keys while watching the replay, along with other in-game commands like .team

From version 0.60b1 onwards, demos are automatically recorded in the "demos" folder, underneath your Spring folder (default is C:\Program Files\TASpring\demos), named for the date and map they were played on. If you play multiple games in the same day on the same map, the games will also be numbered to prevent them from overwriting each other.

From version 0.62 onwards, to view a demo from the Windows file manager you can just double click the file name.

===Sometimes when I play get "not sync" "delayed synch" errors===

Thats caused because of lag. One of the players in the game is having some lag issues. Ask him/her to free up its bandwidth for the game to use.

Alternatively you can use the pause key and wait till the connection gets more stable.

Lag is the seccond number showed when you use the .info command ingame, numbers bigger than 40 are not usual in a normal game and are a signal of lag.

----

==Content==

===Do Spring maps need a "ground"?===
Spring maps do require a ground. We have had many requests to have space maps, however, a "true" (ala Homeworld) space setting is not likely. It would have to wait until a much later stage. This does not mean that TA's style of "space" maps won't be possible, (see the Final Frontier TC for examples of this).

===You stated that Spring uses the TA unit format.===
Spring does use the Total Annihilation unit format. However, there is also a new format dubbed '.s3o' which uses a UV mapped texture instead of 3do's per face texturing system, as well as other improvements.

===How powerful will Spring's custom format be?===
Total Annihilation's unit format was extremely limited. Most of these limitations will either be expanded or non-existent in Spring's custom unit format. One of the most exciting improvements is the introduction of an entirely new method of scripting, with nearly complete control over every aspect of a unit's actions and behaviors.

===Does Spring have a limited number of weapons?===
No. Unlike Total Annihilation, Spring's weapon IDs will be unlimited. Meaning it will be possible to add as many third-party units as you want. However, the current model format limits 16 weapons to each unit.

===Does Spring have a limited number of unique units?===
No. Unit IDs, like weapon IDs, will be unlimited.

===Will units have a maximum of 3 unique weapons?===
Total Annihilation had a limitation that permitted a maximum of 3 unique weapons per unit. Spring currently has a way to have 16 weapons per unit. (Replace Primary, Secondary, Tertiary by 1 2 3 ...16). More can be made possible by modifying the source if there's a sufficient demand by mod makers.

===I'm curious as to the per-unit polygon limit.===
The engine itself does not have a polygon count limit. The limit is that of the processing power of today's computers. Since Spring requires a 3D card, the maximum polygon count per unit will be several times higher than Total Annihilation's. That means for your average mod, 300 polygons for common units and 700 for the more expensive ones is quite reasonable. (But don't waste polies unnecessarily!)

===Will units be able to perform basic terraforming?===
Total Annihilation units probably won't have any terrain editable functionality. Future units may be endowed with such functionality, but it's more of a gameplay issue and has not been decided upon yet. However construction units can restore ground, and certain weapons (especially explosive ones) can be used to deform the ground.

===Will tunnel building be possible?===
Subterranean areas of any sort is impossible. However, it is possible to heavily deform the ground with explosives.. Which is great fun!

===Will the ground's water retention be editable?===
No. Water will always collect when a piece of land has a height below sea level.

===Does Spring have a limit on the number of races?===
Spring has no limit on the total number of sides/races.

===What are the sizes of the biggest and smallest units?===
Static units (buildings, defenses, etc.) have no size limitations in the engine. Technically, neither do mobile units, but units with a footprint larger than 4x4 "squares" (an arbitrary size standard created by Cavedog) might have problems pathfinding.

===What is going to be the maximum possible sea depth?===
For all practical purposes, it will be unlimited. The depth values are stored as "float variables", so it is doubtful that maps would ever be made which even come close to approaching the limit.

===Will Spring support campaigns?===
Basic Map scripting has been implemented, using a Lua scripting engine. From that, it would be possible to make a basic campaign, but for ease of use a better way of selecting scripts and an improved Single player menu is needed.

See [[Mission development]] for more details.

===How big are the Spring files?===
Spring will be as small as however much content is included with it. The "essential" files are only be several megabytes large. Content (such as maps and units) will add considerable size to the Spring download. Currently, the file size is roughly 30 MB.

===How will Spring render sound effects?===
Sound is rendered 3D, meaning that the volume and direction (assuming a multi-speaker setup) vary with the location of the camera from the sound "emitter". What this translates into gameplay terms means that the closer you are to a unit making a sound or motion, the louder the sound will be. Additionally, the sound will be heard differently depending on which way the camera is facing relative to units making sound.

===Will Spring have ambient sound?===
There is no ambient sound, and we haven't planned on adding it thus far.

===Will there be an AI or a "skirmish" mode?===
We have created an interface for artificial intelligences (AIs), and several are currently under development. Information on these can be found at the [[AIs]] wiki page.

===Will a "possess" or a FPS option be present?===
Yes, it is possible to fully control a unit from the first person view. It is more of a gimmick, but it still allows for a nice diversion once in a while. Instructions on its use are in the [[Using_Spring#FPS_.22Mode.22_.28C.29|Using Spring]] article.

===How do I create maps?===
See the [[Map development]] page for all the map info.

===How do I create units/mods?===
See the [[Mod_and_Unit_development#Mod_devlopement|Mod and Unit development]] page on creating units/ mods.

[[Category:Content]]