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| ==General information== | | {|border="0" width="100%" style="border: 0px; border-spacing:0px" |
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| | '''[[FAQs]]''' |
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| ===What is TA Spring?===
| | Frequently asked questions for the following: |
| TA Spring is a project to create the best RTS ever (no joke). There are three principle goals which we hope to achieve.
| | * [[FAQ:general|General FAQ]] |
| | * [[FAQ:technical|Technical FAQ]] |
| | * [[FAQ:player|Playing ingame FAQ]] |
| | * [[FAQ:trouble|Troubleshooting FAQ]] |
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| . . . . . .A) Reach a stage where TA Spring can flawlessly execute most of Total Annihilation's original gameplay, with its original units in their original format.
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| . . . . . .B) Add new features as we see fit, fix bugs, and release new versions when we feel it is appropriate to do so.
| | '''[[Read_Me_First|Read Me]]''' |
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| . . . . . .C) Support the mod community as we see fit.
| | How to start your first game. |
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| ===When will TA Spring be ready?===
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| Now! You can get the latest beta from the download page.
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| ===Will TA Spring be free?===
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| That's the current plan.
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| ===I want to help, what can I do?===
| | '''[[Keyboard]]''' |
| Until we have finished our own map and unit formats, we are not looking for anything in particular.
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| ===I want to donate.===
| | Default Keyboard Layout in the Engine. |
| 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 playable released in the near future, there is no guarantee that it will ever happen. Unforseen 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, or was not released at all.
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| We do not plan to be more or less productive solely based upon the quantity and frequency of donations received. The TA Spring project is here only because we view this as an enjoyable hobby.
| | '''[[Games]]''' |
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| ===I read all that and I still want to donate.===
| | Games that use the Spring engine. |
| Very well then! You can find the required details [http://taspring.clan-sy.com/donate.php here]. It will be much appreciated. :)
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| ==Technical==
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| ===What APIs does TA Spring use?===
| | '''[[Maps]]''' |
| OpenGL for rendering.
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| DirectSound for sound.
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| Winsock for networking.
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| ===What language is TA Spring written in?===
| | All about maps for the Spring engine and where to get them. |
| C and C++.
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| ===Is TA Spring open source?===
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| Yes, it is. Go to the downloads section of the site to download the source code.
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| ===Will there be a linux port?===
| | '''[[Lua Widgets]]''' |
| There is an effort being made by some in the community to create a port.
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| ==Requirements==
| | All about installing and using LuaUI widgets... |
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| ===What platforms will TA Spring run on?===
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| At the moment, it only runs on Windows. If someone wants to port it to another platform, please contact us once we have an initial release ready. We will not, however, port it ourselves at any time (in the forseeable future). There is simply no compelling reason for us to do so. Additionally, we would like to focus on getting it working well on just one platform.
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| ===What sort of a system will I need to run TA Spring?===
| | '''[[AI:Skirmish|AIs]]''' |
| You will most certainly need a 3D graphics card to run TA Spring, which will probably require at least a GeForce3 (note that a GeForce4 MX is not better than a GeForce3). 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 1ghz CPU should be able to support an estimated 500 units. The needed memory will also vary with unit count and mapsize, but 512mb should be enough.
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| ==Content==
| | Skirmish AIs, Lua AIs... |
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| ===Do TA Spring maps need a "ground"?===
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| TA 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).
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| ===You stated that TA Spring uses the TA unit format.===
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| TA Spring does use the Total Annihilation unit format. However, we do plan to make TA Spring compatible with a custom unit format of our own design.
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| ===How powerful will TA Spring's custom format be?===
| | '''[[Hosting Spring]]''' |
| Total Annihilation's unit format was extremely limited. Most of these limitations will either be expanded or non-existent in TA 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.
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| ===Does TA Spring have a limited number of weapons?===
| | Autohosting and related topics. |
| No. Unlike Total Annihilation, TA Spring's weapon IDs will be unlimited.
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| ===Does TA Spring have a limited number of unique units?===
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| No. Unit IDs, like weapon IDs, will be unlimited.
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| ===Will units have a maximum of 3 unique weapons?===
| | '''[[Spring:CategoryStructure]]''' |
| Total Annihilation had a limitation that permitted a maximum of 3 unique weapons per unit. This limit will exist in TA Spring only if a unit is made in the original Total Annihilation format. To bypass this limit, a unit would have to be created entirely within the limits of our own format.
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| ===I'm curious as to the per-unit polygon limit.===
| | Check here to get an overview of the website. |
| The engine itself does not have a polygon count limit. The limit is that of the processing power of today's computers. Since TA Spring requires a 3D card, the maximum polygon count per unit will be several times higher than Total Annihilation's. No real numbers yet though. We're gonna leave it up to the mod community to figure that one out.
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| ===Will units be able to perform basic terraforming?=== | | |valign="top" style="padding:0px"| |
| Total Annihilation units probably won't have any terrain editable functionality. Feature 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.
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| ===Will tunnel building be possible?=== | | == Quick Links == |
| Subterranean areas of any sort will be impossible.
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| ===Will the ground's water retention be editable?=== | | {|width="100%" class="" |
| No. Water will always collect when a piece of land has a height below sea level.
| | ! '''[http://springrts.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=11 Help/Bug forums]''' |
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| | | Look at the help forums for more help with technical issues and crashes |
| | |} |
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| ===Does TA Spring have a limit on the number of races?===
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| TA Spring has no limit on the total number of sides/races.
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| ===What are the sizes of the biggest and smallest units?=== | | {|width="100%" class="" |
| 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.
| | ! '''[http://springrts.com/mantis/ Report Bugs/Submit a Patch]''' |
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| | | Submit patches and bug reports here |
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| ===What is going to be the maximum possible sea depth?===
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| 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.
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| ===Will TA Spring support campaigns?=== | | {|width="100%" class="" |
| No such support is planned at the moment but it is possible using the GroupAI interface.
| | ! '''[[Strategy and Tactics]]''' |
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| | | Basic ideas how to stand your ground. |
| | |} |
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| ===How big will the TA Spring files be?===
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| TA Spring will be as big as however much content is included with it. The "essential" files (engine files mostly) will only be several megabytes large. Content (such as maps and units) will add considerable size to the TA Spring download. However, it is not known at this point just how much "content" will be included with the first release.
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| ===How will TA Spring render sound effects?=== | | {|width="100%" class="" |
| 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.
| | ! '''[[Read Me First]]''' |
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| ===Will TA Spring have ambient sound?===
| | | Answers to questions often asked - Everyone should read this first. |
| There is no ambient sound, and we haven't planned on adding it so far.
| | |} |
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| ===Will there be an AI or a "skirmish" mode?=== | | [[Category:FAQ]] |
| We will create an interface that people can use to create there own skirmish AIs later.
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| ===Will a "possess" or a FPS option be present?===
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| 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.
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| ==Playing==
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| ===People talk about 'Single Player'. How do I start a single player game?===
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| You will have to go into your TA Spring folder and find the 'Spring.exe' file. Double click on it and say 'yes' to host.
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| ===When I try to make a single player game, it gives me an error.===
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| 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 TA Spring directory and lower some of the options. Sometimes that works.
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| ===Does TA Spring support AI Players?===
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| Not yet. Fortunately for you they are currently working on it, :)
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| ===When I try to connect to the lobby it gives me an error.===
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| There could be 2 problems. Either you don't have an account, or the server is down. If you don't have an account, make one. If the server is down, you'll just have to wait.
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| ===Sometimes when I try to join games it gives me an error.===
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| The host is behind a firewall.
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| ===When I make games nobody joins.===
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| You are probably behind a firewall.
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| ===When a multiplayer game starts I never make it past the loading screen.===
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| 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 updates and that all Spring video features are on the lowest settings.
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| ===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?===
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| 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 best thing to do (assuming you are behind a router) is to set the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). 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.
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| Good Luck
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| ===Sometimes when I chat in the 'game lobby', people can't hear me.===
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| I would recommend closing and restarting the whole Spring application after each successful game. Weird things tend too happen. (By successful I mean all the players loaded and the game started.)
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| ===I got into the game, but some people didn't.===
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| Then they probably are having 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'.
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| ===What is with this weird right-click mode? I'm bout to break my keyboard.===
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| Sorry, you'll just have to get used to it. As of now it can't be changed.
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| ===Why is somebody else also controlling my units?===
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| 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.
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| ===Then why would I want to be on the same 'Team' as somebody?===
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| 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.)
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| ===How do I talk to my allies only?===
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| You must type 'a:' before you speak. Here's an example: a: Now I am talking to my allies only.
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| ===Help! After I'm finished driving a unit, the camera is all insane! This is nuts! How do I fix it?===
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| Whoa now. Calm down. Just press ctrl + mouse button 3 to change camera modes.
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| ===After I'm finished driving a unit, where what used too be my mouse pointer is now a crosshair. Why?===
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| -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 too revert back to your mouse pointer. | |
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| ===But I don't have a third mouse button!===
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| 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.
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| ===Sometimes my units just get deleted. Why?===
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| For some reason units get deleted when they go into the wrong places. Where are the wrong places? Nobody really knows. Just hope for the best.
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| ===People are cheating! How do I stop it?!===
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| Well currently, you can't. The best thing to do is just not play with the cheaters anymore.
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| ===Well how do you cheat?===
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| Well first you have to do three successful backflips while chanting I love my mommy. Then you lick your computer screen and say, "Please oh please give me lots of metal and energy."...
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| ===How do I ally or unally in game?===
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| I'm pretty sure you can't. Yet.
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| ===How do I give somebody units or metal or energy?===
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| Press 'H'.
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| ===How do I continually give somebody metal and/or energy after a certain point (i.e. Original TA commands +setshare..., +shareall)?===
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| 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 too be shared after.
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| ===Man I am soooo sick of XTA. How do I play AA or OTA instead?===
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| Well. Somebody has made a patch to turn TA Spring into OTA. An AA patch has been released, and can be downloaded from fileuniverse. It will be out soon. But really, why would you want to go back to OTA?
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| ===Why am I destroyed so easily by long range assaults?===
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| This is a realistic feature of TA 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 1)Your unit kills a lot of units and gets experience, or 2)You get a targetting facility.
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| ===Can I kick people from my 'game lobby' or my game?===
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| First of all, you have to be the host to kick. In theory, you would right click on someone's name in the 'game lobby' and that would give you the option to kick them. This feature is not currently supported, however, but it will be fixed soon.
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| ===When I'm 'driving' my commander, I can't use my laser?===
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| The TA: Spring team will most likely add a way for you to use your commander's laser soon.
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| ===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)?===
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| 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.
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| ===I turned the shadows feature on; I still don't see shadows. What gives?===
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| Your graphics card can´t handle shadows, so Spring automatically turns them off.
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| ===I can't go backwards when I am 'driving' a unit. Why not?===
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| Because TA units where never intended to go backwards. Sorry.
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| ===I'm in the Unreal Tournament 2004 kind of mood. How do I strafe?===
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| You can only strafe in 'brawler type' ships(The brawler, rapier, and light gunships.)
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| ===Sometimes when I play with certain people I get HUGE sync errors that continue throughout the game.===
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| It's because they have a differen't mod installed than you. If, for example, you have not installed a mod, and somebody is in the game with you that has the OTA mod installed, it will cause the 'sync' error.
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| ===How can I record and watch demos/replays ?===
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| The game is always recorded to test.sdf which is overwritten by each new game. Change the name if you want to save it. To view a demo start spring.exe as non server and enter the full demo name (coolgame.sdf for example) as server address. You must change the name to something else than test.sdf to view a demo.
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