Absolute Annihilation

Absolute Annihilation is distinct, being closer to classic TA than to XTA. The idea behind the mod is to imagine what TA might be like if it was still being patched and a new unit released every week.

Overview

A few of the larger units in AA

With 375 balanced units, Absolute Annihilation, or AA, is the single most-downloaded Total Annihilation units pack. Now AA has been ported to Spring and takes advantage of this new engine's every feature. It is based on UberHack and so attempts to rebalance TA without rearranging the buildtree as radically as XTA has. However whereas UberHack added only a few extra units, AA incorporates many new units including some of the more impressive new units concocted by the ever-creative TA community.

AA is under constant development, spurred on by its small but highly active community following, and Caydr, who heads up the development. Units are subject to frequent and sometimes brutal tweaking and pruning. AA contains new factories, units, resource buildings, sneaky defensive structures and an array of massive "experimental" units for brutalizing the enemy's base.

Players new to the mod should be warned that some old units

Ridiculously huge image depicting every unit in AA

now fill new roles, while some are more (or less) effective than they were in classic TA as of the 3.1c patch.

AA:Spring is based mostly on version 6.0 of the OTA mod. Now that development of AA for Total Annihilation has largely ceased, the mod's developer is working hard on developing Spring-based versions incorporating all of the engine's advanced features.

Strategy

Absolute Annihilation is a modification of TA. Therefore, the same basic strategies and tactics that good TA players utilize are also utilized by good AA players. Although AA is a very complex modification, some important points to remember are:

1. Expand whenever possible, because "porcing" (building nothing but defense) isn't a very good strategy in AA. Moho metal extractors give greater income than in most other mods, rewarding players who can control the largest area of the map.
2. The best defence is a good offense. Make sure you are able to quickly respond to the unexpected by keeping a standing army even when you make an all-out attack.
3. Beware of AA's "superweapons". Each side has a unique aircraft, ship, and experimental kbot. Annihilators and Doomsday Machines are great for defending against Krogoths and Orcones. Mercuries and Screamers are the best for defending against Liche atomic bombers, while Krow gunships are most vulnerable to advanced fighters. Finally, heavy subs or an extremely powerful navy are the best way to defend against Epochs and Black Hydras.

The actual units present in AA aren't so important; it takes little time to learn what they all do. The key to victory lies in utilizing them effectively. Always keep the above points in mind when playing, and above all, practice. Even if you lose, ask the person to whom you lost what you did wrong and right. Study replays involving experienced players to see what tricks they use.

Links

• Download Absolute Annihilation (version 1.44) (15 mb)
• Mod Trailer (14 mb)
• AA Homepage
• Unit Guide (work in progress)

Hey look! Another freakishly huge picture!

Back to Mods

This site is kept for historical reasons, all mods here are incompatible to the current spring engine, maybe they work with an older version of the Engine.

- please use Category:Games if you search for playable games!