TA online check list

Some basics

It goes without saying I assume you have at least the basic TA game installed which consists of two compact discs. The discs are labled Disc1 and Disc2. To play online you either have to put Disc1 into your drive or you have to pick the spawn option during installation of the basic TA game. In the latter case you don't need a disc in your drive except the total number of discs in the drives of the players who joined the game is lower than the minimum required. If this should happen the host of the game will get a message as soon he he tries to start the game in the battle room. To get rid of this message the players have to put Disc1 in their drives one by one until the host can launch the game. With a regular TA install you always need to have Disc1 in the drive no matter if the total number of discs is already above the minimum required. This is because with a regular install the maps shipped with the basic TA version are not copied over into the TA directory on your hard disk during install. If you forgot to put Disc1 in with a regular install TA will give you the annoying 'does not have this map' message as soon the host picks a standard map. It doesn't help to put Disc1 into the drive now - you have to rejoin the game to get it fixed. A possible work around for this is to pick a map not being part of the basic TA game for example a map shipped with the official TA expansions (the expansion maps are always copied to your hard drive during install) or any other map you installed yourself. Of course everyone else in the game needs to have this map installed too.

How to install all the stuff

Every official addon created by Cavedog Entertainment is shipped as a self installing file. Just download the map, unit or patchfile and launch it by double clicking on it from within the Windows Explorer.
The installers suggests a destination directory after you started it. Make sure the directory suggested doesn't differ from the path where your TA installation actually resides.
In case it differs enter the correct path before clicking on the ok button otherwise the unit, map or patchfile will be copied/applied to the wrong directory on your hard disk(s) and TA wouldn't recognise them when you launch the game.

Official addons for free

TA game engine patch to version 3.1c

A must for every TA online player. Don't even think about going online for a TA game without it. After applying the patch you should verify if it worked ok by following the instructions described in the TA trouble section.

TA official downloadable units

Six additional units you should have installed. The total size of the this download is small so there is no excuse for not installing them. Together with the 3.1 patch above this will complete the set of all units Cavedog Etertainment provided for free download.

TA official downloadable maps

Besides units Cavedog provided a couple of maps for free download too. Together with the maps on the two expansion discs this will complete the set of official CD maps.

Official addons not for free

TA - The Core Contingency expansion (TA:CC)

The first TA expansion was shipped in 1998 and contains all official TA units except the last six downloadable units Cavedog Entertainment (CD) provided until early 2001. TA:CC comes with the game engine version 3.0 which is not the latest engine version available for TA.
You better try hard to get your hands on this expansion because almost everyone who started to play TA when the game was released in 1997 got it too. TA:CC is quite important for people prefering to play the CORE race since it balances the advantage the ARM race got with some of the free downloadable units like the Moho Metal Maker and the Cloakable Fusion Plant by adding them to the CORE arsenal. While the hover units in the TA:CC expansion are not often used in games the advanced water stuff is quite interesting on maps providing enough room for a water based economy. Not to mention all the other nice new things like underwater metal extractors, underwater fusions or sea based air plants. And the ARM players got so used to the Pelican amphibious unit they can't live without it anymore. On metal rich maps you may even be able to build those insane resource hungry units like the CORE Krogoth super killer kbot or the rapid fire plasma guns Vulcan and Buzzsaw.

TA - Battle Tactics expansion (TA:BT)

This is not really an expansion in terms of multiplayer gaming. TA:BT was supposed to address people who like to play missions against the computer. It contains tons of additional missions and the description claims the missions will help you to learn how to use every single unit. As far I know it doesn't provide any new units. The only interesting thing for online gaming is the fact it comes with six new multiplayer maps. Lack of this expansion shouldn't cause you any trouble when playing TA online.

TA - Commander Pack

The Commander Pack consists of four compact discs: Two with the basic TA game, one with the TA:CC expansion and one with the TA:BT expansion. It also contains a printed strategy guide which provides some usefull tips and some total nonsense. If you can't get the important TA:CC expansion solely you may be able to get a Commander Pack. Nothing is wrong with having the basic TA game discs twice - backups are always a good idea.

Where to get the expansions

Besides the fact you have to pay money for the expansions it's hard to find a store where to buy them at all nowadays. According an official statement on the Atari (formerly Infogrames) support boards for TA the game and its expansions are out of print. So, your best chance to get your hands on the TA expansions by legal means are online auction places like EBay.

Technically it's possible to 'install' both TA expansions on top of the basic TA game without running the installer program of the expansion set. All you need to do is to copy some files to be found on the respective expansion CD over to the TA folder. I won't provide the required files for download on this site until the last legal copy has disappeared from online auction stores.

Essential knowledge and tools

Important note regarding official TA support

I recommend not to rely on the completely outdated information to be found on the official support pages for TA hosted by the company Atari which owns the rights for TA now. You may screw your operating system or your TA installation by following their instructions. And the outdated references to comapanies, sites and online game services like TEN and Boneyards not existing anymore does no good either except confusing people even more. For up to date information stick to the TA user community sites instead.

In case you have played the TA missions only go check the list with TA game engine flaws and usefull tactics assembled by the GNUGS. Almost any TA online player is knowing this stuff and it would be a real handicap if you ignore it.
If you want to record the TA games you played or replay recordings other people made of TA games install the TA Demo Recorder . The probably largest and ever growing library of recorded TA games can be found at TARDS.
Check the list of online game service supporting TA in order to find a place where to play after setting your TA up for online games.
If you are playing on a slow system like a Pentium II 233 MHz you probably should check the TA trouble section for hints what bells and whistles in TA can be switched off in order to improve game performance.
If you are stuck behind a Firewall, Router or Proxy Server you have to open/forward certain network ports to play TA over the Internet.

Page last updated 2006/11/18 by tcbw@tcbw.net