Appendix A – Third Party Credits

Third Party Credits

(Please note that unit models included from TAWIS were pre-existing, and I own the rights to TAWIS in any case)

Models (untextured) for the 3 IAF level 3 turrets	-		Kamikaze
Bugfixing IAF Astro-Rocket script		-		Dark Rain
Basic build pictures for TAAK/IAF*	 	-		Viperhawk
Bugfixing IAF Destroyer/Battleship scripts		-		Kirk
TAAK voiceovers				-		Stacy

(*pictures provided by Viperhawk, all processing to make them compatible with the in-game build pictures and build menus done by myself)

Appendix B - Selection Hotkeys

Basic Total Annihilation has the following hard coded:

CTRL-a   Selects all units, including the Commander.
CTRL-b   Select all construction units except the commander.
CTRL-c   Centres the screen on the commander and selects him.
CTRL-d   Self-destructs the selected units. Click again to turn this off.
CTRL-s   Selects everything on the screen.
CTRL-z   Select all units of the currently selected type.

However, other hotkeys can be manually added, and these are as follows for Dark Suns:

CTRL-b	Selects all bombers
CTRL-e	Selects all escorts (IAF only)	
CTRL-f	Selects all fighters
CTRL-g	Selects all armed mobile units
CTRL-h	Selects all astro-tech units (IAF only)
CTRL-i	Selects all unarmed mobile units
CTRL-j	Selects all scanner jamming units
CTRL-k	Selects all kamikaze units
CTRL-m	selects all bays/spacestations
CTRL-n	selects all scanner units
CTRL-o	selects all construction units
CTRL-p	Selects all capitals
CTRL-r	Selects all resource production units
CTRL-t	Selects all turrets
CTRL-u	Selects all unarmed base units

Appendix C - Utilities

HPI View		-	Views and dumps the HAPI-format compressed files TA uses.

HPI Pack		-	Packs the HAPI-format compressed files TA uses.

HPI Combiner	-	The quick way to combine 2 or more HAPI files.

HPI Manager	-	Views and alters HAPI files.

TA Conflict Crusher	-	Scans TA data files, allows alteration of overlapping unit ID’s, weapon ID’s and build menu items. Also allows build menu alterations and checks for “orphan” (unused) weapons.

TA Mutator	-	Mod switcher and packer. Can automatically fix TA conflicts, resize build menus away from the original 6x2, handles hard “mutators” which are files applied to a MOD soft “mutators” which alter existing TA files using a TAM-specific very limited programmatic language.

3DO Builder	-	The editor for Total Annihilation’s 3DO model format. Can import various model formats, and export to them (although any textures are lost). You must import models in sections, the sections are those called in the script. You can add firepoints and flares, and texture the unit. Also has additional functions such as a hidden face removal tool, groundplate editor, and build-picture creator.

DCS 3DO editor	-	A much older editor, used purely for viewing 3DO models because it is a lot quicker at loading and displaying textured 3DO models than the OpenGL textured viewport of 3DO Builder. (Note – v4 and upgrade to v8 are included. VERY confusing without experience)

Scriptor		-	The most commonly used TA script compiler, has built-in DeScriptor function.

Uncobbler		-	Cobbler is a much older scripting program, and scripts compiled with it will not properly DeScript. Thus, you have to use Uncobble on them and then fix the resultant mess.

GAFBuilder Pro	-	GAF’s are build pictures, map features, weapon effects and more. GAFBuilder Pro is the all-in-one (albeit a little buggy) GAF editor (Includes update which fixes some bugs and introduces more).

GAFBuilder	-	Because just for viewing, GAFBuilder is a LOT quicker than GAFBuilder Pro.

Gaffer		-	One quick way to create TA Build Pictures.

GAFactory		-	Another quick way to create TA Build Pictures.

Lazyscriptor	-	The quick war to generate the (very) basics of a script.

TACC		-	The official map editor. Buggy, crash prone and slow but the only way to create missions.

Annihilator (1.5)	-	The 3rd party map editor. More stable and quicker, but near impossible to zoom out with to get overviews of areas, and cannot create missions.

TApalette.pal	-	The 256-colour palette TA uses.

Appendix E - Notes

Not everything I could of wished has been achieved with Dark Suns 2004. There has not been time to replace all the interface screens or

However, the game is playable. More than that, is it fun. The AI is while not excellent, good enough to give most people pause. Each side has a unique build tree

The maps lack something in the way of variety. This is unfortunate but unavoidable, given the lack of diversity within the Dark Suns tileset, even with the stellar giants addon. As far as it allowed, I have used different configurations to differentiate maps from each other.

So much of the work is subtle. For example, metal extractors were almost impossible for units to hit because their bases are 1 pixel underwater, and their sweetspot (the point on the unit targeted by the attacker) was at the centre bottom of the model.

Both the unit scripts (some of which had to be decompiled, cleaned up and recompiled – which is not a short process) and the 3d models (since some of the units were almost flat vertically. This was quick, however) had to be altered to raise the sweetspots into the approximate centre of the unit (vertically and horizontally). This was about 4 hours work, but can sound extremely simple.

Now, at any range less than the absolute maximum, metal extractors can be hit...which was the original intent. It was just both critical to the project and four hours work.