         OGR.COMs Total Annihilation Multiplayer Tips and Strategies

                     By David Perkins and OGR.COM Readers

                  Submit Your Total Annihilation Strategies


This guide was last updated on October 15. The very latest suggestions from
readers are printed in red type, and suggestions that appeared in earlier
editions are in black, but have a bullet by them. Note also that soon I will
include a section about specific units and their strategic uses; if you've
sent me suggestions about specific units, I'm saving them up for the new
section. If you haven't, then get on the stick, man!

Total Annihilation, the fast and furious real-time strategy game from
Cavedog, has earned a lot of praise from editors and gamers alike. OGR.COM
has put together a list of general strategies (with a few expert strategies
thrown in there) to get most multiplayer gamers started in their online or
network dominance. We are asking that OGR.COM readers, who may or may not
consider themselves Total Annihilation experts, contribute to this strategy
guide. Well be expanding the sections to include individual units and
structure strategies, so send in tips and tricks on anything in the game.
OGR.COM would like this strategy guide to build over time, with input from
OGR readers and Total Annihilation players. If you have some multiplayer tips
and strategies, please send an email to OGR.COM with an innovative and unique
strategy and look for it to be included in updated versions of this guide.
Each entry you send will be fully credited to you.

Internet and LAN Network strategies will differ sometimes. In Network games,
opponents and teammates are right there in the room, able to easily
communicate, criticize, berate, and annoy. Our strategies are affected by
this. For example, one popular Internet tactic is, at least on small maps and
in these early days of the game, for a player to build several Kbot labs and
quickly generate a large army of small units, which can overrun a fledgling
opponent. Anyone who has tried such a tactic during a LAN game finds
themselves cursed, and becomes the focus of everyone else's ire for several
games following. The same is true of the nuclear missile; the first player to
fire one usually finds a missile from every opposing base returning the favor
onto him alone. Despite these differences though, most of these strategies
will work in both Internet and Network play.

Construction Bots

                                   [Image]
      The fastest way to get going: metal, solar, solar, metal, Kbot Lab

Not only does each kind of construction unit build different structures, they
build them at different speeds. Among land units, the construction bot which
comes closest to matching the Commander's building rate is the advanced
construction vehicle. Construction aircraft are the slowest at building, but
are of course the most mobile.

One construction bot can begin a project, and move on while others finish the
job. For example, you can start building a Moho Mine with an advanced
construction kbot, have any other construction bot begin to help, then ask
the advanced kbot to begin making a Fusion Reactor. A unit which cannot
construct a building by itself can keep a project going by itself.

You can put your construction bots into teams by instructing one bot to build
and the others to guard it. Issue multiple orders to the main botfor
example, have it lay out a row of laser turrets  by using the Shift key; the
others will tag along and help.

*Asking a construction bot to "Guard" a structure which is creating units
speeds the construction up. The construction bot will remain by the building
and assist in its future constructions. If you ask the bot to guard the unit
being built, rather than the structure, it will accompany that unit to its
destination once the unit is built. (Mike Baechle)

On large maps, where an immediate base defense isn't as important as a solid
economy, build an advanced construction kbot as soon as possible and order it
to reclaim a Metal Extractor (choose a richly-producing metal deposit) and
replace it with a Moho Mine. Ask other construction vehicles to assist, and
have the advanced kbot move on to other metal deposits. Metal is more scarce
than energy in the opening minutes; energy is abundantly available using
cheap, numerous Solar Collectors.

If space is at a premium  for example, on maps with islands  order a
construction bot to reclaim your Solar Collectors once a Fusion Reactor is
built. A crowded base is dangerous, as buildings which explode trigger the
destruction of nearby buildings. The chain reaction ruins far more than the
Solar Collectors are worth.

*On maps where mobility is an issue, build an airport and use construction
aircraft for your first round of building. Have one or two build Metal
Extractors on outlying deposits; even if the Extractors are later destroyed,
you will likely have used every bit of metal they generated. (Christopher
Lynch)

More than one construction bot can reclaim metal from wreckage, speeding the
process. This is especially useful when reclaiming the metal from huge
capital ships and buildings; one bot working alone takes a very long time,
and the metal doesn't become available until the reclaiming is done.

Sending construction ships out with your fleets is a wise idea (that is, IF
your fleets are successful!), as they can immediately begin to reclaim metal
and repair your ships. The wreckage from a single battleship equals the metal
that a Moho Mine takes many minutes to generate. Ask a construction ship to
guard another ship, and it will automatically repair it when needed. This is
true for any construction bot.

*Construction bots put on "Patrol" do just what you hope they would: they
repair any damaged units and structures near their routes, and scarf up
wreckage, rocks, plants, and any other source of metal and energy--provided
that there is room in storage for these resources! A bot won't stop to claim
wreckage if there is no room to store it. Construction boats are an
exception; they only repair while on patrol, they don't reclaim. (Gary Weis)

Economy

                                   [Image]
    Dont clutter your base like this, because explosions can chain-react

Building energy storage is mainly useful after you've constructed large
artillery and guard towers which require energy to operate. The Big Bertha,
for example, uses 2000 units of energy every time it fires (so if you have a
Bertha which only aims and never shoots, check your energy supply!). Cloaking
a Commander is wise, and uses 1000 units of energy if he is moving  another
reason for an energy storage unit.

Metal storage is needed less frequently, and should only be built if you
notice that your stored metal is equal to your potential. This rarely
happens, however; usually a metal storage unit clutters your base,
endangering other buildings if it blows up.

A single Fusion Reactor produces enough energy to support any modest economy,
yet it's a smart move to build a second one somewhere, in case one of the two
is destroyed. Nothing hurts a comeback more than having an energy supply of
+1050 suddenly become +100.

The more Moho Mines and Fusion Reactors cranking, the more duplicate
construction buildings you can support. Having two or three shipyards, for
example, gives you a speed advantage over your opponents who have just one.
Figure out what units will help you most on the map you are playing, and
build several of the buildings that make those units. Keep the buildings
spaced far enough apart that the explosion from one won't destroy the others.

You can build a bunch of Solar Collectors and Metal Makers to create metal,
but on all but the smallest maps I believe it is more efficient to build a
Moho Mine or two, then a Fusion Reactor, instead. Metal Makers are even less
efficient than construction kbots (which generate metal just by being alive);
they occupy your attention and clutter your base, giving you that many more
buildings to try and defend.

Issuing Orders

                                   [Image]
Hold down the Shift key when a unit is selected, and green boxes indicate his
                                future plans.

Total Annihilation's interface is the best I've ever seen in any game. Using
common sense commands, you can issue complex orders which reduce your need to
babysit your units.

Among the most useful orders are those given directly to construction
buildings. If undirected, newly constructed units simply sit outside the
buildings which create them. If you'd like your units to gather somewhere
else, however, click the building and choose "Orders". Click "Move" and then
click the place (on the map or right on the landscape) where you'd like its
units to go once they are built. Similarly, units can be told to "Patrol" as
soon as they appear.

Scouting units often operate better when told to hold fire, since they will
refrain from taking potshots at outlying enemies. They will often penetrate
the defenses farther if they don't set off your opponent's warning klaxon.
Similarly, if you build a large artillery piece near your opponent's base,
have it hold fire until it is properly defended.

These last two ideas work well together when you are trying to direct
artillery fire into an opponent's base. Build your big gun within range of
the base and have it hold fire until you've built scout planes. Have the
scout planes move automatically toward the enemy base; they'll be shot down,
but the artillery will memorize the units which the scout plane reveals.

It is possible to order a unit (usually a plane) to head somewhere, then
begin a patrol at that point. Choose the unit and click the spot on the map
where you want its patrol to start. Now click "Patrol", hold down the Shift
key, and click the map where you want its patrol to end. Or, for a looping
patrol, keep holding Shift while clicking on the map at the waypoints.
There's no need to close the loop; the unit will automatically move to the
origin after it patrols to the end.

*When you send a group of units to attack your enemy, "guarding" sounds like
a good idea. For example, it makes sense for a bomber to be guarded by a
couple of fighters. However, if the bomber is sent to attack a target, the
fighters will fly behind it, allowing the bomber to be struck by the first
defenses. Once the bomber is hit, the fighters will attack what hit it; but
it would be best if the fighters would occupy the target's defenses before
the bomber makes its run. To accomplish this, order a fighter to attack the
target first, then send the bomber (guarded by the other fighters) to attack.
A simultaneous ground attack, if possible, also diverts the attention of the
target. (Matt Hoglund)

Similarly, "guarding" a transport ship full of valuable ground units puts the
transport in front of the group, where it will be the primary target of the
defenses. Instead, have the transport ship "guard" a powerful missile
ship--send it out in the lead. Ask most of the fleet to guard the lead ship,
and assign one or two ships and planes to guard the transport. The transport
will come along behind the lead ship, protected. Be aware that if the lead
ship is destroyed, you will have to manually command the transport.

*Units which move and fire quickly should be kept in motion as they attack
powerful but slow-moving enemies. Quick units can circle the slow opponent,
presenting a difficult target while at the same time maintaining accuracy.
(Joseph Method)

Defense

                                   [Image]
                Guard the spots where you build your big guns.

Build your most important structures behind hills, if you can. Enemy
artillery will hit the hills or overshoot your buildings, and enemy bombers
will have to pass overhead and turn around before striking effectively.

*Be aware that buildings are damaged by fire, and don't build weak structures
(like radar towers) inside heavy woods. (Gary Weis)

*Solar Collectors may take the place of Dragon's Teeth as a blockade. They
are inexpensive, build quickly, and can be effective both in slowing down
enemy advances and in protecting important structures from direct fire. A
Solar Collector even does something useful while it sits there! (Cerberus)

A group of enemy planes will penetrate a single row of missile towers; it's
better to build at least two layers of air defense, or a staggered array of
towers. Sprinkle laser towers among the missile towers for instant hits on
aircraft.

As your outer air defense, patrol with fighters just beyond the reach of your
missile towers. They will spot enemy bombers for your towers, and thin them
out before they reach your base. Flying planes can react more quickly to
enemy aircraft than planes sitting on the ground. Include some bombers in the
outlying patrol  they can really mess up large groups of ground units!

*Radar jammers make it necessary for your opponents to scout your base before
shelling accurately with their artillery. Spread jammers out, then select one
and hit CTRL-Z. This keyboard shortcut selects all like units and displays
their ranges on the map; make sure your jammers are blacking out your whole
base. (Ravage)

Batches of Dragons Teeth built in uneven patterns allow your ground units to
move out, but break up enemy attacks into manageable chunks. Test fire your
defensive weapons as far as they can, at bare ground, and build the Teeth
just inside their range; that way, your defense can shoot any construction
bots that your enemies send to "reclaim" the Teeth.

*The best defensive gun to build behind the Teeth (at the beginning of the
game) is the Light Laser Turret, which is inexpensive and accurate. Set
construction bots on patrol just behind them. If your opponent rushes your
base with dozens of small ground units, the Teeth will disperse them into
small groups which the LLT's can mow down. As the LLT's pile up kills, they
become "veterans" and gain in accuracy. The construction bots will keep these
valuable, ever-stronger defenses alive. In addition, LLT's sprinkled around
the landscape harass your enemy's movements and distract him while you build
up. (Brian Hitney)

If you have construction bots sitting around, order them to guard your most
important buildings. They will automatically heal any damage the building
incurs, which gives you one less thing to worry about after a big fight.

*Commanders are vulnerable against air attack, as their D-Guns rarely
connect. Assign a couple of anti-air bots to guard your Commander, and you
won't have to keep such a vigilant eye on him. (Ravage)

*Wreckage from battles near your base can be good and bad. It provides cover
not only for your defenses, but also for attacking mobile artillery, which
can shoot over it. To clean it up, patrol near it with construction bots, and
make sure you have spare room to store the metal. For a quick clean, the
Commander's D-Gun blasts wreckage away. (Gary Weis)

*Total Annihilation lets you determine whether or not units are hampered by
obstructions such as hills, mesas, and islands. Most players allow "Line of
sight" to be "True", meaning that such obstructions do indeed block vision.
Guns will not fire at blips on radar unless those blips are made visible by a
unit which can actually see the enemy. Expand the line of sight of your big
guns by patrolling with scout planes and hiding inexpensive units behind
trees and rock outcroppings. Make sure your hidden units are ordered to "Hold
fire". They will act as spotters for the long-range weapons which can then
attack incoming forces. If no cover is available, place your spotters behind
wreckage, which will block direct fire. (Michael Wyatt, Uldis Upenieks)

The tiny crawling bombs that each side has explode more effectively if they
are self-destructed, using CTRL-D. They are fun to hide beneath trees or
behind hills on the outskirts of your base, where you think the enemy might
attack by ground. Mark likely spots using CTRL-F5 through CTRL-F7, so you can
return there quickly by hitting F5 thru F7 respectively. Hide the little
bombs near a sentry, and when the sentry is attacked, go there and
self-detonate the bomb.

Submarines can fire on any sea unit, as can destroyers (which can also shoot
at aircraft). An equal number of each is a good early defense versus sea
attack. Torpedo Launchers only fire when they can spot the enemy, which is
the forte of inexpensive Sonar Stations.

*A submarine or two sent quickly over to an opponent's shoreline can make it
difficult for him to establish a shipyard, as only other ships can spot your
subs. If you notice a shipyard under construction, wait for it to be built
before attacking. Your sub will destroy the shipyard before it can build a
defensive unit. (Ken Perkins)

If you play it safe, building an anti-nuke launcher is the way to go. Even if
everyone else builds an anti-nuke, build a nuke launcher too. Fire a missile
at the outskirts of enemy bases, just to see if they have built a defense
against it. If not, bombs away! Almost everyone does build it, but even so,
having nukes is a nice way of blowing away new bases, especially large
artillery pieces that an opponent builds near your home. Nukes also make it
more difficult for fleets of ships to amass off your shores.

If you have your opponent on the ropes, be wary of the kamikaze Commander! If
he can end the game with mutual annihilation, he very well may try it out of
desperation. Keep your Commander cloaked and on the fringes of your base, so
he can run away in time to avoid the opposing Commander's explosion.

*One option you have versus this kamikaze tactic is to do the very same to
your opponent. As soon as you spy his Commander, walk your own over to his
base and self-destruct him. (Ravage)

*If you are playing a team game, and your ally is against the ropes, rescue
his Commander with an air transport. Bring him back to your base and allow
your ally to rebuild behind your defenses. (Max Smitko)

Offense

                                   [Image]
   A nice mix of ships and air support guards a battleship in an effective
                                    fleet.

Total Annihilation's units are well-balanced, and work best as a mix. A fleet
composed only of the largest battleships, for example, can be sunk by a few
lowly submarines. Guard a flagship (the slowest one in your fleet) with
several other ships, so they will move at its speed. Assign fighters to guard
various ships in the fleet, too. Then, instead of dragging a box around the
entire bunch and sending it somewhere, just choose your flagship and move it.
It's easier, and safer than having your fastest ships arrive at the battle
first, which will ruin your strategic blend.

Battleships and carriers take a very long time to make; better to pause and
repair them than hope they get another kill or two while wounded badly.
Construction ships do repairs far faster than construction aircraft. Keep
carriers in the back, as their main worth is in repairing damaged aircraft
(which they do automatically).

Keeping ships or ground units in a huge group is risky, as a well-placed nuke
can take them all out. It's better to split attacking forces into several
groups, and use the CTRL key to move them in from various directions.

*Be aggressive in your exploring. Quickly send inexpensive, fast bots to
"roam" the landscape, followed by construction bots with orders to build a
Metal Extractor on every unclaimed metal deposit which your explorers
uncover. An opponent who does not properly scout will allow many of these
Extractors to remain unmolested. Then order your construction bots to spread
Missile Towers in a line between your base and the others, and patrol over
those towers with fighters, to discourage your opponent from sneaking scout
planes into your base. (Matt Hoglund)

If you send planes out to attack Metal Extractors or solitary units out in
the frontier zones, set the planes to "Roam" and they will continue to seek
targets, which will be less defended than home bases are.

*Be sure to keep artillery units behind direct-fire units as you attack (or
defend). This makes use of artillery's ability to fire over friendly units
and wreckage. Furthermore, artillery fires more accurately when it is not
moving. (Matt Hoglund)

*The first unit sent to an outpost should be a radar jammer. An opponent who
spots colored dots on his map sitting on a nearby hill will surely
investigate--so keep those dots hidden! (Andrew Verhelst)

If you are certain you know where a player's home base is concentrated (like
on an island or a mesa), fire your long distance artillery and battleship
guns into the blackness, using the map and the "attack" order. No need to
even bother scouting  just keep shooting and wait for the screen to shake!
If you can see dots on the radar map, you can fire at them. Choose your
artillery and center the mouse on the radar blips until you see the "attack"
cursor.

*Alternatively, load crawling bombs onto air transports and fly them toward
enemy bases. Select the transports and track them by hitting "T". With five
seconds to go before they will be shot down, hit CTRL-D to self-destruct them
(they are more potent if self-destructed than if destroyed by your enemy).
You might send a few fighters in first to draw enemy anti-air fire, and a
transport carrying a radar jammer for the element of surprise. (Vernon Amos,
Ben Davidson)

*On water maps, cloaking your Commander and sneaking him over to the opposing
shoreline can provide you with some guerilla-type kills. Creep him into the
midst of the shoreline defenses, D-Gun the crap out of everything, then dive
him back into the water. An opponent with insufficient underwater defenses
will not be able to respond. (Ken Perkins)

Torpedo bombers aren't worth a thing versus land targets, as their torpedoes
simply plop onto the ground well before the target. Send torpedo bombers
against sea units; torpedoes lock on to the metal hulls and adjust their
trajectory. Normal bombers are ineffective against moving sea units, and
should be sent to attack land targets or shipyards.

It's best to wipe out an opponent's energy and metal structures first, as it
cripples their economies. Group your big artillery (even if it's just one
unit) with the CTRL key and send a scout plane toward his base. Track the
scout plane; as soon as it reveals important targets, select the artillery
with the ALT key and attack the target before the scout plane is killed and
the landscape goes dark. Using CTRL and ALT along with the numbers 1 through
9 make it possible to fire artillery without having to return to where they
are on the map.

End Note

Again, please send in your Total Annihilation strategies to be included in
this comprehensive guide. You will be credited for your entry. Send your
strategies to us at OGR.COM and look for further updates soon!
