Current Version: 0.5.4

Project Status: Beta Release

Highest Popularity: #6 during August 2006

Links: Web Site, version 0.5.1 (source), windows binaries, TA3D's forums, Linux Installation

Category: Strategy

Developers: Zuzuf

Number of Players: 8 (Game Server)

Ports: Linux, Windows

Source Code: Available

Author's Description: TA3D is a remake of Total Annihilation, using Allegro for keyboard, mouse and timer routines, and AllegroGl for Allegro interfacing with OpenGl. It uses the content from the original game(maps, units, graphical features,...). It really has cool stuff like particle effects, shadow volumes,...

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What's New:

0.5.4
Mainly a bug fix release, it fixes a few bugs related to multiplayer and URLs have been updated to point to our new website URL (www.ta3d.org)

0.5.3
Mainly a bug fix release, it just uses the same formats of textures as current development version (0.6) in order to prevent people from making content that won't be compatible with 0.6 release.

0.5.2
just a bug fix update:
* view/radar/sonar distances fixed
* fixed resource installer freezing/not finding files on some systems
* various minor bugs fixed

0.5.1
just a small update containing several bug fixes:
* multiplayer games should not lose synchronization when socket buffers are full
* map downloading should now work properly
* some other minor fixes
* some improvements to windows installer

0.5.0
* multiplayer
* saved games
* improved stability
* OS integration
* MacOS X Intel support
* new water renderer
* improved performances
* ... too much to fit here, see our 8 months of logs

0.4.2
*the resource installer is more resistant to errors and now support all the TA CDs (CD1, CD2, BT, CC) so you can easily install campaign resources and all the addons
*support for campaign mode and missions
*added campaign menu and mission briefing menu
*added loading menu progress bar animation for TDF, FBI and WEAPONS modules
*shields implemented
*some speed optimisations in WEAPONS, TDF, FBI, 3DO modules (faster loading time :) )
*some speed optimisations in GUI module
*support for HitByWeapon BOS/COB function
*added support for unit DamageModifier variable
*improved performance on water maps with water quality set to "extreme" (don't draw invisible features anymore on the reflection map)
*game can be paused and resumed
*fire effect improved (fire particles are spawned from the 3D models when available :) )
*build pics code rewritten to support big build pics
*support for 32bits animated sprites (extended GAF format for TA3D ;) )
*new console command to give resources to a given player (for AI debugging)
*support for invisibility
*new skin
*scaling support for GUI widgets
*new skin mechanism for menu backgrounds
*3D tree size x 1.5
*map selection menu rewritten using GUI module
*atomic explosions have been improved
*weapon smoke density decreased
*you can build things in a row by holding down your mouse button
*air repair pads works
*units can be captured
*units can be resurrected (for example by the CORNECRO)
*pressing SPACE key shows game statistics
*new music configuration system, it autogenerate and autoupdate the playlist at startup, so you just put your files in music and it works !!
*new confirm dialog when changing screen resolution
*new hot restart mechanism
*TA3D_Audio now explicitly uses ALSA on Linux, so you can have sound and your favorite music player started
*patrol orders has been greatly improved
*TA3D now requires Allegro >= 4.2.2 (configure doesn't accept 4.2.0 any more since it has bugs that crash TA3D)
*now you can run TA3D in 16bits or 32bits (you can select color depth in config menu)
*new HPI cache system
*new texture cache system to speed up loading process (the first time it's slower because it creates the cache)
*reduced memory footprint of textures
*improved ListBox widget in GUI module
*end game statistics screen rewritten using GUI module
*ai module cleaned
*ia module renamed to ai
*when you click to build something on the map, the according sound is played
*support for floating help messages when cursor is over a widget
*menus have been redesigned to be more like TA
*GUI skin has been changed, it's more TA like now
*new loading screen
*fixed formula for extracted metal
*fixed clicking "holding fire" not ordering firing units to stop firing
*fixed minimap size detection failing
*fixed the "set" command in BOS/COB VM (solar collectors now deactivate when hit by a weapon !!)
*fixed config file format bug with "last map" and "last script" which was sometimes not saved correctly
*fixed planes trying to land somewhere when they've something else to do
*fixed audio module not reloaded when changing current mod in config screen
*fixed factories unable to build anything when they've been ordered to stop
*lots of thread safety bugs fixed
*fixed weapon aiming bug
*fixed buildangle variable in FBI code
*fixed yard map bug that prevented CORVP from building units
*fixed explosion drawing bug : sprites aren't drawn upside down any more
*fixed MAP::hit sometimes not returning a solution when it should
*fixed some parts of low definition map being hidden into water
*fixed some lava bugs
*fixed unit model exploding system
*fixed weapon damage system
*fixed a bug that prevented object position to be calculated properly on some 3DO models
*fixed nanolathe particles going away
*fixed some unit script limitations
*fixed transporter script bug
*fixed key shortcuts in GUI ('A' & 'a' are recognized as the same key now)
*fixed weapon models rotation bug
*fixed widgets zoom factor for text
*pathfinding FIXED !!!
*fixed armcom & armllt laser colors and adapted size
*fixed reclaim sound not being played when it should
*fixed commander radar being activated only when building
*fixed shadows that appear where they shouldn't


0.4.1
_new intro screen!
_buttons on GUI have been improved, replaced with TA like buttons
_both rigth and left control keys are read as control now
_both right and left shift keys are read as shift now
_new button in game setup menu : change map, it still works when you click on minimap
_camera zooming behaviour is better and can be configured in the config menu ;)
_unit rendering is done with display lists (so it's faster)
_CAMERA class cleaned
_build buttons are no more transparent since GUI isn't
_waves are now an option
_trees are not an option any more
_in default.lua, when a player dies its units are killed
_menus load less CPU than before
_improved pathfinding (still not perfect but faster)
_random number generator is now platform independent
_the A.I. (wow!!!! It's there !!!)
_write cleaner logs - removed useless logs from TA3D_Audio module
_you can now set the player name
_TA3D's script module rewritten using lua
_implemented standing fire orders
_pathfinder module cleaned
_D-Gun works properly
_build/orders menu sounds implemented
_water color is now taken from the map water texture for water quality >= 3
_HPI caching system (to speed up GUI loading)
_TA's bad target behaviour implemented
_ship'corpses sink
_full support for TA interface
_full mod support with a mod manager
_added support for other races
_full gaf support (subframes & transparency in uncompressed images )
_added a high speed particle engine (with less particle features)
_added support for original game interface :D
_added a variable to have a collection of default skies that are used when none fits with the map
_increased precision of nanolathe spray :)
_new mod management system
_ESC doesn't quit the game anymore, instead it displays a menu which let you return to the game or leave it
_fixed : artifacts when zooming too fast due to fog being updated too slowly
_fixed : weakness in weapon/unit damage detection system
_critical bug fixed in win32 version : rand() function was returning a 16bits integer !!!
_some basic checks added to make the code more resistant to errors
_nuclear silo unable to fire fixed
_code is more thread safe
_compilation errors with Allegro 4.2.0 fixed
_bombers not firing fixed
_planes now look for a place to land instead of teleporting where they can land
_fixed: stability bug in fast particle engine code
_fixed: do not crash anymore when destroying the AI structures
_fixed: transparency bug with building previews when water quality < 2
_Construction k-bots don't fail reclaming anymore
_Metal extractors now spin after being built
_bug fix in unit path management code -> units should get locked any more
_small floatting menu bug fixed in GUI drawing code
_black polygon bug on some 3do models fixed
_when build units with a CORE shipyard, units are no more built with an offset
_fixed: toairweapon flag supported
_fixed: TA3D's implementation of TA's category system now can handle an infinite number of categories (like in TA)
_fixed: water weapons can't leave water any more, and non water weapons can't go in water anymore
_fixed HPIManager table corruption bug
_changed the static variable limit to something higher (twice as before) to support the Talon race
_fixed wheels spinning in the wrong direction
_fixed: texture coordinate bug ( textures not displayed properly on polygons with more than 4 edges )
_fixed nanolathe emitting point not being detected properly on some units
_fixed: factories are detected with the BMcode variable


0.4.0
_huge performance improvement in feature drawing code
_trees can burn (you can have forest fires)
_unit can attack a position on the ground without having a unit as target
_added a popup message when resources files are missing and raise an exception to prevent the program from just crashing
_removed empty hash table module since all the hash table code is in the header file hashtable.h
_updated documentation
_support for hovercrafts
_better thread synchronisation system
_new water renderer, 5 levels of details: 0 - very low, 1 - low, 2 - fast GLSL shader, 3 - better GLSL shader, 4 - same as 3 with everything reflected in water
_using FMOD C++ interface for all platforms except mingw32 on windows which can only use the FMOD C interface
_units cannot be spawned in places where they cannot be (neither by a script nor by the console)
_units cannot go any more where another unit already is, if a unit try it will be replaced where we found a place
_new 3D models for metal deposits
_logging additionnal information (OpenGL version, renderer and vendor)
_Console.log and Console2.txt log files merged into ta3d.log
_when zooming out nothing special, but when zooming in, the cursor doesn't move from the position it points on map (like in supreme commander)
_new tactical icon for kamikaze units
_kamikaze attack support, kamikaze units work !!
_mine missions implemented, so mines work
_unit self-destruction mechanism implemented
_when specified in *.fbi a unit can autoheal (cf commanders)
_support for unit specific damage (for weapons)
_added support for texture compression in 3DM models (you can choose between no compression and JPG format (support alpha using a greyscale jpg))
_added support for wide screen modes
_the loading process produces more logs
_added support for default animation in 3DM models, a feature can be animated !!!
_added support for symbolic 3DM files which tell the loaded to load an other 3DM file (one level only)
_big explosions produce less particles, and a particle limit has been set to prevent slowing down too much
_sonar and radar jammers work
_fog of war code rewritten
_sonars work
_presence map system rewritten, now we have a presence map for land units and an air presence map that supports multiple units at the same (x,z) coords on the map
_transporters work
_improvements in cob engine
_exploding units make less smoke
_rewritten patrol code
_factories can now receive an order list that will be given to built units
_the build menus are now read from gamedata\sidedata.tdf, except for weapon build pics which are still taken from *.gui
_collision detection between weapons and units is much simpler and faster
_engine performance improved
_compatibility with Allegro 4.2.2 and AllegroGL 0.4.2
_improved i18n and cTAFileParser modules (they're faster and "." doesn't confuse them any more)
_changed spherical skies rotation speeds to 0.8
_unit moving code - including pathfinding code - rewritten
_TA3D now remember last state of Fog Of War in game setup menu
_now display info about everything that is under the cursor :), it's also easier to reclamate things
_new pathfinding algorithm, much faster
_improved the map selection screen
_some tuning of UNIT::move function
_moving code is isolated from mission code making unit moving function more modular
_unit orientation code is no more replicated, code is shorter
_weapons are more reactive
_shake effect
_units that have more than one weapon can fire them all at the same time
_unit's weapon system rewritten, it's no more a part of the mission code
_fixed : shift key behaves like in TA now when a building has been selected in the build menu
_fixed under water units floating, every one is where it should be
_fixed unit activation/deactivation bug
_fixed some bugs in the sprite => 3D object converter, converted objects aren't as ugly as before
_fixed map artefacts (map textures organisation changed)
_fixed missing polygon-offset for flat map features
_fixed scaling bug with map features
_fixed 1280x1024 not being displayed in screen mode list
_fixed ugly shadow casting bug that prevented us from using gouraud (smooth) shaded models
_fixed : factories with last order canceled now work and don't stay open
_fixed lasers not aiming properly
_fixed a bug that could make TA3D load the wrong *.cob script file for a unit
_fixed some bugs that prevented pewee's weapons to work properly
_fixed bug when previous played map missing
_fixed bullet transparency
_fixed : commander can't build a row of buildings without having a pathfinding problem
_fixed bug with fog of war/radar map
_fixed bug with unit/feature presence map
_fixed water effects on lava
_fixed slope calculation for tnt maps at loading time, wasn't taking map precalculation into account
_fixed build error with Allegro 4.2.0
_bug fixed in VAngle function that computes angle between 2 VECTOR
_fixed some random crashs
_fixed console ability to emit more messages than it can store into the log file and freeze the game
_fixed a drawing bug with building orders when holding SHIFT, GL_DEPTH_TEST was disabled!
_fixed a security issue in COB script emulation code that could create more "threads" than expected and crash the game


0.3.2
_various real night skyes!!
_new sky system that can draw a spherical or flat sky, make it rotate
_fog of war is now an option in the game setup menu (off, grey, black or on)
_Main menu has been recoded, animation has changed and it's now translated using the i18n module
_TA Font is now loaded from TA's hpi files from a GAF animation, so we get the full ASCII-8 table !!
_TA3D remembers the last played script/map and set it as default in the game setup menu
_now radars are working!!
_support for on mini-map commands
_removed the F.F. (Friendly Fire)
_TA3D_Audio uses C syntax for FMOD since C++ syntax doesn't build with mingw32
_water quality level 0 fixed : a simple quad with the low details texture of the map is drawn at 50%
_improved fragment shaders used for water rendering so that it's easier to see units under water
_add corpses when units die
_shortcuts to unit orders ( A = attack, R = repair, ... )
_translation manager rewritten
_arrows and a circle appear when moving the cam
_compatibility with mingw32 is back
_bug fix in unit orientation algorithm, was assuming sqrt( a*a + b*b ) != 0 if a or b != 0 which is false with -ffast-math
_bug fix in sky reflection renderer
_ugly bug with menus fixed in GUI module
_bug fix in the unit picking algorithm, you can now select a unit which is on top of an other
_build range is now set from the border of a unit and not from its center
_fog is now drawn correctly when detail texture is activated, GLSL detail shader now implements FOG
_scripts now use the i18n module (text is translated)
_can't order any more to build in undiscovered places
_build animation fixed
_fix FMOD failing to start ending the program at start
_the mission description is now displayed correctly in the map selection screen
_launching the map selection menu doesn't freeze a few sec. it's much faster now


0.3.1
_fix : units were too slow (fixed but various unit behaviours still not implemented yet)
_fix: when displaying order list only the first "link" was shown
_game doesn't hangs/speeds up anymore after a few minutes playing (time varibales going mad)
_can now build small units in a row, build orders are no more removed
_sync the script engine with core threads
_can't build shipyards anymore near the shores
_no more ships trembling in their factory
_resources data do not become any more like crap sometimes freezing everything building (non initialized variables for resource consumption)
_fix a bug in map ray collision detector ( see ashap plateau )
_planes take less time trying to find a place to land
_the FBO zbuffer crash the program when used ( water quality = 3 ) with some gfx hardware (replaced with backbuffer drawing)
_units are not drawn anymore with some parts of the map going through the models
_sounds weren't always played ( FMOD can't ... )
_selection bug is fixed
_autoactivated units now works fine
_use some display lists to speed static meshes drawing
_tracking mode for the camera (can track a unit)
_scroll speed increased ( x5 )
_a new TA files installer ( useful for Linux users :-) )
_support for real directory tree in HPI module
_new flash effect under exploding units
_configure now complains about missing libraries
_improved camera movement ( ctrl + middle button = look at cursor point, middle button/roller = move the cam/zoom )
_on mini-map fog of war
_add support for an output directory ( ie $HOMEDIR/.ta3d )
_fix the shadow not being cast on 3DM models
_fix the particle engine's bug that makes things crash
_fix : cTAFileParser was quadratic due to the code that remove '\r' and unstable due to huge use of recursive calls
_collision bug fixed :-)
_fix the freeze bug when starting the map selector
_metal extractors should work now
_new option : can draw the console over the loading screen to show it's actually doing something
_new detail texture when looking close to the ground ( uses fragment programs -> need >= GeForce FX class to work )
_time model is tick based ( needed for network play ) -> gives better performances
_TA3D is now multi-threaded!! ( faster on multi-core CPUs )
_skins for GUI
_bug fixes in particle engine ( no more particle flickering )
_new gfx module
_improved gui module
_hash_table module rewritten
_new file parser module
_new sound engine, sound and music modules replaced by TA3D_Audio module using fmod - alogg and allegromp3 are not longer needed
_new thread module
_new background for menus
_right click on view mode icon when in normal mode reset angle to default
_crash fixed when TA3D doesn't find any map

0.3.0
_new documentation
_allegro's font has been replaced with TA's one
_new color scheme for the console
_faster particle engine
_faster weapon engine
_compatibility with visual c++ 2005 express
_the low details texture for the map is computed with a depth of 16bits
_setting a building position is done like in TA
_a lots of optimizations
_faster code for fog of war
_new 3D trees that comes with new 3D Model format
_new logo at startup
_new 3D model format with the editor
_the JPGalleg lib is now included in TA3D with some bug fixes on 64bits systems
_build fixed with Allegro 4.2.1 and AllegroGL 0.4.0
_default view angle set to 63.44° (TA's view angle)
_a unit being built is linked to its factory (it can turn)
_unit's parts can bounce around
_hpi code rewritten

0.2.3
_mega zoom!!
_a new night sky is drawn depending on planet type
_new indicator for aircrafts to easily see where they are
_improved support for weapons
_bug fix in collision detection code between a ray and a 3do model
_bug fix in the code computing the center of a 3do model => units don't shoot their enemy's feet any more
_memory bug fixed (crash after game ends fixed)
_global performance improvement
_new screen when game ends with game stats
_a very ugly bug fixed in fx drawing code
_wind simulation
_improved support of wind and tidal generators
_performance improvement in reflection rendering code
_support for OTA files with data showing in "maps" menu
_a new resource file containing translation for multiple languages
_new table for random numbers (a few freeze disappeared)
_bug fix in aiming code


0.2.2
_a few improvements in script code
_you can't build what you want every where (ex : factory on water)
_support for transport units
_better features support (can be destroyed, ...)
_improved fog of war
_a few performance tweaks
_text is easier to read
_pathfinding improvements
_AI disabled
_fx now appear on top of units who produced them (explosion,...) so it's more reallistic
_the engine is faster with lots of units
_bug fix in fx managing code (memory leak)
_bug fix in lava code
_bug fix in sprite reflection
_improved water quality with GLSL
_many bug fixes

0.2.1
_weapons can target other weapons
_atomic logo is drawn on minimap for atomic weapons
_more work on weapons: two phases weapons work (like atomic weapons)
_bug fix: TA3D doesn't crash anymore when music dir is empty
_4 quality levels for water (basic, original water from map, shaded water, shaded water with reflection)
_bug fix: the code which detects the viewable zone works properly and framerate is slightly higher
_shadow algorithm improved to be faster on old computers
_a GLSL shader to render water
_freecam controls changed: use arrows to move instead of space
_pictures are in the gfx subdirectory
_units show their side colors
_bug fix: shadows are cast properly
_music background changes with game state (battle, ...)
_new window icon
_units can reclaim other units and corpses
_you can cancel a unit in construction buildings
_menus of construction buildings now show the list of units they have been told to build
_improved unit scripts support: construction buildings now behave as expected
_added INSTALL instructions for MacOS X and a few bug fixes in glfunc.h
_new antialiashing option in config module
_very fast minimap preview
_bug fix: 3do loader now links textures correctly
_bug fix in weapon explosion code


0.2.0
changes from 0.1.2 to 0.2.0
-----------------------------------------

_CTRL+Z will select all the units of the type of those which are selected
_added: a button to switch between free camera and normal mode
_added: configuration module
_improved building animation
_bug fix: boat particles are sent in the right direction
_music code rewritten in order to support mp3 and ogg
_bug fix in shadow algorithm
_bug fixes in unit animation (units aim faster)
_units don't get lost any more out of the map
_faster terrain rendering
_you can make groups of units (CTRL + 0...9, and ALT + 0...9)
_bomber now aim properly
_shader support
_new cache to prevent sounds and fx to slow the game down
_bug fix in script emulation
_new buttons in units menu
_new script commands
_a lot of bug fix
_improved pathfinding
_A.I. (with neural networks but not finished yet)
_fog of war


0.1.2
_bug fix: files with archive attribute are detected under windows
_bug fix: units in standby mode can accept new orders
_builders now check if there is enough space to build!!
_shadow bug fix under windows!!
_bug fix with AllegroGL 0.4.0rc4 (fonts are now drawn correctly)
_bug fix in shadow algorithm (if GL_EXT_stencil_two_side is not available it will draw shadows in 2 pass)
_bug fix in particle engine (sometimes particles were not visible)
_support for game scripting(scripts can control how the engine behave)
_3d sound support(software)
_weapons don't pass through units any more
_cannons can aim and fire
_units can be damaged (and be killed)
_units are now rotated to fit terrain orientation
_pathfinding is fully working (units do not cross each other any more)
_new 2D->3D sprite converter (allow 3D rocks with original sprites)
_increased stability
_language support for unit's names and descriptions
_transparency bug fixed in build menu


0.1.1
_special effects when weapons explodes
_camera height increased by 50%
_units can shoot
_units scripts can make units aim and shoot!!
_script system has been rewritten to allow units to fire
_loading from hpi archives is faster
_new sound system: a sound is played when a unit is selected/move/fire/...
_playing mp3 is now done using streaming (no more slow down when loading mp3s)
_3d model drawing code enhanced
_bug fix: a bug which prevented loading some data from 3do files
_free camera (just type freecam in console)
_shadow volume algorithm is faster
_you can choose shadow quality (high quality => game slower)
_a bug in script code fixed
_a particle bug fixed


0.1.0
_added html doc
_added advanced weapon management (not finished)
_builders now emit particles when building
_added a few changes to main menu
_added windows port
_added in game music
_segfault fixed (thanks to Arthur Nascimento)


0.0.10
_added pathfinding algorithm
_now every unit should be able to move (air crafts can fly,...)
_added ressource management (metal and energy costs, ...)
_added weapon loader
_finding/loading a file from archives if faster
_loading is faster
_a few bugs about units moves fixed


0.0.9
_engine performances have been increased(up to 6 times faster on huge maps)
_a new menu (with minimap preview)
_a lot of bugs fixed
_added support for 3d objects on maps (like corpses, vents,...)

0.0.8
some bugs fixed, and a configuration script has been added. There is also new english doc.

• 4Has potential but currently lacking in pretty much every department. Will update review when there's more going on.
  Inphernic
• 10The graphics looks awesome, but... There will be an English version?
  Carlos Pizarro

Zuzuf
I like programming, I started when I was 9(something like that, I don't remember exactly, it was a long time ago...:-) ). I begun with QBasic and now I program in C/C++ on Linux (View Profile)