Battles with dozens of battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines firing, exploding, and sinking are a sight to behold. A huge metal world, this map is not about finesse - it is about plopping down as many Moho extractors as possible and building a fleet for the ages. The hands down most enjoyable large naval map is Seven Islands. Of course, if a player has invested in tier 2 defensive structures, especially artillery, a starting island can become a rather vicious firebase. Generally, the first player to amass a half dozen or so destroyers and submarines can overwhelm the other. Gods of War is an exemplary example of the small naval TA maps, and the combat here is sure to be sharp and harsh. Ironically, water maps have some of the lowest metal supplies of any map type, and ships require the most metal of any unit. Small naval maps are quite interesting, due to the metal requirements needed to support even the construction of one submarine or destroyer. TA maps exist that are covered entirely by bodies of water, forcing reliance on warships and aircraft to cover the distance to an opponent. If air combat is secondary to many RTS games, Naval combat is a distant tertiary function if even included. Naval combat is an area where Total Annihilation truly shines. Such an assault is likely to be successful - in TA the bomber (almost) always gets through. Tier 3 weapons may become feasible, but the first hint of an artillery shell landing within a base will prompt a frantic scouting mission and a follow up attempt to destroy the offending structure. Again with no land corridors between bases, this map can support large battles with hundreds of aircraft and defensive structures battling it out in a chaotic melee. The best TA map for large scale aerial combat is arguably Biggie Bigs. With the relative ease of scouting such a small map, artillery under construction is sure to be targeted and bombed before completion. Tier 1 units will be build in droves, but even though sufficient resources to support a higher tier technology are generally lacking, tier 2 aircraft may become available due to their low metal requirements. With no immediate ground access to an opponent’s base, air defenses must be overwhelmed in order to achieve victory. Not so in TA - TA maps exist that require air combat.Īn excellent example of a small air map is Cluster Freak. For most RTS entries, air combat was entirely secondary to the land combat. TA air units were unique for their time, and have hardly been improved upon by successor titles.
Aircraft play a larger role here, but are secondary to sending waves of Fidos and Bulldogs or Cans and Goliaths at the enemy. With ample room to maneuver, the focus on this map becomes expanding a resource base and defending it until heavy tier 2 units and tier 3 structures become available. Just about the best of the land focused large TA maps is Yerrot Mountains. These types of maps usually end up with factories sending a constant stream of lower tier kbots and vehicles to a front line, and the winner is the one who can push that front line into the enemy’s base. Characterized largely by rushes of constantly increasing size, it is unlikely either player will reach level 2 units due to the need for constant unit production to protect one’s own base. Like many smaller TA maps, this one is designed for high intensity skirmishes.
Perhaps the best small land map in TA is Evad River Confluence. Maps completely covered by traversable solid ground are the most basic type of TA maps available. Geography is not destiny in Total Annihilation, but it definitely is a significant factor.
Jungle worlds, water planets, planets made entirely of metal, green and mountainous Earth analogs, urban zones, dead Mars-like worlds, young volcanic planetoids, frozen moons, and acidic Venus inspired maps are all represented.Įach map lends itself to the practice of a different strategy: the more water on a map the more sea power will play a key role in determining ultimate victory, and likewise the more choke points separate two warring players from one another the more valuable air power will be in avoiding defensive traps. TA maps come in a dazzling assortment of landscapes.
Total Annihilation almost revered by hardcore RTS gamers for its varied map styles, and TA mods are still being released.