History Videogame / TotalAnnihilation

* CripplingOverspecialisation: Almost all units have a specialization of some sort: anti-air, GlassCannon, MightyGlacier, etc. A group of any one will usually get torn to pieces by something else they can't deal with.

!!''Total Annihilation'' contains the following tropes

* ZergRush: Arm's "Flash" Light Tank is the staple unit for one of these, offering a very nice balance cost, speed and firepower.

Before ''VideoGame/SupremeCommander'', there was the ill-fated follow-up ''VideoGame/TotalAnnihilationKingdoms'', which used the same game engine in a magic-fantasy setting with four (then five) sides rather than two. Never as popular as the original, and the producer Cavedog went belly-up not long after the release of its ExpansionPack, ''The Iron Plague''. However, ''Kingdoms'' enjoyed the same modding community as ''TotalAnnihilation'', indeed to ludicrous levels at times.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Chris Taylor chose a futuristic setting with robots because the game's engine wasn't yet sophisticated enough to handle realistic-looking human troops, risking the UncannyValley. Perfecting the engine made this possible, leading to ''TotalAnnihilationKingdoms''.

* VerticalKidnapping: The air transport units can grab enemy units as well as transporting your own. One quick-victory tactic used in multiplayer is to quickly build one, send it over to the enemy base and snatch their Commander before they have any anti-air defences.

!! Total Annihilation contains the following tropes

* ArtificialStupidity: The pathfinding leads a lot to be desired at times, and the "stock" AI is not very competent in sea or air arenas.

* BackFromTheBrink: Both campaigns begin with an enemy attack on your side's last planet.

* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: The relative power of the different types of lasers are colour coded- the very weak 'popgun' type on scout units and A.K.s are orange, light lasers are red, heavy lasers are green, and the 'energy weapon' most powerful laser is blue.
* ConstructAdditionalPylons: Justified.

* ShownTheirWork: The manual's glossary explains much of the technology in TA as according to real-life science. One example: the Moho Mine, which is an advanced metal extractor, is short for [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohorovi%C4%8Di%C4%87_discontinuity Mohorovicic Discontinuity]], which is the distance between a planet's crust and its mantle. As the manual says, the Moho Mine drills for metal at distances anywhere between 10 to 50 kilometers deep, depending on the planet. The glossary also goes into ridiculously detailed science as to how the Commander's Disintegrator Gun works and why nothing can defend against it.

TA, despite advanced graphics (for the time), massive critical acclaim, unique gameplay and ground-breaking technical brilliance, was never hugely popular (it had the misfortune of being released around the same time as ''VideoGame/StarCraft'') and is largely forgotten today. Its limited success is largely blamed on the game lacking the background material, storyline and character of its competitors. TA is often considered one of the most underrated games of all time.

TA, despite advanced graphics (for the time), massive critical acclaim, unique gameplay and ground-breaking technical brilliance, was never hugely popular (it had the misfortune of being released around the same time as ''StarCraft'') and is largely forgotten today. Its limited success is largely blamed on the game lacking the background material, storyline and character of its competitors. TA is often considered one of the most underrated games of all time.

* NuclearOption: [[StuffBlowingUp OH]] [[DeathFromAbove HELL]] [[SoCoolItsAwesome YES]]. Nukes, combined with long-range radar, are a GameBreaker if your opponent doesn't have anti-missile defense systems.
** And usually, in the computer's case, they won't even bother to build any missile defense systems, or even their own nukes.

!! Total Anihilation contains the following tropes

** '''Empyrrean''': The green and paradise-like Arm homeworld is a variant spelling of ''Empyrean'', the highest heaven and abode of God in Christian theology (e.g. the DivineComedy).

* GatlingGood: The Vulcan and Buzzsaw weapons are Gatling versions of the Big Bertha and Intimidator artillery superguns, whose shells are powerful enough to destroy entire buildings! Just one will almost certainly keep any forward assault from failing, provided you can keep it powered. Doing that, however, is a case of AwesomeButImpractical; just one takes roughly 8000 energy to fire continuously, not to mention the energy storage necessary to make sure it can fire every shot without stopping. It also doesn't fire as far.

Released in 1997, ''Total Annihilation'' is a science fiction RealTimeStrategy game created by Chris Taylor and [[Creator/HumongousEntertainment Cavedog Entertainment. Pioneering game elements such as 3d models for units, terrain with a 3d heightmap, and strategic warfare on a scale simply not seen before, TA won dozens of awards at its release and is still considered by many critics to be one of the finest examples of the RTS genre.

Released in 1997, ''Total Annihilation'' is a science fiction RealTimeStrategy game created by Chris Taylor and Creator/CavedogEntertainment. Pioneering game elements such as 3d models for units, terrain with a 3d heightmap, and strategic warfare on a scale simply not seen before, TA won dozens of awards at its release and is still considered by many critics to be one of the finest examples of the RTS genre.

* HomingBoulders: Only 'smart' guided projectiles will turn to chase their targets. Dumbfire missiles/rockets and artillery will miss if the target can get out of the way in time.

** The city maps are absolutely gorgeous, but good luck trying to get a proper metal economy running without hordes of construction units reclaiming stuff left and right, at least until advanced Metal Makers can be set up.

* EasyLogistics: Possibly Justified.

This game is now available digitally on Steam, being bundled with all the bonus "extra" units official created by Cavedog, as well as more multiplayer maps and the Core Contingency mission pack.

* CriticalExistenceFailure: Justified [[AllInTheManual in the manual]] by having every unit covered in heavy armor that is several times more durable, but has no middle-ground between "undamaged" and "exploded". This is only visually averted by damaged units emitting light smoke and dark smoke.

Released in 1997, ''Total Annihilation'' is a science fiction RealTimeStrategy game created by Chris Taylor and CavedogEntertainment. Pioneering game elements such as 3d models for units, terrain with a 3d heightmap, and strategic warfare on a scale simply not seen before, TA won dozens of awards at its release and is still considered by many critics to be one of the finest examples of the RTS genre.

* SuperPersistentMissile: More so than in most RTSs, anyway. Particularly noticeable if you fly a super-fast Peeper or Fink spy plane over the top of a load of enemy missile units.