Hi
playing with spring.exe is "possible" but thats mainly just for testing etc.
lobbies:
i would say springdownloader because it autodownloads mods and maps.
if that should not work springlobby. i havent used tasclient in a while.
And which game is like TA most?
I didnt really play TA but from what I heard about it:
SA - Surpreme A. - units should through each other like in TA. missle units shoot ground.
XTA - missle units shoot ground. very strong commanders
BA - Balanced A. - missle units dont shoot ground but its still similiar
CA - Complete A. - most different to TA while still being somewhat familiar. different ressource system, diff. techtree, different units but you will recognize some.
BOTA (basically OTA) well the name says it but iam not sure if it still works.
BA: original TA unit models (mostly) that look a bit dated in 3D. most played, easiest to find a game. you can play 6v6 DSD all week long and porc in the back. athmosphere sometimes like counterstrike public server. drug: vodka with energy drinks
XTA: some pimped models. good effects. has the slowest gameplay but microing units is important. games take ages to start but mostly helpful players. drug: weed
CA: most colorfull and modern gfx. uses springs Lua scripting for a custom interface. some players have problems with that. fast gameplay, especially at start. has a singleplayer where you fight against waves of monsters. drug: LSD
SA: similiar to gameplay in BA but with some good changes. (imo better) uses lua scripting for interface that does not suck. not played as often because nobody cares. drug: straight edge