QUERY: newbie questions

[andwan0]

1. Am quite new to Spring TA. I just want to play Spring like original TA. Is there a bundle pack containing Spring + TA + some maps?

2. If not, then is it correct that I need to download Spring + XTA then a couple of maps? There's literally millions of maps to choose from. Are there maps that are remakes of the original TA maps? eg. Painted Desert or Eva River Confluence?

3. Besides XTA, what is the next closest mod closest to original TA?

[Pxtl]

The closest mod to TA is HA (Hardcore Annihilation), but it's rarely played and badly maintained (I made it for a some buddies and only update it when my buddies are interested in playing it). The next closest is BOTA, aka Basically OTA. After that the differences from TA become so pronounced that you lose a lot.

You have to download the Spring Engine, and then a mod, and then the maps, yes. There is no such "package" for any of the *A mods. Some maps have been remade from OTA for Spring, some have not - Comet Catcher is still a very popular map.

Consider what you want to do with spring. If you want to play online, you may as well forget your old preferences, since you need other people to play with - and for that, your best best are BA and CA, neither of which are very close to OTA gameplay (BA has closer resemblance, but it is still a very different game), and just fetch whatever maps they're playing as you see them. The lobbys have auto-downloaders to make that easy.

[andwan0]

Would be helpful to have some status/tracker online to show the most played mod sorted... and then 5 or 10 most frequent map... etc... kinda like a craze attraction....

[Pxtl]

Would be helpful to have some status/tracker online to show the most played mod sorted... and then 5 or 10 most frequent map... etc... kinda like a craze attraction....

Oh, I can tell you that without even looking. Most played mod is BA. Most played maps are DeltaSeigeDry, SpeedMetal, CometCatcher, Small Supreme Battlefield, Tabula, and a handful of smaller maps that the 1v1 guys play on like Brazilian Battlefield.

[zwzsg]

Most played RTS is Starcraft.

[SinbadEV]

I'm pretty sure there's a stats page, couldn't tell you where it's hidden, but pxtl is right, If you want to play online join the lobby and just download whatever you see people actually playing with the integrated downloader.

There are a pile of great maps and games to play. http://www.springinfo.info/ has a good collection of information.

[zwzsg]

Would be helpful to have some status/tracker online to show the most played mod sorted... and then 5 or 10 most frequent map... etc... kinda like a craze attraction....

http://tracker.caspring.org/stats/view.php

[caldera]

you can also visit some download-pages like jobjol.nl or spring-portal.com and sort the maps and mods by download-count.

[andwan0]

you can also visit some download-pages like jobjol.nl or spring-portal.com and sort the maps and mods by download-count.

It's just that google is my friend. There's no links from the main Spring RTS site. There's no clear indication that we must download a mod and map separately otherwise Spring complains at last minute. There is a guide somewhere that explains this, but it's hidden away.... deep in google.

Just curious, are there in-game tutorials on how to play mods? That would be cool, rather than reading the online guides. A lot of games do this now... coz the programmers know the users just want to play straight away and not read...

[caldera]

you're right. there is too much hidden stuff around spring. if you have no help you cant really get it running. i hope thats getting better some time. i dont know of any complete tutorial but at springinfo there are some nice guides. there are also some missions downloadable via springdownloader, perhaps they teach some basic stuff already.

[CarRepairer]

It's just that google is my friend. There's no links from the main Spring RTS site.

The very best advice I could give you is to log on to the multiplayer lobby and ask for help in #newbies and #main. Realtime help is way better than back and forth on this forum when you have so many questions.

Just curious, are there in-game tutorials on how to play mods? That would be cool, rather than reading the online guides.

CA has a built-in mini tutorial that's enabled for first time users. However seeing as you are more interested in pure OTA (Original Total Annihilation) gameplay, CA is the furthest mod from this, of all the *A mods.

[SinbadEV]

We have this wiki, you can get to it by clicking 5 of the 9 links at the top of the page... it would be a great place for someone to start poking around and making improvements to the user-experience, and anyone can edit it.

However, it's hard to make things much easier than, download the lobby, use the lobby to download games and maps... how is that difficult?

This installer provides the core files you need to play Spring, the multiplayer lobby client and the autodownloader. Use it to get maps and games,

[caldera]

the response of many people i helped to install spring was: i would have never managed that alone...

i think the major problem regarding user-friendlynes is that spring consists of so many separate tools, sites and programs. its not just download-install-play, its several downloads from (unknown) sites, copying to different (unknown) folders, settings file, settings with F11...

[CarRepairer]

This is true, but it is in the process of improving. SpringLobby has many features in the works right now. So there's hope.

[Forboding Angel]

play BOTA, it's pretty kickass.

[andwan0]

Oh, I can tell you that without even looking. Most played mod is BA. Most played maps are DeltaSeigeDry, SpeedMetal, CometCatcher, Small Supreme Battlefield, Tabula, and a handful of smaller maps that the 1v1 guys play on like Brazilian Battlefield.

So I should download:

DeltaSeigeDry
SpeedMetal
CometCatcher
Small Supreme Battlefield
Tabula
Brazilian Battlefield

the response of many people i helped to install spring was: i would have never managed that alone...

i think the major problem regarding user-friendlynes is that spring consists of so many separate tools, sites and programs. its not just download-install-play, its several downloads from (unknown) sites, copying to different (unknown) folders, settings file, settings with F11...

Yes, I have to download the main client from TA Spring main website. Then there's not much instructions on how to get maps or mods. It doesn't even tell us it's compulsory. It would be good if the client auto generated a map if no maps exist. Such as a blank 8x8 landscape.... or random terrain. And have a basic mod packaged too... very basic.

Yes, we are pointed to OTHER unknown untrusted? stranger websites to download our maps & mods. It's kinda like, a well known producer/firm sells us a car, but then tells us about other small garages for wheels & parts.

Everyone has mentioned that I should load up the lobby and join and it will auto download a game. That's the thing. Newbies don't want to jump straight into a game without knowing how to play. I know some players don't mind being a teacher to train a newbie... but some newbies like to learn by themselves rather than being taught. So if I joined a game just to auto download a map & mod... then I experiement first time on Spring... I'd be wasting the other players time... see what I mean?

[jonusc]

I'm new here too... was wondering about maps, spotted this thread...

Then there's not much instructions on how to get maps or mods. It doesn't even tell us it's compulsory. It would be good if the client auto generated a map if no maps exist.

I kind of assumed that we'd be thrown here-and-there, because it's called Spring "Engine" and not Spring "RTS" or whatever.

It's kinda like, a well known producer/firm sells us a car, but then tells us about other small garages for wheels & parts.

True, but I probably wouldn't be complaining to the salesman if the car was free

Everyone has mentioned that I should load up the lobby and join and it will auto download a game. That's the thing. Newbies don't want to jump straight into a game without knowing how to play.

Agreed - coz we dont wanna get owned! Whenever I get any game, i always try single player (or skirmish) first - to get a feel for it all and go at my own pace.

Ah well, glad I found the names of some maps to try. So reading this thread, i'm assuming all mods/games for Spring we can find on the Wiki are pretty much made to work with all maps (unless otherwise noted).

[lurker]

That's why Kernel Panic has an installer, Spring 1944 has an installer, etc.

You should be able to get all games and maps in the lobby with the systems built into them.

Games and maps were bundled a coulple versions ago but it was a hassle, and the choice is between bundling BA (bad legally) or having lots of people grab everything in the installer and still have to download BA.

DSD is an okay map but very overplayed, and you don't want speedmetal.

[andwan0]

That's why Kernel Panic has an installer, Spring 1944 has an installer, etc.

You should be able to get all games and maps in the lobby with the systems built into them.

Games and maps were bundled a coulple versions ago but it was a hassle, and the choice is between bundling BA (bad legally) or having lots of people grab everything in the installer and still have to download BA.

DSD is an okay map but very overplayed, and you don't want speedmetal.

Wasn't it originally (like 2, 3 years ago), Spring came with XTA the original TA remake? And it also came with a sample map too?

[lurker]

Your point?