How is BA doing?

[Caydr]

Would someone mind giving me an update on what's been going on in the last 3 years regarding BA?

[Jazcash]

Flash spam.

[imbaczek]

some nice games just this week, replays worth a look.

[Pxtl]

BA has kept pretty solidly to their policy of "balance/bugfixes ONLY". The only major gameplay change from old AA is (besides the various minor balance tweaks like non-retarded Weasel) that Rezbots are now L1.

Almost everything else is bugfixes, and Lua. Lua script is providing things like alternate game-modes such as a multi-commander commshare mode, and many user-interface widgets that add a lot to the game - for example, there is a widget that shows the ranges of all enemy turrets, thus completely changing the raiding game since after you spot an enemy LLT you can carefully skirt it's range with your raiders.

There is a project underway to provide a complete model-replacement set for BA, but it's still in the embrionic stage. Note that this project aims to provide polish to BA, in the form of new models, not to divorce BA from old Total Annihilation. With this project complete, BA would be a fan-game of TA instead of a rip. These models are not included in the main BA distribution, but are a side-project.

BA is still the dominant mod. Most teamgames are happening on DeltaSeigeDry.

People are still BAWWWWing about commander-cheese-tactics because Regret is a farking ninja with transports.

[JohannesH]

Flash spam.

no its jeffy

[Caydr]

ooorrrillly

Pxtl! Wow, same avatar too! Are there any other originals around or have most of them moved on?

People have finally stopped playing Altored Divide?! I'm heartbroken... Actually I'm more hurt that nobody ever tried Altored Arctic. It was a very simple map but I designed it to play exactly the way a paradigm AA map should.

Unfortunately while you can replace all the models, you can't replace all the scripts, and then there's the sound effects... By the time you're finished you start to wonder "why have I spent all this time remaking when I could've been making?" That's why I stopped on the remodel project at like 40%.

I notice Noize isn't around. Is the mod's current administrator handling things well? It looks like he's only been around a relatively short while.

I'm not renewing my interest in developing the mod, don't worry. I've moved on to smaller and worse things.

*wonders if Archangel is still around...

[Caydr]

mmm... your join date makes me wonder if you know who the oldies are, or indeed if you know who I am. If you're wondering, ask Smoth, he's my fanboi.

HAW HAW HAW 3 YEARS OFF THE JOB AND I STILL HAVE THE #10 SPOT!!

[Gota]

So your gonna revive AA?

[Caydr]

It is not, at this moment, my intention to do so, but I am a fickle person. Seriously. Like, for instance, there were these like 17 mods...

I recently played AA:TA for the first time in like 5 years... the feeling of playing a game that you've developed yourself is really amazing. Honestly, AA has a lot of fond memories for me. But at the same time I would really like to prove once and for all to everyone that yes, these other projects do exist. Some are half-textured, some need scripts, some are (or were) waiting for a small engine tweak or two. I've got this colossal mess of units I should really do something with.

[flop]

come back and make AA please please please please

[TheFatController]

You should give it a try, still accepting suggestions and feedback for ways it can be made more enjoyable.

[Caydr]

Errrrrrrrr... no... I really prefer to keep ideas to myself. That way I can claim I have them, and it gives me an air of mystery. In reality I'm a talentless hack

[el_matarife]

Start rebuilding AA, off the 2.11 base. Port AA2.11 into the current engine and start making small balance changes and add all the current Lua goodness.

[Caydr]

Does anyone even know what AA is anymore? It would probably be a waste of time.

[Peet]

its the stuff you build to keep regret from winning

[el_matarife]

AA2.11 is still viewed as the golden age of Spring by me and a bunch of my buddies. I'd say a lot of people still remember.

[hunterw]

bertha ships

[Gota]

bertha ships

Available in another mod.

[YokoZar]

Caydr, I'm glad to finally encounter you on the forums. Both BA and Spring owe a lot to your efforts in many ways.

Unfortunately while you can replace all the models, you can't replace all the scripts, and then there's the sound effects... By the time you're finished you start to wonder "why have I spent all this time remaking when I could've been making?" That's why I stopped on the remodel project at like 40%.

I expect this to be a very slow project, happening piece by piece - many different volunteers have stepped up to offer content to modernize and replace the OTA content. Some of it looks damn good, even if it didn't fit in originally.

I totally respect your desire to work on something new, but I feel like it would be a shame if your modeling work just went to waste. I'm sure there's something that would improve BA in there, and I'd like to at least have it available for inspiration for others if not put into my remodel project directly.

Even scripts will need to be rewritten, but with the LUA scripting support in the engine that's something we were going to have to do eventually anyway.

Does anyone even know what AA is anymore? It would probably be a waste of time.

Sadly I think this may be the case. BA has largely filled the TA nostalgia niche at the moment so unless you get a vastly different game (like CA is making itself out to be) or we get vastly more players I don't think you'll see much reward out of it. Witness the very seldom played Tired Annihilation and Supreme Annihilation, for example.

In short, thank you :)

[Hoi]

What happend to the space thing?