<s>
Total	O
Annihilation	O
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
video	O
game	O
created	O
by	O
Cavedog	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
a	O
sub-division	O
of	O
Humongous	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
27	O
,	O
1997	O
by	O
GT	O
Interactive	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
expansion	O
packs	O
were	O
released	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Core	I-Application
Contingency	I-Application
on	O
April	O
29	O
,	O
1998	O
and	O
Battle	B-Application
Tactics	I-Application
on	O
July	O
20	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Former	O
lead	O
designer	O
Chris	O
Taylor	O
went	O
on	O
with	O
Gas	O
Powered	O
Games	O
to	O
create	O
Supreme	B-Application
Commander	I-Application
in	O
2007	O
,	O
considered	O
the	O
"	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
"	O
of	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
creators	O
of	O
XTA	O
,	O
a	O
mod	O
for	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
,	O
independently	O
developed	O
the	O
open-source	B-License
3D	O
graphics	O
Spring	B-Application
game	I-Application
engine	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
3D	I-Application
project	O
began	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
ex-members	O
of	O
Cavedog	O
,	O
including	O
Total	O
Annihilations	O
game	O
engine	O
developer	O
Jon	O
Mavor	O
,	O
later	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
develop	O
Planetary	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
in	O
2014	O
,	O
another	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
vein	O
as	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battles	O
take	O
place	O
against	O
AI	B-Application
in	O
a	O
story-driven	O
campaign	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
option	O
of	O
playing	O
against	O
other	O
players	O
in	O
a	O
skirmish	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
terrain	O
is	O
displayed	O
as	O
a	O
2D	O
raster	B-Algorithm
image	I-Algorithm
but	O
contains	O
height	O
values	O
that	O
allow	O
it	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
a	O
3D	O
surface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
far	O
future	O
the	O
galaxy	O
is	O
ruled	O
by	O
a	O
benevolent	O
central	O
government	O
of	O
humans	O
and	O
artificially	B-Application
intelligent	I-Application
machines	I-Application
called	O
the	O
Core	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
hostilities	O
escalated	O
,	O
the	O
Core	O
began	O
duplicating	O
their	O
greatest	O
military	O
minds	O
to	O
mass-produce	O
sentient	O
war	O
machines	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Arm	O
countered	O
this	O
buildup	O
with	O
a	O
campaign	O
of	O
cloning	B-Application
bioengineered	O
pilots	O
for	O
theirs	O
;	O
a	O
war	O
that	O
would	O
last	O
four	O
thousand	O
years	O
began	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
in	O
1997	O
Cavedog	O
began	O
offering	O
additional	O
free	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
for	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
,	O
adding	O
new	O
units	O
,	O
maps	O
,	O
and	O
scenarios	O
over	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cavedog	O
released	O
The	B-Application
Core	I-Application
Contingency	I-Application
a	O
year	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
month	O
after	O
The	B-Application
Core	I-Application
Contingency	I-Application
,	O
Battle	B-Application
Tactics	I-Application
was	O
released	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
four	O
new	O
units	O
,	O
100	O
additional	O
missions	O
as	O
well	O
an	O
experimental	O
approach	O
to	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
gameplay	O
,	O
with	O
less	O
emphasis	O
on	O
base	O
construction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Spring	B-Application
Engine	I-Application
is	O
an	O
open	B-License
source	I-License
General	B-License
Public	I-License
License	I-License
(	O
GPLv2	O
)	O
engine	O
made	O
for	O
real	O
time	O
strategy	O
games	O
and	O
features	O
games	O
based	O
on	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
engine	O
is	O
multi-platform	O
and	O
features	O
lua	B-Language
scripting	I-Language
to	O
make	O
almost	O
every	O
aspect	O
of	O
the	O
engine	O
customizable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Total	B-Application
Annihilation	I-Application
3D	I-Application
is	O
a	O
fan-made	O
3D	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
(	O
RTS	O
)	O
game	O
engine	O
created	O
with	O
the	O
purpose	O
of	O
directly	O
moving	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
over	O
to	O
a	O
three	O
dimensional	O
plane	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
engine	O
has	O
a	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
and	O
Linux	B-Application
version	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
programmed	O
in	O
OpenGL	B-Application
and	O
C++	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
TA3D	O
is	O
created	O
under	O
the	O
General	B-License
Public	I-License
License	I-License
(	O
GPL	B-License
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robot	O
War	O
Engine	O
(	O
RWE	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
open-source	B-License
real-time	O
strategy	O
(	O
RTS	O
)	O
game	O
engine	O
that	O
is	O
"	O
highly	O
compatible	O
with	O
TA	O
data	O
files	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
US	O
reported	O
that	O
this	O
performance	O
set	O
it	O
behind	O
rival	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
over	O
the	O
same	O
period	O
,	O
but	O
ahead	O
of	O
Activision	O
's	O
Dark	B-Application
Reign	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Future	I-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
won	O
GameSpy	O
's	O
Top	O
Ten	O
Real-Time	O
Strategy	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
in	O
2004	O
,	O
leaving	O
StarCraft	B-Application
in	O
second	O
place	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
stated	O
"	O
It	O
's	O
not	O
as	O
famous	O
as	O
Warcraft	O
or	O
Command	B-Application
&	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
,	O
but	O
Total	O
Annihilation	O
is	O
arguably	O
better	O
than	O
any	O
other	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
to	O
date.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Next	O
Generation	O
,	O
they	O
expressed	O
excitement	O
over	O
the	O
promised	O
updates	O
,	O
also	O
praising	O
the	O
line-of-sight	O
features	O
and	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
found	O
the	O
unit	O
A.I.	B-Application
</s>
<s>
Total	O
Annihilation	O
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
Academy	O
of	O
Interactive	O
Arts	O
&	O
Sciences	O
 '	O
1997	O
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
StarCraft	B-Application
and	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Empires	I-Application
(	O
tie	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Total	O
Annihilation	O
was	O
a	O
runner-up	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
1997	O
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
Myth	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Fallen	I-Application
Lords	I-Application
.	O
</s>
