Installing TA:Mutation


Step 1: Make sure that your original TA data files are loaded.
One way to do this is to take Total Annihilation completely off your hard drive and start over.
However, it would be acceptable to just remove any 3rd party conversions from your TA game folder and start there.
  • Remove any existing Total Conversions you may have running.
  • Make sure that the files TOTALA1.HPI,CCDATA.CCX and REV31.GP3 are in their original and unaltered form.
  • You'll need to remove your AI folder if you have one too.
    In short, do whatever you have to do to get TA back to the way it was right after you installed it.
    Important note about 3rd party UFO files

    Step 1b: If you choose to reinstall TA
    There's a list of things you might want to remember to do to get it back the way you like it.
    You can follow this if you want:
  • Install TA.
  • Install TA: Core Contingency
  • Install the 3.1 patch.
  • If you own Battle Tactics, install it now.
  • The first time you run TA, go to options and switch to your preferred screen resolution.
  • When you're in the battle room, you can enable more player slots by hitting the keys *x
  • When in game, I like +dither and +switchalt. These settings stick between games.

    Step 2: Install TA:Mutation.
  • Unzip the entire contents of the TA:Mutation zip file into your TA game folder.
  • Verify that there is now a TA-Mutation inside your TA game folder.
  • Look in the game folder, and run the "TA Mutation.exe" program.
  • TA:M will start up and begin changing the names of your original TA data files.
  • TA:M will then begin repacking the data files into one monolithic TOTALA1.HPI file. Actually, it will ask you if you want to do it, but you MUST repack if you expect TA:M to run properly.
        NOTE regarding the HPI Packer
  • If you have ICQ, TA:M asks you if you want to configure TA to be able to be launched from ICQ.
    The program should make itself at home and automatically create your new environment for running TA:M.
    At first, your new TA-Mutation folder will be mostly empty. This is the starting point, and you can add items from here to make your TA setup more interesting.

    Step 3: Install Data Files.
    There are some mutators already installed in your TA-Mutation folder, you might want to try them out.
    When you download somebody else's TA:M COMPATIBLE mod, just copy the files into your TA-Mutation folder, and you are ready to play!
    That's all it takes to install items into TA:M.

    This section is to help you install units/mods/etc. that you download.
  • Total Conversions consist of files beginning with ][
    Copy all files beginning with ][ into your new TA-Mutation folder.
  • Mutators consist of files beginning with }{
    Copy all files beginning with }{ into your new TA-Mutation folder.
  • AI's consist of folders containing AI data files.
    AI's also have text files with similar names. All AI names start with ^^
    Copy all files and folders beginning with ^^ into your new TA-Mutation folder
  • Any 3rd party UFO files you want to include must go in the UFOManager folder that is inside the TA-Mutation folder.
    UFO files should have partner text files (.txt) that have the same name as the UFO. The text files also go in the UFOManager folder.
  • UFO Pack files (.pac) go in the UFOManager as well.

    Step 4: Ready to play.
    Now TA:M is ready to run.
    Run TA:Mutation, and choose which items you want to play with, and launch TA.
    Its as simple as that.