Cavedog Entertainment's Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics to Introduce Newcomers to the Real-Time Strategy Genre on July 20

Business Wire, July 8, 1998

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 1998--

Second Expansion in Total Annihilation(tm)

Universe to Feature 100 Fast and Furious

Missions, Six New Maps, and Four Bonus Battle Units

Cavedog Entertainment to Offer Bonus

Units Free Online Before Game Ships

Cavedog Entertainment today announced the July 20 release of Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics(tm), the second expansion to its international award-winning 3-D real-time strategy game, Total Annihilation(tm). Unlike most expansion packs, which are created to be more complex or difficult, Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics was designed to appeal to players who are new to the real-time strategy (RTS) genre or challenged by the complexity and depth of game play found in the original Total Annihilation game.

Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics features 100 quick scenarios that utilize select units and provide novice players with an opportunity to learn several basic, and some not-so-basic, strategies imperative to successful RTS gaming. On the same note, the expansion's smaller, quicker battles are perfectly suited to satisfying any veteran player's nagging Total Annihilation urge without requiring a three-hour-long slugfest. With missions separated by length, players can blast through numerous scenarios that can easily be accomplished during a lunch break or even between classes.

"Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency expanded Total Annihilation with more units, maps and worlds than you could shake a stick at. With Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics, we wanted to go a different route by focusing on missions designed to assist the novice player," said Ron Gilbert, creative director and co-founder of Cavedog Entertainment. "Even so, veteran players will find plenty to chew on, especially if they enjoy playing tons of missions like I do."

In another show of support for Total Annihilation fans, Cavedog Entertainment will make the four bonus units included in Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics available free of charge for online downloading. Two of the four battle units, which include the Arm Stunner, Core Neutron, Arm Phalanx and Core Copperhead, will be made available for downloading from www.cavedog.com on Friday, July 10, at 12:01 a.m. PDT. The remaining two units will be available for downloading on Friday, July 17, at 12:01 a.m. PDT.

The Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics expansion pack, when combined with both the original Total Annihilation and Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency, provides players with a grand total of more than 245 3-D battle units, 175 challenging missions for beginning and advanced players, more than 90 multiplayer maps, and 12 stunning 3-D worlds.

Highlights of Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics

Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics continues Total Annihilation's saga of the Arm and the Core, with dozens of new tactical missions available for each side. New features include:

-- Missions, missions, missions. A total of 100 new missions are designed to whip novice players into shape and prepare them for the big leagues, or to provide veteran players with an opportunity to play quick missions when time is of the essence. Three levels of difficulty increase the replay value and vary AI resourcefulness.

-- Mission groupings. All 100 missions in the game are immediately selectable -- no need for cheat codes. Missions are also organized into four groupings -- long, medium, short and quick -- according to the approximate time each mission takes to complete, which ranges from a few minutes to an hour or more, depending on the skill of the player.

-- New single-player worlds. Crystal and Acid Worlds, which were introduced with Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency, will now be featured in single-player missions found in Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics.

-- Bonus units. The four new units are the Arm Stunner, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) designed to stun Core units into submission; the Core Neutron, a tactical missile that removes pesky Arm forces but leaves structures intact; and the Arm Phalanx and Core Copperhead, two mobile flak vehicles perfect for protecting convoys against Brawler and Rapier gunship attacks.

-- Download units. Players will also find in Total Annihilation: Battle Tactics all of the previously released download units that were offered free of charge to Total Annihilation players who visited Cavedog Entertainments Web site at www.cavedog.com. To date, more than 25 units have been provided online, and more are on the way.

Multiplayer Action

Total Annihilation now supports Internet-based multiplayer gaming through ICQ, an Internet instant messaging program. Details are available online at www.totalannihilation.com/icq.html or www.icq.com. In addition, most major online gaming services, including Dwango, Heat.net, Kali, Mplayer, Total Entertainment Network (TEN) and Wireplay, support Total Annihilation multiplayer gaming.

Total Annihilation was also the featured real-time strategy game in the Professional Gamers League (PGL) Season 2 tournament, which culminated May 29 at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Atlanta. Details of the competition and the PGL are availa ble online at www.pgl.com.