Total Annihilation Forever – Mod Integration Standards

TAF provides integrated support for select Mods, offering automated installation, version tracking, and competitive 1v1/2v2+ ladder systems. While any Mod can be played via the Custom Mod slot (with manual installation and version management), official integration requires meeting the standards below.

If you are a Mod developer or advocate for a Mod seeking full TAF support, please review the following integration requirements.

1. Must Be Substantively Different from OTA

  • Simply changing a few stats or replacing a handful of weapons from OTA is a distinct Mod. However, this is a low effort approach. If you're not willing to put significant effort or thought into differentiating your Mod, it won't be supported.
  • Complete balance patches would be considered substantively different from OTA and be acceptable.
  • Simply reskinning the original, or using commonly used assets to change the visual aesthetic of OTA (What is commonly referred to as 3.1) is welcome, but wouldn't be considered a Mod deserving of its own ladder or TAF integration.

2. Must Be Substantively Different from Other Mods

  • Even if everything were original and somehow by mere coincidence turned out to be exactly like an existing submission, the submission would not be supported on TAF. We would prefer to avoid redundancy.
  • For Technical reasons, TAF is limited as to the frequency of new Mod versions. It is preferred that Mod releases are polished and tested rather than being frequent test patches. Hotfixes are fine within reason.

3. Proper Permissions and Attribution

  • Total Annihilation is unique in the modding world. While there are many games with significantly more mods available, there are few games that are actively played today with such a long and storied history of modification, custom units, custom maps, and total conversions.
  • The result of this long timeframe is that there was no generally accepted practice for Total Annihilation modders when it comes to Attribution and Permissions as there is today in a lot of Mod sites. Modders work for free, and the only payment they get for the time they put in is the gratitude of the players and the satisfaction of knowing they've made something others enjoy. To this end, permission and attribution of created assets is required.
  • If a creator is an active player or modder, or member of the TA community, you must obtain permission to use their user created assets in your Mod. Any Mod that uses created assets where you have not obtained permission from the original creator are ineligible. This has a caveat - Several creators and modders are no longer actively playing or modding, and there is no way to contact them (TAAN's models, Xubor's models or Safeway's maps for example). Such user created content is considered abandoned, and are free for creators to use as long as attribution to the original creator is provided.
  • This includes anything and everything created by an individual for their Mod -- scripts, models, effects, user interface, overlays, cursors, buildpics -- anything made by someone not affiliated with Cavedog.
  • This does not apply to stats of OTA units. Two different creators can arrive at the same conclusion for what the DPS of a flash should be, for example. Although if someone's Mod did inspire your statistical choice -- attribution is a plus.
  • This does also not apply to simple UI concepts -- Locations of buttons, number of buttons, hotkeys selected to represent similar units. There are a limited number of ways to configure the UI, and it is easy for creators to arrive at the same conclusion on how many units per page there should be, for example.
  • Community patches are free for individual creators to use, attribution for the author of the patches is strongly encouraged.
  • Community resources such as Mappy and Annihilator are free for creators to use.
  • Once permission is granted, it cannot be rescinded -- you can't have people rely on your work and then pull the rug out from under them. Once given, always given.
  • This includes things that are community resources right now -- and if a creator returns, they cannot then claim that their assets are being used without permission and expect to be able to rescind their own abandonment.
  • Blanket permission to the community in general cannot be withheld from an individual user. Either everyone can use it, only specific named people can, or no one at all. You can't say "Everyone except X person."
  • While TAF can check some things, creators will need to be willing to collaborate with TAF admin if they believe something is being used without permission. Mods and maps submitted that clear this initial check will be considered original unless a claim is made to the contrary.
  • With that in mind, we encourage creators to collaborate with one another. Modding is healthiest when people help each other with their projects -- drawing on the strengths of all involved. If someone has given you permission to use their work, be sure to provide attribution.

4. There Must Be a Player Base for the Mod

  • There needs to be enough interest in a ladder and settings page for the Mod before it is worthwhile including it.
  • The Mod must be available for the general TA public through a publicly accessible download link (install instructions for the public are a plus!). Basically, we're not making a ladder for your family's private Mod.

TL;DR - TAF Mod Integration

  • Be Original: No lazy OTA tweaks or clone mods. Polish before uploading.
  • Credit Everyone: Ask living creators; name-drop abandoned works.
  • Play Nice: Permissions are forever. No gatekeeping community assets.
  • Prove It’s Wanted: No players = no hosting. Keep mods public.