[1-3-2] WWW

Navigate the intricacies of Total Annihilation's WWW guide. Learn about battle breakdowns, unit construction, and essential game mechanics to dominate the battlefield.

Hey there! So, you're diving into Total Annihilation and want to get a handle on things, huh? This section is all about breaking down the game's interface and how you'll be building your forces. Think of it as your quick-start guide to understanding what's what on your screen.

Battle Breakdown:

When you're in a game, you'll see a bunch of stuff on your screen. Let's go through it:

1. Map and Radar/Sonar: This is your eyes on the battlefield. You can set it to 'Mapped' mode, which shows you the terrain in black and white. If you combine that with 'Permanent line of sight,' you get a full-color map where you can see everything, even enemy units, making radar and sonar less critical. If you go with 'Unmapped,' you start with a black map that fills in as you explore. Radar and sonar show up in your team's color (blue for you, red for the enemy) and are crucial for spotting units, especially with Radar Towers and Sonar Stations. Some units, like your Commander and Advanced Aircraft Plants, have built-in radar. Remember, campaign missions usually start 'Unmapped' with 'True' line of sight, meaning elevation affects what you can see.
2. Metal Gauge: This bar shows how much metal you have. To the right, you'll see a green number (how much metal you're gaining) and a red number (how much you're spending). Keep that green number higher than the red one to avoid running out of metal!
3. Energy Gauge: Similar to the metal gauge, this shows your energy reserves. The green number is your energy production, and the red number is your consumption. Make sure production outpaces consumption to keep your factories and defenses running.
4. Unit Construction Choice/Commands: This is where you'll actually pick and tell your units what to do. We'll get into the specifics of how to build and command your army in a bit, but this is your main control panel for your forces.