Joining the Aramon, Veruna, Zhon and Talos clans, the Creon are modelled on a DaVincian theme with science and technology featuring prominently in the design and application of their structures and units. Integral to the continuing story is the introduction of a fifth civilization, the Creon. Utilising the same mix of eye witness accounts and narrative, the expansion effortlessly integrates with TA:K. Clayton Kauzlaric returns as lead designer and this is clearly evident with the expansion retaining the original's focus on rich artwork and storytelling. I can only assume it was largely completed when the decision to shut Cavedog down was taken.
Welcome to the harsh realities of gaming commerce! Once Upon A Time.Īmazing then that The Iron Plague ever made it to the shelves.
It seems that Cavedog's owners just grew dissatisfied with the company, realising that money used on TA:K could of been used to fund more lucrative children's games. Cavedog employees were to be transferred to Humongous to work on children's titles, which have proven to be better sellers than Cavedog and GT Interactive releases by some margin. Shortly after came word that current licenses, projects and support responsibilities were to be given to GT Interactive, with Humongous continuing to support the dedicated multiplayer service, Boneyards. First came news of the cancellation of Amen: The Awakening to focus on Total Annihilation 2 - a separate project to TA:K. So, it didn't come as too great a surprise to learn that Humongous Entertainment who created, owned, and published the Cavedog brand, had decided to pull the plug. A subsequent patch improved matters significantly, but the damage was already done and sales suffered as a consequence. All but the highest specification machines struggled to support the resource intensive graphics. But the greatest problem of all was the demanding system requirements and extensive performance issues that dogged the release. Welcome improvements and refinements to an already superb game interface were cancelled out by unnecessary simplifications. The move away from the galactic struggle between the Arm and Core to the land of Darien was tantalising but wasn't as successful in creating the total war experience. But when it arrived, TA:K met with mixed reviews. Fans were excited at the prospect of a fantasy version of the excellent Total Annihilation and expectations were high. For many, Total Annihilation: Kingdoms was one of the big disappointments of 1999.
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