Here is a cool picture of TA.  Note the shadows on the ground.  They can be turned off in game to reduce CPU requirements.

        Total Annihilation is a great game.  About 96% of the people that I have introduced to it have ended up liking it better than StarCraft®.  At first these people were overwhelmed with the immensity of the game, and the variety of things that can be built.  Therefore it is my intention to help those that are overwhelmed to get more used to it.  If you are new to this game, this link is for you.

1.  Get the Core Contigency.  Don't have it, buy it here .  It is worth the money.  Here is a bit of what it adds:

• More amphibious units like the Gimp and Pelican
• Hovercraft
• The mighty Krogoth
• Rapid Fire Long Range Plasma Cannons
• Moho's for Everyone!
• More ground units
• Advanced Construction Submarine
• Underwater base structures, such as metal extractors and fusion reactors
• Sea Planes, planes that can be built on water, and land on water and land
• Naval floating defense structures
• Mobile missile/nuke defense
• Flak cannons, to kill those swarms of brawlers
• Targeting facility so that units fire at anything on radar
• More maps
• Files needed for many 3rd party maps and units
  

2.  Here are some files you might need:

Non Boneyard 3.1c Patch
500 unit patch
TA Recorder from the Swedish Yank Spankers
TA:Mutation

3.  What are these files?

4.  Where are some good mods, units, and maps?  What about Cavedog maps?

5. Where are some sample scripts?

6.  Help with reading this page

7.  Here's a bit of strategy, though not complete.