Long ago, the galaxy had known peace. Paradise was ruled with the hand of science, and the hand was that of the galactic governing body known as the Core. Ironically, it was the Core's ultimate victory, the victory over death itself, that brought about the downfall of its paradise and started the war that would decimate a million worlds. The immortality process, known as "patterning," involved the electronic duplication of brain matrices, allowing the transfer of consciousness into durable machines. Effectively it meant immortality, and the Core decreed the process mandatory for all citizens in order to ensure their safety. However, there were many citizens unwilling to toss aside their bodies so casually, many indeed who regarded patterning as an atrocity. They fled to the outer edges of the galaxy, forming a resistance movement that became known as the Arm. War began, though it was never officially declared by either side. The Arm developed high-powered combat suits for its armies, while the Core transferred the minds of its soldiers directly into similarly deadly machines. The Core duplicated its finest warriors thousands of times over. The Arm countered with a massive cloning program. The war raged on for more than 4,000 years, consuming the resources of an entire galaxy and leaving it a scorched wasteland. [Cavedog Entertainment]

Anyone who's still playing Total Annihilation presumably knows the ropes by now. While Battle Tactics is certainly a strong product by typical standards, it is disappointing in light of Total Annihilation's ambitious history.

Massive armies will clash. Forests and cities will burn. Tremendous magical forces will level entire fortresses in the blink of an eye. Four completely unique races are vying for control of the mythical world of Darien, each representing one of the four elements -- Earth and Air, Fire and Water. In Total Annihilation: Kingdoms, you'll take the role of one of the four immortal monarch of these nations at war. You'll rally your legions -- swordsmen, archers and knights on horseback -- under your flag. Wizards, beasts and even flame-spewing demons will will heed your every command, waging war on an epic field of battle. The game's stunning 3D terrain of forests, magic-laden ruins and expansive oceans provide a landscape of war fraught with danger, magic and ambush. [Cavedog Entertainment]

It definitely improves the original game and also reflects Cavedog's commitment to fix what needs fixing.