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Total Annihilation: The Story So Far


 Introduction
 The Designer
 The Development
 The Release
 The Split
 The Future
Behind the Games
 

Chapter Four - The Split

Taylor's Unexpected Exit
Almost exactly five months after the release of Total Annihilation, Cavedog posted a short statement on its web site that shocked the gaming world. It announced that Chris Taylor, the project leader and designer of Total Annihilation, had decided to leave the company. Cavedog's tersely worded statement gave few details, other than the usual "we wish him the best in the future" boilerplate. Ever since that day, both Cavedog and Taylor have remained mum on the issues surrounding his departure. But so many questions remained: What would this mean for the TA Universe? Could the franchise go on without Taylor? Why did he leave so abruptly? Now, for the first time, we bring you some answers.

"Our parting of ways certainly left a lot to be desired, but at the same time I think our problems are solvable."
- Chris Taylor on his departure from Cavedog
It's late one Thursday night at Taylor's house, just outside of Seattle, as he reflects upon the reasons for his departure. "I don't think anyone involved with the game was prepared for its massive success," he says. "I really respect Cavedog, and creatively, I respect everyone there." But in the end, his desire to control his own creative and financial destiny outweighed his loyalty to the company and his companions - and that led him to strike out on his own.

 
The Core Contingency add-on and the Crystal World were created shortly before Taylor left Cavedog.
But leaving others behind so that you can move ahead is never an easy decision. "Do I blame myself for what happened? Sure, it's partially my ambition that led to [the break up]," he says. "I realized that after ten years of building games for other people - they own the name of the game, the characters, and the source code - I needed to start building games for myself. But at the same time, I'm very grateful to Cavedog for the opportunity they gave me."

Yet it's obvious that for Taylor - who took a significant risk uprooting himself from his native Canada to design his dream game at Cavedog - things didn't end as amicably as he would have liked. "Our parting of ways certainly left a lot to be desired," he says. "But at the same time I think our problems are solvable. I don't think there's anything here that can't be solved with a pizza and a few beers."

And what is Cavedog's position on the split? Ron Gilbert tries to avoid commenting on the situation, as evidenced by his constant repetition of the declaration, "I don't really want to talk about [Chris' departure] during interviews." But finally, early one Sunday morning, he agreed to discuss the situation, albeit briefly. "Chris leaving Cavedog is a lot like me leaving LucasArts a few years back. He had an ambition, and the worst thing I could have done was to pressure him into not following his ambition. I respect his decision."

But if Gilbert respects Taylor's decision, what are the issues that remain between them, and why wasn't the parting as amicable as Taylor would have liked? Neither party is willing to fully elaborate, although it appears there may be lingering issues involved how fairly Taylor was treated - including financially - in light of TA's massive sales. For instance, when asked if, overall, he felt Cavedog "treated him fairly", Taylor clams up and says, "I'm not really prepared to answer that question right now." Such a vague comment can lead to many interpretations. To get Cavedog's perspective on Taylor's comments, we asked Gilbert the same question. His response? "I think if there are any lingering issues between Chris and Cavedog they are superficial. I think Chris was treated fairly at Cavedog."

We'll probably never know the whole story, but it's obvious that neither Taylor nor Gilbert is particularly pleased with the way things ended. But at the same time, there is another party to consider: The legions of fans who made Total Annihilation a success in the first place. What will happen to their beloved game? According to Cavedog, the future is secure. Says Clayton Kauzlaric, who worked side by side with Taylor on the original game: "Chris was the heart and soul behind TA - it was his baby, and he was there all by himself on day one. But [now he's gone] and Total Annihilation marches on."

Next - Chapter Five - The Future