# TA: Byte Tactics — byte-matching Total Annihilation source reconstruction

> TA: Byte Tactics is a matching decompilation of Total Annihilation (Cavedog, 1997). The C++ in src/ is written to compile with Visual C++ 5.0 into the same bytes as TotalA.exe. The README says all 3,267 game functions match.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-11-07
- Added to the catalog: 2026-11-09
- Original resource: <https://github.com/HectorBailey/byte-tactics>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/HectorBailey/byte-tactics/blob/3ef535b5f7834a7f64f1d57ee1cbc61e872b240b/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/byte-tactics/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/byte-tactics/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/byte-tactics/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- The matching target is TotalA.exe, MD5 8e74a1dffa1f5988624c52048f5b20cd. The player supplies Total Annihilation. The setup script fetches the compiler.
- Tooling in tools/ is MIT. The README says the reconstructed code in src/ is not offered under a license.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/HectorBailey/byte-tactics/blob/3ef535b5f7834a7f64f1d57ee1cbc61e872b240b/README.md>

## More in Games

- [TA: Byte Tactics — matching decompilation of Total Annihilation](https://awesomerea.org/resources/ta-byte-tactics-case/index.md) · Case study
- [tactical-decomp: matching recovery of Final Fantasy Tactics](https://awesomerea.org/resources/tactical-decomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Tag Force 5 Decompilation: matching the PSP game's code](https://awesomerea.org/resources/tag-force-5-decomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Tecmo Super Bowl: byte-exact NES disassembly](https://awesomerea.org/resources/tecmo-super-bowl-nes-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Tenchu 1: a PlayStation decompilation of Shinobi Gaisen](https://awesomerea.org/resources/tenchu-shinobi-gaisen-decomp-case/index.md) · Case study
- [Tetris Plus: an early Game Boy disassembly](https://awesomerea.org/resources/tetris-plus-game-boy-disassembly-case/index.md) · Case study

## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.