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Difference between revisions of "Planetary Annihilation"

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(Correct Steam DRM information)
 
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{{infobox
+
{{Infobox game
|title          = Planetary Annihilation
+
|cover        = Planetary_Annihilation.jpg
|cover          = Planetary Annihilation Box.png
+
|developers  =  
|developer     = [[Wikipedia:Uber Entertainment|Uber Entertainment]]
+
{{Infobox game/row/developer|Uber Entertainment|2015-2018}}
|publisher     = [[Wikipedia:Uber Entertainment|Uber Entertainment]]
+
{{Infobox game/row/developer|Planetary Annihilation Inc.|2018-present}}
|engine        =  
+
|publishers  =
|release dates  = Summer 2013
+
|engines     =  
 +
|release dates=
 +
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|September 5, 2014}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/date|OS X|September 5, 2014}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|September 5, 2014}}
 +
|reception    =
 +
{{Infobox game/row/reception|Metacritic|planetary-annihilation|62}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/reception|OpenCritic|1196/planetary-annihilation|65}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/reception|IGDB|planetary-annihilation|70}}
 +
|taxonomy    =
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization      | One-time game purchase }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | Cosmetic }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes            | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/pacing            | Real-time }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/perspectives     | Free-roaming camera }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/controls          | Point and select }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/genres            | RTS }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/sports            | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/vehicles          | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/art styles        | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/themes            | Space, Sci-fi }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/series            | Planetary Annihilation }}
 +
|steam appid  = 233250
 +
|gogcom id    =
 +
|official site= https://planetaryannihilation.com/
 +
|hltb        = 7100
 +
|strategywiki = Planetary Annihilation
 +
|mobygames    = 70984
 +
|wikipedia    = Planetary Annihilation
 +
|winehq      = 16200
 +
|license      = commercial
 
}}
 
}}
  
[[Category:Mac]]
+
{{Introduction
[[Category:Windows]]
+
|introduction      =
[[Category:Linux]]
+
 
 +
|release history  = As of August 17, 2018, the rights to the game were taken over by Planetary Annihilation Inc., a company formed by the game's original developers and several long-time community members.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103161151/https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/planetary-annihilation-inc-the-future-of-pa-and-titans/|title=Planetary Annihilation Inc: The Future of PA and Titans|date=2023-09-06}} (archived)</ref>
 +
 
 +
The base game has been delisted from Steam in favor of the ''[[Planetary Annihilation: Titans|Titans]]'' standalone expansion pack, but both titles would receive updates regardless as they are mutually compatible in multiplayer in the Classic mode. Owners of the base game were granted a permanent 90% discount for purchasing ''Titans''.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://planetaryannihilation.com/news/planetaryannihilation-com-the-future-of-titans-and-pa/|title=planetaryannihilation.com - The Future of PA and Titans|date=2023-06-09}}</ref>
 +
 
 +
|current state    = There are several [https://steamcommunity.com/app/233250/discussions/2/810938082193900075/ known issues] with the Linux version.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
'''General information'''
 +
{{mm}} [http://forums.uberent.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=61 Uber Entertainment Forums]
 +
{{mm}} [https://steamcommunity.com/app/233250/discussions/ Steam Community Discussions]
 +
 
 +
==Availability==
 +
{{Availability|
 +
{{Availability/row| Retail |  | disc |  |  | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{Availability/row| GamersGate | planetary-annihilation | Steam |  |  | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{Availability/row| Steam | 233250 | DRM-free | DRM-free when launched directly from executable. | | Windows, OS X, Linux | unavailable }}
 +
{{Availability/row| Origin | planetary-annihilation/planetary-annihilation | Account | [[DRM]]: Uber Entertainment Account Activation |  | Windows, OS X | unavailable }}
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Version differences===
 +
{{ii}} [[Planetary Annihilation: Titans]] includes all content and features from the original title.<ref name="TitansPSA">[https://steamcommunity.com/app/386070/discussions/0/521643320349567906/ PSA: What Titans Actually Is :: Planetary Annihilation: TITANS General Discussion]</ref>
 +
 
 +
==Game data==
 +
===Configuration file(s) location===
 +
{{Game data|
 +
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|localappdata}}\Uber Entertainment\Planetary Annihilation\localstore\Local Storage\coui_ui_0.localstorage}}<!--Earlier builds seemed to use WindowSettings.cfg? Can't confirm this.-->
 +
{{Game data/config|OS X|}}
 +
{{Game data/config|Linux|{{p|linuxhome}}/.local/Uber Entertainment/}}
 +
}}
 +
{{XDG|false}}
 +
 
 +
===Save game data location===
 +
{{Game data|
 +
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|localappdata}}\Uber Entertainment\Planetary Annihilation\}}<!--Can't pinpoint what is save file for single player Galactic war-->
 +
{{Game data/saves|OS X|}}
 +
{{Game data/saves|Linux|}}
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===[[Glossary:Save game cloud syncing|Save game cloud syncing]]===
 +
{{Save game cloud syncing
 +
|discord                  =
 +
|discord notes            =
 +
|epic games launcher      =
 +
|epic games launcher notes =
 +
|gog galaxy                =
 +
|gog galaxy notes          =
 +
|origin                    = unknown
 +
|origin notes              =
 +
|steam cloud              = false
 +
|steam cloud notes        =
 +
|ubisoft connect          =
 +
|ubisoft connect notes    =
 +
|xbox cloud                =
 +
|xbox cloud notes          =
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==Video==
 +
{{Image|Planetary Annihilation - graphics.png|Graphics settings.}}
 +
{{Video
 +
|wsgf link                  =
 +
|widescreen wsgf award      =
 +
|multimonitor wsgf award    =
 +
|ultrawidescreen wsgf award =
 +
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    =
 +
|widescreen resolution      = true
 +
|widescreen resolution notes=
 +
|multimonitor              = true
 +
|multimonitor notes        =
 +
|ultrawidescreen            = true
 +
|ultrawidescreen notes      =
 +
|4k ultra hd                = unknown
 +
|4k ultra hd notes          =
 +
|fov                        = unknown
 +
|fov notes                  =
 +
|windowed                  = true
 +
|windowed notes            =
 +
|borderless windowed        = true
 +
|borderless windowed notes  = Enabled by default.
 +
|anisotropic                = false
 +
|anisotropic notes          =
 +
|antialiasing              = true
 +
|antialiasing notes        = [[FXAA]] and supersampling up to 175%.
 +
|upscaling                  = unknown
 +
|upscaling tech            =
 +
|upscaling notes            =
 +
|vsync                      = false
 +
|vsync notes                =
 +
|60 fps                    = true
 +
|60 fps notes              =
 +
|120 fps                    = true
 +
|120 fps notes              = Frame rate is capped ~120 FPS.
 +
|hdr                        = unknown
 +
|hdr notes                  =
 +
|color blind                = unknown
 +
|color blind notes          =
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==Input==
 +
{{Image|Planetary Annihilation - Mouse.png|Mouse settings.}}
 +
{{Image|Planetary Annihilation - Input.png|Input settings.}}
 +
{{Input
 +
|key remap                = true
 +
|key remap notes          =
 +
|acceleration option      = false
 +
|acceleration option notes =
 +
|mouse sensitivity        = unknown
 +
|mouse sensitivity notes  =
 +
|mouse menu                = true
 +
|mouse menu notes          =
 +
|invert mouse y-axis      = false
 +
|invert mouse y-axis notes =
 +
|touchscreen              = unknown
 +
|touchscreen notes        =
 +
|controller support        = false
 +
|controller support notes  =
 +
|full controller          = unknown
 +
|full controller notes    =
 +
|controller remap          = unknown
 +
|controller remap notes    =
 +
|controller sensitivity    = unknown
 +
|controller sensitivity notes=
 +
|invert controller y-axis  = unknown
 +
|invert controller y-axis notes=
 +
|xinput controllers        = unknown
 +
|xinput controllers notes  =
 +
|xbox prompts              = unknown
 +
|xbox prompts notes        =
 +
|impulse triggers          = unknown
 +
|impulse triggers notes    =
 +
|dualshock 4              = unknown
 +
|dualshock 4 notes        =
 +
|dualshock prompts        = unknown
 +
|dualshock prompts notes  =
 +
|light bar support        = unknown
 +
|light bar support notes  =
 +
|dualshock 4 modes        = unknown
 +
|dualshock 4 modes notes  =
 +
|tracked motion controllers= unknown
 +
|tracked motion controllers notes =
 +
|tracked motion prompts    = unknown
 +
|tracked motion prompts notes =
 +
|other controllers        = unknown
 +
|other controllers notes  =
 +
|other button prompts      = unknown
 +
|other button prompts notes=
 +
|controller hotplug        = unknown
 +
|controller hotplug notes  =
 +
|haptic feedback          = unknown
 +
|haptic feedback notes    =
 +
|simultaneous input        = unknown
 +
|simultaneous input notes  =
 +
|steam input api          = unknown
 +
|steam input api notes    =
 +
|steam hook input          = unknown
 +
|steam hook input notes    =
 +
|steam input presets      = unknown
 +
|steam input presets notes =
 +
|steam controller prompts  = unknown
 +
|steam controller prompts notes =
 +
|steam cursor detection    = unknown
 +
|steam cursor detection notes =
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==Audio==
 +
{{Image|Planetary Annihilation - audio.png|Audio settings.}}
 +
{{Audio
 +
|separate volume          = true
 +
|separate volume notes    = Master, music, voice and sound effects.
 +
|surround sound          = false
 +
|surround sound notes    =
 +
|subtitles                = false
 +
|subtitles notes          = Some voice messages lack visual cue (e.g. full resource notification).
 +
|closed captions          = false
 +
|closed captions notes    =
 +
|mute on focus lost      = false
 +
|mute on focus lost notes =
 +
|eax support              =
 +
|eax support notes        =
 +
|royalty free audio        = unknown
 +
|royalty free audio notes  =
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{L10n|content=
 +
{{Image|Planetary Annihilation - Language.png|Language settings.}}
 +
{{++}} Possible to select from wide variety of community made translations.
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = English
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = true
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = Finnish
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = false
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    = Community translation. Not complete.
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = French
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = false
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = German
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = false
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = Italian
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = false
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = Spanish
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = false
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    =
 +
}}
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==Network==
 +
{{Image|Planetary Annihilation - Network.png|Network settings.}}
 +
{{ii}} Multiplayer is compatible with [[Planetary Annihilation: Titans]] (limited to the original game's content).<ref name="TitansPSA"/>
 +
 
 +
{{Network/Multiplayer
 +
|local play          =
 +
|local play players  = 10
 +
|local play modes    =
 +
|local play notes    =
 +
|lan play            = true
 +
|lan play players    = 10
 +
|lan play modes      =
 +
|lan play notes      = Added in Build 73737.<ref name="Build 73737">[https://steamcommunity.com/games/233250/announcements/detail/130927679374116801 Release Build: 73737 with Offline Play - Steam Community :: Group Announcements :: Planetary Annihilation]</ref>
 +
|online play          = true
 +
|online play players  = 10
 +
|online play modes    =
 +
|online play notes    =
 +
|asynchronous        =
 +
|asynchronous notes  =
 +
}}{{Network/Connections
 +
|matchmaking        =
 +
|matchmaking notes  =
 +
|p2p                =
 +
|p2p notes          =
 +
|dedicated          =
 +
|dedicated notes    =
 +
|self-hosting      =
 +
|self-hosting notes =
 +
|direct ip          =
 +
|direct ip notes    =
 +
}}{{Network/Ports
 +
|tcp  =
 +
|udp  =
 +
|upnp =
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==Issues fixed==
 +
===Long load time and low FPS===
 +
{{ii}} Because of how Planetary Annihilation is a bit more memory intensive than most games it is a good idea to actually close any open programs such as Google Chrome before playing.
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Enable threaded optimization|ref=<ref name="workarounds">[https://steamcommunity.com/app/233250/discussions/2/864980734977925162/ Workarounds for long loading time and low FPS - Steam Community Discussions]</ref>|fix=
 +
# Open the '''Nvidia Control Panel'''.
 +
# Under '''Global Settings''' select the drop-down box next to '''Threaded optimisation'''.
 +
# Change this to '''On''' and click '''Apply'''.
 +
 
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} This only applies to Nvidia cards.
 +
{{ii}} If you get poor performance with multiple Nvidia cards, you will need to disable SLI.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Change priority|ref=<ref name="workarounds" />|fix=
 +
# Open '''Task Manager''' and right-click <code>PA.exe</code>.
 +
# Select '''Set Priority:''' and set it to '''High'''.
 +
 
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} Press {{key|Ctrl|U}} to toggle the UI, if there is a noticeable FPS improvement this may benefit you.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Disable Steam Community overlay|ref=<ref name="workarounds" />|fix=
 +
# Right-click on the game within your Steam library and select '''Properties'''.
 +
# Uncheck '''Enable Steam Community In-Game''' and click '''CLOSE'''.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Black screen/black planet===
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Change settings|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://forums.uberent.com/threads/how-to-improve-frame-rates-all-video-cards-driver-links.53165/|title=How To Improve Frame Rates (All Video Cards) - Uber Entertainment Forums|date=May 2023}}</ref>|fix=
 +
# From the main menu select '''Settings'''.
 +
# Under '''Graphics''' set anti-aliasing to <code>OFF</code>.
 +
# Press {{key|F5}} to refresh the game screen.
 +
 
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} If this does not work try setting '''HDR''' to <code>OFF</code> aswell. If they are both already disabled, enable and disable them again then refresh by pressing {{key|F5}}. You may need to refresh many times.<ref name="workarounds 2">[https://steamcommunity.com/app/233250/discussions/2/810938810899540110/ *** Black screen? Check these workarounds! *** - Steam Community Discussions]</ref>
 +
{{ii}} If nothing helps try to wait a bit, then press {{key|Ctrl|Alt|Delete}}, open '''Task Manager''' and then go back to the game window.<ref name="workarounds 2" />
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Black lines===
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Disable anisotropic filtering|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/233250/discussions/2/666826069065968981/|title=Boxes on planets / Graphic Issues - Steam Community Discussions|date=May 2023}}</ref>|fix=
 +
# Open the '''Nvidia Control Panel'''.
 +
# Under '''Global Settings''' select the drop-down box next to '''Anisotropic filtering'''.
 +
# Change this to '''Application-controlled''' or '''Off''' and click '''Apply'''.
 +
 
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} This only applies to Nvidia cards.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Game won't start===
 +
{{ii}} This issue is most likely due to outdated drivers.
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Update drivers|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/233250/discussions/2/864980278116578701/|title=(Reoccuring Issue) Game Won't Start - Steam Community Discussions|date=May 2023}}</ref>|fix=
 +
# Download and install the latest driver version for your video card ([http://support.amd.com/en-us/download ATI/AMD], [http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx Nvidia], [https://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx Intel]).
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Overly dark planets===
 +
{{ii}} This issue is seen on older Intel and AMD graphics cards.
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Update drivers|ref=<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/233250/discussions/2/864980278116578701/|title=(Reoccuring Issue) Game Won't Start - Steam Community Discussions|date=May 2023}}</ref>|fix=
 +
# Download and install the latest driver version for your video card ([http://support.amd.com/en-us/download ATI/AMD], [http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx Nvidia], [https://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx Intel]).
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Disable HDR|fix=
 +
# From the main menu select '''Settings'''.
 +
# Under '''Graphics''' set HDR to <code>OFF</code>.
 +
 
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} Only a known issue on older AMD GPUs
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Disable Ambient Occlusion|fix=
 +
# From the main menu select '''Settings'''.
 +
# Under '''Graphics''' set Ambient Occlusion to <code>OFF</code>.
 +
 
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} Only a known issue on older Intel GPUs
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Older AMD / Intel GPUs or Brightness Issues===
 +
{{ii}} This issue may be seen on Intel Arc graphics cards as well.
 +
 
 +
{{Fixbox|description=All modern GPUs should now support sRGB and sRGB multiple render targets blending.
 +
|fix=Historical sRGB workarounds for AMD / Intel GPU’s were removed in 114880.
 +
 
 +
Use the following if you need to enable the previous settings:
 +
 
 +
    --gl-disable-srgb
 +
    --gl-disable-mrt-srgb
 +
 
 +
Download and install the latest driver version for your video card ([http://support.amd.com/en-us/download ATI/AMD], [http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx Nvidia], [https://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx Intel]).
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==Other information==
 +
===Offline Gameplay===
 +
Even though the download of the game itself as well as any updates requires usage of the downloader (Uber Launcher), once obtained the game itself can be copied to other computers and played without any DRM-restrictions. For this to work, all game files have to be copied to the new location, no separate install is necessary. The game must however be started directly (through the PA.exe on windows or the PA.app on Mac) since the Uber Launcher will not start the game without login.
 +
 
 +
Once the game has started, single player and multi player modes might be deactivated on some machines. To fully activate go to Options -> Settings and set Local Server to "ON".
 +
 
 +
===API===
 +
{{API
 +
|direct3d versions      = 9.0c
 +
|direct3d notes        =
 +
|directdraw versions    =
 +
|directdraw notes      =
 +
|opengl versions        = unknown
 +
|opengl notes          =
 +
|glide versions        =
 +
|glide notes            =
 +
|software mode          =
 +
|software mode notes    =
 +
|mantle support        =
 +
|mantle support notes  =
 +
|vulkan versions        =
 +
|vulkan notes          =
 +
|dos modes              =
 +
|dos modes notes        =
 +
|shader model versions  = 3.0
 +
|shader model notes    =
 +
|windows 32-bit exe    = true
 +
|windows 64-bit exe    = true
 +
|windows arm app        = unknown
 +
|windows exe notes      =
 +
|mac os x powerpc app  = unknown
 +
|macos intel 32-bit app = unknown
 +
|macos intel 64-bit app = unknown
 +
|macos arm app          = unknown
 +
|macos app notes        =
 +
|linux 32-bit executable= unknown
 +
|linux 64-bit executable= unknown
 +
|linux arm app          = unknown
 +
|linux executable notes =
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===Middleware===
 +
{{Middleware
 +
|physics          =
 +
|physics notes    =
 +
|audio            = FMOD
 +
|audio notes      =
 +
|interface        = Coherent UI
 +
|interface notes  =
 +
|input            =
 +
|input notes      =
 +
|cutscenes        =
 +
|cutscenes notes  =
 +
|multiplayer      =
 +
|multiplayer notes=
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
==System requirements==
 +
{{System requirements
 +
|OSfamily = Windows
 +
 
 +
|minOS    = Vista SP2
 +
|minCPU  = Dual Core
 +
|minRAM  = 4 GB
 +
|minHD    = 2 GB
 +
|minSM    = 3.0
 +
 
 +
|recOS    =
 +
|recCPU  = Quad Core
 +
|recRAM  = 8 GB
 +
|recHD    =
 +
|recGPU  =
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{System requirements
 +
|OSfamily = OS X
 +
 
 +
|minOS    = 10.7
 +
|minCPU  = Dual Core
 +
|minRAM  = 4 GB
 +
|minHD    = 2 GB
 +
|minSM    = 3.0
 +
 
 +
|recOS    =
 +
|recCPU  = Quad Core
 +
|recRAM  = 8 GB
 +
|recHD    =
 +
|recGPU  =
 +
|notes    = {{ii}} 64-bit only.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{System requirements
 +
|OSfamily = Linux
 +
 
 +
|minOS    = Ubuntu 12.04/13.04, Mint 14/15
 +
|minCPU  = 64-bit Dual Core or better
 +
|minRAM  = 4 GB
 +
|minHD    = 2 GB
 +
|minSM    = 3.0
 +
 
 +
|recOS    =
 +
|recCPU  =
 +
|recRAM  =
 +
|recHD    =
 +
|recGPU  =
 +
|notes    = {{ii}} 64-bit only.
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{References}}

Latest revision as of 15:30, 7 January 2024

Planetary Annihilation
Planetary Annihilation cover
Developers
2015-2018 Uber Entertainment
2018-present Planetary Annihilation Inc.
Release dates
Windows September 5, 2014
macOS (OS X) September 5, 2014
Linux September 5, 2014
Reception
Metacritic 62
OpenCritic 65
IGDB 70
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase
Microtransactions Cosmetic
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Free-roaming camera
Controls Point and select
Genres RTS
Themes Space, Sci-fi
Series Planetary Annihilation
Planetary Annihilation on HowLongToBeat
Planetary Annihilation on IGDB
Planetary Annihilation guide on StrategyWiki
Planetary Annihilation on MobyGames
Planetary Annihilation on Wikipedia
Planetary Annihilation
Planetary Annihilation 2014
Planetary Annihilation: Titans 2015

Planetary Annihilation is a singleplayer and multiplayer free-roaming camera RTS game in the Planetary Annihilation series.

As of August 17, 2018, the rights to the game were taken over by Planetary Annihilation Inc., a company formed by the game's original developers and several long-time community members.[1]

The base game has been delisted from Steam in favor of the Titans standalone expansion pack, but both titles would receive updates regardless as they are mutually compatible in multiplayer in the Classic mode. Owners of the base game were granted a permanent 90% discount for purchasing Titans.[2]

There are several known issues with the Linux version.

General information

Uber Entertainment Forums
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
GamersGate
Icon overlay.png
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Steam (unavailable)
DRM-free after installation through Steam client (notes may include more details)
DRM-free when launched directly from executable.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Origin (unavailable) DRM: Uber Entertainment Account Activation
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Version differences

Planetary Annihilation: Titans includes all content and features from the original title.[3]

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %LOCALAPPDATA%\Uber Entertainment\Planetary Annihilation\localstore\Local Storage\coui_ui_0.localstorage
macOS (OS X)
Linux $HOME/.local/Uber Entertainment/
This game does not follow the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %LOCALAPPDATA%\Uber Entertainment\Planetary Annihilation\
macOS (OS X)
Linux

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Steam Cloud

Video

Graphics settings.
Graphics settings.

Graphics feature State Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Enabled by default.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
FXAA and supersampling up to 175%.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
Frame rate is capped ~120 FPS.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Input

Mouse settings.
Mouse settings.
Input settings.
Input settings.

Audio

Audio settings.
Audio settings.

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Master, music, voice and sound effects.
Surround sound
Subtitles
Some voice messages lack visual cue (e.g. full resource notification).
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language settings.
Language settings.
Possible to select from wide variety of community made translations.
Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Finnish
Community translation. Not complete.
French
German
Italian
Spanish

Network

Network settings.
Network settings.
Multiplayer is compatible with Planetary Annihilation: Titans (limited to the original game's content).[3]

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
10 Added in Build 73737.[4]
Online play
10

Issues fixed

Long load time and low FPS

Because of how Planetary Annihilation is a bit more memory intensive than most games it is a good idea to actually close any open programs such as Google Chrome before playing.
Enable threaded optimization[5]
  1. Open the Nvidia Control Panel.
  2. Under Global Settings select the drop-down box next to Threaded optimisation.
  3. Change this to On and click Apply.

Notes

This only applies to Nvidia cards.
If you get poor performance with multiple Nvidia cards, you will need to disable SLI.
Change priority[5]
  1. Open Task Manager and right-click PA.exe.
  2. Select Set Priority: and set it to High.

Notes

Press Ctrl+U to toggle the UI, if there is a noticeable FPS improvement this may benefit you.
Disable Steam Community overlay[5]
  1. Right-click on the game within your Steam library and select Properties.
  2. Uncheck Enable Steam Community In-Game and click CLOSE.

Black screen/black planet

Change settings[6]
  1. From the main menu select Settings.
  2. Under Graphics set anti-aliasing to OFF.
  3. Press F5 to refresh the game screen.

Notes

If this does not work try setting HDR to OFF aswell. If they are both already disabled, enable and disable them again then refresh by pressing F5. You may need to refresh many times.[7]
If nothing helps try to wait a bit, then press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, open Task Manager and then go back to the game window.[7]

Black lines

Disable anisotropic filtering[8]
  1. Open the Nvidia Control Panel.
  2. Under Global Settings select the drop-down box next to Anisotropic filtering.
  3. Change this to Application-controlled or Off and click Apply.

Notes

This only applies to Nvidia cards.

Game won't start

This issue is most likely due to outdated drivers.
Update drivers[9]
  1. Download and install the latest driver version for your video card (ATI/AMD, Nvidia, Intel).

Overly dark planets

This issue is seen on older Intel and AMD graphics cards.
Update drivers[10]
  1. Download and install the latest driver version for your video card (ATI/AMD, Nvidia, Intel).
Disable HDR
  1. From the main menu select Settings.
  2. Under Graphics set HDR to OFF.

Notes

Only a known issue on older AMD GPUs
Disable Ambient Occlusion
  1. From the main menu select Settings.
  2. Under Graphics set Ambient Occlusion to OFF.

Notes

Only a known issue on older Intel GPUs

Older AMD / Intel GPUs or Brightness Issues

This issue may be seen on Intel Arc graphics cards as well.
All modern GPUs should now support sRGB and sRGB multiple render targets blending.

Historical sRGB workarounds for AMD / Intel GPU’s were removed in 114880.

Use the following if you need to enable the previous settings:

   --gl-disable-srgb
   --gl-disable-mrt-srgb

Download and install the latest driver version for your video card (ATI/AMD, Nvidia, Intel).

Other information

Offline Gameplay

Even though the download of the game itself as well as any updates requires usage of the downloader (Uber Launcher), once obtained the game itself can be copied to other computers and played without any DRM-restrictions. For this to work, all game files have to be copied to the new location, no separate install is necessary. The game must however be started directly (through the PA.exe on windows or the PA.app on Mac) since the Uber Launcher will not start the game without login.

Once the game has started, single player and multi player modes might be deactivated on some machines. To fully activate go to Options -> Settings and set Local Server to "ON".

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9.0c
OpenGL
Shader Model support 3.0
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio FMOD
Interface Coherent UI

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) Vista SP2
Processor (CPU) Dual Core
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 2 GB
Video card (GPU) Shader model 3.0 support
macOS (OS X)
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 10.7
Processor (CPU) Dual Core
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 2 GB
Video card (GPU) Shader model 3.0 support
64-bit only.
Linux
Minimum
Operating system (OS) Ubuntu 12.04/13.04, Mint 14/15
Processor (CPU) 64-bit Dual Core or better
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 2 GB
Video card (GPU) Shader model 3.0 support
64-bit only.

References