New SW: Empire at War info, and more Battlefront 2.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2005-04-24 02:45am

Stofsk wrote:
Captain tycho wrote:Yeah, let's hope they release some decent mod-tools for it.
This is LucasArts. I don't think they've ever supported mods or modmakers.

One can still hope.

Sharpshooter · Post by **Sharpshooter** » 2005-04-24 03:27am

Stofsk wrote:This is LucasArts. I don't think they've ever supported mods or modmakers.

IIRC, they set up Jedi Outcast for it to be easier to load up mods, what with the rampant modding that was going on with the predacessor - rather than use an external program to load the mods, players could just load it in a directory or something and choose it from a menu somewhere in the game.

Course, that may have changed with Academy...

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-04-24 03:44am

Sharpshooter wrote:
Stofsk wrote:This is LucasArts. I don't think they've ever supported mods or modmakers.
IIRC, they set up Jedi Outcast for it to be easier to load up mods, what with the rampant modding that was going on with the predacessor - rather than use an external program to load the mods, players could just load it in a directory or something and choose it from a menu somewhere in the game.

Course, that may have changed with Academy...

Actually, that was because Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy used the Quake 3 engine, which was designed that way.

The LucasArts guys didn't do anything to make it easier themselves.

Alan Bolte · Post by **Alan Bolte** » 2005-04-24 04:30am

Scimitar

Scout

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2005-04-24 05:45am

Problem with realistic SW is that Rebels ain't gonna win a fair fight against the Empire unless there's objective that needs to be protected or destroyed, they just don't have the firepower. So either change capship/starfighter ratio or make fighters capship killers (or change the vehicle/trooper ratio or have standard trooper be able to "kill" vehicles) (anyway other way it's not fun game to play as Empire is impossible to defeat in 90% of mission (unless you think that would be good game).

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2005-04-24 04:21pm

It looks more like that the galaxy mode part of the game is a 'pick and chose your battles' rather than a full-fledged combat theater pitting all one side's planets vs all the other's.

In other words it's fully possible for the Rebels to only have a couple fleets and a dozen worlds total as long as that's all the Empire is throwing at them per planetary assault, and is only working with a similar pool of useable planets out of an assumable, unmentioned total.

Besides, look at the screenshots; that's a lot of Mon Cal cruisers and ground tanks for what's supposedly a rag-tag fleet of cap-killer fighters and few heavy weapons. It's probably just SW Rebellion version 2, chock full of WEG material. Most SW games are that way.

Praxis wrote:I know, ridiculous idea. But still cool to see EU stuff.

EU ships are a dime a dozen in these games. They've included buildable Victory SDs since Star Wars Rebellion. If I wanted to be impressed by the selection, they should have either made this game 4 years ago or include AT-HEs and Mandators.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2005-04-25 03:34am

...Meh. If you want a balanced game, set it during the Clone Wars, or set it during the NR-era or some such. This game is effectively large-scale conventional siege warfare applied to what was most definitely nothing of the sort. You don't begin guerilla warfare with an open, wide assault on a planetary system. Few, if any, revolutions are 'balanced' militarily, or even close to it.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-04-25 03:42am

White Haven wrote:...Meh. If you want a balanced game, set it during the Clone Wars, or set it during the NR-era or some such. This game is effectively large-scale conventional siege warfare applied to what was most definitely nothing of the sort. You don't begin guerilla warfare with an open, wide assault on a planetary system. Few, if any, revolutions are 'balanced' militarily, or even close to it.

So? The Rebellion starts off as a guerrila organisation, conducting terrorism and eventually guerrila warfare. But it's ridiculous to continue using those tactics. Mao Zedong saw revolutionary war as starting off with terrorism, then progressing to guerrilla war, then finally ending up at conventional war - by the end the revolutionaries would have been building their own ships and guns and so on.

If this is what the game shows, then good. So far they've shown seige warfare but that could simply be the 'wow' factor of showing the potential buyers big fleets kicking arse. The actual campaign might follow on a somewhat 'realistic' path.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2005-04-25 07:32am

Who cares about the campaign? Who wants to play through the same damn story, AGAIN? It's an RTS: its a multi game. And if you can attack shielded planets with anything less than five ISDs and an SSD, it's not Star Wars. Just like all the other games, shooters, etc aren't Star Wars: they're a licence stuck on a hopeless game.

I actually don't see the Imperial-Alliance conflict as good fodder for a strategy-fleet game, since until the BoE there aren't any battles. Hence, define the assets, let people build their own scenarios. Who wants to be given a dozen levels set on places like Tatooine, Hoth, Ord Mantel, Dantooine, Naboo, etc? Creativity the what now?

Remember Force Commander.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2005-04-25 09:07am

Stark wrote:Who cares about the campaign?

I do. For a start, a good campaign allows a game to be enjoyed solo, and that's what I want to play. Sure multiplayer is fun, but there are times when I don't want to go through the hassle and bullshit of meeting strangers online and dicking around with a MP game. If I can enjoy it solo then I'm happy.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2005-04-25 06:36pm

Are there RTSs that don't involve the 'you start with a HQ and a constructor, now defeat the huge enemy base full of idiots' cliche?

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-04-25 08:23pm

NEW BATTLEFRONT 2 SCREENS!

Stairs on the Tantive IV?

WHAT THE HECK DID THEY DO TO THE ISD HANGAR?

Death Star!

More Death Star. Note the Wookiee is using a pilot's gun, instead of a bowcaster. What?
TIE Interceptor!

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2005-04-25 09:25pm

I'll give them an Oreo for putting rank pauldrons on Stormtroopers without making them Sandtroopers, evidently.

And three more if those are in fact Imperial Army troppers in the background. Cause that'd be swanky.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-04-25 09:39pm

Utsanomiko wrote:I'll give them an Oreo for putting rank pauldrons on Stormtroopers without making them Sandtroopers, evidently.

And three more if those are in fact Imperial Army troppers in the background. Cause that'd be swanky.

Thats the Imperial pilot on some stages.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2005-04-26 09:53am

Stark wrote:Are there RTSs that don't involve the 'you start with a HQ and a constructor, now defeat the huge enemy base full of idiots' cliche?

YES, goddamit how many people DON'T know of Ground Control(1, not 2).

Get Ground Control, should be 10-15$ by now.

Crossroads Inc. · Post by **Crossroads Inc.** » 2005-04-26 10:16am

Praxis wrote:WHAT THE HECK DID THEY DO TO THE ISD HANGAR?

Um yes... Like, WTF? It's an interesting concept, but you totally loose all of the Trench mounted guns.

Duken · Post by **Duken** » 2005-04-26 12:05pm

Praxis wrote:WHAT THE HECK DID THEY DO TO THE ISD HANGAR?

What the fuck? That had better be a subclass. It's also begging for a broadside.

Ace Pace wrote:YES, goddamit how many people DON'T know of Ground Control(1, not 2).

Get Ground Control, should be 10-15$ by now.

Or you can get it free off Fileplanet.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2005-04-26 03:42pm

Duken wrote:
Praxis wrote:WHAT THE HECK DID THEY DO TO THE ISD HANGAR?
What the fuck? That had better be a subclass. It's also begging for a broadside.

Ace Pace wrote:YES, goddamit how many people DON'T know of Ground Control(1, not 2).

Get Ground Control, should be 10-15$ by now.
Or you can get it free off Fileplanet.

I thought that required Subscriber acess?

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-04-26 04:17pm

I'm guessing the reason is that it is too difficult for players to fly underneath it, then turn 90 degrees upwards, go straight up into the hangar, then go 90 degrees back downwards, straighten up, and hit land before you hit the wall, without running into any other parked ship.

No flight control in video games, you know

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2005-04-26 04:23pm

Ace Pace wrote: I thought that required Subscriber acess?

Not sure whether this still applies, but I was able to download it and I've only got the free subscription.

Duken · Post by **Duken** » 2005-04-26 05:02pm

3rd Impact wrote:
Ace Pace wrote: I thought that required Subscriber acess?
Not sure whether this still applies, but I was able to download it and I've only got the free subscription.

I've only got the free subscription too. Unfortunentally, only the Ground Control 1 w/GC2 Demo seems to be on the server. The damn GC2 demo adds ~200MB to the file.
Ground Control Full Game w/GC2 Multiplayer Demo

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2005-04-26 06:04pm

Praxis wrote: No flight control in video games, you know

X-Wing Alliance and Crimson Skies had it. Just fly up near the hangar and press the 'enter hangar' button.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2005-04-26 06:41pm

True, but it'd probably require some big changes in the Battlefront engine.

To tell the truth this looks like an expansion pack rather than a new game. New game modes plus new levels.

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2005-04-28 05:03pm

Why the hell do they even bother putting an ISD in if they have to massively change it like that? Just use carriers or design something new.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2005-04-28 06:38pm

Ace Pace wrote:YES, goddamit how many people DON'T know of Ground Control(1, not 2).

Get Ground Control, should be 10-15$ by now.

I played GC... for five minutes. The whole 'my squad of guys didn't bring any demo charges and destroying this building is taking five minutes' thing put me off. I think it was the demo?

Anyway, that hanger is gold. Lowest common denominator game design strikes again!