Empire at War Take-Two

LC La Forge · Post by **LC La Forge** » Mon May 15, 2006 3:17 am

Is there an ETA on the map tool yet?

As for the timeline issue, can someone tell me when the Eclipse was first constructed and when EaW takes place?

Munro Burton · Post by **Munro Burton** » Mon May 15, 2006 8:53 am

The first Eclipse was 'launched' roughly six years after Endor. After Thrawn and before the Jedi Academy shitrilogy. During the Reborn Emperor's time. Our time.

Construction hadapparently been going on for years, since it was under even tighter security than the Death Stars ever were.

The first EaW is set before the Battle of Yavin. The campaigns follows the events of that time, if not too accurately. Kuat's yards were never destroyed, certainly not by a few corvettes which got lucky with a few explosive containers.

I'd imagine that FoC would be set before/around Endor. Death Star II is included, along with the Executor-class Star Destroyer, which was launched shortly after Yavin.

COL Nexant · Post by **COL Nexant** » Tue May 16, 2006 6:14 am

Jedi Academy shitrilogy

Excellent wording sir.

I want orbital bombardments instead of bombing runs. Where you can select and area maybe and random bolts fall in it or a surgical strike if you select something other than the ground.

MCHuskie · Post by **MCHuskie** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:31 am

That's never going to be a feature, it would make ground combat irrelevant. An Imperator-class Star Destroyer could easily flatten an (unshielded) enemy base from orbit.

Post by **Jagged Fel** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:16 pm

MCHuskie wrote:That's never going to be a feature, it would make ground combat irrelevant. An Imperator-class Star Destroyer could easily flatten an (unshielded) enemy base from orbit.

... and?

Munro Burton · Post by **Munro Burton** » Tue May 16, 2006 3:06 pm

Hence ground-based shield generators become a lot more important.

After all... if a squadron of one SSD and three ISDs decided to send down a ground force to take Hoth's shields down, that means the shield generator+ion cannon combination had to be capable of holding them off.

LC La Forge · Post by **LC La Forge** » Tue May 16, 2006 9:56 pm

Well, that ion cannon was pretty dang good on Hoth. One hit knocked out a Star Destroyer quite easily. I'd say you can have orbital bombardment, but then place emphasis in the game on having shields for your base, as well as weapons.

Muscat: Quite correct... if your opponet is dumb enough not to have shields, he deserves to be flattened.

COL Nexant · Post by **COL Nexant** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:14 am

You already need shields to protect against bombing runs and artillery so why not add it anyway. It will just look cool too....and most importantly have a degree of satisfaction higher to me than seeing a mess of wookies and rebels thrown about by a bombing run.

Wedge · Post by **Wedge** » Fri May 19, 2006 7:13 pm

Besides, you'll probably need to have a spotter to call down precision bombardments anyway.

Munro Burton · Post by **Munro Burton** » Fri May 19, 2006 8:00 pm

Spotting's easy. Just use a speeder bike. Pause, set waypoints which go through the desired bombardment place, then back out of the enemy area.

Unpause, watch your scout open up a sensor lane through the area, pick your bombardment point and sit back. Of course, it's easier if you're a Rebel... just use those damned MPTL spotters droids to ping the desired area.

EN Domada Robertin · Post by **EN Domada Robertin** » Tue May 30, 2006 7:44 pm

From what I have seen, the Eclipse is a unit like the Death Star, it is in the background and you can fire the weapon when you need to but you cannot command it around the map. If you look on the trailer you can see a big button on the command bar which is probably the Eclipse's superlaser.

Munro Burton · Post by **Munro Burton** » Tue May 30, 2006 8:30 pm

I've taken a look at that trailer and it looks like the Ensign's right. The Eclipse appears to be on a plane below regular ships.

Which brings up the question of how exactly it's supposed to be destroyed. Looks like it's one of the things which makes the Empire strongers. I noticed Dark Troopers, of all three Phases. They're freaking scary. Space maps also appears to be much more larger. Logical, since the first EaW's space map was barely large enough to play with ISDs and the population cap seems to have been increased.

I have to wonder why the Eclipse blew that ISD up, though...

PS: Ensign, I suggest you put your ID line into your signature.

Reservist Foley · Post by **Reservist Foley** » Tue May 30, 2006 11:01 pm

The Eclipse blew that ISD up because LucasArts descided to be idiots and give the ship to the new faction. The Empire has the Executor for it's super ship.

Munro Burton · Post by **Munro Burton** » Tue May 30, 2006 11:04 pm

Actually, there's a much more rational explaination for that.

Warlords.

It's possible that those ISDs belonged to a rogue Admiral or Moff. Or perhaps Vader had that ship destroyed to execute its Captain/Admiral for gross incompetence.

Anyway, I seriously doubt the Eclipse is under that crimelord's control. Because it seems that the aim of the game for the crimelord faction is to get your hands on an Executor-class. Presumably, you'd get your hands on ISD blueprints along the way...

Reservist Foley · Post by **Reservist Foley** » Tue May 30, 2006 11:07 pm

I'd normally agree but if you take a good look at the ship it's the same tint in color as the new ships. It's that paleish green yellow color that I hate. That and it attacking an ISD and being on the same map as the Executor. Besides, why would the Eclipse and Executor both be on the Empire if the guys at LucasArts have any intent to balance the game.