Star Wars: Empire at War

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » February 18, 2006, 1:35 pm

This was on sale at Best Buy so I picked it up. The game takes place after epidoe 3 and before episode 4. It's a strange mix of real-time RTS and long term resource collecting and planet conquering. The graphics are really fun, with the space battles coming firghteningly close to the actual Star Wars films. While playing, you can hit a "Cinematic mode" (that works about 85% of the time) and you'll see a widescreen, cinimatic version of the battles you are currently fighting.

So, the graphics are good, but not great. The tend to overuse some really great effects. The game innovations are there at times, but they borrowed a bit from Dawn of War in terms of gaining reinforcements from stragic points instead of the traditional build tree. Well, the build tree is still there, it's just muted. This is probably the best Star Wars games I have ever played, for whatever that's worth.

So far, I'll give it a 7.5 out of 10. The space battles kick it up a notch, that's for sure. It looks as though it's going to be fairly easy to figure out a standard way to defeat everything. We'll see.

Sartori · Post by **Sartori** » February 18, 2006, 3:40 pm

I played the demo. I thought it was funny that I could take out a Star Destroyer AND it's entire tie squadron complements using only a special character (Han Solo w/Falcon). At first I thought it might be something I'd be interested in buying and playing, but it seemed to be about as deep as a puddle. Note: this is just my impression from playing around with the demo.

Here's to hoping they fix DoW's balance issues and soon!

Kwonryu DragonFist · February 18, 2006, 4:20 pm

How good is it compared to lets say DoW?

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » February 18, 2006, 4:45 pm

How good is it compared to lets say DoW?

Well, it dosen't. DoW is in a ballpark all it's own IMO

But it's fun and has eye candy, It's just lacking depth. It's like RTS light, with a few twists.

Kwonryu DragonFist · February 18, 2006, 5:12 pm

Fairweather Pure wrote:
How good is it compared to lets say DoW?
Well, it dosen't. DoW is in a ballpark all it's own IMO But it's fun and has eye candy, It's just lacking depth. It's like RTS light, with a few twists.

Yeah, Star Wars Universe cant beat Warhammer 40k universe in RTS-games imho, but thats just me (and a load of other old Warhammer fans)!

Khorne Berzerkers for teh win!

Blood for teh blood god!

-

Still, gotta be hilarious sending in squads of Ewoks?

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » February 18, 2006, 5:17 pm

Did you know they recently announced a second DoW expansion? It will feature tau and 1 other unannounced race. Here's hoping it's Tyranids!

Syenye · Post by **Syenye** » February 18, 2006, 5:28 pm

i got this at ebgames and it came with a desktop deathstar. since i'm a regular, they gave me a few, and they make fun weapons. fun game though.

Kwonryu DragonFist · February 18, 2006, 5:29 pm

Fairweather Pure wrote:Did you know they recently announced a second DoW expansion? It will feature tau and 1 other unannounced race. Here's hoping it's Tyranids!

Well, we have been requesting Tau and Tyranids on the boards.

Tyranids got the most votes of course.

Myself and others have written several suggestions how to implement Tyranids in DoW!

We will have to see!

Sartori · Post by **Sartori** » February 18, 2006, 9:47 pm

I recommend trying the demo of the Star Wars game before purchase.

As far as races for the new DoW - my roommate and I are pretty sure it will be Tau + Necrons (cause they're kinda already in the game, same as IG were before). We would prefer Tau + `Nids though, all the way. Necrons, while powerful on TT, are probably the one race I'd least want to collect and play.

Kwonryu DragonFist · February 18, 2006, 11:53 pm

Sartori wrote:I recommend trying the demo of the Star Wars game before purchase.

As far as races for the new DoW - my roommate and I are pretty sure it will be Tau + Necrons (cause they're kinda already in the game, same as IG were before). We would prefer Tau + `Nids though, all the way. Necrons, while powerful on TT, are probably the one race I'd least want to collect and play.

Necrons are SOOOOO boring

Kwonryu DragonFist · February 22, 2006, 8:24 am

The galactic battles in EaW is much more fun than the landbattles imho!

Cinematic camera in the spacefights is almost like in teh movies!

The landbattles are a bit lackluster imho.

Hesten · Post by **Hesten** » February 22, 2006, 11:47 am

Just got it, and played a few hours last night. Good idea to run the tuturial to learn how to control it all

And yep, the space battles rock, havent tried skirmish mode though. Land battles are fun too, but kinda bothersome that (at least when playing rebels) you kinda need all type units at all times, didnt really expect to meet AT-ST units on the first land mission, so had only like half the units with me that i actually needed to complete the mission

.

If skirmish are fun, this might be a game ill buy.

Kwonryu DragonFist · February 22, 2006, 1:18 pm

Yeah, same for me Hesten!

I was greeted by AT-AT, AT-STs, Scout speeders and StormTroopers + Boba Fett.

Had to have both Artillery, anti-vehicle units, troops, tanks, rocketeers etc

It was Tatooine though, so i had the luxury to use Jawas as fodder and then do bombing runs!

Boogahz · Post by **Boogahz** » February 22, 2006, 1:47 pm

I highly recommend checking out the Demo available online before purchase. I liked the overall dynamics of the game, but I don't think it is a game I will purchase. Space battles were fun, but the land battles kicked my ass the first time I did them. Is there some way to figure out what units the opposition has on a planet? I think the tutorial mentioned it, but maybe that just wasn't available during the demo. Once I failed a couple times, I was able to put the right units in my fleet to succeed.

cadalano · Post by **cadalano** » February 22, 2006, 2:17 pm

you can see all garrisons with an imperial probe i think, boog.

I only played the single player mode but I'm not impressed.

My biggest gripe is that the paper rock scissors design is completely old and wildly exaggerated here. I had 2 star destroyers and 2 interdictors focusing entirely on Luke Skywalker and his health didnt drop at all. I brought in two cruisers that cost 1/6th as much as a Star Destroyer and they dropped him in seconds.

The land battles are retarded. Extremely lame.. slow.. and unbalanced. There is absolutely nothing that Darth Vader, the Emporer, and a Bacta station cant handle on their own. Yet, if I was to save myself 20-30 minutes of walking around blowing up trees with Wookies in them by clicking the Auto-Resolve button.. They would both die somehow.

They had a good idea going with the whole galactic map and the control of planets etc, but they didnt flesh it out enough. They left it more like a board-game when it should have played a more important role in strategy.

All in all they tried to make a good game by just throwing in anything that they perceived a good RTS should have without ever really thinking about any of it. Heroes? Check. Contestable... resource..thingies? Check. Rock-paper-scissors up the ass? CHECK. Theres a shitload of functionality but nothing really matters in the end, you can literally ignore all of it. All that matters is that the Emporer and Vader are going to rock your world.

Attempting to compare this to DoW is a joke

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » February 24, 2006, 8:47 pm

cadalano wrote:THIS GAME BLOWS

(quote paraphrased to save scrolling)

Thanks, I am going to actually download the demo instead of buying it, and if I agree it suxxors i will save myself the 29 bucks.

Kwonryu DragonFist · February 25, 2006, 1:42 am

Well, it's ok actually, it's not the worst of the worst.

It's a decent game in the spirit of Star Wars.

Think the old Warlords-games but in Sci fi Star Wars!

Since my System is a bit less hawt as the standard hawt system these days in RAM and GraphicsCard, the land battles were a bit slow for me.

But it was easily amended though since every time i invaded a planet i did auto-resolve!

What i liked most was the space battles, and they were smooth and quick for my comp, so i always fought those manually (those that required attention, not My Death Star + Imperial Star Destroyers VS some cruisers!).

I think of it as Master of Orion light with less research.

The battles in Space are superb in EaW though, just like in the movies!

You can choose specific units and then go cinematic camera, then you can zoom in/out, scroll around, follow the action or change cam to another angle/ship etc.

The EaW spacebattles blow MOO out of the water in that aspect, i just wish you could design some of your own ships in EaW.

Like taking a hull from a Frigate and assigning different weapons.

4 Ion cannons instead of 8 Laser Batteries etc and so forth.

The Land battles i didnt care much for since they were so slow on my comp so i always let the comp calculate those auto.

Was easy though, i usually sent down Colonel Veers (The Hero that comes with his own special AT-AT), 2 Artilley Units, 2 Tanks, 2 AT-STs and Darth Vader for Force Crush VS vehicles and Force Push Vs infantry + a Field Commander Unit.

If you couldnt lose the match by losing Emperor i'd send him down to the planet as well unless i was producing something (fleet or army).

Oh yeah, i'd send Boba Fett down too, unless i needed him to Neutralize a Hero or scout around.

Resolved everything Auto!
That setup could take care of Obi Wan+Han Solo+their crew.

Mostly i used Boba in the Space Battles though, he owned with those Seismic Charges!

-

When playing Rebels i usually massed those Corellian cruisers at the start (those ships with 8 Laser batteries each).

Add Han Solo and some Missile ships to that later on and it was cake!

Rarely used the Rebels "Big Ships" beside Home One.

Lots of Y-Wings to take care of Shields. Missile Ships, Cruisers+Han Solo+Lukes Squadron=Fun Stuff!

Every time you used Lukes Lucky Shot though, You'd hear Obi Wan say "Use the Force Luke!"

Well, i couldn't complain on the Space Battles at all!

Maybe a bigger space, more ships, customization in the ship department.

Overall, i'd like to see more research. More buildings for the planets. More research for weaponsystems and other systems for the ships.

More research for the infantry as well would be welcome.

Each planet should have at least two more defence systems (beside the Space station) you could research. Either a fat orbital cannon or Missile/Torpedoe Launchers or a Minefield you could place etc.

Master of Orion 2 was my fav game back in the day though.

I played Empire At War just like i played MOO2.

Enjoyed the Space battles, did quick auto-resolves for land invasions (just like the land invasions in MOO2) with every emphasize on the fleet.

And the Joy of Blasting Systems out of the sky like i did in MOO2 with the Stellar Converted was as much enjoyable in EaW with the Death Star!

If i had a supersystem i'd prolly play the land invasions manually as well, at least some of them. But for now, i didnt care about them.

Space is where it's at!

-

Final Words, Don't compare it to DoW, compare it to Master of Orion! (with less research)

Dregor Thule · Post by **Dregor Thule** » February 25, 2006, 6:26 pm

Adex hacked Kwon's account!